Mill Street Expansion 2

The new track is in place and the first train runs over the future crossing.

Mill Street Expansion

The road crossing at Mill Street are torn up, the track will go further down the industrial area.

Morning Freight Train

An early foggy morning in the sixties. An almost new GP20 leading two SD24 and two old blackbird SD7.

Tuesday Morning...

... in Crawford Valley, an ordinary day. The line north is closed due to work but the traffic from south are going on. We are waiting for #221, the local from Galesburg.

Early morning.

The agent are busy at Galesburg getting the cars and cards ready. Six loads and two empties for Crawford Valley

The train below the bridge. As usual the local uses track #3.

Caboose placed along the platform to minimize movement

Roadcrossing free.

Stopped.

First move. Pickup and change the LCL-car at the freighthouse

Brown out, red in...

"Clean" track four and five for all outbound cars and empties. Put them on track three.

Split inbound for different side of yard.

Ready

Run around and switch east side, Textile factory, Scrap Yard and Farmers Co-op. Look out when passing the roadcrossing.

Some used items to the scrapyard.

A car with Fertilizer for the farmers.

After switching the teamtrack the train is ready to return to Galesburg. Four empties and seven loaded car.

In Place...

The first train have passed the new section :) and the GP turns around on the turntable.

The MOW-departments ballast hopper on the new track

Who stole the track? Still som work to be done.

Test...

Engine Depot section is ready for some testing. The last connections are made down under. Rods for switch control still missing. Now a short coffee brake :)

Updated Planning

Some adjustment of the plan according to progress. Now Crawford Junction takes place in the loop

The location are somewhere West of Chicago between the lines to Twin City and Denver on a small  branchline sometimes used to re-route the ”big trains”. The branchline also crosses The Milwaukee in Crawford Junction slight north of Crawford Valley

Old Engine Depot...

... at the southeast end of Crawford Valley. A new section that will bring some more space to the layout room and make it possible to turn the old Doodlebug that runs on the branchline.

To the beginning there will be just the turntable and a spur but in the future there might be a shed for the locos. At the opposite side there will be a spur to a gravel pit.

A dirty work...

... but someone has to do it.

Together with some other paintwork a couple of freight cars got a basic wash with thinned roof brown.

A lot more individual:

Some old ones

Boxcar mix

Two hoppers and a Milwaukee boxcar

Now some of them waiting for more dirt...