Finishing a scene

Well, another major milestone tonight - I actually finished detailing West Staging. Now mind you, it's a series of building mockups but at least it looks like a complete scene. I was built a couple of trees (actually, I built about 6 and only needed 4 because they are so large!) to serve as a sort of view block between the "offline staging" and Rt 30 which is the start of the actual operating layout. Route 30 separates West Staging (Pittsburgh and points west) form "downtown" E. McKeesport. 

To help break up the scene, I decided to create little roadside park. Now this scene is not actually complete, but you get a sense for what I am going for. I still need to string the wire barrier to keep the cars from going over the hillside, add more telephone poles (and maybe string wire along them as well) but I was able to complete the park scene complete with trees, a parked car, a couple of benches and people sitting around, resting from their long trip on the famous Lincoln Highway as Rt 30 was known in the 50s. 

I think across the bridge I will put a small Mom & Pop grocery store - maybe even with a sign for Wilmerding! A few more bushes, more railing and finish grassing the hillside and I can move onto E. McKeesport.

In addition to finishing this scene tonight, I set up the cars for the operating session with Eric tomorrow. First, I pulled all the 50' boxcars (6 of them), reduced the staging to only 3 tracks in both East and West Staging representing 2 locals and 1 thru train each. Irwin Yard is pretty full (all four tracks have at least a couple of cars) but I think I can work through this in pretty short order as I have a couple of trains ready, one east bound, one westbound and the H-1 Herminie local which works the WCC Mine No. 4 spur. I have one more train staged, EREM-1 the P&LE run from Erie PA to E. McKeesport. After I set everything up I realize there were no cars on the May Stern/Stetson Convention spur.

Before Eric stops over, I need to jot down some notes on the waybills and the train composition - just to see if this scheme works a little better. Wish me luck!