The Top Shelf Line
[Introduction][This Means Something][Top Shelf][Main Street][Tin Towne][Highway.61][Monument Valley]
The rails running across the bookshelves in my den. It’s not named for an abundance of tanker cars carrying Tanqueray or Absolut (there is a little Dixie Beer though). Instead it’s named for the altitude and roadbed – the top shelf of the bookshelves.
Phase One (The Circle) a circle of O27 over the corner shelf unit.
A circle of track – even tight O27 – would overlap the diagonal end of my corner workspace. To compensate, I built a lip to support a Plexiglas window. Now I’m able to look up from the computer and see the train pass over.
The Circle runs through the badlands and around Devils Tower.
Phase Two (The Loop) winding the train all the way around the room.
The loop begins with a run over the computer desk bookshelves and then up and over The Circle and behind Devils Tower. After making a quarter turn, it runs on a shelf over the pseudo-French doors, extends around the perimeter of the den and meets back on the bookshelves.
Phase Three (Top Shelf City)
Lainey is helping me design and build a city for our train to service. We even have a short block modeled after Main Street in Minden, LA.
Top Shelf City began on top of the bookshelves, but as we completed more buildings, the city leaders relocated to real estate on one of the mantle-type shelves across the room. The main drag is Highway 61.
The first stop on the Top Shelf Line is Main Street.