PIG CASTER Part 8

Not much to report in the way of progress on this model or any others for that matter.  I spent most of the weekend down in Maryland getting my sailboat ready for launching later this week.   I used to think model railroading was a cheaper hobby than boating, but lately they are leveling out.   

It's a little off topic but I'm posting a picture of my b

oat - it is a 28' sloop manufactured by Cal-Jensen in 1972.  It weights about 5300lbs, which is relatively light for a sailboat of that size.  About 2000lbs of that is in the keel (the big fin on the bottom) which is a solid lead casting.  It is attached to the boat by 3/4" stainless bolts, and hopefully never falls off.  The primary propulsion is of course the two sails, with an auxiliary engine.  The engine was originally a 9 hp two cylinder Volvo diesel.  In the event of a complete failure of the electrical system, this engine could still be started using a hand crank.  Unfortunately, the galvanized fuel tank behind the engine was leaking and the only way to take it out was to remove the engine.  Given the age of the engine and the fact that it had been cooled by salt water for 35 years I decided not to reinstall it and now use a 9.9h

p four stroke outboard motor when needed.  I have kept the boat in Avalon, near Cape May, NJ for the past 8 years and sailed it primarily in the Atlantic Ocean, up the coast to New England and over to the Chesapeake.  In November I sailed it over to Maryland where I will keep it for this summer, sailing out of the Sassafrass River onto the Chesapeake Bay.  Yes - I will be sailing it over to Baltimore for some waterfront viewing of Sparrows Point.  

Back to the pig casting machine - I did cut a hole in the layout for the subterranean conveyor assembly.  You can see how it will look in place and also it will allow me to make some precise

 measurements for the upper building.  I will have to deviate from Mike Rabbit's plans in the construction of this structure as my trackwork is more compact than what was shown on the plans.  I will have to extend the structure so I can place supports without interfering with the trains, and it will have to span both tracks.