An existing track with a new lineside industry provides more switching possibilities for more interesting operation.

Recently I added a stone / aggregate storage area next to the Team Tracks lead track on my HO scale Pier 39 micro switching layout. This means that the Team Track lead track can now be used as another ‘industry’ for spotting cars. Although the operator needs to be careful that cars are switched in the right order to ensure cars switched into Team Track lead track for the industry there are the last to be switched in the operating session after the Team Tracks are switched.

To add scenic interest to the area, I added some stone storage bins adjacent to the track. This new scenic feature also hides the cars somewhat from view. Here are some photos of the building of the storage bins, with the last one being of the finished product.

The storage bins were very simple to make, being made entirely of wood, coffee stirrers and craft matchsticks being the sum total of the materials used, apart from some PVA wood glue to hold it all together. Once the storage bins themselves were built and attached to the layout, I ‘built’ an aggregate load and added it to one of the bins. I plan to build another aggregate load for the other bin just to complete the scene. The conveyor is actually from a Hot Mix Asphalt Plant kit that didn’t fit completely in the Box Street micro, but found a new purpose on the Pier 39 layout.


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