Siting Fireball Distillery

Since I was already working at the north end of the railway on Kirby Hill, I decided to keep going - setting up the subfoundation for the Fireball Distillery.  Fireball is a deceptively smooth cinnamon flavored whiskey with a tendency to sneak up on you.  Picked up a bottle at a truck stop outside of Kamloops BC years ago on the way back from a fishing trip and it's become a staple of the liquor cabinet.  Tastes like Red Hots candy - recommend on ice or as a quick shot on a cold day.

Doing some web photo research to get an idea for size and shape of the building.  Here are a couple photos that will serve as guidelines for construction.  As you'll see, stone is a common building material for older distilleries.  The footprint of the building is small, with some hoppers, small smokestacks, etc, to add visual interest.  Another element involved in this particular site is that it's right beneath the town of Metallikahmish Bay.  I don't want it to extend into the airspace next to the future main street directly above save for maybe a very small diameter smokestack...

To get started with this project I first parked a couple of semi trailers to get an idea of how much room I'd need for the truck loading docks.

As you can see, the two trailers are squeezed between the mainline and the retaining wall on the east side of Kirby Hill.  The siding behind them will be inside the factory.  Truck drivers need to drop/pick up their trailers quickly as there are no crossing gates here.  A sharp ear is key to an uneventful work day.

As with the rest of the buildings, I put in a tan subfoundation to both provide a level subsurface for the building (the structures are held down only by white glue for removal for easy transport) and as a location marker so I can create and use a car card switching system for operation whether or not a given industry has been built.

Here is an aerial view with some ballast and bushes added on the east side of the tracks and some train traffic to liven up the scene.  

Finally, a helicopter view of the whole layout as it stands today.  The fire department has been removed for detailing.  

The bare wood in the center is the beginning of the cutout for Metallikahmish Bay.  

Taped on with blue tape is the map of the turnouts and a key to the different locomotive numbers on the DCC controller.  The switches to all 8 turnouts are just to the left of that held up for now with black electrical tape.

Lots of work left to do but the railway is starting to take shape and I'm having a great time putting it together.  

Next time:  Fire Department & Onceler Thneeds' Chemical Tank