There is a corner of my layout that has been bare for many years. When I built it, I was planning some kind of industry or warehouse served by the rail siding and trucks, but could never come up with something that felt right. I even added a 4" extension, but no joy.
It was not a problem when I was modeling the 1980s with 40 to 60 foot boxcars and 4-axle locomotives; however, when I started backdating the other end of the layout to the early 50s and running 70 foot passenger cars on the curve, they started rubbing on the retaining wall. Something had to be done. About that time David Popp did an editorial in MR called "Do Overs" Are Allowed; it seemed appropriate!
As I was planning on relaying the track, I started thinking what I could do with the corner, and decided a change was in order. My wife had been asking what I was going to do with all the buildings from previous layouts that were sitting on the shelf, so I took a look at some of the houses. I selected a house that I had scratch built many years ago from plans in MR in January 1980, The Roy Street House. All the small people working on the layout have to live somewhere.
The house fit the corner well, so I had a plan. I relaid the track to give more clearance, removed the siding and started laying down styrofoam to make a small hill
I added a rock face on the road cut and started the scenery
I put in a Bar Mills Insti-fence along the top of the rock face, added groud foam and trees
As I was working on the road, I realized that it really went nowhere - just off the edge of the layout. I decided to run the road under the tracks into the industrial area. I cut out the retaining wall, and roughed in a road
I poured the road using Durhams Water Putty, built a an Art Deco underpass for the upper track and a grade crossing for the lower track
The final job was installing facia around the end of the layout
The house and road are new complete, except for some people and other details Overall view
The house
The road and underpass
Even on an old section of a layout, Do-Overs are really allowed. Now for a look at the industrial area.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch