There Be Steam Here!

Well, it's not much of an update, and it unfortunately shows the "boy have we got a long way to go" part of the layout more than anything else ... but hey, we *do* have a steam engine in working order, so it seemed a propos to put up a video of it working.

So, without further ado, here's Slate Creek Railway #9 on its first full test run ....

And, Speaking of Steam ...

Slate Creek #9 is currently in transit from its former home in California.  When it arrives at the end of this week, it should be ready to go into service, and is already fitted with Radio Control and a chuff resonator.  Plans eventually involve some cosmetic work, working headlights, a whistle, and SCRY graphics on the tender; it'll remain #9 and trade places with #3 in the SCRY lineup, which will now be assigned to the Bachmann 2-4-4T Forney, still under reconstruction. Live Steam has been absent from the SCRY lineup since 2004 when the 0-4-0 "Ruby" met with an unfortunate accident and was removed from the roster.  When #9 arrives there will be more photos and hopefully some onboard video added to this page . . . stay tuned!

Building Steam

There are big things happening at the Slate Creek!  Thanks to some new helpers, and some new resolve, there are now plaster hills and cliffs on about 70% of the railroad.  My new "crew" has a particular knack for speed and completeness, and I'm guessing in the next couple of sessions, we're giong to have the hardshell bascially done for everything that is ready for it.  My next big track project is to cut in the switches and sidings for the mine and the crush plant, and to finish the hillside for the one section of the layout that not having those in place has held up. 

(A *BIG* thanks to Paul Weiss, my senior scenery engineer, for the suggestion regarding using basketballs cut in half as plaster bowls ... the necessity of using multiple buckets (and banging on them) has all but been eliminated!  Once the hardshell is up, we'll start landscaping, and then, there will REALLY be something to see. 

Other projects include staining all of the ties for the high bridge, and assembling the bridge deck ... hopefully by the time that's complete, the gap and abutments will be in place, and the terrain installed around them.  For those of you following from the beginning, that means that for nearly one whole side of the layout, the scenery will start a foot or two above the floor and go all the way to the ceiling!

In the rolling stock department, there's also big news.  The last live steam on the Slate Creek never actually saw service on the "Mark II" layout.  The Accucraft Ruby brought from Connecticut was last run as a school demonstration, and shortly thereafter fell into the "Old Richmond Gorge" and was written off as a loss by the SCRY's underwriters, who felt that without the proper boiler testing facilities, that steaming up the potentially damaged boiler would be a mistake.  So, for the last 8 years, there have been several steam locomotives on the roster, but no actual live steam engines, with the idea that live steam would one day return, in a form suitable for pulling actual full size trains with its stablemates. 

We're pleased to report that negotiations are now underway to obtain what would become SCRY #9 (the former designee for #9, the 2-4-4T will become SCRY #3, originally reserved for the next live steam engine) Considerably larger than the previous Live Steam locomotive, it's expected that #9 will be large and reliable enough to pull the same caliber of regular trains as her stablemates.  As soon as arrangements are finalized, there will be photos and information here!

Oh, and watch this space:  While it probably won't be done in time to qualify as an official part of the Large Scale Central winter build challenge, we do have an "also ran" entry coming, for your consideration.

So, at last, there's lots going on!