East Terminal & Newburgh

[Schraddel]

Hello,

it is nearly 7 years ago when i did my last posting here.



Since that time a lot has changed. I had a lot of model railroad related activities, but working on Flats was not among them.
Indeed Flats was ever since then built up in it's unfinished state and operable, but has become a testbed only. There was simply no progress because i had to spent all my workforce to built up my self-dependence business. 

Meanwhile i became a active member of German Fremo. More exactly of the Southwest Division of it, which do US-Railroading.
They asked me to join with my modules their annual meeting. But my modules were built for home use only and i never thought onto participating on a Fremo meeting.
To make it possible the opposite ends of #1 and #5 module has to be altered to meet with the standardized dimensions.







One of the tasks was to made new legs to get the top of the railheads up to the standardized height of 1300mm above floor level.





The flat roof of the building on module #1 has sagged and was made new out of styrene sheet.





The building has be be reinforced too to take the increased stress caused by transportation.










A first appereance in the public was made at the Wolfersweiler Meeting. My modules got a benevolent welcome. A brick building dominated industrial area was new for them.
Here a small piggyback with circus style loading ramp was loosely upset.


And another decision was made by me; Flats will move through the  differnt eras.
Flats was planned and built up until now to resemble a 1940's industrial area situated in a somewhat mythical Cleveland/OH.
For the meetings settled in the Transition Era with steam and early first generation Diesel this upset is right.
But there are more modern settings.
At first the very mainstream of the 1970's, 1980's and early 1990's age.
Then the modern era which i will define as Era Now that is from 2000's onward.

This not only the rolling stock will be affected, but the buildings onto the layout too. Over the years old business closed down and new business developed as successor using the same area of ground. To display this, some of the buildings will become part of exchangeable backdrops. So it will be possible to move through the different Eras.


Lutz