Getting Ready for A Convention

By author

For the LSR Region's convention The Bluebonnet Limited this year, several preparations are frantically finishing up as we get closer to the opening day. One railroader in town is operating for the first time in several years, and needed a map of the layout to help orient visiting operators.

I created the quick map above was created with Adobe Illustrator in a couple of sessions. This is a simple map for people navigating, not train navigating. Exits are important, but the main thing is to help get the operators from town to town in the twists and turns of a somewhat confusing room arrangement. straight lines were used for speed and for clarity. It is not to scale, although it is pretty well proportioned for being done from memory with no measurements. It will be printed on a half sheet 8.5 x 5.5.

There are a perhaps hundreds of these sorts of things going on all over town as we speak as happens at any open house, meeting, convention or event. It is a lot of 'work' to host something, but it is a lot of fun creating fun for guests.

Chuck and Nan's layout is amazing, and maybe there will be some pictures here in the future, but in the meantime, check out the teaser on the convention web site.

Cow Tunnels of Manhattan

I monitor a lot of design and architecture blogs, and one of them, 99% Invisible rarely disappoints. This week is no exception. Episode 115 is about the cow tunnels of New York City that were used by the Pennsylvania Railroad between 34th and 39th Streets with an entrance at Pier 78. (This is dangerously close to my modeling area for the PoNY.)





The idea of modeling such infrastructure is more than intriguing. I enjoy thinking about how to model such underground features effectively. Maybe someday I'll give it a go.

Have a listen to the podcast while reading the story of yet another 'lost' piece of infrastructure that is gaining recognition as the NYC High Line did that runs through the meatpacking district. Although, I don't think it will become a tourist attraction like the High Line did, because much of it has probably been destroyed by new construction.

http://99percentinvisible.org/episode/cow-tunnels/