It all started off innocently enough. I needed to solve a problem. I need to keep the dang cats off of the layout. They’ve caused irreparable damage to the delicate overhead which means tearing it all out and rebuilding it. But I’m not going to rebuild until I have some way of preventing it from getting damaged again.
Covering it would be nice. Not only would it prevent the cats from terrorizing the good citizens of the city, but it would also keep the dust off. Doubly good!! A safe and clean city. Real estate values would sky rocket!
My wife suggested something like an acrylic cube, you know, like a display case in a museum. I think that to be a great idea, but I’m afraid the cube would be unwieldy and could actually cause damage to the city it was designed to protect when removing and replacing it.
Lightweight would be key. How about four posts holding up a wooden roof and removable acrylic panels would fit in the sides? Then the wooden roof could also have the lighting attached to it. Like a lighting valence! How about that? A safe, clean, well light lit city! Triply good!!!
When three problems are solved with one project, that’s a good hat trick. The project must be a good idea. I’m moving forward with it. So I’m gonna design the valence/display case.
What if instead of a standard rectangular valence, I kinda contour it like the clearstory roof of an old fashioned trolley? And instead of acrylic panels in the sides, I build it like the windows of an old fashioned trolley? The whole layout itself would look like an old fashioned trolley car! How kewl would that be?! Way kewl!
Covering it would be nice. Not only would it prevent the cats from terrorizing the good citizens of the city, but it would also keep the dust off. Doubly good!! A safe and clean city. Real estate values would sky rocket!
My wife suggested something like an acrylic cube, you know, like a display case in a museum. I think that to be a great idea, but I’m afraid the cube would be unwieldy and could actually cause damage to the city it was designed to protect when removing and replacing it.
Lightweight would be key. How about four posts holding up a wooden roof and removable acrylic panels would fit in the sides? Then the wooden roof could also have the lighting attached to it. Like a lighting valence! How about that? A safe, clean, well light lit city! Triply good!!!
When three problems are solved with one project, that’s a good hat trick. The project must be a good idea. I’m moving forward with it. So I’m gonna design the valence/display case.
What if instead of a standard rectangular valence, I kinda contour it like the clearstory roof of an old fashioned trolley? And instead of acrylic panels in the sides, I build it like the windows of an old fashioned trolley? The whole layout itself would look like an old fashioned trolley car! How kewl would that be?! Way kewl!
Could I really be able to build such a thing? I have no idea. I never built anything like it before. Should I build such a thing? Probably not. I’m sure there are all kinds of reasons why I shouldn’t. Am I really going to try and attempt it anyway? Knowing my history; yep, I'm affraid so. 
I’ll just take it one step at a time. Design a little. Build a little. Design a little more. Build a little more. Become frustrated and tear it all apart and replace it with something more practical. 
Well I hope I don’t have to tear it apart. Hopefully I’ll end up with something both practical and whimsical. Yessir, practical and whimsical!
