Two of the EMD Demonstrator SD60's leave Rock Springs Arizona with a westbound freight, the residents of the Shady Pines trailer park are very used to train noise! [ 28 April 2002, 17:58: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]
Hard on it's heels is a Santa Fe office car special headed for Phoenix This area of the layout is in the process of being re-scenic'd, and is probably 75% done right now. The trailer park is new, along with the truck parking for the diner (behind the gas station) next to the tracks. There is a bit more ground cover to add, (the bit around the crossing gates is a bit rough & ready), the gas station was just brick, and we decided to stucco it to give more of a southwestern feel. [ 28 April 2002, 20:27: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]
Excellent photos Martyn. I guess they were taken at an exhibition? Is the layout yours, or a club's, and what size is it? I especially like the details like signals, crossing barriers, equipment boxes, etc. A very nice scene
Sorry guys, I thought I'd put that on one of them, but my ISP was messing me about yesterday evening & It took a couple of goes to post them. They were taken on our group's layout, Rock Springs, it's not a club as such, but a group of 7 or 8 guys who model US in HO and decided to get together & build a layout, the core of the group were modelling with modules, but had got to the stage where they twigged that they could have something that looks nicer if it was built as a consistent whole. Those two pics I took at the Barrow show a few weeks ago..... more info soon, I have to go have my tea!!! [ 29 April 2002, 17:44: Message edited by: Martyn Read ]
Rock Springs Arizona??? As in the one next to Black Canyon City? I spent my first three years there. And a lot of time after, too. How I wish there was a railroad there!!!
Rock Springs Arizona??? As in the one next to Black Canyon City? I spent my first three years there. And a lot of time after, too. How I wish there was a railroad there!!! In Black Canyon city, at the exit, there used to be a Texaco station, but it is now defunct, but hte entire thing is still there as a shell. Basic black panel Texaco station, pretty much.
Right, I'm back! The layout is 35' x 10' which lets us have some nice long train lengths. As a project it's been going around 5 years, and is starting to look something like finished, we're at the final detailing phase of things at the moment, the trailer park & equipment huts have only been there a couple of months. Benny, yes the name is taken from that Rock Springs! The original concept was a joint SP/ATSF line built between Phoenix & Flagstaff, but not taking the rather roundabout route the present one does. We tend to run what we like, but the south western stuff looks best in the scenery, so we have plenty of UP/SP/ATSF/BNSF etc. We're also not era specific, we can target the layout at the 1950's, 1970's or 1990's using mainly a change of road vehicles, it's not 100% right, but from this side of the pond it creates 90% of the look. 2 weeks before these pics were taken we were at the Nottingham show, and we ran completely 1950's there, at Barrow we were basically 1980's+ These are the first two shows we have stuck to a certain era on, we found we kind of liked it Anything else? Oh, yeah, the signals & crossing gates should work eventually, that's just yet another thing on the "to do" list! All the best
This is the same end of the layout from the other angle, unfortunately not only did I manage to get the loco's out of focus but it accelarated slightly too quick for my camera as well, so apologies for the slightly dodgy pic. this pic shows the end of the fruit packing house (foreground), with the gas station and trailer park beyond. The Police chevy blazer is parked outside the diner (off to the left) The lead SD40-2 of the westbound grain train is just crossing the bridge over the dry wash & will soon duck under the underpass and enter the staging yard beyond. There's lots in this pic that we're still working on (not least my photography! )
Thanks Martyn, the layout looks excellent. I would love to see it in person, sometime. Remember to tell us when it is due for an outing at an exhibition.
Just to show it's not all modern stuff, here's a Santa Fe passenger train calling at Rock Springs behind E6's. I'll make sure I pop a posting here when we're coming up to our next show, from memory our next exhibition proper is in September, at either Farnborough or Woking (or that area) but we may have another "open house" weekend a few weeks before, I have a feeling that's the last show booked for 2002, I don't think we have anything yet for 2003, although there are a few bookings in now for 2004... We'll see!
<font color="336633">That is a great layout but would look better with a lot of trees and lots of green and black alcos and F units..... </font>
Next time I go through that area, I will try to get you some pictures...You can use some Mesquites, Palo Verdes...and thats about it. There is a lot of scrub on some of the ground, the freeway cuts are bare though.
Great layout! The pic that is slightly out of focus is great! It gives it that on the move feel, which it is. Keep up the great work!
Thanks Guys! Stickymonk - no promises (we're still planning), but the next layout from the group may look something like this...(but with elements from other places with similar scenery) Joel's SP in the cascades webpage..... OK it's not Stampede pass, but the cascade green stuff should look pretty cool in that scenery! I know I can't wait It's just scary to think how many pine trees we need for a 35' long scenic bit of layout Benny - Many thanks for the offer of scenery pics, anything like that would be gratefully received as it's a long way to go to do ourselves!!! Jeff - You're just too kind I will keep working on the photography, I think we're planning an outside photo shoot during the summer which should give us better light than the average sports hall that UK shows tend to be in. Thanks again everybody.
Oooh. I wish I'd gone to Barrow now - I did Derby instead (which was actually quite good ). I've copied those pix into my railway 'reference' folder for future inspiration - I hope you don't mind Martyn, I'll delete them if you want.
No problem with using those pics Mike And I promise to let folk know when we're next out & about! All the best.
<font color="336633">I went to Derby as well, best thing about that show was the amount of BN layouts , I dont know if the organisers realised that most of the layouts was BN or not but im not complaining as for the amount of treese... well the rate at which trees seem to sprout on Paul Templar's Badger Creek they must be over spilling by now.....</font>
