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A bit of progress this week, finding time in the evenings after things settle down a bit.

Got the hole drilled for the tree's power cord which can be run out the bottom and off the table to an extension cord. Digging around in the shop bit-box, found one of those desk cable-plugs that I can use to ...

Okay, I cut the cardstock liner bits and got those cemented in, then assembled the balance of the wooden substructure:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54838356766_3120beee2c_b.jpg

Top left is the basic structure with the liner installed, then a few views after the top and tree-holder column ...

A Lionel 259E leads a set of 63x passenger cars south toward Bridge #305:



Not a cataloged set, just a loco and a few cars that looked like they might go together.

Made some progress on the tree-stand project overnight:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54825140617_702f99c099_b.jpg

I expanded the tunnel interior dimensions by an inch (additional half-inch of clearance on both sides of the track). Ran a Bing clockwork coach and locomotive through there ...

After a couple of years to think about it, I've decided to go forward with a second version of this thing, one that will hopefully correct the issues we discovered with the first one. The biggest problem was that the tunnel, as some warned, was too narrow. Some of the cars had significant overhang ...

A few railfans for the layout:



All Arttista, I think the guy on the right was sold as a wedding photographer; I figured with a bit of casual clothes, he could join the rest of them trespassing in the ROW.

In between outdoor projects, I found some time to replace the missing handrail on this early-version Lionel 804:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54782098846_a1b885e914_b.jpg

The original had copper handrails, but all I had, and all I could find, was a brass or nickel version. Figuring the ...

Between outdoor house maintenance projects, I found time to build another of Hal Carstens' "cut-out" features from Toy Trains magazine, this the wayside station included in the March 1952 issue. It reminds me a lot of the Baltimore Transit Company shelters along its streetcar line through ...

Got the Marlines Jubilee a bit of track time out on the mainline before packing it up to clear space on the layout:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54736931641_6477ec8020_b.jpg

Seen here exiting bridge #305, it's a nice little train from Marx. Likely headed off to storage to clear some space ...

Marlines Jubilee locomotive and "new" CP tender:



The loco's paintwork looks quite dull by comparison.