D&RGW narrow gauge: Back to scenics.

[JZ]

A bit more work on the scenics done this morning. Played around with building locations. Might be able to fit another in, but reasonably happy with this arrangement.

Lots of trees to add, but it's getting there.

 

When I purchased the railcar, I also added another couple of items.

Water car.  Mostly it will live on a siding in the depot, but maybe it will find itself travelling the line from time to time.

 

And yet another caboose. I seem to have carried over my obsession for brake vans to the HOn3. This one is a Nevada County Narrow Gauge, nickname The Never Come Never Go. Known for the fact that despite it carrying $200,000,000 of gold during it's lifetime, it was never robbed. I have the decals already, so I thought why not.

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Looks like there’s been quite a pile up behind that caboose though!
 

Agree there’s no substitute for trial placing buildings when testing a new township scene - allows you to see how it looks from different angles far more effectively than it works with a piece of paper and pencil (or computer).  Keith.

[JZ]

4 minutes ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Looks like there’s been quite a pile up behind that caboose though!

Keith.

Yet to make room for stuff on the layout and running out of space on the shelf.

[JZ]

Having a juggle with buildings. Moved the hotel further back down the road and replaced it with the Blair Hotel, named after an infamous street in Silverton. Gas station and store will now go elsewhere and replaced with the Foscale "pub crawl" and a soda stand.

 

[JZ]

Still waiting for the gear wheels for the coal tower. Yodel won't admit they have lost the package, all the tracking says is "19/08/23 13:45 There has been a short delay. Please bear with us and check back for updates" The helpline, I use the term loosely, tells me " I am sure they are trying to find it" . And the seller is being an arse by first asking me to wait another three days and now, would I mind waiting another week.

[JZ]

8pm tonight on Yesterday. The White Pass & Yukon.

Edited August 25, 2023 by JZ

[pH]

44 minutes ago, JZ said:

8pm tonight on Yesterday. The White Pass & Yukon.

Depending on how “Yesterday” it is, you may see locos that ran around Silverton.

After the Silverton Northern Railroad shut down, the three locomotives were sold to the White Pass and Yukon in 1942 for use on the increased traffic supplying material for construction of the Alaska Highway. They were withdrawn by the WP&Y in 1944.

 

See the details in the loco roster here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverton_Northern_Railroad

Edited August 25, 2023 by pH

[JZ]

[JZ]

Good to see a new manufacturer of RTR in HOn3.

https://www.northboundmodelworks.com/

The loco, a Bombardier DL535, comes as a working chassis and an injection moulded body in kit form. 4 of these loco's were built for the White Pass and Yukon.

"Falling ore prices led to major setbacks for the WP&YR in 1981, resulting in a significant drop in rail traffic. Thusly, delivery of the four completed locomotives never happened and in October 1982 the WP&YR ceased operations on the route altogether.

For nearly a decade the locomotives remained in storage in Quebec until the US Gypsum railroad in Plaster City California saw a need to expand its fleet of motive power. They purchased locomotives 112 and 113 which were subsequently delivered to California in March of 1991. Not much more than a year after taking delivery, locomotive 113 was involved in a tragic accident at the Gypsum loading tunnel in Fish Camp California and was destroyed. Locomotive 111 was purchased shortly thereafter as a replacement and shipped to Plaster City.

Over the years some modifications have been made to these locomotives for service in the California desert but they remain largely the same as built. Today, 111 and 112 are in almost daily service hauling gypsum ore approximately 26 miles from the mine at Fish Camp to the large USG plant in Plaster City.

In 1995, with three of the locomotives originally built for the White Pass & Yukon sold, locomotive number 114, the last of the four locomotives, finally arrived in Skagway. The White Pass & Yukon was growing its tourist operation and again saw a need for motive power. The 114 was shipped by barge from Seattle to Skagway, where it arrived in May 1995, still in its factory blue White Pass livery. The locomotive worked in various types of service on the railroad but found a niche serving as power on regular work trains."

I have expressed an interest in one.

[JZ]

Picture of the month.

486 & 491 on an empty livestock train just north of Estrella, CO. September 26 1960.

Edited September 1, 2023 by JZ

[JZ]

Looking at the hill on the left of the POTM, I would say this is pretty close to the location. Estrella is about ¼ way from Alamosa to Antonito. Formerly dual gauge, now just standard.

[PaulRhB]

Have you seen this? Due to be released in October and gets an excellent review in the August Railfan & Railroad

 

[JZ]

5 minutes ago, PaulRhB said:

Have you seen this? Due to be released in October and gets an excellent review in the August Railfan & Railroad

 

I'll keep a look out for it. Thanks.

 

Edit: Pre-ordered.

Edited September 1, 2023 by JZ

[JZ]

The gear wheels finally arrived yesterday. Now ready to plonk on the layout.

[JZ]

The tower now out on the layout.

The water tank is the next thing for replacement. I will probably keep the tank itself, but the structure it sits on will be made from wood and will also be a bit lower.

 

[John Besley]

Your back scene looks pretty effective....

[JZ]

54 minutes ago, John Besley said:

Your back scene looks pretty effective....

ID Backscenes. Blending it into the foreground is the key.

[JZ]

These two book just been delivered.

 

At a bargain £10 each.

[rockershovel]

I do enjoy this layout - it captures that "wide open spaces" look which for me, is the essence of narrow gauge.

 

 

[CameronL]

21 hours ago, JZ said:

The tower now out on the layout

Love it. That is a serious structure. Lucky it's in a substantial setting, 'cos it would overwhelm a smaller space. 

 

PS - I know I've asked before, but any chance of a track plan, or even some panoramic views? 

[JZ]

2 hours ago, CameronL said:

PS - I know I've asked before, but any chance of a track plan, or even some panoramic views? 

I'm really lousy at drawing them, but I will try. Honest.

[JZ]

2 hours ago, CameronL said:

Love it. That is a serious structure. Lucky it's in a substantial setting, 'cos it would overwhelm a smaller space. 

Maybe a bit on the large size, but the kit was bought at a bargain price and the build was enjoyable. The old tower will find it's way over the other side of the layout, possibly.

[JZ]

3 hours ago, CameronL said:

or even some panoramic views? 

Although I do have a complete circuit of track, there is still much more to do, hence the detritus everywhere. But every now and then I clear it all up and have a running session.

 

And I have just ordered some graph paper from Amazon to have a go at a track plan.

[CameronL]

That is definitely in the category of "railway running through scenery". So evocative of the time and place. Love it. Thank you so much.

[PaulRhB]

11 hours ago, JZ said:

And I have just ordered some graph paper from Amazon to have a go at a track plan.

Alternatively take a series of photos from a set height above the layout, (or from ceiling),

 

 

Then insert the photos into WORD and format as ‘in front of text’ and then select them all and resize them down and then move them around to create an aerial plan. You can tape it to a window or light box and trace a plan from it too. 

Edited September 3, 2023 by PaulRhB