Large Scale Central

A sad event

General Discussion
#1

A very sad thing has happened.

The Port Orford Coast Railroad has become a fallen flag.

The scrappers have pulled up the track and disposed of it and hauled all the locomotives and rolling stock to the auction yard for a liquidation sale.

Unfortunately, like almost all other narrow gauge short lines, it has fallen on hard times and this once thriving and vibrant railroad is now a ghost of the past.

For various reasons Dick has been unable to keep up with the railroad in recent years and has decided to step away. The last operations on the line, that I know of, were in the spring of 2018 when Ken Brunt and I visited.

Here is what the Heralds look like on some of the rolling stock

I thought it was sad to see this once magnificent railroad in such condition. But while talking to Dick he stated ,in his typical humerous fashion, that this is some of the most realistic modeling he has ever done, an abandoned railroad.

Dick want’s to sell the engines and rolling stock as a group and has no interest in selling individual pieces or packing and shipping. However if any of you old timers out there were interested in owning a piece of history such as a freight or passanger car with the POC heralds, I told Dick I would come over and get them and ship them for him to you guys. He thought 20 bucks a pop plus shipping would be a fair price.

If you have any interest just let me know. When shipping could occur in todays world is just a guess.

If your not familiar with the POC and it’s creator check here.

http://lsc.cvsry.com/POC_Elevated_Benchwork.pdf

PS

I sent the above to Dick for his approval before I posted it and here is his reply.

"Actually the only sad thing about the RR abandonment is the plight of the workers. No more work furlough for them and back to their cells. The general manager is returning to his previous profession of running the shell game at the carnival and chief telegrapher is planning on using his delicate touch to open safes. So all is well…! As for myself rather than the RR being a fallen flag it is me that has become a drooping windsock. heehee!

Rick, your post looks good but a little too sad. There is a future yet. Long live the POC bicycle delivery service! Haven’t decided who will do the pumping yet but I’m thinking about a tandem bike where Helen can sit in front steering and pedaling while I sit in back holding a package."

#2

Sad news, but the route of many narrow gauge history makers. The stories of the railroad, as well as the talent of its creator, will grow around the switching yard barrel fires. Long live the beam of the Lighthouse.

#3

Sorry to hear. Another loss of a great railroad.

Rick when you get to them I’ll take a passenger car for the honor and memory of the road. If any are available

Message a price . Use 17371 for a shipping price

#4

SOB …

Rick,

You tell Dick I’m still waiting on that smoked salmon and peach pie he “still” owes me! I would definitely like a piece or 2 or 3 of POC history but I will allow you and Dick to decide! I don’t know what I will do with it currently other than proudly run it on my roundy round RR.

#5

Hopefully someone might just purchase this as a whole so he does not need to piece it out ? EBT and POC kinda has a ring to it ??

#6

What happened to all the buildings?

#7

Very sad indeed, Rick, but I’m glad to know that Dick is still kicking and apparently in good spirits.

#8

Got a flat car nobody else wants? 85641

#9

that linked .pdf has been reference and inspiration for the building of my actual (unfinished) layout.

and, yes, if the stock has to be split up, i would be interested in buying something too (with the Port Orford label on it)

#10

To heck with the RR, I’m just glad Richard and Helen are still with us and that he still has that sense of humor.

I consider myself one of the lucky ones to have had the honor and privilege to operate on the Port Orford Coast RR a few times.

But it’s still a shame that it has met the fate of many a narrow gauge line.

Here it is in better times:

The Port Orford Coast RR was one of the inspirations for the present RGS layout.

It was and still is a unique RR.

Rick and I on our last visit 2018:

#11

Thanks for posting this Rick.

Dick’s writeup on how he built his layout was one of my early inspirations in the hobby.

#12

Kay and I visited Richard and Helen many, many years ago, just as Richard was starting the layout. … Close to 15-16 years or more. Had a wonderful time, coveting is wood working garage and so enjoying Helen’s lemon dessert… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

I can certainly understand the demise of the railroad as the PCSRR went “fallen” over 5 years ago… Retirement living ain’t all bad… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

#13

David,

Yes he wants to sell it all or nothing and he doesn’t want to ship anything.

I talked him into offering a few pieces of rolling stock to forum members and he was fine with that.

As long as I did all the work(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

I am going to send out a sale flyer to some of the clubs in North CA and South OR offering local pickup only.

Pete,

Most of the wood buildings are becoming compost right in place. They have a really damp climate and most of the railroad is in the shade

of the trees. Some of the structures made from Plexi/ABS/Styrene have faired a little better but have lost most of their fine detail. I salvaged

a couple of them to rework and add to the Shasta Pacific

#14

Cliff Jennings said:

Thanks for posting this Rick.

Dick’s writeup on how he built his layout was one of my early inspirations in the hobby.

Yes, about 2004 I started following Dick’s build and thought, “man, this guy is really on to something here.” As I was really tired of crawling around on my knees, I contacted Dick and we went to visit.

After looking his RR over in person I was hooked. I told him I was going to steal every idea he had and go home and start my own table top RR. In typical Smith fashion he said “Go ahead, and I’ll email you all the new ideas as they occure to me.” Been a good friend every since.

#15

It is/was an awesome layout, but like most all things exposed to the elements of the outside, fade away.

His layout technique was very inspiring, and his tremendous ability of doing the PDF will allow this layout

to really never die, to the land of forgotten. Thanks Dick for all your hard work.

I am sure is pleasure was in building it.

Thanks Dennis

#16

That is a shame, it looked to be a fun nicely detailed switching RR. I guess as they say, all good things must come to an end.

#17

John Caughey said:

Got a flat car nobody else wants? 85641

You can slip that vice into the box and I wouldn’t mind!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#18

I’m sorry to see that this beautiful railroad has come to an end, but I’m glad that Dick is still “topside”.

#19

Fred Mills over in Nepéan called me up at zero-o’clock sparrow fart this morning, just as I’d come in after milking the chickens, to get me to look at these pages. TBH, I’m sorry I did. Dick and ig and I have spent many happy hours running the POCRR over the many years that Mrs tac and I have had the privilege of knowing this fine gentleman and his lovely Helen, maker of what is prolly the very best LMP on the West Coast.

My own personal interest was assured with the grand opening of the freight forwarding company - Foley’s Fast Freight - with the rather tongue-in-cheek logo of a winged letter F…I won’t go down that route right now. I had the responsibility of running the lumber management end of the POCRR off the spur that visitors would be familiar with, to my my trackage here in rural East Anglia, making it, at just under 5000 miles, what must have been the very longest short-line on the planet.

Like Ken and couple of others, I’ve kept a reasonably good record of the line over the years, and I’m going to put an album together of stills and videos, with Dick’s approvement, of course.

Eventually I’ll be putting it all on a few thumb drives and passing them out here to friends and others who have enjoyed Dick’s wondrous ramblings over the years, and as a homage to his skills and dedication as well as innovation, that resulted in one of the very best of all end-to-end NG railroads ever built.

So, I’m now raising my half-litre Timmy’s mug, filled with the very best of Joe, to my dear friends, Dick and Helen, and to the memory of the Port Orford Coast Railroad - three of the very best things that ever happened to me.

tac

OVGRS

#20

The PDF of Dick"s Port Orford Coast Railroad immediately became my bible as I was developing my large scale railroad. In such a fun reading kind of way he meticulously documented his entire build which proved invaluable to me. Thank you Steve Featherkile for forwarding to me the link to the POCRR years ago. This LSC link now works: http://lsc.cvsry.com/POC_Elevated_Benchwork.pdf In my mind his POCRR set the standard for bench top outdoor railroading. For me to own a piece of the POCRR would be like having a moon rock from the Apollo Eleven mission for s space enthusiast but there are so many others much more worthy.

According to Rick Marty it sounds like Dick joked about the current condition of the POCRR looking so realistic in it’s abandoned condition. It’s a shame that it is going to be torn down… In it’s abandoned condition it still remains awesome to look at. That is what I see. But I imagine Dick gets too frustrated not being able to maintain it to his standards that it would be better for him just to have it removed.

If you are reading this Dick I would like to thank you for sharing your fantastic railroad with all of us and for being my inspiration. I wish you good health. Mark Betlem