MMR in 35 Sq Ft

MMR in 35 square feet (take 2)

So here I am with 35 square feet of bare canvas, waiting for a track plan to fall out of the sky - it just hasn’t happened. Here are my parameters - 35 sq ft is never going to become the Plywood Pacific. So what can I do? I have decided to have (2) 2 1/2' by 7' scenes on the Door County Railway and Navigation Co. Sturgeon Bay will represent the southern terminal and will have car ferry connections with the lower part of the peninsula. This ship, the Georgia Lee, will have2 tracks that will each load 3 cars. This will provide the illusion that the products that the railroad is moving actually go somewhere and also come from somewhere.

Door County Railway & Navigation Co.

So what products will be generated? Door County sits on a spine of limestone with the top soil only a few feet deep at best.

TEW’S LIME AND CEMENT will generate outbound loads of slaked lime, crushed limestone for the ballast of the line there is an actual TEW’s Lime in Wisconsin, just not in DoorCounty. Inbound loads would be machinery and supplies.

DAISY DAIRY Outbound loads of good Wisconsin cheese and inbound loads of milk and cheese making supplies.

SANTOSKY’S FARM SUPPLY will have incoming loads of farming equipment, tractors and such.

KEMPF’S WELL DRILLING will generate incoming loads of pipe and pumps and some heavy equipment.

CHICAGO PICKLE CO receiving station will generate outgoing loads of pickles, incoming loads of salt and vinegar

FRUIT GROWERS COOP will generate outgoing loads of fresh fruit and incoming supplies for the various orchards

H. NIPKO OIL will receive loads of fuel and carloads of lubricating oil and grease

These and a few more will populate the business district of Sturgeon Bay.

Egg Harbor, Wisconsin looking southwest

The other scene will be of Egg Harbor, it really should be of Gill’s Rock, but I have a photo of the southern end of Egg Harbor which gives me the excuse for a tunnel to use as a view block between scenes. In this location the limestone cliff ends at the water line of the harbor. Egg Harbor will also have a car ferry, the Stephanie Ann, to connect with Washington Island. Again this gives me a place to send loads off line and also to receive loads bound for elsewhere.

At one time Washington Island was the potato growing capitol of Wisconsin. So this endeavor will generate loads of fertilizer, farm equipment to Washington Island and loads of spuds coming from the island. In my imagination, Washington Island has become a destination for sheep to spend the summer, resulting in spring and fall sheep rushes to and from the island. In addition, the following industries will generate traffic:

SIEVERS INDUSTRIES an actual firm on Washington Island that produces benchwork for model railroaders has morphed into a premier cabinet/furniture making company. It will need lumber as incoming and boxcars of finished products.

TEWS LIME will have a quarry in Egg Harbor with the quarried stone needing to be transported to Sturgeon Bay. In actuality, the quarry will be paired with the rock crushing/lime kiln as an empties in loads out situation.

WASHINGTON EYE potatoes will have a warehouse processing plant where the potatoes will be bagged for shipment to Sturgeon Bay and beyond.

The as yet unnamed stock yards will be necessary for a rest stop for the sheep.