Getting Real Column - 3
forgetting something, and to put pencil to paper. I came
up with the preceding rough sketch and sent it off to Mike
Confalone for discussion.
The main thrust of it was twofold: To redirect the main line so
that you could stay with your train in true walkaround fashion
(and not have to endure your train entering an 8’ tunnel while
you zipped around 32’ of peninsula to rejoin it on the other
side!), and also to allow the inclusion of more actual towns
along the line being modeled.
This had the happy result of also getting them in the correct
order, always desirable if possible. The only fly in the ointment
here was that it involved some serious demolition of alread-
constructed railroad, throwing literally thousands of man-hours
into the trash!
Mike Confalone’s actual words, upon hearing the entire plan,
were “You know, it’s a bold move, but it’s the right one,” and
after a bit more discussion with the Railroad Brain Trust, I went
down there on one long Saturday and tore out all that needed
to go, as shown in some of the following shots.
2
2: The main line to be moved enters the “to-be-removed”
8’ tunnel in the extreme right of this photo. Consider this
a “before” photo.
3
3: In this alternate view the upper left shows a tunnel por-
tal that also will be removed. The main line entering that
tunnel will swing around to join the main on the upper
right (above lower track).
MRH-Dec 2013
