Out of the fire, into the - - - deep fryer?

I did something totally different tonight.  Well, kind of different.

Periodically, I cook a meal when the wife is busy with other things - laundry, etc.
Lately, I've been using a small deep fryer to cook chicken wings and trimmings.  Usually cut up new potatoes.

Tonight I wanted to try something different, so the main event was shrimp.  I've never tried shrimp before. It went well, IMHO.  The hardest part was finding raw shrimp in the store.

So, it was a successful variation on an intermittent theme.

Back to the hobby side.  There's a one-day train show coming soon.  The call for modules went out to the membership, and I volunteered to take a single or a double module.  The show coordinator will decide what he needs.

I've pulled a couple modules that haven't seen a show in some time.  The first module is the double named "Poco Loco Grain Elevator."  It has a single siding for loading grain in a weather protected place.

The single is "TriStar Apartments."   I made it with a raised level to place the apartments above the track level, for visual interest.  I like the change away from the "plywood plains" look is beneficial.

The towers are a pair of kits, stacked.  So, the two towers are the results of bashing four kits together.  I really like the look the extra height gives to a module.  I've thought of extending them another section (five floors) but the kit isn't available anymore.  Oh, well.

I recently bought a kit of three flags and poles.  This is one of three places I intend to use them.  The second is an existing module, and the third is one that's in the early stage of construction.  Details later, hopefully not too much.

A Small Project . . . ?

For a while, I've had a desire to build a true micro layout.  By definition on the carendt.com site, as stated by the late Carl Arendt, a micro is one will no more than approximately four sq. ft. surface area that does something. Scale is immaterial.  In fact, he did a nice Gn15 on one square foot.  If you've never seen it, look the Squarefoot Estate Railway up sometime.  See: http://www.carendt.com/articles/the-squarefoot-estate-railway/

I've been slowly working on various TTrak-N modules that I've shown here.
I don't consider most TTrak modules (especially mine) as micros.  They are dioramas, considered individually, since they can't DO any action such as switching, continuous running, whatever. Even a passing siding, or a short stub would qualify, but just being a scene from a larger loop doesn't make it.

The two 3' modules will qualify, but I still wanted to do something smaller.  So, off to the side, there's been sitting a small, 310mm long TTrak module, just waiting to tell me what to do with it.   I've finally heard it, and here's where it's going.

It's approximately 310mm x 350mm.  I decided to build it up, and have the main lines tunnel straight through, nothing fancy.  However, the area ABOVE the tracks (still 310mm x 350mm) is now a new surface to use.  Here's where the micro is being built.  Using the full space, it's possible to put a small loop of rack on it.  A micro layout, it is.  Piggy-backed on a TTrak module, it is.

I intend it to be a light rain loop, with a rural scene on one side and a town scene on the other, something like this:

The left side is a very rural area, with several small shantys and one small house.  The right is a store/station/whatever for the town scene.  This is approximate, as it depends on the structures available to populate it with.

The curves are 4" radius Tomix C103(mm) track.  Here's the mockup:

The structures are just for scale.  They are dedicated to be used elsewhere, but they do give a sense of size.  The tram is a Kato product.  I also have a Kato pocket steeple-cab loco and some Bandai Shorty containers on flat cars and tank cars for a small freight train.  Shoot, I could run a Kato pocket passenger train. They all will handle the tight curves.  Options, options.

The track will be all Tomix fine Track, not the tram street track in the photos.  This I had on hand, and the proper track is en route "even as we speak."  So to speak, that is.

I'm wavering between plaster rock castings on the walls, or just scoring the foam and painting it to look like stone cliffs. The top will lift off for TTrak main line maintenance.

All tunnels have pairs of WS plaster portals for them.  The two on the micro divider are different styles:

I don't know exactly how they will be arranged.  I have one of each style on this side, but it could be both of the same style on the one side.  Only the future knows, and it's not telling.  Yet.

To power the loop, I'm going to place the power pack and speed controller on the main module.  A hidden speed control will be used.  As for power source, well, a wall-wart could be used.  But, another option comes to mind.

When used in a layout, at home or at a club show, the outer main is DCC powered. I think I can steal a little (very little required) from the DCC line and process it into the DC needed for the loop.  Voila, no external power connections needed. Usually. I'm thinking.

So, it's back to the garage to work on this, and the larger layout as well.  That's me, just one project at a time, NOT!