The Ring of Fire

One of my favorite parts of the trip was a walk back to the repair shop. They highlighted the process for replacing wheels which have an inner and outer layer. They heat the outer layer by setting it on fire. This expands the ring and then it is maneuvered over the inner wheel. As the fire is extinguished the metal contracts and seals the 2 pieces together. My dad indicated he does something similar when working with model trains, only using a cigarette lighter, not an acetylene torch! To cap off the experience, the engineer and his guitar-playing sidekick sang the Johnny Cash song "Ring of Fire". Another highlight was seeing "Connie" written on the engine being repaired.

After joining Meggan and Tessa's August 2023 Power Hour, I made this layout. Meggan's layout included all these circles so when I thought about the "Ring" of fire, I knew I needed to put the layout to work. I chose a few photos that could be cut into circles. I continued to use the CM Trains paper pack but added a few other odds and ends from my stash. By finding some papers with photos or small images that would fit the circles, I could make a richer layout. I had cut one photo (the one of me pointing) into 4x4 before realizing it should stay 4x6. I added a piece of punched train track to fill that gap. You'll notice I turned the papers so that the arcs almost complete a circle across the layout instead of a wave as Meggan's layout did. What's your favorite layout you've made? Feel free to comment here or post on my Facebook page.