1384, 1389 and 1385 are at the Bonnieview Road crossing and have just motored past the entrance to the Kapuskasing airport. (Photo 4) At home or at work it’s just another great train watching location for me as I maintained the TACAN there for two years. I could even hear the grade crossing signals over the sound of the cooling fans so I knew it was time for lunch down at the station. I’d eat and watch a SFP&P 70 tonner move newsprint cars out to the CN tracks in time for their trip south.

The cross bucks, flashing lights and bell are classic and we can see them on nearly all layouts even if most of us forget that relay box next door. Without the train present in this photo, which obviously is nearly all the time, that simple crossing signal will dominate a very large scene. As it should on your layout as well. Far to many of us crowd everything and the kitchen sink into our landscape. Don’t do it! We really don’t care if you have lots of ‘stuff’. Just keep it under the benchwork.