5 Hours to do that?

Left Hand Short Radius Peco Switch: $19.99
Strip of balsa wood the rough dimensions of an HO railroad tie: 25¢
Foam paintbrush: 40¢
Spending five hours laying, soldering, and ballasting track, adding details to a dock and running in a new locomotive? Priceless

I discovered that last night my track had wandered left. I'm not sure how, but wander it did. I'm using Locktite adhesive to keep my track in place, as suggested here. Maybe that has something to do with it. So I vacuumed what I could and re-laid and re-ballasted the track.
I'm laying track on the fly because I've discovered my nice little plan I had sketched out is simply not going to work. But all the industries in Salmon Bay will have rail service. I laid and ballasted the track toward East Ballard. Due to the fact the fiddle yard is not going to be built in my time in Missoula, nor is East Ballard itself, I've added a bumper modeled after the ones used at Fort Missoula.
I grabbed the medium ballast as opposed to the fine so it looks chunkier then that seen on the real SBT, but it looks wonderfully like that seen at the fort. Just dumped in place and enough to get the job done. This is fine because the SBT uses 152lb rail.
I also added some detail to the dock. Mainly a railroad tie at the end of the dock so my trains don't just keep going. That new tank car rolls like nothing and after one near miss I decided it was time. I added some more dowels to make it look more "docky". Still have no idea what I'm going to put under it. It's amazing how the Dark Walnut stain I'm using looks like cresote though.
My next job is getting the cannery spur in place. The cannery is built at the other end of Salmon Bay and included the run around track. Space keeps getting tighter and tighter on the layout, but it will be done.
The Davenport arrived today, and after running for about an hour has started giving me fits. Not sure why. Look good though!
I'll get pics up tomorrow.

Pictures

This sign hangs above the layout. Fits me to a "T".


Here we have a shot of the whole layout as it stands currently. East Ballard would be to your left, 62nd Ave NE and the ferry slip to your right.


The Salmon Bay Pier. Not the prettiest pier but it does work. And I'm rather pleased how it turned out. That is partialy completed boxcab #12 near the pier. No locomotives are allowed on this structure. The Salmon Bay station will reside here.


I ballasted all the track I had today. Here is a long shot. Notice my strip wood crossing. Why buy it when you can build it? To a point that is.


My Peco switches I ballested. All joints will be soldered.


My railroad in exile. The Temporary & Carpet Southern. That's the 3-spot on the spur. Built a tank car today too.
And here is a forlorn shot of #10 after a painting, er, accident. Incident? Well a painting someting. I'll strip it and start over.

If Whipped Cream Went on Strike, The Result Would Be Drywall Cement

It's been a very busy day in Salmon Bay, my hometown. The first rails were laid at the Port of Salmon Bay Pier. Now all they need to do is build the pier. They finally fired up that box cab and ran it around for a bit. Needs paint and decals but by God she runs if in fits and starts and with a wonderous amount of noise. She runs and that is half he battle. Doesn't gaurenntee victory however. Of course tommorow it'll be front page news. The Plymouth #10 had a bit of a fit and was put into the shop, while the GN boxcar fell off the edge of the world. They are trying to salvage what they can but it looks to be a loss. Maybe it'll decorate the yard as a storage barn. It's beginning to look and feel like a proper railroad.
For some of you who may not have been in Salmon Bay, let me tell you a bit about it. It's a very sleepy town, nestled in the crook of Lake Union, just down the ship canal from the locks. They tried to drag it into the city in the 30's but it just didn't happen. Salmonites are fiercly independant. It's almost as if the town is all by itself there. There is one general store and one church. A bakery and a fishing shop. The milk is still carried by hand and the newspaper boy has the best arm in town.
The railroad is the life blood of this town. Sure there's a road but it's for it's for plasure not buisness. And almost everyone has a boat. You learn to sail before you drvie. But it's the railroad that makes Salmon Bay what it is.
The wail of a M5 horn in the mnornin wakes people up in the morning and is their companion throughout the day. Loads in empties out. Interchange traffic to work, blowing for the Coates crossing on every move, the crash and bang of couplers. Almost all the switching is done by noon, at which point the coastal fog lifts and glorious sunshine fills the town. The local is assembled and rumbles out and the town gets quite again. It's not uncommon for a fishing boat or small cargo vessel to pull up in need of unloading after the local has left. Even still they'll fire up another engine and get done what needs to get done. Because that's how things are done in Salmon Bay. Come dusk the local will creep back into town, it's horn muted in deference to the quiet and shuttered hamlet.
Every other day the noon turn is going in a different direction. Even days it's headed northwest to the industrial doldrums of East Ballard, with it's grimy streets and never ending noise and bustle. Odd days it's southeast towards 62nd Ave NE and the ferry slip, where a buck and a quarter will get you a ride to to downtown Seattle, if that's where the cargo is headed. And if the ferry is running that day.
It's not a bad place to grow up, Salmon Bay. I know because I did.

Projects for the Day

I had four things to do today.
1. Add handrails to #10
2. Improve the paint scheme
3. Add decals.
4. Get couplers back on the engine.

I'd give it 7/10 for results, but a 9/10 for effort.

My first ever decal job. Well not really, This is my sixth try I do believe. Concept? Easy. Reality? Not so much. There are some wrinkles and an air bubble or two but with some Dullcoat and weathering, it'll be passable.

Handrails need to be redone. But I have an idea of how they go on, and will spend some more time bending iron. It should be noted the engine will be set up to run short hood forward. I need to figure a way to light rear, front end. I'm thinking of just adding some ditch lights. We'll see how that goes.

I've also put some thought into services and businesses served. Some will be in pairs, some not. Here is what I am currently thinking:

Salmon Bay
*Harrison Cannery
Loads in
-Port of Salmon Bay and East Ballard Port Authority via local fishing boats.
Loads out
-Seafood to Ivar's Restaurant direct via SBT
-Shipping all points via NP and GN

*Hansen Lumber
Loads In
-Rough Lumber from Sawyers Bros. Sawmill direct via SBT
Loads out
-All points via NP and GN

*Port of Salmon Bay
Loads In
-Various via cargo and fishing vessels
Loads Out
-Various via SBT, GN, NP

East Ballard
*WESTCO Oil
Loads In
None
Loads Out
-Refined oil to all points via GN and NP

*Sawyers Bros. Sawmill
Loads In
-Raw timber via GN and NP
Loads Out
-Rough timber to Hansen Lumber via SBT
-Finished timber all points via NP and GN

*Ivar's Restaurant
Loads In
-Fresh local seafood direct via SBT
Loads Out
-Clam Chowder to all points via NP and GN

*Freemont Concrete
Loads In
-Dry mix cement. sand, gravel via NP and GN
Loads Out
-Cement to all points via NP and GN

*East Bay Port Authority
Loads In
-Various via cargo and fishing vessels
Loads Out
-Various via SBT, GN, NP

Local traffic between East Ballard and Salmon Bay, that is SBT running SBT and interchange traffic will be in the form of several mixed trains on a schedule throughout any given day. The Great Northern and the Northern Pacific run through traffic with their own power daily as well.
In the agreement drawn up between the three lines, it is the roads responsibility for point to point through traffic. What this means is a Great Northern car interchanging from East Ballard to Salmon Bay with no stops locally is the responsibility of a Great Northern locomotive and crew.
If however a car will need to be loaded at Hansen Lumber, it is the responsibility of the SBT to ensure car movement, as the interchange is local to that road.
Passenger service over the line is the responsibility of the SBT, and takes the form of a coach and/or combine tacked on to the end of the daily mixed service.
There is no GN or NP passenger traffic over the SBT, although there are central stations served by all lines in both East Ballad and Salmon Bay.
In more modern times, the Burlington Northern and later the BNSF Railway will surround the SBT. However the interchange rules still apply.

And there you have it. It's rough, but having a railroad up and running will help my routing ideas. Throughout this process I've been using this as my guidebook. Still a long way to go.

Roster

I'm slowly coming to grips with the "final" locomotive roster for the SBT. Since I'm modeling over fifty years, era rosters seem to make sense.

1954-1958
-SBT 3 Truck Heisler #7
-SBT 0-6-0T #3
-SBT 23t GE Boxcab #12
-BT&NCRy 4-6-0 # 14

1958-Presnt
-SBT GE 44-Tonner #10
-SBT 0-4-0 Davenport #8

1973-Present
-SBT GP-20 #98

I'm hoping if I put this down on paper I can stick to it. Some modification may have to take place, but it's only a short line. And having power that runs well and makes sense for the job being done is of much more importance then having lots of power that doesn't make sense. Of course this doesn't count the NP, MILW, and GN traffic I'll be modeling however. But that is another kettle of fish.

I'm also planning on adding a spur in Salmon Bay, making the layout there a true Armstong Timesaver layout. A cannery will be placed there, packing and shipping the fish offloaded at both Salmon Bay and East Ballard. I'll post a revised track plan as time permits.

Layout Blues

Currently the SBT is a route without a home. I've made it as two pieces and right now it's just to big to set up as one piece. But here it is on the floor of my mom's house. East Ballard is on the back wall, and Salmon Bay is camera side.

I've got a pretty good layout going. Plenty of operation options and a reason for the route to exist. Much of what I've designed could quality the layout as a "Micro-Layout" as seen at the Micro-Layout Web page. Here is a short tour of the layout. Starting in the town of Salmon Bay and the interchange with the Northern Pacific.

This small coastal town is home to several major points of operation for the Salmon Bay Terminal. Hansen Lumber, which mills the lumber from the Barret Sawmill in East Ballard and ships furniture all over the country. And the Port of Salmon Bay Terminal, where ships of all kind load and unload their cargo.
Heading geographically northwest we head toward the "Big Cut". This was blasted through the rock by workers left over from building the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks. The spur to the Salmon Bay Terminal is seen at the bottom of this photo.

Now heading due north we enter the seaside community of East Ballard. This area is heavy industry, most of it open ocean based. This represents a massive port and all that go along with it.

In this photo you see the Great Northern interchange, WESCO oil (With my storage facility in for a test fit), Freemont Cement, Barret's Sawmill, and the East Ballard Port Authority. The Port Authority also ships and receives various cargo destined for local and interstate business.
In my ideal world, a two or three track fiddle yard would be at each end of the layout, representing the GN and NP. In addition, the way bill system will support ships docked in port show the manifest and where it needs to go.
I'm also preparing my back drop. Right now it's some tag board. I cut it with a power saw and am joining it together with glue and weight.