Modeling Cajon Pass

I grew up in Southern California and railfanned Cajon Pass with my dad many times. I am planning an O scale Cajon Pass layout that starts in San Bernardino at the AT&SF shops and runs up through Sullivan's Curve up to Summit and once the rails pass towards Victorville, the return loop heads back down to Berdoo. I am currently working with River Leaf Models (Andre Garcia) to replicate some of the shop buildings in San Bernardino. I attached one of the back shop buildings in the pic below. Due to size constraints, the shops are only five stalls deep. There will be the two main shop buildings, Roundhouse and powerhouse, smokestack by Altoona Model Works and the Mt. Vernon overpass will also use River Leaf Models. The depot is too large to model and do it justice. I will post as I proceed.

In addition to getting plenty of photos of the area, it helps to get some books on the subject. Gary Hoover built an impressive HO scale version as did Ted York. I'm working a modified version of Pete Youngblood's layout plan from his book "Modeling Cajon". Chard Walker's "Cajon- Rail Passage to the Pacific" and "Santa Fe...Steel Rails Through California" by Donald Duke and Stan Kistler are excellent reference books. I believe I have an extra copy of the Donald Duke and Stan Kistler book.

KarlW posted:

I grew up in Southern California and railfanned Cajon Pass with my dad many times. I am planning an O scale Cajon Pass layout that starts in San Bernardino at the AT&SF shops and runs up through Sullivan's Curve up to Summit and once the rails pass towards Victorville, the return loop heads back down to Berdoo. I am currently working with River Leaf Models (Andre Garcia) to replicate some of the shop buildings in San Bernardino. I attached one of the back shop buildings in the pic below. Due to size constraints, the shops are only five stalls deep. There will be the two main shop buildings, Roundhouse and powerhouse, smokestack by Altoona Model Works and the Mt. Vernon overpass will also use River Leaf Models. The depot is too large to model and do it justice. I will post as I proceed.

I have some drawings of the San Bernardino Depot if you're interested. I also have a full frontal street side photo of the depot when they cleared the lot on 2nd street to construct a new strip mall. I'll post them when I get to my personal workstation. I think I might even have some of the Mt. Vernon overpass drawings, too. I'll take a look. The SB Depot would be a great building in O scale but would be about 11 feet long. Someone was laser-cutting H.O. scale kits of the full depot (I think it was Gary Hoover), but the price of an O scale version was out of my price range.

Matt, that would be awesome if you have drawings. I saw pics of that HO scale depot model and it was awesome. Pics of Mt. Vernon overpass would also be helpful since that is the end of my A yard. Would love to see pics. I graduated from Cal State San Bernardino and remember when they tore down the back shops to expand the intermodal yard. I still kick myself for not taking pics when they started. I moved out of CA in 2005 so all my pics are from before that timeframe. My roster is going to be mostly postwar with some select modern motive power to represent the late steam/early diesel period.

Here are the drawings (small size) and the frontal photo of the Depot. E-mail me off-list is you'd like the large drawings. I also found and attached the Viaduct cross section drawings and an article from the ATSF Historical Society. I think I have more drawings of the viaduct lying around somewhere and I'll see if I can find them.  BTW, it was Gary Kane who did the laser-cut model of the depot. I think these will help you out.

Matt,

Those are definitely helpful! Thanks! I sent you an email so you can forward those drawings.

Thanks Again!

Karl

I found the drawings of the Viaduct. They're included in an RFP from the City of San Bernardino for upgrading/retrofitting the bridge (it was built in 1934). This is the low-resolution overall document. The high-resolution drawings can be found here. As a bridge troll, I appreciate when older railroad bridges are retrofitted by municipalities because their rules require a well-documented Request for Proposals which usually include good drawings and/or copies of original plans. They put them on-line and they're free for the downloading. The catch is you need to have the name of the bridge in question and the jurisdiction to search.

The late, great John Armstrong did a track plan for a Cajon Pass Model Railroad. In HO. Massive in O, I suspect. If you want to find it, I can dig up a reference and you can order a copy from Kalmbach.

It i shard for me to think how to engulf  this project in a 36X 11 room. But taking  spots most enjoyable to railfan at will have to do. The stone wall with the arch cement bridge will be one. I'll have to do it before the last expansion. and at the small siding at the far end where 66 returns to the freeway.  

Phill,

I will post some pics of the reference shots for Blue Cut, Cajon, Sullivans Curve, Summit, Etc.

Karl

Because our scale is massive relative to smaller scales, your approach is probably the best shot. I think that small yard where Cajon Pass Road/Cleghorn meet I-15 is the old helper pocket. I remember seeing a pair spotted there as well as a couple of tank cars (presumably diesel fuel). I haven't been up there in a while, but a lot of the traffic I see going up and down the pass seems to have DPU's on the tail end of the train. BNSF seems to cut them loose/put them on at San Bernardino (and probably Barstow) while I think UP cuts them loose in Colton or Ontario.

Living near the Redlands Loop, I've gathered a lot of photos of the remnants and have looked at modeling pieces of the loop, even though I could almost get away with modeling the whole thing, compressing out the "blank areas" if I had a 30x20 space. You should be able to do the same thing with The Pass highlighting the points of interest.

I am focusing on specific locations as well. I am currently sourcing items for various spots. I picked up this cistern that I will use behind the Summit depot. I will be using Branchline trains diamond scale roofing shingles for the depot roof.

rex desilets posted:

The late, great John Armstrong did a track plan for a Cajon Pass Model Railroad. In HO. Massive in O, I suspect. If you want to find it, I can dig up a reference and you can order a copy from Kalmbach.

It's in the October 1956 issue of Model Railroader magazine.   In HO John's plan covered an area of 10' X 20'....in O it would require at least 20' X 40'!!!   But it was a dandy doozie of a plan.....IMHO, of course....as were most-if-not-all of John Armstrong's efforts!  Not sure Kalmbach would have back issues for sale from 60 years ago, though!!

I believe more Cajon info might be available through the Santa Fe Historical & Modeling Society website...and some earlier issues of their quarterly, The Warbonnet, as I recall.

FWIW, always...

KD

BTW...  Depending on the era of Cajon/Summit you're interested in modeling, you might want to consider a model of Descanso, the former funeral streetcar.  It has an interesting history all its own. 

It found its temporary resting place at Summit when, after the streetcar trackage/businesses of LA became defunct, this posh little car became a habitat/refuge for railfans who regularly haunted Summit to watch the parade of power.  Read about it here...

Descanso Link

And after its removal from Summit in 1967, it was rescued/restored now residing at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA.  It would make a dandy scratchbuilding project of its own!!  (Too bad LaBelle doesn't have an O scale model of her!)

So, if you're into the 'transition era', especially, you'll need to have the Descanso at Summit....'em that know will be looking for her!

More FWIW, always...

KD

Picked up a mint copy of Chard  Walker's "Cajon A Pictorial Album" to accompany the other Cajon texts I have. 

dkdkrd posted:

BTW...  Depending on the era of Cajon/Summit you're interested in modeling, you might want to consider a model of Descanso, the former funeral streetcar.  It has an interesting history all its own. 

...

KD

Thanks for that photograph. I've seen the Descanso at OERM, but never saw a photo of it at Summit. Definitely should be included in a transition era model of Cajon if it includes summit. Someone did a 3D print of the Descanso in H.O so there's hope that one in O scale could be produced if the technology allows for it.

dkdkrd posted:

rex desilets posted:

The late, great John Armstrong did a track plan for a Cajon Pass Model Railroad. In HO. Massive in O, I suspect. If you want to find it, I can dig up a reference and you can order a copy from Kalmbach.

It's in the October 1956 issue of Model Railroader magazine.   In HO John's plan covered an area of 10' X 20'....in O it would require at least 20' X 40'!!!   But it was a dandy doozie of a plan.....IMHO, of course....as were most-if-not-all of John Armstrong's efforts!  Not sure Kalmbach would have back issues for sale from 60 years ago, though!!

<snip>

KD

I understand the NMRA library will copy the article for a nominal fee. You can also go to railpub.com and check to see if they have it; will cost about $4. plus shipping.

View from the east end of the "A" yard as they started tearing it down to create the intermodal yard. All that remains is the iconic smokestack.