Benchwork

     Here is a glimpse of the layout so far, perched atop my desk at work. For the record my desktop is 10' x 4', though it looks smaller in the picture. Oh, if only I could build on the entire 40 square feet!

     The shelf is 8' long and 1' wide, made of 5/8" plywood with baseboard trim stiffening it front and back. Slabs of 2x4 close the ends. The backdrop is masonite, which I plan to paint by hand. It rests on recycled fish crates, which I have stained in festive colors, and sits at a very good height.

     The near end will be Drywater, the far end Topdown. Blowtop Mountain will rise in the center, pierced by three switchback tunnels and any number of delirium mine shafts. Starting from Drywater yard, where my beloved Santa Fe Hi Cube stands duty as a height gauge, the first grade leads up to lower Topdown. Switching back, the train will go through Blowtop and roll into Drywater's main street. Tracks will be in pavement, possibly cobblestones if I get ambitious. The final switchback will lead on up to the Topdown delirium mine, known as the "Delirium Terminus." I owe my delirium mines to John Allen and his "lugubrium plant."

     Uncle Cosmo left me a specimen of Topdown delirium. It is sparkly, heavy, halfway between gold and silver in color, and looks suspiciously like iron pyrite.

     Oh, and the bins you see on the end are work related, and have nothing to do with waybills or car cards. It's how I justify all this to my boss; my railroad is just there to hold up the document trays!