HLCX 5556

There really hasn't been a whole lot happening with the layout this week.

I did happen to find this very simple scratch-built billboard from a few years ago. I had removed it a couple of years ago (has it been that long) when I was doing some ground cover work.  When I came across it, while looking for something else, I decided to put it out again.

The billboard is now located in a high visibility spot, next to what I call the Gratiot Avenue overpass.

I should really put a safety railing along the billboard's walkway

And the "something else that I was looking for when I found the billboard was the remaining parts of a chain link fence kit that I knew I had somewhere.  I'm wanting to put fencing around the perimeter of the burned out Gulf station.

That's fence posts on the right hand part of the sprue, and half of a 2 section gate on the left. And the wires for the top and bottom chords at the top-left of the picture.  The wires aren't straight though, and that makes assembly "challenging" at the least.

JSSX 815 is going off the layout for a while, as I try to make myself add the horn to it.  In it's place, the shortline has brought in a leaser engine.  This time it's HLCX 5556 from Helm Leasing.  This has been posted on the blog before of course, but here it is again at the maintenance shop anyway.

I've always liked the way the weathering turned out on this one.  As a 6-axle leaser, it doesn't get to see a lot of service though.  Too bad, as it looks a whole lot better on the layout than it does in the storage cabinet.

I remember looking at this Kato engine at the Woodstock train show 3 times before I finally decided I'd better buy it.  It looked nice in the original CP maroon and grey.  I think it looks a lot better now.