"It's done".........not words usually associated with a model railway; they are really never done...but this one is.
As I have been documenting in the weekend threads, I have been building a little n scale 48" x 28" pike for a very special little 7 year old friend of my son's. Andrew is a gearhead in training - horsepower is king. He loves boats and have been driving the runabout at his cottage since he was 4.....and he loves my trains.
(at the ripe old age of four and a half....)When he comes over to play with Sammy, all he waits for is the chance to drive the trains; he'll run locomotives for hours; not uttering a word, other than the occasional question about a car or how to move a switch.... it drives Sammy nuts; he wants to play hockey; Wii or Monoploy and Andrew wants to work the wayfreight extra.....it was such that Sammy suggested we build Andrew a layout so "when he comes to play with me; he'll play WITH me and not the trains dad.........."
Recycled buildings, old Unitrack and a neat little wooden table all came thogether in a cold Ontario garage and somehow the Andrew Junction was born.....Industries named for his family and friends; a simple track plan with a few sidings; lots of little details and a whole lot of love and affection went into this.......
(These are pictures from the last 72 hours of building ...I'll take you around the layout....)
"RC loves LA"...his mom and dad...."snicker"
The boat is appropriate... I named it "Pooh 2".....
The sweeping "S" curve is almost a;ways a bad idea yet it works here - no issues at all - even the combine makes it around ok; and it breaks up the roundy-round look.
D&N Allen Steel - named for his grandparents....
He loves horses... not just horsepower....
Andrew's Orchards is the blue building....
The apples are arriving by the farm bin... fine ballast coloured red makes a convincing apple load.... and BTW - Louisecom is named for the boss..."mommy"
The senior gearhead's own industry - Cote Motors and performance bikes....
Handy Manny Tools...if you don't get it, you don't have a 7 year old...LOL
The "Doug and Randy Rig and Trailer Repair" compnay is the old green shed - named for uncles... the loading ramp shares a team track with a oil unloding facility
..yes; he has his own special SD 40-2.... ;D
The "Heidisal" Bistro is named for their departed dog and new pup... Even Sammy gets in on the act with a freight forwarding company that is actually a flat covering the throttle and switch controller shelf....
The station (such as it is) and freight house sit beside the "other grandma's" billboard... Susan's Music, " we're not just fiddling around".....
...and the boxcar that started it all... the boys did these with me a year or so ago..........
Now it has a place to keep it's wheels clean..
It's just a little roundy round and it's certainly not perfect - I know a hundred errors and issues... but it's simple to run; it's a fun little layout that will (I hope) provide this young man many hours of enjoyment and may; just may; bring another model railroader into our fold some years from now....
Tomorrow will be a fun day when he get's his present - I've already gotten my gift; the satisfaction of building the Andrew Junction and the anticipation of a little boys smile....
It's a pretty good hobby we share - don't ya think ?
