updated: March 23, 2009

Photos 509 - 605, starting 2/16/09 and ending 3/23/09

2/16/09: The floor for the Werner Enterprises facility is still under construction. WE is the only company with a siding connected to the main line. For easy access, the track goes thru the first warehouse and over the parking lot. Therefore, the whole track was built similar to street running, fully paved and leveled.
2/16/09 Filling the tracks with plaster - 509	I used styrene strips and put cardboard spacers between the rails - 510
2/16/09 Once, the plaster is getting dry, I removed the styrene strips - 511	Afterwards, the access hight plaster will be sanded down to track level - 512
2/16/09 First test to check, if the WE building will fit with the track - 513	The center is done, next will be plaster on both sides up to track level - 514
2/16/09 Only on this photo, I realized that the track is not in the middle of the door because the building was not pushed firmly to the wall - 515	The street is not done yet (no plaster over the styro or cardboard) But one week later (see below) it is ready to be painted - 516
2/23/09 The whole WE floor is painted concrete gray - 517	I used Woodland Scenics Road System Top Coat ST 1454 - 518
2/23/09 The track looks like a street running scene - 520	The street is done (w/o paint) and the WE entrance is visible - 519
2/23/09 All WE structures are put in place - 521	The roofs need some details yet - 522
Werner Enterprises Buildings: Warehouses (Kits by Great West Models) are modern style concrete element construction. The L shaped building was made out of a square kit. Office building (Headquarters) was made by Pitsch Allneider from a Summit USA Strip Mall Backdrop Kit. Also, the small triangle blue shop building was scratch built by Pitsch using modular wall system.
2/23/09 Looking from the corner house towards the bridge - 523	These 2 buildings are custom made by Pitsch Allneider - 524
Werner Enterprises is coming alive with Trucks and Cars. I used the following models: All WE Trucks (Tractors) were custom made (modified, painted WE blue and decaled) by Pitsch Allneider. Trailers: Walthers - 48' Stoughton Trailer, blue (Kit 933-1925, currently not available). A-Line - White 53' reefer trailer on flat car (Kit 116-50508, must be painted and decaled). Bowser - 53' Plate Highway Trailer, blue silver (RTR 6-40296/40297). Athearn - 53' Wabash Duraplate Trailer, blue (RTR 28411/28412) - this model was released in February 2009. No other WE models are available on the HO market. Pitsch also made a WE Christmas Tour Bus (photo 545), a WE Van (photo 541) and a WE Ford F-350 Pickup (see photos 537-539). The WE AMD-103 Diesel Loco was an undecorated Athearn GE AMD-103 Amtrak Loco, which was custom painted and decaled by Ferdinand Rat. Of course, we are aware that WE does not have such a loco but it fits perfect to the WE facility and their RR siding.
2/23/09 A WE Truck is leaving the WE facility - 525	Trailers from right: Walthers, Bowser, Athearn, A-Line on Flat, Bowser - 526
2/23/09 Lots of activities on the WE facility - 527	A different view from the main street - 528
2/23/09 Nice overview from above the right side - 529	And another view from the middle section - 530
2/23/09 Did anyone realize the reflection of the red car at the trailer? - 531	Which car belongs to the big boss? It is the white Cadillac Escalade - 532
2/23/09 The whole site needs markings for the parkings - 533	New WE Ford F-350 in the middle - 534
2/23/09 WE Diesel Loco custom made by Ferdinand Rat - 535	The WE warehouse is busy with several WE trailers - 536
2/23/09 WE Office / Headquarters (Summit USA Stripmall Background Kit) custom made by Pitsch with the newest addition in front - 537
2/23/09 Ford F-350 Super Duty custom made by Pitsch Allneider - 538	Guarantee the only WE F-350 Pickup on the market - 539
2/23/09 This Truck is leaving the WE facility - 540	WE Van was custom made by Pitsch Allneider - 541
2/23/09 WE Truck with Athearn 53' Trailer- 542	WE Truck with Bowser Trailer - 543
2/23/09 All Tactors by Pitsch. 53' Trailer by Athearn (new 2/09) - 544	WE Christmas Tour Bus on flat made by Pitsch - 545
2/16/09: Railroad Crossings are important for a functioning street system. As all my RR X-ings are in a curve, I could not use those models on the market. Therefore, I made it the very same way as on the Werner Ent. facility in filling the space between the rails with plaster.
2/16/09 First track is filled with plaster and the second is ready to be done - 546	Fresh plaster was just filled into the second track - 547
2/16/09 Both fillings are already sanded donw to track level - 548	Next step will be the road foundations on both sides - 549
2/16/09 The roadbed starts with styrofoam and wood (at left) - 550	The center and the back are made out of cardboard - 551
2/23/09 The plaster is already sanded down and smooth - 552	The street is actually ready for painting - 553
2/16/09 Between the tracks I used cardboard and wood at the end - 554	Everything will be covered with palster to get a smooth x-ing - 555
2/23/09 The surface of the RR-X-ing is sanded down to track level - 556	Paint and landscaping should make it looking realistic one day - 557
2/23/09 Lower and upper X-ings - 558	Combined RR/Street bridge in the foreground and RR bridge at the back - 559
2/23/09: Even the street is not painted yet, it looks great with all the vehicles. Of course, I am aware of the high number of photos but it helps me in making the final landscaping decisions as I can look at it as much as I want to get the right inspiration.
2/23/09 Upper Crossing with cars and trucks - 560	It sure gives an idea, how it will look one day - 561
2/23/09 Crossing as seen from street level - 562	And another birds eye view of the upper x-ing - 563
2/23/09 Combined bridge in the foreground - 564	Lower crossing in the middle - 565
2/23/09 Lower x-ing with main street at left - 566	Upper bridge is visible on top - 567
2/23/09 I know, too many pictures of this modul - 568	But it gives an impression of the different parts - 569
2/23/09 Looking toward the upper bridge - 570	One more view of the lower crossing - 571
2/23/09 Night Transportation is going uphill - 572	Closeup before the combined bridge - 573
2/23/09 Looking toward the combined bridge - 574	Percy, my Inspector is sleeping under the layout in the blue basket - 575
3/04/09: In the meantime, the roads are painted in gray color. I mixed Woodland Scenics Concrete ST-1454 and Asphalt ST-1453 to get a medium gray. The Asphalt would be too black (just good for a brand new road). In addition, I put some desert soil between the road and the tracks. I used a mix (N & HO scale) of Limestone Ballast from Highball Products. Of course, there are lots of details missing. The streets do not have any markings yet and no weathering is done so far. The desert soil needs lots of bushes and grass to get that realistic look (as we can see on Pelle Soeborg's fantastic desert layout - Danneville & Donner River).
3/04/09 The roads are ready for the traffic - 576	The finished RR-Crossing looks fine - 577
3/04/09 No decision yet how the landscaping will be done at the end - 578	The street is still without markings - 579
3/04/09 Looking toward the bridge - 580	Tracks are still without ballast - 581
3/04/09 Looking uphill over the combined bridge - 582	Overview of the right side at office 1 - 583
3/04/09 The main street is finished up to the RR-Crossing - 584	At the far end is Werner Enterprises located (WE siding at left) - 585
3/04/09 New Truck Stop Restaurant is always busy - 586	Getting closer to Werner Ent. Facility - 587
3/04/09 A load of new cars is coming and passing WE site - 588	The space (triangle) between the road and WE is still vacant - 589
3/04/09 Auto Transporter is from Lonestar Models (Brass)  - 590	Auto Carrier is loaded with new Dodge Chargers from Ricko - 591
3/04/09 WE is the most important facility on my layout - 592	Another view of the Auto Carrier passing WE facility - 593
3/04/09 Now, the entrance to WE is clear because of the grass islands - 594	WE entrance seen from the back - 595
3/04/09 Overview of WE with street and tracks - 596	The WE entrance is in the middle - 597
3/04/09 California Highway Patrol is leaving the WE site - 598	Right side of WE facility - 599
3/04/09 No markings of the driveway and parking yet - 600	Concrete 'K-Rail' Barriers are made by BLMA (# 4107) - 601
3/04/09 Top view of WE site from main street - 602	Never ending activities on the road - 603
These are probably the last photos for quite a while. I have to concentrate on the organization of the 14th Convention for the American Railroadfans in Switzerland and the production of their Convention Guide. Therefore, I do not have time to work on my layout.
Percy's last photos taken on Monday March 23, 2009 at 08.30 h. One hour later, we visited the Doctor to give him the final journey to heaven. Percy was a wonderful companion for almost 19 years. He followed every step of building my layout. He checked everything and became my layout Inspector. He was sleeping on the layout on the ground level near the bridge of the upper level (see page 5 photos 423 and 424). Suddenly, in January he became blind and he could not jump on the layout anymore. But so far, he was still doing fine until this weekend. He could not walk anymore and refused food. So, we have to say goodbye forever and it shows us very clear that nothing is lasting forever. One day, this layout will be history as well. Sorry about my sentimental words but I lost a good friend. Percy, rest in peace and dream about our layout. In memory of Percy, the desert town got finally a name: Percyville

March 10, 2010 - Continued on page 7 - click here

updated: March 23, 2009

Technical Data of my Layout: Size: 4,5 x 6,5 m (13,5 x 19,5 feet), Era: Modern, Location: Southern California in the Mojave Desert (Cajon Pass), Layout Style: unconventional, in house along the walls, 2 swing up bridges, 1 lift out bridge, double track, min. radius 104 cm (41 inch), max. grade 1,5 %, Track: Atlas flextrack code 100, Turnouts: Peco code 100, Power: conventional DC with electrical feeders every 2 m, Mainline: 32 m (96 feet), Height: 93 cm (36,5 inch)

Overview of the layout (each square is 0,5 m)

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