Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff

The new Train Order cards were used for the first time. So observations. East and West cards should be back to back. Only 1 set of each colour/consist can be used at a time as there are not enough of some types of rolling stock. If we only have 1 set of each colour of card stock we will not have enough different colours, however in some cases we can use different colours of ink e.g. red ink on white cards. Overall the cards seemed to work well.
Projects worked on. Gay Lea Foods and Esso Oil have new signs. The siding to Schell Industries was installed. All of the roadbed was installed on the branchline,  just the logging spur needs to be constructed.
The loop to Ortona was laid and the 6 track yard in Ortona was started.

As Peter and Jeff switch Lincoln, Mike and Rob work on the branchline. 

Don brought an Exchange student from Brazil to our layout. 

Glen and Larry work on another part of the branchline. 

Friday fun.

Glen, Larry, Jim, Jim, Rob and I were in attendance. Jim and I had several discussions about the Train Orders, including the fact that it would be better if the return run was on the back side so that the Train Order just needs to be flipped over, for its return trip.  He then set up trains to use the Train Orders on Tuesday. Glen continued adding scenery and helped install benchwork,  when he was needed.
The benchwork from Lincoln to the sawmill area was added, and some of the logging spur was laid out. We were trying to get all the remaining sawing completed, but we still need to add the 1x4 face along the front of the benchwork, and finish the logging spur.
Rob and Jim were busy adding feeders. Rob also levelled out the hump area on the mainline on the back side of Lincoln.

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff

Jim thought he might start running with some of the new Train Orders. Wouldn't you know it, he picked out the only Train Order with 1 of the cars it ships missing. I now have to make a pipe load on a flat car (there needs to be at least 2 of every type of car/load). This got me thinking, why not use them now. The way they operate is the same as the way we operate with the card system we now use. The above pipe loaded flat car will satisfy our rolling stock needs. All the industries are in place, but not  secured into their position with scenery, I think. Hmm, next Tuesday will be fun.
Meanwhile a group of us continued working on the Branch line up to Ortona. The benchwork is now in place and all but 1 piece of roadbed has been installed. The approach to the gravel dock has also been completed.  Once the scenery on the new sections of the mainline is completed we can add the benchwork connecting  the branchline between Lincoln and the sawmill. After the trackwork from Lincoln to Ortona is installed, with the benchwork  cutout for the stream, the benchwork up to the logging camp can be added. Then all remaining track can be completed and wired. That will be a turning point in this project. On to scenery and finishing up.

Grand Trunk Viaduct

Grand Trunk Viaduct, South River Ontario.

Friday fun.

Rob spent the day re-doing the feeders for the sidings to Allen Lumber and Gay Lea Foods.

Yup, that's him.

Glen plastered joints and gaps along the upper mainline.

I worked on the saw mill area, adjusting levels and grades. The road bed was also added.

Gay Lea Foods and City Services structures were added to Lincoln.

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff

Welcome to the to our newest member Jeff. Some of our members ran on the mainline for a while. No problems were encountered so once the feeders are added to the the sidings to Allen Lumber and Gay Lea Foods, ballasting on the new track can begin.

Jim Long has become my proof reader of sorts. We discussed the direction that Jackson Transfer should be switched as you have to go into the Harbor Crane siding and then back into the Jackson Transfer siding. His solution is to use the 2 back passing tracks to make this manoeuvre, leaving the 2 mainline passing sidings open. He also pointed out that I had left the starting point off of several train orders, good catch.

A few of us added supports and adjusted the grade up to Ortona, most of it is about 1.8 to 2.3 degrees, not bad for a branchline. It looks like the stream will flow down where the bottles of screws are. The climb up to the logging spur is only about 2 1/2 inches.

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff

Members accepted the financial report as read. As a few visitors toured our layout, work was on going. The turntable was moved from Lincoln and replaced by Schell Industries.

The ready mix part of Schell Industries will be added to Zorra Cement.

Buckley Mills replaced Schell Industries in Herons Landing

Work was started on re-routing the sidings to Gay Lea Foods and Allen Lumber.

The benchwork from Ortona to the tunnel loop was cut and a few supports were added to hold it up. The grade still needs to be checked and adjusted.

It was also decided that the ore train will be staged in Ortona. The run will be; the ore train has been delivered from the, off layout mine to Ortona yard, it is picked up and delivered to Great Lakes Steel where it is unloaded, after unloading it is returned to Ortona yard where it is held to be "delivered " to the mine.