Thanks! I do miss mountain living... and seasons! Big Bear has really changed over the years. Some nostalgia: Although we have 'real' phone numbers, you only had to dial the last four digits for local calls. The phone company was Continental, which got engulfed and devoured by GTE, which got engulfed and devoured by Verizon..... Downtown was Pine Knot Blvd. Just that. Now, for the most part at least, those stores have been replaced by tourist boutiques. I lived on Eureka, about two blocks from the old high school. That is now the middle school. The elementary school is still in the same location across from what was the old Safeway store, but is now just K-6, instead of K-8. There is a second elementary school, on the North Shore, I believe. The Safeway store (I worked there) is now a church.
You know your Big Bear and your right it has changed a lot. Heavily influenced by the Orange County claim jumpers. They moved in and are attempting to change everything. The K-6, The Bobcat's. With their Bear Paw Decals. Yep, some talk about tearing it down and building a new one. The old Safeway store and then Church. The Church, was where the Calvary Congregation worshiped. They have since moved out and taken over the old Methodist Church. Kind of hard to watch. The Methodist disbanded and are no more. Pine Knot and Village Drive are just vestiges of themselves. Gone is the old Western Motif and in is the Alpine influence. Not the same at all. Traffic has become a major problem. On weekends the locals best not plan on getting out. We did our shopping Monday thru Thursday. During the snow season parking is a premium. Visitors were known to park in (not just in front of) peoples driveways, on their lawns, just making a nuisance of themselves. The city did nothing to prevent it. Turns out it's not a fun place to live anymore. Expensive! Anyway you look at it. That I hope catches you up. It was fun while it lasted.
I visited a layout you had that featured a curved bridge. Impressed with your work. Envious! I think it was an earlier version of this. It was a good visit. Big Steve and I talked about our visit with you. He liked your scenery and bridge. I liked being able to operate the layout. Like your new layout and the hidden staging yard.
Thanks, Rick. I truly did enjoy living there. At one point I contemplated moving back after retirement, but... no. Cheers, and take care!
I would show you all 50 of my hidden staging yards but they're all...um...hidden! Actually, I don't have any. I like everything out in the open: Doug
My layout is an around the room arrangement with a helix leading down to two staging yards. I did not including any type of staging yard on my last layout 2002-2013 and really regretted that. So on this layout the staging yards were the first thing built. They are far enough below the layout that access is easy and there was even room on the wall for some display cases. Staging Yards by nscalestation posted Jan 25, 2021 at 10:27 PM Staging Yard by nscalestation posted Aug 1, 2018 at 10:42 PM
50 hidden staging yards? Now that's funny. I don't care what anybody says. That there is funny. Thanks Cable Guy. Looks like my stub in yard. I have the same switches and they are about to get evicted.
I just read your 'home layout blog'. I didn't know the area you model until now. Interesting part is that we where just on vacation to Portland OR. and our return trip took us down 95 to Winnemuca and 80 to Battle Mountain then south on 305. My son lives in Winnemucca! Finding out you model Winnemuca to Carlin is interesting.
Glad you like the layout. I actually live in the SF bay area and got interested in modeling northern Nevada from my drives through the area.
Glad you liked the layout and I enjoyed your visit so many years ago. The photos are of the very layout you saw. The bridge had yet to be installed at the end of the rough scenery photo(third).
Now for some real hidden staging. The car float that can be set way off layout and loaded with more cars then hooked up again tp deliver the new cars and remove some of the old. 100_0016-1 by John Moore posted Oct 2, 2022 at 11:12 AM
Repeat after me, "I will not build a 14 track hidden staging yard with 6" of clearance." Oh, and the UCEX coal train is on the 3 track staging yard for the K-Line.
I so enjoy seeing pictures of your layout Doug, with many old N items that bring back memories, even the structures. I'm quite sure that I could occupy myself for many hours running your layout.
Now that's a hidden staging yard. With plenty of room to access derailed train cars in the event that happens. Not likely with the large radius switches and the way your track is laid out. Very Nice. A great boon for any layout. Here's what the hidden staging yard looked like while in the Train Shed, Big Bear Country Ca. This is the West End by compass. I will move toward the South East end of the yard as we look at the pictures. Above you can see the top yard known as Ashfork Junction. Note: The mainline that carries trains to the top of the layout. Through a dog bone and then back down to the hidden staging yard. Check out the wide sweeping curve on the downhill or uphill run. Great for train meets. You may have looked at this and wondered how many trains I can handle at one time. On one transformer. The answer is three. One can be climbing the hill, another coming down the hill and one leaving the hidden staging yard. Mesmerizing! It's not likely you will see the same train run the same route more then once. That's the benefits a hidden staging yard gives you. Awesome is my word for it. Above: Traffic is at a snails pace. I think the train crews thought it was to risky to operate trains over this skeleton layout and went on strike. Look straight down and you'll see the Southern or East end of the, what else, you got it. A closer look if you need it. Click away.
Thanks, Dan. Yes, with very few exceptions, it is all very old stuff. Some cars/structures and many locomotives are newer. Doug
I must have missed your entry the first time I viewed your hidden staging yard. Looks awesome to me. No I won't repeat after you. Your clearances appear to be appropriate and most of the time my trains go through without incident. It's that wandering four pawed critter of an off-roader I have to worry about. I use Kato #6 switches and have yet to have any derailment problems. Yet!! Anyway, I dig on your HS yard. Looking spiffy.
Edit feature isn't lasting long enough these days. Grumble, grumble. it's unfortunate that most of you never got to see my layout running. I would have liked that. Then you could have seen for yourself whether or not this is what you might like to have. Oh well it is what it is! Quoting myself: Regarding John Raid's Hidden Staging Yard. Getting back to the above. If I have a derailment in my Hidden Staging Yard, it becomes recover or retrieval time. I don't attempt to re-rail any train car while sitting in the yard.. I simply pluck it out and any-others effected by it. I then move the remaining cars back together. Couple the cars. Run the train out of the HS yard until i can spot it in my access yard. i inspect the derailed car or cars for broken wheels, axles, wheels that slide around on the axle, coupler drag (you know the glad hands) or look for foreign debri. After everything is inspected and or fixed the car goes back into the train and wahlah, we are up and running again. Minimal problems as I've only done that twice in the history of the layout. The helix I originally installed is now the Coal District today. It took several attempts to get it up and running. fI wasn't happy with it at first. It went through two ro three revamps. More about widening the curves then figuring out the grades. Once built and running. Most of my misgivings proved to be nothing but worthless worrying. Dig on what I have. Your turn to have fun.
