Welcome to TrainBoard! I know we have a couple of other fellows who are fans of that railroad. Hope you can hook up with them. Boxcab E50
Thanks BOXCAB When you come across Tom with the SD&E N Scale that looks awesome, will you toss him my way?
...Did somebody mention SD&AE? Welcome to trainboard! If there's anything SD&AE that you need I either have it or can get it. Everything else is a click away for you at sdrm.org. BTW your blog is great. If you're designing an SD&AE layout, may I suggest also focusing on helper operations from Coyote Wells to Hipass? (For most operating potential...in the steam era, anyway. Modern-day operations under Carrizo Gorge railway are mostly stopped, and the trains only run along the UP from Plaster City to El Centro, with Coyote Wells and Dos Cabezas used for Plaster City car storage.) That's going to be my plan for a future SD&AE layout I'll build some day, with Campo and Barrett also modeled if there's room. My current one is based on Jacumba Hot Springs. I couldn't fit Campo's 3-track yard into 8 square feet. I'd also recommend modeling the steam era if you're willing to chop up some Bachmann 2-8-0's. I've built SD&AE 2-8-0 #104 and SP 4-6-0 #2353 in N scale. These are pretty straightforward kitbashes and you can see how I built them--plus digital kitbash drawings of other SD&AE & SP steamers-- if you follow this link: http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=124121&highlight=SD%26AE+2-8-0+4-6-0 Here's some more pictures: SP 2353, the T-31 currently stored in Campo's Pacific Southwest Railroad museum. It ran excursions to Miller Creek from 1996-2000. It runs again in N scale! SD&AE doubleheading. (This one I made look like one of the old SD&AE postcards) My Jacumba depot and warehouse are scratchbuilt. Post any pictures or ideas that you have and we can boost the popularity of this great little short line! At some point I hope to create a trainboard group if enough people take an interest in the SD&AE. If you want drawings of towns, track arrangements, etc., they are at sdrm.org or I can draw some up for you or design an accurate SD&AE layout for you.
Thanks Tom Great information, just watched Huell Howser and his trip to the Gorge. I'm going to start with El Centro to Plaster City as the SP in 1986. I really needs pictures of San Diego, National City, Chula Vista and Palm City. From the 60's.
Welcome aboard, and I'm sure you not only find lots of useful info but as previously stated there will surely be some mebers that spy this thread and it's on from there:tb-wink:
Robert M. Hanft's book San Diego & Arizona: The Impossible Railroad is your best bet. Otherwise search google images, the pacific southwest railroad museum site, or the san diego balboa park model railroad sites. BTW the SP only operated the line from 1932 to 1976, when Hurricane Kathleen hit the region. There was a dormant period from 1976 to 1982, when Kyle Railways operated the SD&AE from 1982 to 1983. Two burned trestles in the gorge led to the line being abandoned again until 2001, when Carrizo Gorge Railway opened it up, but noe CZRY has been dormant from 2008 to now. I would recommend modelling the line under the SP in any time from 1968-1975. GP 35's, GP-9's, and SW-8's were the most common engines, and an occasional F-7 or U25-B showed up; all SP bloody nose, and these engines are available from Atlas, Lifelike, and InterMountain.Or if you want to model the "80's, you're limited to 1982-1983. I'll draw up an HCD plan for plaster city & el centro. Here's a locomotive index: 1919-1950: SD&AE/ SP steamers, mainline & branches 1950-1953: Baldwin DSR 6-6-1500's, tiger stripe paint/ steam helpers/ GE 44-tonners & steam on branches 1953-1957: ALCO RSD-5's, black widow paint/ GE 70-tonners on branches 1957-1960's: EMD SD-7's, tiger stripe/GE 70-tonners for branches 1960's-1976: GP-35's, GP-9's, F-7's, U25-B's on main/ SW-8's on branches 1982-1983: four KYLE GP-9 chop-noses (Blue & white, SD&AE sans serif letters), GP-9's on main/ SW-8's on main & branches
El Centro - Plaster City That's why I'm modeling The SP from EC-PC. I have an HCD plan on the blog or you can find it at: The White River and Northern Model Railroad: Track Plans for Other People I would love to see yours. I also need to talk to you about the scenery. It's very good and representative of the area. The how to's. This is from my test module in 2008 New River Bridge at Seeley
30"x80" HCD SD&AE Layout Here's a layout I designed for you to model El Centro & Plaster City of the SD&AE. I worked off of satellite photos in Google Maps when I drew it, so accuracy is guaranteed! Except I forgot to add the New River Trestle. You can add that in the upper right corner of the layout. Track is Atlas Code 55 flextrack, with a 9" minimum radius. N scale 4-axle diesels will have no trouble on these curves and were prototypical. All turnouts are #7 (L or R) unless noted: C for curved, W for #3.5 wye. Atlas flextrack and turnouts will give you the best flexibility, accuracy, and appearance.
Looks good! For scenery on your layout, you will want to use light green and yellow sparingly and lean more towards olive green, dead brown, and gray. If you can, go to the area and gather sand from coarse to a very fine grade (I used authentic Campo and Jacumba dirt on my layout). BTW New River Bridge is mostly a wooden trestle with a steel girder in the middle. It was entirely wooden until just recently. A present-day picture is here: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.aaroads.com/california/images115/ca-115_interurban_railway_bridge.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.aaroads.com/california/ca-115.html&usg=__f_eJpKOFPtHn-VavCX-_EnDQqiw=&h=600&w=800&sz=89&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=ig2zYnmKi2_KiM:&tbnh=117&tbnw=161&prev=/images%3Fq%3DEl%2BCentro%2Bnew%2Briver%2Bbridge%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rlz%3D1T4ADBR_enUS308US308%26biw%3D1259%26bih%3D509%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=406&ei=4H74TNaAKou4sQOq3uHOAg&oei=x374TJjYOIymsQOZ_PXdAg&esq=4&page=1&ndsp=22&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0&tx=225&ty=32
oh man, I have not watched Huell Howser since my wife put her foot down 2 years before moving to Arizona...I can only imagine the odd fact that he thought was the most interesting thing for the show, and how badly he butchered the Spanish words.... got a tape of it? [howser voice]And yooouuu have to look at the bas releif of this rock, it is amaiiiizing......it looks muey beeunew.....[/howser voice] Huell is soooooo over the top, the Simpsons tried to parady him, and Huell is still even funnier (not intentionally) in real life.
Chances are it would be too cramped for anything. I had to compress things an awful bit to make it fit on a HCD, but at least it LOOKS like the SD&AE. I was barely able to fit the town of Jacumba on my 2x4, and I chose that town because it had the shortest siding and simplest plan of most any SD&AE town. However I had to route a turnout around to the back side of the backdrop, giving me longer train length but leading to access problems. I hope to replace my current layout as soon as possible. Long story short, a 2x4 won't work. I'd actually recommend a 4x8 inf you can find space for one. Or even better: an around the walls sectional shelf layout.
One of the funniest lines, he was on a boat in The Pacific and there were fishing boats all around them and he asks the guy he was with "why are these boats out here" and the guys says "they're fishing boats". He's a moron
In a very strange circle of YouTube videos, I came across this and I remembered that someone here on Trainboard was a SD&EA fan. I watched the video and I can now understand why you guys love it so much. The scenery is just beautiful!
WOW! Cool video! I had no idea.... Love listening to that old EMD 567. What is the current status of this line? Operational? Tourist only? Common carrier?
I've read that it's used on occasion, but not on a regular basis. there's also a video by the same person that's 1 hour 42 minutes long going westbound.
The line is approved for a multi-million dollar refurbishment. A Mexican company is going to restore the entire route for freight operations, said to be a couple years worth of work to get everything squared away.
