Scenic Progress

Following the installation of the overpass, I needed to patch and add to the scenery in the area of the bridge, so I figured the best place to start was where I left off: shrubberies!

Inside (of the loop) end pier

Other end pier.

Along the road. I plan to add some very fine gravel-looking material for the shoulders, and if I can find a paint pen(or two), add the road markings. Now that the dark and gloom is coming it may be time to start some trees. That could give me an area "practically" finished!

It was also a great time to touch up, and repair some minor nicks and scrapes in the old. I also learned that alcohol on a Q-tip is the perfect tool for removing stray paint form the ends of ties! I had a few spots where I hadn't realized I did this, as well as some new ones, and the Q-tip did the job just fine. Toothbrushes and such can do more harm than good.

And I didn't want to let the station area feel abandoned, so I applied the ground base (paint, earth mix foam, and coarse turf), in preparation for the rest of the scenic details:

I've planned lights on the platform, trees, and a wooden bridge to connect the station area to the town, but need to plan it for scratching, as the kits don't quite fit what I'm after...

Bridging the Gap

I've been toying with the idea of putting an expressway overpass on one end of the lift-out section to help disguise the transition between levels and break up the "loop effect" of the small layout. Six lanes, plus median, plus breakdown lane, plus the related bulk of a modern expressway structure would, I thought, overwhelm the area I had available. So I went a "smaller" route.

I finally decided that the Rix Products 1930s Overpass (http://www.rixproducts.com/6280103.htm) was the one I wanted; could have gone with the modern version, but I wanted to stage earlier pictures as well as modern ones, and surely there must be an example of this kind of bridge still in use? This is two of the four piers, and will probably leave the overpass itself loose to fit into the piers when the lift-out is in, to keep the total height down.

Some of the changes made - Railings and detail applied; test fit to see how it would look...

More or Less Finished - The far railing is attached, and all that is left is to attach the railings supports and cement the overpass to the pier tops. The posts are cemented into the pier tops, and the bottoms will be loose in the lower pier, to facilitate removal. After that, just need to paint and weather...

Track View - Still need to do something about this view; maybe some dark grey paint or a view blocker?

Traffic View - A collection of vehicles from a number of manufactures shown off.

Super Chief under the Overpass - A diverted Super Chief scoots under the highway as it tries to make up lost time. A fire near Joliet has closed the Santa Fe main line, and "essential trains only" are being diverted or the C&NW and CB&Q. We were lucky enough to catch the Chief

Overhead View - The old highway to the right (at track level), the new overpass, and the dual tracks of the container terminal can be seen here.