It seems that pretty much everyone has moved their "blog-style' documentation of their layouts over to the Facebook platform. It's not a bad idea as it is a really easy way to find and discuss good hobby-related content. Please head on over there to join the group and see the latest updates related to my layout!
facebook.com/groups/metalinefallsrailroad
It is 5:41 AM on June 23. A westbound grainer comes off the bridge crossing Lake Pend Oreille just south of Sandpoint, ID. The train is pulled by BNSF 4781and 4651 (GE Dash 9-44CW) and pushed by an unknown unit and the BNSF 7871 (GE ES 44DC). Photo by Bob Wilcox.
The Ponderay Newsprint Mill has been sold to a firm that intends to turn it into a cardboard manufacturing mill and... cryptocurrency farm..?
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/apr/29/pend-oreille-pud-officials-raise-concerns-about-po/
Youtube User "Boomer Dioramas" has a whole host of really fantastic videos showing off the fun that can be had with a very limited amount of space. His modeling and insights must not be missed!
People seem to really respond to any video that I put out showing trains running on the layout. (probably because it is proof that I am ACTUALLY making forward progress, slow though it may be.)
So I decided to put out a video of just trains. This first one is a learning experience, but one of the more enjoyable videos I've produced so far, so be ready for many more in the future!
It's still January so it is still ok to post one of those "resolutions" videos right?
Lot's of plans this year. Mainly I want to get my layout completely operational and to a "base layer" of "scenery" over the entire railroad. This is mainly so I can begin to have REAL operating sessions on the layout and comfortably run trains without the risk of loosing expensive equipment due to an unexpected plummet into carpet canyon.
More resolutions and reflections in the video below. 2021, here I come!
I took two weeks off this past Christmas to try to get some significant work done on the model railroad and I am pretty happy with the progress I made. I got all of the track laid down in the Usk Washington portion of the layout and I completed the mainline run on the MFR portion of the layout as well. I also re-laid the track across my larger swing gate to take advantage of some better techniques I discovered for aligning the track across the gap.
Along with good layout progress, I also made some significant purchases for the layout which includes (among many other items) a bunch of Tam Valley Frog Juicers, Exactrail bulkhead and centerbeam cars, and a Protothrottle as well.
I've made a few adjustments to the track arrangement on my model railroad First, I've removed the second engine servicing track to allow the scene to breathe some more. The removal of this track allows me to include an engine shed while leaving plenty of room for additional trackside details that would have been difficult to squeeze in before.
Additionally, I removed a short storage track on the opposite end of Sandpoint yard as it was too short to spot more than a single car and was all but useless on my layout.
These updates are a result of taking what I've created on virtual paper and laying it down on physical plywood. I've found that no matter how careful I am when designing a track plan, the reality of turnout length and clearances ultimately requires that I trim back my original intentions.
Scaletrains strikes again! After falling in love with my Scaletrains SD40-2, I couldn't help myself and I ended up picking up this beautiful Dash 9 in BNSF's Heritage 2 paint scheme a few months back. The locomotive runs and sounds great and is the LAST new locomotive that my layout requires at this point to have a full operation session.
The Heritage 2 paint scheme is my second favorite BNSF paint scheme. What is my first favorite you may ask? Why, the infamous Vomit Bonnet of course!
I've held off from posting this for a bit, but it should be noted that the Ponderay Newsprint Company located in Usk Washington is permanently shutting down. This closure is a huge blow to the surrounding community and to the POVA itself.
Newspaper reports indicate:
The Pend Oreille Public Utility District previously said the mill - which until recently used about 70% of the utility's electricity - had begun a period of "indefinite idling" after a two-week pause of operations.
The mill, which opened in late 1989, has supplied newsprint for publications in the Midwest, along the West Coast, and in Asia and South America. The plant is jointly owned by Lake Superior Forest Products, a subsidiary of Quebec-based Resolute Forest Products, and five major U.S. publishers, according to its website.
This closure will no doubt have major impacts on the railroad industry in the Pend Oreille valley as the mill was the railroad's largest customer. What will the future of the POVA be like?
Well, apparently the Kalispel Indian tribe is looking to purchase the Newsprint company in hopes of re-opening the mill according to the Spokesman-Review
Whatever the future of the mill might be, it will always have a special place on my humble, little model railroad.Tribal vice chair Curt Holmes said the tribe had its chief financial officer review all the possibilities for the plant and its 900 acres, and the primary goal is to reopen the paper mill and restore the jobs that were so vital for the community’s survival.
“I live up on the reservation,” Holmes said. “It’s hard to find economic development opportunities that work up there. My dream is that my kids and other kids, if they choose to stay, can still have meaningful employment up there.”I've grown quite fond of the Pend Oreille Valley over the years as my research has given me a great deal of appreciation for the history, the industry, the people, and the beautiful landscape found in the area.
