SALT CREEK -- 1 -- TRESTLE TERRAIN

Continuing to sculpt terrain for my railroad, I decided to tackle the terrain surrounding Salt Creek Trestle.  This should become the signature scene for my railroad.  With a layout tour scheduled as part of the NMRA Pacific Northwest Region Convention in Portland May 30-June 2, I needed to fill in around the trestle.  

My original plan was to fill in the terrain to cover the plywood platform that supports the trestle.  This plan quickly developed to a far more extensive project encompassing most of my Salt Creek canyon.  I needed to define the terrain that flows into the opening for the trestle.  I began by creating a raised platform for the terrain that would fit around the trestle tower bases.  This led to a more extensive support frame filling the gap that has been between Wicopee on the aisle side of the trestle and the tunnels against the wall.  The terrain platform was built with 1x2 support and scrap hardboard panels.

Scenery platform surrounding the Salt Creek Trestle towers.

Salt Creek Canyon support framework.  Wicopee is on the left.

With the supporting framework built, I cut a series of profile panels from cardboard.  These helped me see the space in three dimensions while providing an easily modified profile before I commited to wood or foam.

Salt Creek Canyon profile panels.  Blue tape is on the wall to represent the terrain profile along the wall.

With the basic terrain profile designed, I set about building support structures for that terrain.  This included foam strips along the wall, several plywood profile panels for the two access hatches, and a "front" profile foam panel for Tunnel 12, my first tunnel up from Salt Creek Trestle.  The access hatches will be described in a subsequent post. I then set about filling the space with foam panels and strips.

Salt Creek Trestle base terrain filled in with pink insulation foam panels.

The pink foam was shaped further using knives and a Surform ™scraper tool. Then it was time for Sculptamold! Once again, I mixed batches of Sculptamold with paint.  This provides a base color right away and provides a color other than white for any chips or dings.  I used gray for the Salt Creek streambed and rock outcropping locations, and tan for general earth terrain.  The trestle towers were removed for a couple of days to allow installation of Sculptamold around the tower bases, blending the tower piers into the terrain. Finally, a new fascia panel was installed over the original fascia to fill the gap below the new terrain platform and the trestle base.

Salt Creek Trestle surrounded by terrain.

Salt Creek Trestle RR-West abutment and towers blended into terrain.

I'll discuss other parts of the scenery in this overall area in subsequent posts.  For now, my major railroad engineering feature--Salt Creek Trestle--is anchored within terrain. I look forward to seeing trains rolling through this scene!

REST IN PEACE PHREDDIE

I must pause from my regular reporting on building and operating my dream model railroad to offer a tribute to my four-legged companion of the past five years--our dog Phreddie.  Phreddie was a Brittany--a wonderful breed!  He was ideally suited to us and us to him.  In retirement, we could give him the attention he craved.  In return, he provided companionship, comfort and love. He alerted us to folk coming to the door, especially our regular UPS deliveryman.  He greeted my operating crews with a friendly face and attentiveness.

Early this year, we noted a growth on his right rear leg.  The lump is just visible in the photo above.  The veterinarian diagnosed cancer and gave him a short time.  He outlived that diagnosis by a considerable margin, but inevitably, the cancer took its toll and gradually reduced his mobility.  He adapted well for quite some time to ever more limiting use of that right rear leg.  When Phreddie could no longer be himself--a field dog, we knew it was time to end his suffering.  

On walks (at least two a day, rain or shine), Phreddie showed his spaniel nature--always sniffing, looking for game.  Squirrels and quail were favorites.  I found myself following his nose.  He loved a regular routine, but that still meant checking all of the usual spots every day.

In spite of being a field dog, Phreddie was a house dog.  Likely that was because he wanted--needed by breeding--to be close to us.  He provided us seemingly endless entertainment and mirth.  Every day provided at least one new laugh at some action on his part. Yes, as with all dogs, he sought any food scrap that might come his way.  He kept us on schedule.  Once we did an activity a second time, he expected that as part of his daily routine. 

The inexhaustible love shown by a dog is but a reflection of that shown by our Creator--God.  I hope we will meet again "on the other side."  Rest in peace loyal friend and companion.

TWENTY-SEVENTH OPERATING SESSION

My railroad has been operating quite a bit over the past month, with sessions every two weeks—first with the regularly scheduled “First Saturday” sessions and then with the special session in mid-March associated with Winterail. I held a regularly-scheduled operating session this weekend on my SP Cascade Line.  I have been trying to restrain myself from reporting every such session, but sometimes, the session compels itself to be reported.  This one also had crew members asking for such a report! My railroad was built for operations, so herewith is the report on the latest operating session.

I expected a smaller crew for this session, as a number of the regular crew were out of state for a privately arranged operating event.  This opened up operating slots for a number of infrequent operators on my railroad.  The expected smaller operating crew also led me to develop a lower train density line-up. With several trains annulled, my retired SP Dispatcher mentor Rick K. noted it was more of a weekend line-up.

The session began with several trains still out on the line, left over from the end of the mid-March special session.  The RR-West EUOAY (Eugene to Oakland manifest) was at Wicopee, with a helper entrained.  The RR-West EULAY (Eugene to Los Angeles manifest freight) was at Oakridge, ready to have its helper cut in.  Also at Oakridge was the RR-East WCEUY (West Colton to Eugene manifest freight).  We began the session with a “bang!”

The EUOAY climbs up to the Summit Tunnel (Tunnel 3) with the rear of the train still crawling through Tunnels 5 and 7.  Conductor Clive E. watches his train from the Cascade Summit platform while Helper Engineer Craig L. manages his locomotives from the main floor.

The helper locomotives have been cut into the EULAY at Oakridge and it is preparing to depart.  Helper Engineer Pete H. is closest to the camera and is watching his locomotives’ performance.

The WCEUY works RR-East toward Springfield under the control of Engineer Richard C. (right rear) and Conductor Mike R. (back to camera).

Dispatcher Craig P. works his Train Sheet and Block Authority Sheet. This was Craig’s first time dispatching my railroad.  He did a fine job in spite of traffic challenges that developed in the middle of the session.

At Eugene, Scott B. reaches over intervening tracks to uncouple a car as he works the Eugene City Switcher in the distance.  West Switcher Tom D. works his end of the yard as Yardmaster Chuck C. organizes the yard work.  Closest to the camera is East Switcher Ken R. Meanwhile, a RR-West train with TOFC is working through the depot area on the main track.

The Eugene Yard was loaded with work left over from prior operating sessions.  Critically, the Eugene City Switcher was called to work the industries near the depot. The Eugene City Switcher had not been called for several sessions, so a considerable backlog of work had developed. Eugene yard operations were blessed with a full, experienced crew.

After the initial wave of traffic left out on the line at the end of the previous session, operations settled down into a more normal pattern of road freights working from one end of the railroad to the other.  This next wave of trains included a couple of RR-East freights: the RVEUY (Roseville to Eugene Manifest) and OGEUY (Ogden to Eugene Manifest—a train that came over the Modoc Line), and a RR-West:  the EUCIY (Eugene to City of Industry <Los Angeles area>).  

The RVEUY has taken the siding at McCredie Springs for a meet with the EUCIY.

The EUCIY rolls through McCredie Springs with Engineer Richard C. (closest to camera) at the head end and Helper Engineer Craig L. (Dark red shirt on the left) watching his unit’s performance and controlling the slack coupler point in the train.  The crew for the RVEUY: Clive E. (left-rear) and Dick K. (right-rear) watch the EUCIY roll past.

Mark K., Conductor for the OGEUY, monitors his train and lines it out of Crescent Lake.  

Engineer Brigg F. watches the head end of the OGEUY as it rolls through Cascade Summit.

Next up was a pair of hot trains with auto racks and trailer-on-flatcar (TOFC).  The BRLAT (Brooklyn—SP’s Portland, OR, Yard—to Los Angeles Trailers) was up first, departing Eugene just after midnight on the fast clock.  Adding spice to this event was the need to add a private car to the rear of the train at the Eugene Depot.

BRLAT Conductor Dick E. copies his clearance while the Eugene City switcher adds the private car to the rear of the train.  Adding this car to the train led to an interesting discussion of prototype railroad operating practices.  It also led to cooperative switching moves involving the Eugene City Switcher and the Eugene West Switcher.  

As the BRLAT worked its way RR-West on the railroad, other traffic needed to make way.  The BRLAT was the hottest (highest priority) train on the railroad during its travel from Eugene to Crescent Lake.  This eventually led to threading through congestion at Cruzatte where the BRLAT ran around the EUCIY and met a light helper set tucked into the house track. Another RR-West freight followed the BRLAT.  The fourteen locomotives, including eight with sound, involved in this congested set of moves left my power system panting.  I will need to monitor the current draw for this sort of situation with an eye to further breaking up the power district and perhaps adding another booster or two.  

Congestion on the Hill!  Three trains and four helper sets are drawing power as the BRLAT threads its way past lower priority trains on its way uphill.

In the end, I had nineteen operators participate in this session—close to a normal crew size.  We took advantage of the somewhat lighter line-up of trains to fully staff the trains with two-man crews.  We also doubled up the Dispatcher with a first-timer and a mentor.  The smiles on faces and banter among crew members indicated a good time being had by all.  Success!