See how I made the transition from BN 682 (ex GN 462D) in Tacoma to KCS #20 in my basement. I will show the project from scrapping to restoration of the F Unit Cab as a full scale "prop" in my basement. It makes for a fascinating and unusual story. Images and narration.
So, you're not a transition era modeler? Well, how about the 1980's? Boxcars are at their peak, the Staggers Act has deregulated the
railroad rate structures, and say "good bye" to the caboose - railroads are rapidly changing. Come find out what you need to know to model this era!
The earliest attempted crossing of the Sierras by rail terminated in this town in late 1887. By 1900 two large saw mills - one of which later built a connecting branchline - along with a box factory, fruit packing sheds , a foundry, and farms were all shipping products, while mines, businesses and farms were importing machinery, fuel, and supplies. From 1915-1953 traffic expanded up to two trains daily of 20-30 cars each in late summer and during WW II. Presenter illustrates with photos and maps.
My friends and I made several trips to the Westside Lumber Company before and after the mill closed. Finally we built our own powered railcar and travelled the entire length of the line from Tuolumne to Camp 45 and Camp 40. We took over 1000 photos.
Researching the prototype railroads can enhance our modeling in many ways. We will explore and review many available
resources, their significance to the industry, and usefulness to our hobby activities. Examples from personal research into
the history of the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway will be included.
An in-depth look at the background, design, construction and lessons learned in building a model railroad layout of the US Military Railroad Aquia Line in 1863 in Virginia in O Scale.
Begining with a couple crooks in the 1860's (Crooks in San Francisco? Say it isn't so) the clinic tells the history of the railroad that ran along San Francisco's Embarcadero from AT&T Park to Fisherman's Wharf and the Presidio. From 1892 to 1992, the State Belt serviced the piers and industries all along the waterfront. It only existed to switch cars and spent a part of the 1920s and 1930s trying to convince the Supreme Court of the United States that it wasn't a railroad at all. The quintessential switching road in a historic location.
In 1918, the US Army embarked on a project to secure aircraft grade spruce for the production of military aircraft. This clinic focuses on one of the Division's more ambitious projects, the construction of 39 miles of mainline railroad, 70 miles of logging spurs and two sawmills in Clallam County, west of Port Angeles, Washington.
Logging railroads were the mainstay of railroading in the Pacific Northwest for many years. Many thousands of miles of logging lines snaked their way into the dense timber. This is a quick overview (occasionally truthful) of the railroads, the train crews and the men who harvested the timber.
Project layouts are a rich part of Model Railroader's history. Associate editor Cody Grivno gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the HO scale Wisconsin & Southern, the magazine's 2008 layout. In this clinic, Cody talks about the field research he and senior editor Jim Hediger conducted. Over the course of several months, the duo photographed locomotives, rolling stock, structures, and rail-served industries along the WSOR system. In addition to field research, the staff was able to learn more about the WSOR through its website, which contained a list of industries served, inbound and outbound traffic, aerial photos of select industries, and a detailed locomotive roster.
With the research complete, then managing editor (now Model Railroader Video Plus producer) David Popp designed the track plan and the staff selected industries to model. Once the layout was complete, an operating scheme was developed that provided plenty of on line action, as well as interchange with the Milwaukee, Racine & Troy.
