Large Scale Central

Last Run: Rockwall Canyon RR Mountain Line

Model Photography
#1

Today was the last running of my Rockwall Canyon RR Mountain Line. The images below are of my second garden railroad which was begun in 1997 over Easter weekend. Although the railroad has shrunk over the years from it’s grandest days, I still enjoyed the line despite its steep grades and tight radii. I thought it was rather fitting, that I have the final running, 17 years later, on Easter weekend. And…why not use the same locomotive which ran the inaugural run, for its final run?

The locomotive that started it all: RCRR 7603 (D&H Alco FA) leads the final train down the mountain on this nice spring morning.

Here are some other images from the day. It was one busy last day on the old RCRR.

And that’s the end of the line folks!

In happier news, the new Rockwall Canyon RR, (Exeter River Line) is taking shape nicely. I have about 100ft of double track mainline installed and ready for surfacing.

#2

Here are the same locomotives taking the grade in 1998.

#3

Nice. Looking forward to seeing the new line.

#4

Good luck on the new line. Hoping to see more pics of the progress

#5

Great pictures! And I thought I had a lot of pine needles :]

Good luck with the new line - the new location is just as scenic; just a bit different.

#6

I like the looks of the old line. I like climbing through the mountains. I wish I cold have something like that someday. The new one looks good too. Pretty cool that you started and stopped on easter.

thanks for sharing!

Terry

#7

Tell me is it hard to let go of what you have and start over again? If I had to move, I could do that but other wise I am stuck with the basic configuration that I have due the lay of the land!

Paul

#8

Nice photo shots… Hope your rebuild in the same area… nice place for a R.R.

Like yours I see, we have kind of the same Pine Needles problems to. Kind of wish I had a tracking sweep unit that would grind them up and suck them to a hopper car… They are very hard to get up once set there for awhile. Even ours Home Depot Vac. just plugs up with the Needles.

#9

Hi folks!

Thanks for the kind words. It was sad to see the empire I had built come to and end, but the prospect of taking the pieces and starting over is very attractive.

The purpose for dismantling the mountain line was truly one of practicality. I have recently moved to a home with suitable land for a garden railroad. Therefore the orphaned railroad which continued to live at my parent’s home can now be reunited with me on my own land. The arrangement of not living at the same property as my railroad proved to be more frustrating than ever anticipated. Thankfully this chapter has now come to an end.

Back to the building it bigger and better…

The mountain line was limited by 8 foot diameter curves and 4%(+) grades which were dictated by the solid granite ledge. The new railroad, although hilly, will flow more gradually with 20ft diameter minimum curves and a max grade of around 1% on the mainline.

Here are some more photos of the mountain line:

“Then” in 2003ish (above) / “Now” in 2014 (below)

More web images from my old site: Click Here

#10

Your old yard didn’t have pine needles it had FUR !!

You had some seriously rugged land to conquer there which makes for an interesting RR but certainly limits what you can run. With your new RR and 20’ curves and 1% grades you will have many more options.
If possible it would be neat to make a video of a special train decorated with bunting etc… appear to leave the old RR and enter onto the new one.
Good luck with the new venture.

#11

Thanks Todd,

I can tell you, though, it wasn’t the pine needles on the old RR, it was the acorns that drove me nuts! You could hardly tell the pine needles were accumulating, but once an acorn dropped between the rails, you were in trouble! And it always happened with a downhill train at the most catastrophic location possible.

The new railroad is mostly foliaged with birch and balsam fir…which, i think, will work out very well. We’ll see!

#12

You will Defiantly need a leaf blower car for the new line! :wink:

#13

Defiantly?..

I think the leaves will be a bit more defiant…:wink:

#14

Removing leaves sounds easy but yes they can be Defiant! They like to plant there tails in the most obnoxious places. :stuck_out_tongue:

#15

Haha, yes the leaves are always defiant at the most inopportune times. They especially like getting jammed into the side frames of unsuspecting diesel locos…fortunately, my 5 year old won’t put up with leaf defiance, so she takes them out for me (on the fly)! This will be a short-lived problem, as I suspect the ground foliage will be coming in soon. Hostas, dwarf spruces, dwarf arborvitaes, native ferns, etc…coming soon!