Old Cat Mountain and Santa Fe Pictures - David Barrow

[Flash Blackman]

These are old pictures of the HO scale CMSF as it was several years ago. I would say about 7-10 years ago. David Barrow built the layout in the upstairs of his garage. He had extensive operating sessions and a complete dispatcher set up. (The dispatcher was downstairs.) I know that George Hollowedell operated there frequently; I operated there once. Perhaps others have stories, too.

I have shown my one CMSF boxcar on the current WNFF thread. I want to make some covered hoppers, but I need white decals for that. BTW, the font is the same as Santa Fe: Cooper Black.

Here are the pictures.

[Flash Blackman]

[Flash Blackman]

Un-fastened ballast:

David barrow in the center with folded arms. He is standing in front of the dispatcher's desk.

[StickyMonk]

I remember seeing this layout in MR years ago, I always liked the layout as it had lots of open space and not filled with track.

[johned53]

David's layout and discussions "inspired" me on my HO switching layout and my N scale diorama.

Bottom line, have fun, make it real, but not too "detailed". Let's operate

[campp]

I guess when the ballast is not fastened, that sort of rules out vaccuuming the layout!

[friscobob]

And here he's built a new model RR with NO ballast on the track, and NO scenery. Looks like a lot of operating opportunities for switching, but overall very minimalist. Could be on his last versions of the Cat Mountain he liked the loose ballast better- after all, it ain't cemented down to the ground in real life, so he was prototypical there.

Inasmuch as I like his new version, I do miss the old versions of the Cat Mountain & Santa Fe, including the "domino" version.

[Colonel]

This is one layout I always admire, I still have the copy of MR that his layout is featured

[BNSF7173]

Dave Barrow was an insperation to me when I was younger. His domino's bench work has inspired me to do similar in N scale as the future C&I district of the BNSF will borrow from his concept. He is also the one who inspired me to model late 1960's and early 1970's Santa Fe, when living in NH in the early 1980's B&M stuff was hard to find in any scale! Thanks for sharing Flash!

[campp]

Flash, can you tell us anything about that lighting in the 5th, 6th, 7th photo? It looks like he darkened the space over the aisle? Does that affect the lighting on the layout? Maybe it is designed to kill shadows?