The actual beginning is past history

In this blog I hope to capture and share my work and progress on my On30 model railroad: Termite & Tarantula, and other scale models that I am working on.  I build models in multiple scales. HO, O, Gn15, 1:35th scale and paint figures.

Background on my current layout:
My On30 Railroad started in my garage (early 2000? I think) in the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. It started as four shadow boxed, 8' x2' modules in an L shape. Garages in West Texas are fairly large. Ours had a small storage area nook, and several comfortable feet to either side of vehicles. A two car garage there can accommodate 2 full size heavy duty trucks. (unlike my 1970's garage here in Colorado) Why no basement? Most houses have no basements. Its expensive to use explosives to dig out granite for a basement.

With the layout towards the front and along the sidewall,  our garage could still accommodate our X-terra and my truck.  We could still use the door to get into the house.

I decided I wanted my new layout to be built simple, as light as possible, and be able to be moved.  My previous layout was HO/HOn3 and fit in a 10'X9' spare bedroom.

I knew I wanted to do a freelance railroad. No real prototype. In this I could model real and made up structures and places. I wanted to incorporate desert and mountains. Mines and timber.