Here's a track plan and a few photos of the 'raw' trackage in its current state of existence [under construction and horribly messy]. Please note, the track has not yet been permanently attached so it may look a little bit 'squiggly' in some views. I recently covered the raw wood/styrofoam surfaces with latex paint - the actual scenery itself will probably take years. After the last steel mill structure has been placed, I'll start putting on and running some trains. One thing still needed to complete the overall mill scene is a 'generic' pipe run to interconnect the visible buildings.

One more disclaimer: What I've laid is not 100% identical to the track plan of one year ago. But my beloved prototype B&O didn't always stick to her original plans either, so I don't feel too guilty. And none of my non-industrial structures [houses, retail stores etc.] are shown on the map.


Latest track plan (as of February 2006):

Here is a view of the forward end of the SS Marquette, with the open clamshell bucket silhouetted against the 'blue sky' MDF backdrop hovering over the ore stockpile. At left is the rotary dumper, which receives unit trains of bituminous coal for the coke ovens. The ore and limestone are received by water from mines in Minnesota and northern Michigan. [NOTE: The 'water' in the foreground, on which the Marquette seems to be floating, was temporarily staged for this series of photographs. The ship model is actually sitting on an 8-inch shelf protruding into the walkway.]

Moving toward the aft end of the Marquette, we have a full panoramic view of her looking forward. I had not yet restored the BOF buildings at the time of this photo, that is why the area toward the left appears so 'empty.' Since I lacked an adequate supply of sky-blue MDF for a backdrop, I needed to digitally superimpose some light-blue coloring in the upper left-hand corner to cover up cluttered shelves and other eyesores.

Here's an overall view of the East end of the Basic Oxygen Furnace shop (that's my 7yr-old daughter Stephanie in the lower-right corner)...

... A closeup view of the "charging" area...

... the BOF downcomer pipe going into the baghouse...

Switching-out a few scrap metal gondolas:

Coke ovens and rotary dumper:

Floodloader to transfer finished coke from ovens to blast furnace:

Ingot-stripping crane with soaking pit building in background:

The sleepy little town of East Minister on the one and only 'rural' area of my layout; the town name is an inside joke understood by Maryland natives.