Large Scale Central

Westward Expansion Part II (many pix!)

Track and Trestles
#1

The C&A has seen a flurry this past week getting the new expansion ready for a family reunion party the missus and I were hosting. Luckily all went as planned and the expansion was mostly completed on time (just some tweaking and planting left to do in the immediate future). The new expansion into the mountains consists of a folded over loop with two tunnels and a bridge. The crew of the Dunkirk was assigned the local freight today up into the mountains. Here they are approaching the entrance of tunnel 1 –

and out the backside (The retaining walls were created using job leftovers. The lower wall is small tumbled pavers and the upper wall is retaining wall blocks.) -

The track winds up and around past the spur for a future logging camp –

and over the old stone bridge (created from job salvage bluestone edging) -

and back over the upper track (the upper track base is 1”x2” PVC board (tufboard) ladder frame with 1 ¼” pvc pipe supports and back filled with gravel) –

and back down around to tunnel 2 –

and back out again –

and out past the spur for a future coal mine –

The Dunkirk pulled up to town to fill its water tank (soon to be featuring a much larger station) –

The town is also featuring two new three story buildings (flats) which will be permanently attached to a new storage chest and seat once the third building has been completed –

These were kitbashed from one of the new Colorado Model Structures Virginia Ridge variety store kits ( http://coloradomodel.com/bldgg.htm ). These are nice kits and come in a few different varieties. The shorter building (made to look like an apartment building) was from fusing the sidewalls –

and the taller, more industrial building was made from the fusion of the front and back walls and a leftover window fitted in to replace a doorway. The backside support pieces were cut from the unused roof panel. –

And finally my favorite train picture from the party –

-Brian

#2

VERRRRRY nice. Im always impressed when someone ‘gets the bug’ and starts (and finishes) expansion, rebuilding, etc. Building is half, well, 1/4, the fun!

#3

Looks good Brian…keep up the good work…

#4

Your stone work looks exceptionally nice. Thanks for sharing.

#5

I see yet another Clean Orange Tractor!

cale

Nice Brian, like the portal and bridge!

#6

Fantastic Brian. I can’t wait to see it for real some time. Does that climb up the mountain sort of model the idea in the Tehachipi (sp) loop? Twice around and back down. We missed you saturday, but it appears that you had more important things to do.
Paul

#7

Thanks all for the comments. Cale, We like our power equipment bright and orange no matter what the size. Paul, Hopefully I’ll be able to visit the open houses next time around. I hope to see some posted pics. I have to say I have heard of the Tehachapi Loop but was a bit ignorant about it (it is on the left coast after all). It does appear to be of similar design.

-Brian

#8

Brian, I haven’t seen it either. I have only seen lots of pictures.
If you are ever over here on the eastern shore, you won’t have to wait for another open house. I will get things out for you anytime. Two couples showed up here sunday morning, one from Annapolis who just joined your club, and I was just getting out of the shower. So I got dressed, and pulled out some trains for them for them. My new train shed really makes things easy now. So anytime you can you will be welcome.
Paul

#9

I love that bridge!

If I may make a suggestion regarding your building facades. Adding a filler piece of 1 to 3 inches behind the building so that when its up against the backdrop, it helps pop the building out when looking at it. Also if your planning to add buildings in front leave some space to suggest there is a street or alley in front of the facades , it gives an impression of depth like the town continues behind the facades and a terminous for the street.If you butt all the facades continouously across the backdrop is there any way to continue the facade all the way to the top of the backdrop? IOWs make the entire thing part of the building facade, it would help to blend in that bench right into the town. Maybe some 2D building images to suggest buildings beyond?

#10

Brian, Check the Aristo Forum, Pete Eggink and I put in several pictures we took at my house saturday evening. Trains and a bonfire. Very cool (hot?)
Paul

#11

Brian
I love it! I can’t wait to get into my landscaping and put some scenery into my drab sub-roadbed.
I also love the stone work as well!

#12

Nothin like watchin a train pass over it’s tail…:wink:

#13

Thanks for the ideas, Vic. I was already planning on varying the depths of the buildings a bit. The taller building has an inset doorway and makes that a necessity. I will probably paint the top of the chest a sky blue and maybe add some painted on details like roof top water tanks. I will also add sidewalk like the other town block. The new station will be much larger (1’x3’) and take up a much larger space by the trackside. I have a roll of asphalt roofing to put down as roadway. If there is enough space in between I will put in a small park/town square. I really enjoyed the pics you posted on that other site of Howard Sheldon’s layout. He’s really a master of the city scene.

-Brian

#14

Brian,

Very nice photos. Can’t wait to see your finished building flats. Please tell me more about the loco in these photos. Who made it, what scale, etc.

#15
Mario McCarthy said:
Brian,

Very nice photos. Can’t wait to see your finished building flats. Please tell me more about the loco in these photos. Who made it, what scale, etc.


Thanks Mario. I will post a couple of pics of the flats when done. The loco is a freelanced kitbashed Dunkirk. Scale wise I would say its 1:22.5 since the gondola base and cab are Bachmann Big Hauler. There’s a complete thread on it here - http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1068797/ShowPost.aspx

-Brian

#16

Nice looking layout, Brian!

#17

Brian,

Thanks for the link. You did a great job on the Dunkirk. Do you have any photos of the bottom of it? I’d like to see how you did the drive shafts. Are Climax trucks available from Bman? They or the Heisler have center drive shafts and would seem like they would be easy do use for this loco. Thanks again.

#18

Where you get off the 58 to go see the Tehaschipi Loop look up om the hill. There is a garden layout. Our club was up there and he has done two neat things, He has a bridge in one place where, because of wind up the canyon, he had to rig nets to catch falling trains! One photo location on the layout he rigged the layout so you see the mainline from the loop directly behind it!