Mocking Up Stuff and Testing Ideas

Over the past few days, I've made some mockups of various scenic ideas for the Dunes Junction layout.

The overpass mockup at the west end of Dunes Junction.

I wasn't happy with my old highway overpass on the west end of the layout, and I wasn't sure I'd ever be able to get catenary under it. So I sketched a new one out on posterboard, glued some blocks along the bottom to make it stand up, and voila--a mocked-up over pass.

The other thing I've been thinking about is catenary.  I've been corresponding with Don Silberbauer at Model Memories, going over ideas about how to make functioning South Shore-style iron lattice and wood pole span bridges.  These span bridges have a distinct look that says 'South Shore'.

But while I wait patiently for Don to work some modern model railroading manufacturing magic for me, I feel like the Joker in Batman as played by Jack Nicholson when he's cutting out pictures and says, "It's so hard to stay inside the lines!"

So I made a mockup of an iron lattice and wood pole catenary span bridge from some Rix Products telephone poles and 1/8" Plastruct lattice I-beams.  I posed the span bridge on the layout with a pair of self-closing tweezers.

Mocked up South Shore catenary bridge, sans paint

I plan to mockup some more features in the next few weeks: the tree line that will go up against the rear back drop, a road that will cross the tracks at the east end of the layout, and a passenger shelter.  With these mockups I'll be able to test out ideas for compostion and placement of scenery and structures.

Look for future postings on my mockup progress.