The 'Plan' and Page 2 of the work in progress

 

People often ask me if I have a 'plan' when I begin. In some years prior I had drawn some sort

of plan only to have it discarded when construction began. This year, I sketched a plan and it

has already been altered to some degree. The basic areas of the display will remain the same.

Placement of the river, buildings, bridges and train etc. will be altered to fit in the appropriate spaces

they will occupy. This is unavoidable since the exact size of each piece varies.

To see the original sketch of my plan, click HERE

 

Here are four pictures of what has taken place today.

 

Boxes of buildings have been brought down from the attic and stacked in the hallway. They are placed in order of the

type. For example, all the churches are together, the residential buildings in the same area, shops, airport and industrial.

This makes it easier when I get to that particular area. I unpack those boxes and decide on a layout. Once the buildings

are out of the box, the boxes are restored in the attic until tear down day.

Boxes of course are 'everywhere'!

Here is the rough draft layout of the recreational area. Smokey Mountain Retreat is on the upper level

with the Lighthouse on the other side. The Jingle Bell Houseboat will sit next to the lower lake followed on the

same side with the Fisherman's Cabins and Fisherman's Nook. The opposite side of the river will have Nick's

Tree Farm, Lot 56 Christmas Court and then Gracie's. On the river will be a Tug Boat (purchased from Lowe's, not D56)

the Casino Steamboat (hired only for touring Christmas Lights....no gambling in our town) and a couple of other

small boats to be placed on the river. I'm still trying to decide if the train will cross the lake or not. It will cross the

river near Gracie's over a new bridge purchased this year.

I am thining about a church in this area as well, but have not decided on the one that will look right. I'm leaning towards

the Silent Night Church for sound in this area. The other church is New Hope. Time will tell.

This view shows the tug boat and gives a different perspective of the recreational area.