TRAIN TIME: The Edge of Town (EoT) Dept. of Public Works Makes a New Grade Crossing

I think for the most part we all do it. Do what? Well, we build a train board, lay track, plop down buildings in the middle and call it a day. Somewhere along the way we may add a bit of scenery and a single grade crossing with a road going off the board to the fantasy world beyond. Seldom do I see a layout wherein there is more than one way onto or off the board. This bothered me a little bit as I would sit at the EoT and allow my mind to wander down those rural paths in mid-central Wisconsin. Somehow it didn't seem right that the whole look of my little enclave was a dead-end. I wanted a way for travelers to come into the area and head on out again without having to doo a U-turn. The solution turned out to be simple. Right next to the newly graveled-in parking lot the flagstop station rests on was a space perfectly suited for one of Lionel's single-lane plastic grade crossings. All I had to do was cut down the crossing so that it would fit the space, and slice out a section of the Marx roadbed track to accomodate the crossing. Now motorists can enter and leave the area relatively unimpeded (unless of course traffic at the farmer's market ties things up some). Enjoy! Opa Fritz