Full Disclosure ... the real look behind the scenes

I thought I should share how the train room typically looks as I am working on the layout. Many of the photos show the layout uncluttered, the room relatively neat and clean. Not true.

How the train room usually appears as I am working

You can see 3 projects I am working on in this view of E McKeesport and the peninsula. First, I completed the rough ballasting on all the tracks in Hermine so I am starting to add more scenery details starting with painting the green insulation board with a burnt umber. In the far background is my tray of ballast, glues and tools. Right in front of it is the scene divider that I need to place between E. McKeesport and the 2 hidden tracks that run along the wall. Behind the peninsula, under the Irwin Yard, you can see my work desk which is rather cluttered but actually pretty cleaned up for a change. Finally in the very foreground you can see some of the scene detailing I have completed for Vic's Bait and Tackle shop, I am hoping this will be my first complete scene and I might even finish it this weekend.
The next photo shows the Irwin Yard side of the layout. Here I am almost done ballasting the sides of the roadbed in Penn Hills and I am beginning to rough in the mountain and tunnel that will pass through the scene divider running down the peninsula. Only a little of the mainline in this section remains to be ballast. I have a pretty good idea how I want this section to look so it may be the next scenery I tackle after Vic's and the WCC Coal Mine in Herminie.

Work on the Irwin Yard part of the layout

I have all 4 yard tracks in the East Yard (farthest away in picture) center ballasted. One track and the cabin track closest to the edge already had side ballast and I finished the other 3 tracks shortly after I took this photo. The engine track is completed. I need to do both the center and sides of the mainline through the yard and the spur behind the yard. If you look in the top right corner, you can see the scene divider I mentioned above leaning against the layout.
What you don't see in these photos is the work I am also doing on the electrical. I am still trying to make 3 remaining Loconet cables but right now I am working on the plug wiring for the liftout bridge.
Many projects keeping me busy!