For some time now I have been simulating a couple of industries in the Southern Pacific west staging yard. This started when I learned of an actual industry called EP Minerals in Lovelock which was the west end terminus of the local that ran out of Carlin. This was covered in this post from October of 2022. https://palisadecanyonrr.blogspot.com/2022/10/whats-in-lovelock.html
Then later, I added a made up a grocery distribution warehouse to virtual Lovelock to add some refrigerator cars and more box cars to the interchange traffic.
Recently I realized that it could be possible to use a space under the Weso section for an actual model representation of these industries. This would be accessed by a turnout at the bottom of the lower helix. While this would physically a branch line, conceptually it would be a continuation of the Southern Pacific main line to the town of Lovelock, Nevada. The location of this potential new section is outlined in green in the photo below.
Several things will need to be worked out to make this expansion possible. Rearranging some of the items that are currently stored in this area, and how to light the new area with only 9 inches of vertical space. But the first obstacle to overcome was to install a curved turnout at the bottom of the helix in a tight space. In the photo below the track on the right is what goes to the staging yard and the track on the left will go to the new section.
The next step was to clear the space under the Weso section. This was done by consolidating things that were stored in those boxes into other locations, to move the pair of Japanese modules to a different part of the room, and to make a rack to hold the legs to the Japanese modules.
As for the lighting, there was enough room within the bench work of the Weso section to fit in several of the A19 LED bulbs that I have been using to light much of the rest of the layout. So just like that, it's time to get serious about this expansion.
