As you may be aware, I spent 20 years in the Air Force, retiring in 1996, including a four year tour with the Ballistic Missile Office (BMO).  BMO's mission was the acquisition, engineering, development, testing and deployment of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) such as Minuteman, M-X (aka Peacekeeper) and Small ICBM.  The assignment to BMO was a turning point in my career, so I decided to integrate that experience into the train layout by creating a "missile railcar base". 

Here are a few photos from 2009 showing how we created Liberty Air Force Base on the Lighthouse Point Railroad.  You can see the three "stub" tracks forming a small railroad yard.  Notice the Air Force security police vehicle at the center right of the photo standing guard over the two missile boxcars.  Those who served in the Air Force, especially in Strategic Air Command (aka "SAC") are probably snickering now as they think, "Missiles?  What about guards for them?"  (Have no fear...the chief who served proudly in SAC for 17 months didn't forget the guards.  Stay tuned...)

For those curious about how we created this scene, here's an explantory photograph of the same scene including provisions for the sentry guards.

Since the above photos were taken, we've installed a signal bridge over the two mainlines right where the pink description box appears in the second version of the photo.  An Infrared Train Activation Device (ITAD) was installed next to the 7-11 building to activate the signal on the O-64 outerloop.  The wiring work will be finished, then a cyclone fence will be installed around the missile railcar base followed by the remaining scenery work.

This "north to south" view of the layout from mid-October 2009 shows how Liberty AFB fits into the overall theme of the layout.  All of the accessories are electrified and working properly.  Each building is illuminated  including the guard shack behind the floodlight tower at the left center of the picture.  

We've also added some interesting "military unique" scenery items including an anti-terrorism barrier patterned after one at a nearby military installation and a blinking barricade. 

About all we need to do now to finish the Liberty AFB scene is buy and install a cyclone fence kit and put up a base welcome sign.  We'll post an update when we finish that work.