I APOLOGIZE, The pictures that were in the posts over the first couple of pages seem to have vanished. From page three on, everything seems to be OK, will try to get them replaced.
Rick Dec, 2018
Addenda: December 2021, I think we finally have the pictures back in place.
Hello all, the build log starting for the new railroad
In the fall of 2014 we began the disassembly and packing of the Shasta Pacific Railroad in preparation for the sale of our home and a move to Southern Oregon. It was bitter sweet as they say; the tearing down of what had taken us years to build was sad, but the knowledge that a totally blank slate lay in wait somewhere in the future was exciting. If I had known beforehand that it would take a 10 by 20 storage shed to hold everything I may have reconsidered saving as much of the railroad as we did.
Taking down the old railroad as I said was bitter sweet, we had friends volunteer to come over and give us a hand and many of them had helped in some of the original construction so it was a bit emotional for them as well. But, as they say, life moves on and we were looking forward to our relocation to Oregon. Not knowing for sure where in Oregon was a bit of an issue that kept us busy traveling and looking for several months.
I am calling the new start of the Shasta Pacific in Oregon version 3.0 but that just counts the large scale outdoor versions if we count the original HO table top (circa 1980) and the ON3 full room layout (circa 1987) this will actually be version 5.0 . Since this is a “Large Scale” hobby forum I will only mention the large scale versions.
The first incarnation began in the spring of 1997 with a 90 foot long loop on the ground with a full complement of gardening to support it. Within just a couple of years we began to realize a few things; we weren’t all that crazy about gardening and we really didn’t like crawling around on our hands and knees to do everything on the railroad. The real deal breaker, as they say, was all the problems with gophers, moles, deer, turkeys, dogs, and weeds.
Enter Dick Smith and his Port Orford Coast Railroad. His postings on this forum of what he was doing were to me, just amazing. I had to find out more so I contacted Dick and asked to come and visit and pick his brain about construction techniques. So in early 2005 began a new outdoor railroad concept for the Shasta Pacific and a friendship that I am proud to say still flourishes today especially now that we live much closer together.
The building of the raised table top Shasta Pacific was pretty well documented on this forum back in the day, but is probably lost in the mists of time. For those of you that may have a little curiosity there are a few videos that can still be seen of the mostly completed railroad.
We finally found a good shop on one acre with a house that would do, especially liked the one acre part, as we really were looking to “down size’ as they say. So in March of 2015 we became Oregonions and have to say we really love the change from California.
We had decided to do a little remodeling and updating of the new house so we lived in the travel trailer out in the driveway for five months while we completely redid the interior of the house. So now Mama was happy and I could start looking and planning for the new railroad, not that I hadn’t been doing a little sneak previewing already.
As it turned out starting a new railroad was not going to be that easy. First there was no place to really call a train room or shop, which to me is a must have at this point in life. After much looking, thinking and head scratching it was decided that the only thing to do was add onto the back of the existing shop. A size was decided on, 10 by 22 would be just perfect, so a foundation was laid out and the slab poured. October is not a good time to start a building project in Oregon, the rain started and there we sat till May of 2016.
About this time it was decided that we needed a water treatment system installed to condition the well water. To hold the new equipment of course I had to build a new well house, so after it was completed I decided that it was a perfect spot to hold some of our 1 to 1 railroad art. Finally a start on railroad related projects even though winter was setting in.
This build log is well behind the build at this time but will soon enough catch up and I will be scrambling to keep it updated.
Hey, we are finally getting close to showing a few pictures so if you have hung on through all this verbiage maybe it will be worth the wait, no promises though.
The new well house with cross bucks and flasher lights mounted to the outside. The flashers light up the whole yard at night, not sure the neighbors appreciate them as much as we do ;).
Another view of the pump house showing a whole lot of the railroad “stuff” stacked and covered with tarps before we got the barn built and the “stuff” stored in out of the weather.
In October of 2015 the footings are all dug and the slab is ready to be poured. After the pour and anchor bolt insertion the slab sat in the rain until spring.
Well that’s enough for now, this new freight shed seems to be a real hassle to move pictures into the forum. Maybe it will get better as I use it more
Rick
