Who Needs Scenery?

Our operating session at Don's place showed us that you don't have to wait until all your scenery is in before inviting friends over to operate your layout. If it is designed with operations in mind, then the lads will be suitably entertained with the challenges of train orders and switch lists.


This is the terminal yard at Shadetree, the westernmost point on the layout. Train crews make up their trains in the yard before heading out onto the high iron. Let's follow a train across the branch.



It's a long run before the crew reaches the crossovers at the junction near Scoddy Lumber. Their orders today tell them to drop two cars here and attain a single lift with the aid of the local switcher.


The crew passes the large industrial switching complex at Viewmount...no work for them here. Their westbound counterpart will handle the chores at Viewmount on this day. Viewmount is the centrepiece of the large peninsula that juts out into the center of the layout room.


Reaching the town of Nepean, the crew uses the runaround to help switch out the three facing sidings and the single trailing spur here. They have to take great care with their moves as there is a major crossing just beyond the station tracks. That's Andreas and Bill working the eastbound job. Hey boys...it sure looks funny switching with a large unit like that one!

A low relief image of some of the industries in Nepean...two named after Mike's....Pasch Printing and Hamer Tools. Now, what's this about Hamer's tool?! Hey Stanley...I see a local shop along Main Street in the distance with your name on it! We can't wait to see this urban/industrial scenery develop, Don!

Well, it's not contact lenses the boys are looking for as both Stan and Fred have their glasses on! Must be an attempt to identify the reporting marks on a specific car. That's the later westbound CP train switching the industries in Viewmount. The eastbound we had been following finally made its way to Walkley Yard, a three track staging area along a shelf just noticeable in the distance.
You've gotta love that paint job on the Ottawa Central unit...nicely weathered too! Hey Don, what about dirtying up that CP van a touch? (In time...in time!)

Yes, we've just shown that you don't require much scenery to bring a layout to life...although we are confident Don will have some new things to show by the time we get back to his place again!