A journal following the history, design, construction and operation of Bernard Kempinski's O Scale model railroad depicting the U. S. Military Railroad (USMRR) Aquia-Falmouth line in 1863, and other model railroad projects.
©Bernard Kempinski All text and images, except as noted, on this blog are copyrighted by the author and may not be used without permission.
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January 31, 2019

What no Mushroom?



The previous plan has a lot going for it, but I was concerned about the width of the aisle between Falmouth and Aquia Landing. To widen that aisle, I needed to shrink the width of the large peninsula. I looked at a mushroom design but quickly abandoned the idea. It would require a three turn helix and third tunnel. Here is what that unfinished plan looked like if you are curious.



Instead, it occurred to me that the simplest solution was a single narrower peninsula divided by a sky-board, thereby creating two long scenes about 18 inches wide on both sides of the peninsula. This peninsula allows plenty of room for the main aisle between Aquia Landing and Falmouth.

The backdrop would be about 24 inches tall. The existing lights might create some unwanted shadows with such a backdrop. But I could install some more recessed lights in strategic spots in the ceiling to deal with them. That is a relatively easy job.


The other issue is the crew rest area. The couch I have in the basement is quite wide about 37 inches. That makes it good for naps, but tough to fit in the remaining layout spaces. It might be time to donate that couch to one of my kids and replace it with a couple smaller chairs. I already have several stools placed around the layout for my crew (and my arthritic hip)  to sit on and take rests. 

Also, I dulled out the Burnside Wharf expansion as that is very unlikely to get built. I have other plans for that area. One thing this plan needs is a better simulacrum of Burnsides Wharf. I need to think some more about how to do that.


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