Going to try a new layout

[Terry Toenges]

I'm probably just doing the one tunnel. There's no way I can get around that one given the space I have to work with.
I just use styrofoam for rock formations. I use a variety of things to shape it like wire brushes, serrated knives like Ginzu, woodworking gouges, rasps and graters. I found a set of miniature garden tools about 8" long that include a hoe, a rake and shovel. The kitchen utensil drawer is good place to find stuff much to the chagrin on my wife.
I just got the pink board glued to the plywood so now I can paint it. I opted for a "safari brown" this time. It's a pretty dark brown. I used tan one time and the last one I used a dark evergreen color. It's really hard, standing there at the paint color charts at Lowe's, trying to visualize what the different colors would look like. I got to thinking about all the tourist railroads we've visited and how a lot of the ground is dark around the railroad operations from a variety of fluids over the years.

[Warflight]

That sounds sweet! And yeah, everything from foot traffic, vehicles, maintenance, fluids, and anything else you can imagine in the daily operations of a railroad tend to darken the ground just a bit (and let us not forget the weeds that tend to be the only things that grow in such soil)

[Terry Toenges]

I'm just about ready to get start on the layout again after a taking a break. We're getting new carpet in the living room and I'll have to move it around when the carpet gets laid. Even though it's on wheels, I figured it will much easier to move before I start stuff to it. I might have to tip it over on it's side and slide to the dining room so they can do the laying in the living room. Easier without having stuff on it.
I now have my Heisler and an 0-4-0 Porter, both with sound. I have most of the DCC turnouts I'll need. I might have to buy a couple more. I've just been buying piece by piece for a few months
I opted for the MRC Prodigy Elite Wireless DCC system and i just received that last week. That gives me 10 amps of power which will be plenty for whatever I want to do with it in the future. I also liked their handheld controller better than the others. The buttons are easy to read without putting on my glasses. I did a lot of comparing in articles and Youtube videos. It wasn't an easy decision.

[Warflight]

That all sounds awesome! I'd love to see it all when it's done!

[Terry Toenges]

I've been tossing around a few name sin my head on what to call my layout. I temporarily call it Terry Mountain until I think up a good one.
I'm thinking seriously about putting in a water fall on a backdrop on the upper level and that would be the tourist attraction and the reason for people to take the train trip up the mountain. the fall would go into the creek and then under a bridge and down another fall to the main level. Have a spur to back the train into. Have a fence in front of the fall with a viewing area and, as people get off the train, they go look a the fall.
Since it's backwoodsie, I thought the "creek" would be known as the "crick" to the locals. Being that there is a waterfall, I thought "Crick Falls" sounds like a cool original name. The top down below, where peole board the train, could be "Crick Hollar".
I figured I'd Google it I'll be "danged" if there isn't a Crick Falls in Pennsylvania. Other people on Google talk about "Sh*t Crick Hollar".
I might stay with name anyway even if it's not original. The CFRR.

[Warflight]

I LOVE it! Having a father from West Virginia, I do know the difference between a "Holler" and a "Run".

My Wild West town, I have decided will be named for what the locals believed was the local Indian tribe. The "Hekawi". Only, the local tribe was never local, and when asked who they were, they responded "We're the Hekawi?" (pronounced "Where the heck are we?")

Not clever, or original (F-Troop beat me to that joke, but it's still a favorite!)

I like "Crick Falls" or "Crick Holler", and you can even have some backstory, where the tourists think the name has to do with crickets or something... (maybe a bait shop called "Crick Falls Crickets? Best Cricks in the Crick"?)

It all has a very "Lil Abner" feel to it.

[Terry Toenges]

I think I might just call the creek Shat Crick and the railroad Shat Crick RR. "We don't need no stinking paddles. We're going up Shat Crick by train." There's an advertising slogan forming here...

[Warflight]

I think I might just call the creek Shat Crick and the railroad Shat Crick RR. "We don't need no stinking paddles. We're going up Shat Crick by train." There's an advertising slogan forming here...

[Warflight]

It seems, no matter what we think of, as modelers... real life may have one upped us!

[Terry Toenges]

But no railroad by that name.
A Google search turned up the following SC railroads:
Southern California RR
South Carolina RR
St. Croix RR
Spring Creek RR
Shenandoah Central RR
Sandhill Central RR
Southern Central RR
Summit County RR
Stone Canyon RR
Stillwater Central RR
Shanty Creek RR
Seoul-Chemulpo RR
Susquehanna Central RR

If I can find decals for one of those railroads that just say SCRR, that would be good.

[Warflight]

Awesome! Oh, and the Southern California RR not only ran close to where I grew up, but, even after moving to the San Diego area, I still have SCRR tracks close by (some of which are still in use today, even if the SCRR is a distant memory)

[Warflight]

Oh... wait... no... I'm thinking of the California Southern RR. The CSRR.

[Len]

You forgot an 'SC' line: Seaboard Coast Line, which could become 'Shat Creek Lumber' for an industry. 'SCL' decals shouldn't be too hard to find.

Len

[Terry Toenges]

I saw Seaboard Coast Line but didn't include it because of the "Line" would make it SCLRR.