The C&NW RR Project - Thoughts

C&NW #30 in her final configuration when she was #74 on the RGS.

Like I don't have enough projects but this one is a little different in that my wife is interested in working on it with me. While she does not enjoy painting miniatures she is intrigued by working on buildings and scenery. Over the last couple of months I have been scouting the house for a place to install some kind of layout and was just about willing to admit defeat when it occurred to me that I might be able to do something modular that could be taken apart and stored. That opened up some possibilities and we have settled on the formal living room as a place that a layout could reside in when its assembled.

There are two unused closets that could be used for storage. That allows for a module 45" long and 23" deep and I can adjust the shelves to fit the height of the module without a problem. I have been sketching out some designs although nothing has really blown me away at this point so that will need some work. I'll still be working with On30 and this layout will be O scale, unlike Calamity which will still be 1/56th scale. And yes I still plan on using the equipment for Calamity as well.

Right now I'm working with an around the walls concept, running from a fiddle yard, then through one small town, then a section of mountain scenery and bridges and ending in a mining town. Continuing with the idea of it representing the Colorado and North Western (or later and it would be the Denver, Boulder and Western) I'm thinking that the fiddle yard would represent Boulder, the first town would be Salina and the end would represent Ward and its mining district (I'm thinking the Big 5 area at the point). Anyway that's what has been distracting me as of late.