Well, I decided that I’m going to start chronicling the progress on my O Scale Three-Rail model railroad in this thread.
The Lignite Subdivision is set in North Dakota, as this map shows.
While the actual mainline of the fictional L&M Railroad Company more or less mirrored the route of the Great Northern, it is not shown on this map.
Either way, the Lignite Subdivision model railroad is set in modern times but still runs steam power (long story). In Lignite, there’s the Carbon Coal Company which ships a lot of coal to the Williston Energy Company, and the route that coal takes is the Subdivision of course. Due to (fictional) local regulations, trains must be short so there’s a lot of them! Lignite is also the home of the Subdivision’s yard and locomotive shops. Menardsville has a small foundry, an industrial motor repair and building company, a grain elevator, and a railroad museum with a scenic railroad (the Wren Song Railroad). Williston has, as mentioned previously, a power plant, and also an oil refinery. Because of the poorly-maintained toll highway between the towns, almost all freight–and lots of passengers–travel via the railroad.
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So, the progress of the railroad as a whole so far is that the basic benchwork has been built. Since I’m currently concentrating my efforts on Menardsville, all the track there is laid and has the foam roadbed. While just today I succeeded in finishing the first of my home-made cheap uncouplers, there’s quite a few more to do. I’ve also started work on the wiring; the bus wires are done but only one set of feeders is connected. I have gotten two locomotives converted to RCC (a remote control system I designed) but there’s at least two more to do. The grain elevator and grain bins are on the layout but there’s no other structures. I still have a bit of benchwork stuff to do (connect the middle and upper decks) and the helix still needs tuning. Generally, nothing at all has happened in Lignite (the lower deck), other than serving as a dumping place for tools, parts, and junk. 
Of course, like an idiot, I forgot to take pictures of anything. Maybe I’ll come back tomorrow and post them. 
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Looking fo4rward to reading about your progress.
Al
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Thanks for the update, @Engine_1988! Looking forward to seeing progress!
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Well, today I did absolutely nothing on the railroad. I didn’t even go over and take any pictures of it. Somehow, I decided that it was more important to watch the local politicasters and their beadledom.
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Acting like a real railroad baron already eh?
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No, just making sure that the local politicians don’t do something stupid. They like to throw money away. 
Serious props for the use of beadledom!
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Well anyway (and thank you, palallin), I went over to the RR room today and got some pictures.
That coal loader is going to move to Lignite once stuff has been cleaned up.
The idea behind that car is to measure the (
WAY TOO STEEP) grade on my helix. Yes, it is the 6151 car and I do have the “Range Patrol” truck (though it is in poor condition)
and the box!
What a mess!
Through some miracle this video of my cheap-cheap uncoupler loaded! The whole uncoupler cost less than $1! Here’s the magnet that I used.
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Okay, here’s the motive power.
Not only was DMIR 8813 modified with a remote control, but I’ve seen the real DMIR 193 at the Duluth museum!
My only new O locomotive. Probably my best one, too! Menards did a good job with it.
My only locomotive with a smoke unit!
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