Utility Modules
In order to
properly design and assemble a smoothly operating layout, a few utility modules
are always of great help. The NEONS have five such modules. They are used to
balance the layout when there is a 2 gap on one or two sides, to fill in for a
damaged or defective module at the show, and to stretch a section of spine
between two loops so that the aisle between the two loops is large enough to
handle the traffic.
Duck Under
Bridge -- Our 4 bridge module is only 12 deep, with
two 12 folding sheets that function as the back half of the module and the
skyboard. The module has no legs and is clamped into position between two other
modules. It is not normally scheduled as a part of the layout. The scenery is
simply grass and shrubs.
2 clamp on
modules:
Arbuckle
Mountains This module has full scenery and is our #1 gap filler.
Flat
Our #2 gap filler is due for a scenery upgrade. It is currently flat barren
desert as its name implies. We plan to install one of several small diorama
scenes built by master modeler Don Clinton.
Red and
Green These two modules have no skyboards and each have tray for club
information and for our donations jar. They are designed to be inserted in the
spine next to our junction/link module pairs. One side of a large billboard
informs engineers travelling the Red Line Route that they are entering the
NEONS loop and the other side of the billboard informs them that they are
leaving our loop and wishes them Godspeed.
Long ago in geological time, the earth heaved and formed a mountain range in south central Oklahoma. Rock and sediment that was once deep underground was thrust to the surface at sharp angles, exposing ancient rock formations called outcrops.
These same formations that are exposed in the Arbuckle Mountains are over 2000 below the surface just 10 miles further north and are productive of oil and gas. The outcroppings can easily be seen when driving along interstate highway I-35 as it climbs up and over them between Davis and Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Long ago in geological time, the earth heaved and formed a mountain range in south central Oklahoma. Rock and sediment that was once deep underground was thrust to the surface at sharp angles, exposing ancient rock formations called outcrops.
These same formations that are exposed in the Arbuckle Mountains are over 2000 below the surface just 10 miles further north and are productive of oil and gas. The outcroppings can easily be seen when driving along interstate highway I-35 as it climbs up and over them between Davis and Ardmore, Oklahoma.
