More to come in the hours and days ahead STOP
Expect messages from the front STOP
Riders dispatched to SF and Omaha with photographic plates STOP
Original Post
Replies sorted oldest to newest
STOP.
...- . .-. -.-- / .. -. - . .-. . ... - .. -. --. / -.. .- ...- .
OK i'm confused
Dave
Dave
quote:Originally posted by david1:
OK i'm confused
Dave
So you don't read Morris Code?
Wet or dry plates? Don
CIRCLE THE WAGONS!!!!!
Gene Anstine
Gene Anstine
Great! Now you just need some surveyors, some Chinese and Irish immigrants, a few guys in military uniforms, and....oh, yeah...the Jupiter and the 119! 
Don
Dave is using wet plate digital image chips for authenticity.
Dave is using wet plate digital image chips for authenticity.
quote:Originally posted by Hot Water:quote:Originally posted by david1:
OK i'm confused
Dave
So you don't read Morris Code?
No i didn't learn the Morse code in school but i did learn the abacus. If you don't know what the abacus is just ask some old person.
Dave
Having visited a month or so back I think I know what is coming, this should be good!
Any invites to the big event Dave!
You will all want to see this!!!
Any invites to the big event Dave!
You will all want to see this!!!
KJ I bet Dave is going to give the NWTL A bit of International flare by adding the CN & CP to the current stable 
Click on image for larger size.
To D. Hazelton, Reno station master...
President Hambling delayed by aerial business STOP
Ceremonies will not take place today STOP
Dispatch Leviathan to the front with two flats of ties and as many bolts as you can spare STOP
Hold Jupiter until Hambling's arrival STOP
To D. Hazelton, Reno station master...
President Hambling delayed by aerial business STOP
Ceremonies will not take place today STOP
Dispatch Leviathan to the front with two flats of ties and as many bolts as you can spare STOP
Hold Jupiter until Hambling's arrival STOP
quote:Originally posted by dave hikel:
More to come is the hours and days ahead STOP
Expect messages from the front STOP
Riders dispatched to SF and Omaha with photographic plates STOP
I love this kind of post. You either get it, or you don't. It must have been a great day to be an American, wish we celebrated it a bit more.
Very creative.
Rob
Click on image for larger size.
May 11th, 10:15 am local time
To N. Spada, Omaha station masters...
Durant train held at Piedmont STOP
Dispatch 116 with 80,000 dollars and men with irons STOP
Hambling playing in air STOP
Wire Washington delays caused by Hambling STOP
May 11th, 10:15 am local time
To N. Spada, Omaha station masters...
Durant train held at Piedmont STOP
Dispatch 116 with 80,000 dollars and men with irons STOP
Hambling playing in air STOP
Wire Washington delays caused by Hambling STOP
Click on image for larger size.
May 11th, 3:30pm local time
To G Coyner, San Francisco headquarters...
Inform Hambling Durant also delayed STOP
Held up at Piedmont by unpaid tie crew STOP
Omaha sending 80,000 dollars back pay STOP
Inform San Francisco Chronicle of Durant's predicament STOP
May 11th, 3:30pm local time
To G Coyner, San Francisco headquarters...
Inform Hambling Durant also delayed STOP
Held up at Piedmont by unpaid tie crew STOP
Omaha sending 80,000 dollars back pay STOP
Inform San Francisco Chronicle of Durant's predicament STOP
May 12th, 11:20am local time
To R Nelson, Ogden station master...
Durant Special freed from Piedmont STOP
116 unable to proceed with Special beyond Devils Gate Bridge STOP
Dispatch any available locomotive STOP
Coaches will be waiting for locomotive on west side of bridge STOP
Any news from the front STOP
May 12th, 11:25am local time
To Vice President T C Durant...
119 will arrive Devils Gate Bridge by 3:30pm STOP
Preparations at front complete STOP
Track ready for ceremony since the eighth STOP
To R Nelson, Ogden station master...
Durant Special freed from Piedmont STOP
116 unable to proceed with Special beyond Devils Gate Bridge STOP
Dispatch any available locomotive STOP
Coaches will be waiting for locomotive on west side of bridge STOP
Any news from the front STOP
May 12th, 11:25am local time
To Vice President T C Durant...
119 will arrive Devils Gate Bridge by 3:30pm STOP
Preparations at front complete STOP
Track ready for ceremony since the eighth STOP
Looks like they are missing a cross tie STOP....
Better bring extra and a NICE BRIGHT SPIKE STOP...
Better bring extra and a NICE BRIGHT SPIKE STOP...
We're working on that.quote:Originally posted by Popsrr:
Looks like they are missing a cross tie STOP....
Better bring extra and a NICE BRIGHT SPIKE STOP...
May 12th 7:00pm local time
From R Nelson, Ogden station master
To James Ferriss, the front...
Durant arriving today in Ogden STOP
Expect Durant Special at the front Saturday STOP
May 12th, 7:10pm local time
From J Ferriss, the front
To R Nelson, Ogden station master...
All set for Durant arrival STOP
Flag flying at the summit STOP
Any word on Hambling STOP
quote:Originally posted by dave hikel:We're working on that.quote:Originally posted by Popsrr:
Looks like they are missing a cross tie STOP....
Better bring extra and a NICE BRIGHT SPIKE STOP...
May 12th 7:00pm local time
From R Nelson, Ogden station master
To James Ferriss, the front...
Durant arriving today in Ogden STOP
_ ._. _ _ _ _ _ _ ._ .. / _ .... . ._ _..
_.. ._ ..._ .. _.. / _ ._ _._. ...._ ._.. _... ..
Or for all you non Ham operators
Cool Thread
David KC4LBI
Expect Durant Special at the front Saturday STOP
May 12th, 7:10pm local time
From J Ferriss, the front
To R Nelson, Ogden station master...
All set for Durant arrival STOP
Flag flying at the summit STOP
Any word on Hambling STOP
quote:Originally posted by dave hikel:We're working on that.quote:Originally posted by Popsrr:
Looks like they are missing a cross tie STOP....
Better bring extra and a NICE BRIGHT SPIKE STOP...
May 12th 7:00pm local time
From R Nelson, Ogden station master
To James Ferriss, the front...
Durant arriving today in Ogden STOP
Expect Durant Special at the front Saturday STOP
May 12th, 7:10pm local time
From J Ferriss, the front
To R Nelson, Ogden station master...
All set for Durant arrival STOP
Flag flying at the summit STOP
Any word on Hambling STOP
Need to give T.C. lessons using tool STOP
Might miss target STOP
Could be bad STOP
Better include Hambling in lessons also STOP
Also Gov. Stanford needs help using the tool STOP
Make sure NONE of them have refreshment until work is done STOP
That includes Hikel for sure STOP STOP STOP
.--. .-. --- -.-. . . -.. .. -. --. - --- -.-- --- ..- .-. .-.. --- -.-. .- - .. --- -. .-- .. - .... . -. --. .. -. . .---- .---- ----. .- -. -.. -.-. .- .-. ... --- -. ...
.-- .. .-.. .-.. .- -.. ...- .. ... . --- -. .- - - . -. -.. .- -. -.-. . --- ..-. ... -- .. - .... .- -. -.. - .... --- -- .- .. . .-.
- .-.
.-- .. .-.. .-.. .- -.. ...- .. ... . --- -. .- - - . -. -.. .- -. -.-. . --- ..-. ... -- .. - .... .- -. -.. - .... --- -- .- .. . .-.
- .-.
May 13th, 3:30pm local time
From J Ferriss, the front
To N Spada, Omaha station master...
Durant at front ahead of schedule STOP
May 13th, 10:20pm local time
From G Coyner, San Francisco headquarters
To T Gamble, the front...
Hambling in route STOP
Expect arrival tomorrow afternoon STOP
Laurel wood tie and gold spike aboard Jupiter STOP
From J Ferriss, the front
To N Spada, Omaha station master...
Durant at front ahead of schedule STOP
May 13th, 10:20pm local time
From G Coyner, San Francisco headquarters
To T Gamble, the front...
Hambling in route STOP
Expect arrival tomorrow afternoon STOP
Laurel wood tie and gold spike aboard Jupiter STOP
Wonderful pictures of 119 and 60 STOP
MAKE SURE HIKEL GETS TOOL TRAINING STOP
Don't want repeat of misseed blow with toolSTOP
GOOD LUCK AT SUMMIT DAVE STOP
STOP
MAKE SURE HIKEL GETS TOOL TRAINING STOP
Don't want repeat of misseed blow with toolSTOP
GOOD LUCK AT SUMMIT DAVE STOP
STOP
Saturday, May 14th, 8:08pm
From NorthWest Trunk Lines President Peter Hambling, the front
To the OGR forum and the world...
Stay tuned for The Rest of the Story tomorrow... after a good nights sleep!
From NorthWest Trunk Lines President Peter Hambling, the front
To the OGR forum and the world...
Stay tuned for The Rest of the Story tomorrow... after a good nights sleep!
Hi all,
It has been a long journey, but last night we celebrated the completion of the 1100 ft. (10 scale mile) mainline of the NorthWest Trunk Lines model railroad. For those of you who have not seen my prior status reports on the NWTL, it is a 3200sq. ft. 3-rail scale layout under construction in the basement of Mr. Peter Hambling of Medina, WA. My team and I have been working on the layout full time now for three and a half years. In that time we have laid more than 4000 feet of MTH ScaleTrax, but last night was all about a single 9 3/4 inch section of hand laid rail that completed the main.
We had hoped to hold the ceremony last Tuesday, May 10th, to coincide with the 142nd anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. However, just as in 1869, events conspired against our plans and the ceremony had to be delayed. I decided to have a little fun with this historical happenstance, which I hope you have enjoyed in my prior posts on this thread. I still wanted to pay homage to the events of 1869, so I began this thread on the 10th. The pseudo telegrams reference real events and people of both 1869 and today.
In 1869 the date for the joining of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific at Promontory Summit, Utah, was originally set for May 8th. All was on schedule to meet this date. The rails had been laid and joined leaving a single 39 foot length to be placed and spiked before a crowd of on-lookers, employees, reporters and dignitaries. Leland Stanford, President of the CP, and Thomas C. Durant, V.P. of the UP, each set out for to the end of their respective tracks, which during construction was always referred to as "The Front." However, when T. C. Durant's train reached Piedmont, Wyoming, near the Utah boarder, his party was halted by an angry crew of tie makers who were owed three months of back pay. The crew refused to allow Durant to proceed until $80,000 dollars in cash was delivered to Piedmont. Nearly two days later the men were paid and Durant was on his way. The embarrassment of the delay and its cause was considerable and the UP tried to deflect as much public criticism as possible. The new reality of near instant communications via telegraph made any such cover up all but impossible. Everyone from San Francisco to Washington D.C. knew that it was Durant's woes that delayed the completion and why.
On the NWTL our delay was caused by much happier circumstances. Peter's payroll system is apparently MUCH more reliable and efficient than the UP's. Rather, Peter was off on another hobby adventure to an airshow in Texas with his Duglas A-26 Invader, aka "Sexy Sue."
Late Friday Peter returned home after picking up his eldest son, Collin, who just completed his first year in college.
The evening was an opportunity to gather together all the wonderful people who have made the NWTL a reality. Most everyone was able to make it, with only a few notable exceptions. We began the festivities by honoring the thirteen people who have given a thousand hours or more (in some cases a LOT more) to the construction of the NWTL. To recognize their efforts I took inspiration once again from the events of 1869. When the original gold spike was cast a sprue remained on the pointed end. You can see this sprue on the "second spike" (a back-up cast at the same time) on display at the California State Railway Museum in Sacramento.
When this casting sprue was removed from the original gold spike it was melted down to make a series of small spike shaped watch fobs. These fobs were gifted to major contractors of the Central Pacific. In a similar fashion I commissioned a series of silver watch fobs engraved with the date of the event and the name of each person who contributed over 1000 hours to the project.
After some food, conversation, and the opening of the watch fobs, we proceeded with what has become a tradition at major NWTL events. Our scenery artist extraordinaire, Todd Gamble, created the third in a series of NWTL posters and presented it to Peter. This poster evokes a post-war feel and draws heavily on an original piece for the Southern Pacific. With the completion of the mainline is seemed appropriate to celebrate the "Four Scenic Routes" of the NWTL.
After this the crowd migrated to Promontory Summit... or, in this case, our recreation of the scene. Like the rest of the scenery on the NWTL, we did our best to research the conditions at Promontory in 1869. A business trip to Salt Lake City two months ago made it possible for me to visit the real location and photograph the recreations of UP #119 and CP Jupiter. Fellow O-gauger's Elliot Walters and Joe Schramm graciously lent us their MTH models of the engines for our event. And, like the rest of the dirt on the NWTL, the dirt in this scene was collected on site in Promontory.
With the two locomotives facing each other a couple feet apart I began the closing of the gap by dropping in the last section of nickle silver rail and driving a single spike. The ties under this last section were modeled after the rough hewed log ties laid by the CP.
Everyone present who has contributed to the construction of the line was given the opportunity to drive a spike along this final section of rail.
David Hazelton - Benchwork, wiring, scenery, track laying, and more
Erny Jenner - Mechanical modeling
Paul Hickok - Track preparation and modification
Geoff Coyner - Benchwork, wiring, scenery, track laying, and more
John Lovell - Software development
Nick Spada - Benchwork, wiring, scenery, track laying, and more
Milde Vetter - Benchwork
Chris Vetter - Benchwork
Rob Nelson - Wiring and track work
T.R. Hikel - Hand laid track and switches, research
Not Photographed and/or present...
Todd Gamble - Scenery, track work, and more
Jim Ferriss - Benchwork, track laying, and more
Richard Park - Scenery work
Catherine Crist - Scenery work
Bob Guildig - PS2 conversions
Andy Eccleshall - Backdrops
Ali Misenar - Benchwork and scenery
Charles Jackson - Scenery and wiring
Faith Dougherty - Scenery collecting
The driving of the last spike was, of course, reserved for our patron, the President of the NorthWest Trunk Lines, Peter Hambling. Again, drawing from the 1869 ceremony, the last spike was driven into a tie made of polished laurel wood. The spike itself was crafted by a local jeweler from 17.6 karat gold alloyed with copper. The spiking maul in our case was replaced with Micromark spiking pliers. Peter had no trouble driving his last spike, unlike a certain Mr. Stanford.
At 8:08pm PDT the job was...
With the last rail securely in place it was at long last time to run a train around the entire mainline. The honor of the inaugural run fell to what might seem an unlikely little engine; a Railking 0-8-0. Like most of us, Peter started in this hobby with much smaller ambitions. That little 0-8-0 was Peter's first O-gauge purchase. He gave it to his youngest son, Mitch, for Christmas 2002. Last night, with Peter at the throttle, it left Clovis yard at 8:10pm.
Peter maintained a safe freight speed averaging 25 smph and kept a watchful eye on the track ahead... most of the time.
At 8:38pm the 0-8-0 had safely returned to Clovis Yard. A mere 28 minutes to make one lap of of the main.
As you can see from the photos much scenery work remains on the NWTL. I'll continue to post here on the forum as the work progresses. But it was great fun to get together last night and celebrate that all important day in the life of any model railroad... the day the mainline opens for business!
May 14th, 2011, was a "Great Event" on the NorthWest Trunk Lines.
It has been a long journey, but last night we celebrated the completion of the 1100 ft. (10 scale mile) mainline of the NorthWest Trunk Lines model railroad. For those of you who have not seen my prior status reports on the NWTL, it is a 3200sq. ft. 3-rail scale layout under construction in the basement of Mr. Peter Hambling of Medina, WA. My team and I have been working on the layout full time now for three and a half years. In that time we have laid more than 4000 feet of MTH ScaleTrax, but last night was all about a single 9 3/4 inch section of hand laid rail that completed the main.
We had hoped to hold the ceremony last Tuesday, May 10th, to coincide with the 142nd anniversary of the completion of the first transcontinental railroad. However, just as in 1869, events conspired against our plans and the ceremony had to be delayed. I decided to have a little fun with this historical happenstance, which I hope you have enjoyed in my prior posts on this thread. I still wanted to pay homage to the events of 1869, so I began this thread on the 10th. The pseudo telegrams reference real events and people of both 1869 and today.
In 1869 the date for the joining of the Central Pacific and the Union Pacific at Promontory Summit, Utah, was originally set for May 8th. All was on schedule to meet this date. The rails had been laid and joined leaving a single 39 foot length to be placed and spiked before a crowd of on-lookers, employees, reporters and dignitaries. Leland Stanford, President of the CP, and Thomas C. Durant, V.P. of the UP, each set out for to the end of their respective tracks, which during construction was always referred to as "The Front." However, when T. C. Durant's train reached Piedmont, Wyoming, near the Utah boarder, his party was halted by an angry crew of tie makers who were owed three months of back pay. The crew refused to allow Durant to proceed until $80,000 dollars in cash was delivered to Piedmont. Nearly two days later the men were paid and Durant was on his way. The embarrassment of the delay and its cause was considerable and the UP tried to deflect as much public criticism as possible. The new reality of near instant communications via telegraph made any such cover up all but impossible. Everyone from San Francisco to Washington D.C. knew that it was Durant's woes that delayed the completion and why.
On the NWTL our delay was caused by much happier circumstances. Peter's payroll system is apparently MUCH more reliable and efficient than the UP's.
Rather, Peter was off on another hobby adventure to an airshow in Texas with his Duglas A-26 Invader, aka "Sexy Sue." Late Friday Peter returned home after picking up his eldest son, Collin, who just completed his first year in college.
The evening was an opportunity to gather together all the wonderful people who have made the NWTL a reality. Most everyone was able to make it, with only a few notable exceptions. We began the festivities by honoring the thirteen people who have given a thousand hours or more (in some cases a LOT more) to the construction of the NWTL. To recognize their efforts I took inspiration once again from the events of 1869. When the original gold spike was cast a sprue remained on the pointed end. You can see this sprue on the "second spike" (a back-up cast at the same time) on display at the California State Railway Museum in Sacramento.
When this casting sprue was removed from the original gold spike it was melted down to make a series of small spike shaped watch fobs. These fobs were gifted to major contractors of the Central Pacific. In a similar fashion I commissioned a series of silver watch fobs engraved with the date of the event and the name of each person who contributed over 1000 hours to the project.
After some food, conversation, and the opening of the watch fobs, we proceeded with what has become a tradition at major NWTL events. Our scenery artist extraordinaire, Todd Gamble, created the third in a series of NWTL posters and presented it to Peter. This poster evokes a post-war feel and draws heavily on an original piece for the Southern Pacific. With the completion of the mainline is seemed appropriate to celebrate the "Four Scenic Routes" of the NWTL.
After this the crowd migrated to Promontory Summit... or, in this case, our recreation of the scene. Like the rest of the scenery on the NWTL, we did our best to research the conditions at Promontory in 1869. A business trip to Salt Lake City two months ago made it possible for me to visit the real location and photograph the recreations of UP #119 and CP Jupiter. Fellow O-gauger's Elliot Walters and Joe Schramm graciously lent us their MTH models of the engines for our event. And, like the rest of the dirt on the NWTL, the dirt in this scene was collected on site in Promontory.
With the two locomotives facing each other a couple feet apart I began the closing of the gap by dropping in the last section of nickle silver rail and driving a single spike. The ties under this last section were modeled after the rough hewed log ties laid by the CP.
Everyone present who has contributed to the construction of the line was given the opportunity to drive a spike along this final section of rail.
David Hazelton - Benchwork, wiring, scenery, track laying, and more
Erny Jenner - Mechanical modeling
Paul Hickok - Track preparation and modification
Geoff Coyner - Benchwork, wiring, scenery, track laying, and more
John Lovell - Software development
Nick Spada - Benchwork, wiring, scenery, track laying, and more
Milde Vetter - Benchwork
Chris Vetter - Benchwork
Rob Nelson - Wiring and track work
T.R. Hikel - Hand laid track and switches, research
Not Photographed and/or present...
Todd Gamble - Scenery, track work, and more
Jim Ferriss - Benchwork, track laying, and more
Richard Park - Scenery work
Catherine Crist - Scenery work
Bob Guildig - PS2 conversions
Andy Eccleshall - Backdrops
Ali Misenar - Benchwork and scenery
Charles Jackson - Scenery and wiring
Faith Dougherty - Scenery collecting
The driving of the last spike was, of course, reserved for our patron, the President of the NorthWest Trunk Lines, Peter Hambling. Again, drawing from the 1869 ceremony, the last spike was driven into a tie made of polished laurel wood. The spike itself was crafted by a local jeweler from 17.6 karat gold alloyed with copper. The spiking maul in our case was replaced with Micromark spiking pliers. Peter had no trouble driving his last spike, unlike a certain Mr. Stanford.
At 8:08pm PDT the job was...
With the last rail securely in place it was at long last time to run a train around the entire mainline. The honor of the inaugural run fell to what might seem an unlikely little engine; a Railking 0-8-0. Like most of us, Peter started in this hobby with much smaller ambitions. That little 0-8-0 was Peter's first O-gauge purchase. He gave it to his youngest son, Mitch, for Christmas 2002. Last night, with Peter at the throttle, it left Clovis yard at 8:10pm.
Peter maintained a safe freight speed averaging 25 smph and kept a watchful eye on the track ahead... most of the time.
At 8:38pm the 0-8-0 had safely returned to Clovis Yard. A mere 28 minutes to make one lap of of the main.
As you can see from the photos much scenery work remains on the NWTL. I'll continue to post here on the forum as the work progresses. But it was great fun to get together last night and celebrate that all important day in the life of any model railroad... the day the mainline opens for business!
May 14th, 2011, was a "Great Event" on the NorthWest Trunk Lines.
Just amazing and congrats to you Dave and your talented crew. I know Peter is going to have allot of fun with this.
Dave F
Dave F
A great layout and a labor of love. Sure would like to see a train cam view of the layout when its done. Spectacular.
Dan
Dan
Dave Great Job!!! Thanks for sharing the NWTL with us
What an awesome re-creation of a historical event. This is one of the best threads I've read. Congratulations, everyone who made it possible!
Was the last spike removed after the ceremony (as in real life)? Don't want any 1:48 people from the tent city to steal it!
Was the last spike removed after the ceremony (as in real life)? Don't want any 1:48 people from the tent city to steal it!
Absolutely stunning.
My hat is off to you and your crew.
May you all have many years of running your favorites.
My hat is off to you and your crew.
May you all have many years of running your favorites.
Fantastic Job, Dave!
I have an original poster that was framed and given to me by a good friend of mine
Cesar
I have an original poster that was framed and given to me by a good friend of mine
Cesar
Hi all,
Thanks for all the kind words. I hope you all enjoy seeing these updates. We certainly enjoy sharing them with you. Probably the best thing about this whole project is that Peter has been so generous about opening the layout to visitors. Even though it is a private residence it's not difficult to pay a visit. As long as my crew and I are on site guests are welcome to arrange a visit. About a dozen members of the forum have seen the layout over the last couple years. If you're ever in the Seattle area just contact me via the e-mail in my profile to make an appointment.
I asked Peter about doing that. I thought he might like to keep the spike on display in his office much as Leland Stanford had done. The answer was a somewhat incredulous NO! Peter wants the spike, laurel tie, and the whole scene to remain permanent fixtures on the layout so that everyone who visits can see them in person.
For those who are interested in the history surrounding the completion of the first transcontinental railroad I did like to recommend reading this analysis of the reports and events of that day: Driving the Last Spike by J. N. Bowman This is the best synopsis I've found on-line that covers all the major events of the day. In retrospect, what I find particularly interesting is that participants seemed VERY conscious of the historical significance of the event. So much so that most of the ceremonial artifacts were preserved. The gold spike was given to Leland Stanford. It was later donated to the university that bears his name, where it is on display to this day along with the silver plated spiking maul and other items.
The tie made of polished laurel wood was kept in the Wells Fargo & Co. vault in San Francisco until 1906 when it was destroyed by fire following the great earthquake. A somewhat sad bi-product of the immediate significance placed on these original artifacts is that the National Historic Site at Promontory has relatively few original items. They do have many excellent reproductions and I definitely recommend a visit to any railroad fan.
VERY cool Cesar! One of the few original items on display at the National Historic Site in Promontory is an original copy of this same poster. One thing that eluded me during my research was how many of these posters were originally printed for UP, by whom, and where were they distributed. If anyone here has any information on the details of the UP poster I would love to hear about it. The UP poster was the inspiration for the first NWTL poster that I made to commemorate the opening of the first section of the line two years ago.
Thanks for all the kind words. I hope you all enjoy seeing these updates. We certainly enjoy sharing them with you. Probably the best thing about this whole project is that Peter has been so generous about opening the layout to visitors. Even though it is a private residence it's not difficult to pay a visit. As long as my crew and I are on site guests are welcome to arrange a visit. About a dozen members of the forum have seen the layout over the last couple years. If you're ever in the Seattle area just contact me via the e-mail in my profile to make an appointment.
quote:Was the last spike removed after the ceremony (as in real life)?
I asked Peter about doing that. I thought he might like to keep the spike on display in his office much as Leland Stanford had done. The answer was a somewhat incredulous NO!
Peter wants the spike, laurel tie, and the whole scene to remain permanent fixtures on the layout so that everyone who visits can see them in person.For those who are interested in the history surrounding the completion of the first transcontinental railroad I did like to recommend reading this analysis of the reports and events of that day: Driving the Last Spike by J. N. Bowman This is the best synopsis I've found on-line that covers all the major events of the day. In retrospect, what I find particularly interesting is that participants seemed VERY conscious of the historical significance of the event. So much so that most of the ceremonial artifacts were preserved. The gold spike was given to Leland Stanford. It was later donated to the university that bears his name, where it is on display to this day along with the silver plated spiking maul and other items.
The tie made of polished laurel wood was kept in the Wells Fargo & Co. vault in San Francisco until 1906 when it was destroyed by fire following the great earthquake. A somewhat sad bi-product of the immediate significance placed on these original artifacts is that the National Historic Site at Promontory has relatively few original items. They do have many excellent reproductions and I definitely recommend a visit to any railroad fan.
quote:I have an original poster that was framed and given to me by a good friend of mine
VERY cool Cesar! One of the few original items on display at the National Historic Site in Promontory is an original copy of this same poster. One thing that eluded me during my research was how many of these posters were originally printed for UP, by whom, and where were they distributed. If anyone here has any information on the details of the UP poster I would love to hear about it. The UP poster was the inspiration for the first NWTL poster that I made to commemorate the opening of the first section of the line two years ago.
Great story and history, Dave.
An interesting side story involving the famous "Gold Spike": For the grand opening of the California State Railroad Museum, during May 1981, the California State Highway Patrol transported the REAL Gold Spike from Stanford University to the California State Railroad Museum in the TRUNK OF A CHP PATROL CAR! Some of us from the 4449 crew, which arrived at the Museum about a week early for the big grand opening bash, where present when the CHP car drove into the grounds. The plain wood box was removed from the car trunk and carried into the new museum, to be placed in a thick glass viewing case, in order for for the public to see it. Upon questioning, the CHP officer allowed that the reason he was late; he had stopped for lunch enroute to Sacremento, WITH THE GOLD SPIKE IN THE TRUNK OF HIS CAR!
Some of us had the chance to "see it up close & personal" prior to the spike being placed in its viewing case. I sure wish I had had my camera with me!
Ten years later, for the 10th anniversary of the CSRM, the Gold Spike was transported from Stanford University in a BIG armored truck with a complete CHP escort. Upon arrival at the CSRM, an armed guard escorted "the wood box" into the building and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WAS ALLOWED EVEN CLOSE! Someone finally understood the value & history of what was in "the box"!!!!
An interesting side story involving the famous "Gold Spike": For the grand opening of the California State Railroad Museum, during May 1981, the California State Highway Patrol transported the REAL Gold Spike from Stanford University to the California State Railroad Museum in the TRUNK OF A CHP PATROL CAR! Some of us from the 4449 crew, which arrived at the Museum about a week early for the big grand opening bash, where present when the CHP car drove into the grounds. The plain wood box was removed from the car trunk and carried into the new museum, to be placed in a thick glass viewing case, in order for for the public to see it. Upon questioning, the CHP officer allowed that the reason he was late; he had stopped for lunch enroute to Sacremento, WITH THE GOLD SPIKE IN THE TRUNK OF HIS CAR!
Some of us had the chance to "see it up close & personal" prior to the spike being placed in its viewing case. I sure wish I had had my camera with me!
Ten years later, for the 10th anniversary of the CSRM, the Gold Spike was transported from Stanford University in a BIG armored truck with a complete CHP escort. Upon arrival at the CSRM, an armed guard escorted "the wood box" into the building and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WAS ALLOWED EVEN CLOSE! Someone finally understood the value & history of what was in "the box"!!!!
quote:Originally posted by dave hikel:
For those who are interested in the history surrounding the completion of the first transcontinental railroad I did like to recommend reading this analysis of the reports and events of that day: Driving the Last Spike by J. N. Bowman This is the best synopsis I've found on-line that covers all the major events of the day. In retrospect, what I find particularly interesting is that participants seemed VERY conscious of the historical significance of the event. So much so that most of the ceremonial artifacts were preserved. The gold spike was given to Leland Stanford. It was later donated to the university that bears his name, where it is on display to this day along with the silver plated spiking maul and other items.
Thanks for the recommendation, Dave! I will have to pick up a copy.
I've already read this one, and it was quite detailed:
Nothing Like It In the World, The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad
Wonderful post Dave! Thanks!
What a great story and pictures! 
Dave you should consider writing a book about all you did to create the NWTL.
I love the pictures of the layout, However the journey you made along both sides of the border(US/CA) a couple of years baCK was a favorite of mine. I liked all the work it took to figure out when to be a the face wall of the tunnel to get the pictures without shadows. Also loved the comments you made to the lady on the trip about the snakes and she laided down on the tressel to try and avoid them. I think you also had a very long hike in the darkness to just get to the place.
Anyways you created a lot of memories for lots of other people on the NWTL JOURNEY!!!!
I love the pictures of the layout, However the journey you made along both sides of the border(US/CA) a couple of years baCK was a favorite of mine. I liked all the work it took to figure out when to be a the face wall of the tunnel to get the pictures without shadows. Also loved the comments you made to the lady on the trip about the snakes and she laided down on the tressel to try and avoid them. I think you also had a very long hike in the darkness to just get to the place.
Anyways you created a lot of memories for lots of other people on the NWTL JOURNEY!!!!
Dave, Great to see it finished! Al
Absolutely fabulous!
Peter
Peter
Fantastic, Can't wait to see the mainline video run.
bill D
bill D
Congratulations Dave, Ted, and all the rest - a truly wonderful project!
Dave, it would appear that you have used 2" pink foam over plywood? I've done that with our home layout and also on the modular tables with Scaletrax. The noise level is quite high as if the foam actually amplifies the sound. Do you have the same there?
A home I originally had carpet foam under the (in my case) blue foam which was surprisingly loud. Then I reversed the placement with the foam direct to the plywood and the carpet foam on top with cork roadbed. Much better. At the club we just have the 2" foam on 1/4"Luann plywood which is awfully loud!
Dave, it would appear that you have used 2" pink foam over plywood? I've done that with our home layout and also on the modular tables with Scaletrax. The noise level is quite high as if the foam actually amplifies the sound. Do you have the same there?
A home I originally had carpet foam under the (in my case) blue foam which was surprisingly loud. Then I reversed the placement with the foam direct to the plywood and the carpet foam on top with cork roadbed. Much better. At the club we just have the 2" foam on 1/4"Luann plywood which is awfully loud!
Hi guys,
Again, thank you very much for all the compliments. One of the reasons I enjoy posting about the NWTL here is that there are so many who appreciate seeing it come together. I hope some of you can find aspects of the NWTL that inspire your own modeling efforts.
WOW! Cool story Jack. That must have been something to get to handle such an important piece of history.
I'm glad the powers that be in California now treat the spike with the consideration it deserves. Of course, the funny thing is the spike might have been safer from theft driving around in the trunk of the patrol car. Anonymity is a great security force. I remember hearing that the Hollywood jeweler, Harry Winston, use to deliver all his shipments (millions of dollars worth over the years) in plain brown packages via US Mail parcel post. He even shipped the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian parcel post. He never lost a single shipment.
Thank you springoflife. I will have to check out the book. The link I posted is to an on-line only article. As far as I know there is no print edition. It also focuses on just the events of the May 10th, 1869.
Popsrr, I have been considering that since the early days of the NWTL. I'm thinking of a coffee table style book with lots of photos and maybe a companion DVD. I've taken over 15,000 photos along the way and the Woodshire film crew has done videos of our operating sessions. If anyone hasn't see those videos here's a link: Woodshire Films - NorthWest Trunk Lines
Wow, good memory Popsrr. Faith and I had a lot of fun on those trips and the trek out to Eagle Nest Tunnel was certainly a highlight. Again, for those who missed it, Faith and I got up at 4am in Helena, drove an hour on two lane highway, another half hour on dirt roads, and then hiked 6 miles just to get this picture.
That view, with the rock face in full sunlight, can only be seen for about 90 minutes each morning for about six weeks around the summer solstice. And yes, it is rattle snake country. You don't want to do a lot of walking, let alone lay down, in the grass.
Stay tuned Bill.
Hi Sam,
No, we are not laying the track over the foam. The layout is built with a mixture of cookie cutter and spline benchwork. In most of the area around the gold spike it's spline. Like this...
If you look carefully at some of the photos around "Promontory" you'll see the spline running into the sceniced area.
The foam is cut to fill the area between the plywood decking and the spline. Todd really likes using the foam to carve the base of the terrain. He then adds plaster rock molds, hydrocal, and True Scene Modeling Fibre. The spline construction is naturally quiet and the foam surrounding the spline just deadens the sound even more. The problem with building on sheet foam on a single layer of plywood is that the structure is quite flexible (low natural frequency). That flexibility allows the structure to vibrate and transmit sound just like a paper speaker cone. The trick is to make your benchwork VERY rigid (high natural frequency) and minimize the surface area attached to the track. One of the best construction methods I've found for modules is to use 1/4" luan plywood top AND bottom on 2" foam. Putting the ply on both sides makes a composite structure similar to the floors in Boeing aircraft. It's strong enough that I can walk on it (that's saying something) but it's still pretty light weight. We used a little of this construction method for the On3 narrow gauge section that surround a chimney foundation on the NWTL. It's dead quiet.
Again, thank you very much for all the compliments. One of the reasons I enjoy posting about the NWTL here is that there are so many who appreciate seeing it come together. I hope some of you can find aspects of the NWTL that inspire your own modeling efforts.
quote:An interesting side story involving the famous "Gold Spike": For the grand opening of the California State Railroad Museum, during May 1981, the California State Highway Patrol transported the REAL Gold Spike from Stanford University to the California State Railroad Museum in the TRUNK OF A CHP PATROL CAR! Some of us from the 4449 crew, which arrived at the Museum about a week early for the big grand opening bash, where present when the CHP car drove into the grounds. The plain wood box was removed from the car trunk and carried into the new museum, to be placed in a thick glass viewing case, in order for for the public to see it. Upon questioning, the CHP officer allowed that the reason he was late; he had stopped for lunch enroute to Sacremento, WITH THE GOLD SPIKE IN THE TRUNK OF HIS CAR!
Some of us had the chance to "see it up close & personal" prior to the spike being placed in its viewing case. I sure wish I had had my camera with me!
Ten years later, for the 10th anniversary of the CSRM, the Gold Spike was transported from Stanford University in a BIG armored truck with a complete CHP escort. Upon arrival at the CSRM, an armed guard escorted "the wood box" into the building and ABSOLUTELY NO ONE WAS ALLOWED EVEN CLOSE! Someone finally understood the value & history of what was in "the box"!!!!
WOW! Cool story Jack. That must have been something to get to handle such an important piece of history.
I'm glad the powers that be in California now treat the spike with the consideration it deserves. Of course, the funny thing is the spike might have been safer from theft driving around in the trunk of the patrol car. Anonymity is a great security force. I remember hearing that the Hollywood jeweler, Harry Winston, use to deliver all his shipments (millions of dollars worth over the years) in plain brown packages via US Mail parcel post. He even shipped the Hope Diamond to the Smithsonian parcel post. He never lost a single shipment.
quote:Thanks for the recommendation, Dave! I will have to pick up a copy.
I've already read this one, and it was quite detailed:
Nothing Like It In the World, The Men Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad
Thank you springoflife. I will have to check out the book. The link I posted is to an on-line only article. As far as I know there is no print edition. It also focuses on just the events of the May 10th, 1869.
quote:Dave you should consider writing a book about all you did to create the NWTL.
Popsrr, I have been considering that since the early days of the NWTL. I'm thinking of a coffee table style book with lots of photos and maybe a companion DVD. I've taken over 15,000 photos along the way and the Woodshire film crew has done videos of our operating sessions. If anyone hasn't see those videos here's a link: Woodshire Films - NorthWest Trunk Lines
quote:I love the pictures of the layout, However the journey you made along both sides of the border(US/CA) a couple of years baCK was a favorite of mine. I liked all the work it took to figure out when to be a the face wall of the tunnel to get the pictures without shadows. Also loved the comments you made to the lady on the trip about the snakes and she laided down on the tressel to try and avoid them. I think you also had a very long hike in the darkness to just get to the place.
Wow, good memory Popsrr. Faith and I had a lot of fun on those trips and the trek out to Eagle Nest Tunnel was certainly a highlight. Again, for those who missed it, Faith and I got up at 4am in Helena, drove an hour on two lane highway, another half hour on dirt roads, and then hiked 6 miles just to get this picture.
That view, with the rock face in full sunlight, can only be seen for about 90 minutes each morning for about six weeks around the summer solstice. And yes, it is rattle snake country. You don't want to do a lot of walking, let alone lay down, in the grass.
quote:Fantastic, Can't wait to see the mainline video run.
Stay tuned Bill.
quote:Dave, it would appear that you have used 2" pink foam over plywood? I've done that with our home layout and also on the modular tables with Scaletrax. The noise level is quite high as if the foam actually amplifies the sound. Do you have the same there?
A home I originally had carpet foam under the (in my case) blue foam which was surprisingly loud. Then I reversed the placement with the foam direct to the plywood and the carpet foam on top with cork roadbed. Much better. At the club we just have the 2" foam on 1/4"Luann plywood which is awfully loud!
Hi Sam,
No, we are not laying the track over the foam. The layout is built with a mixture of cookie cutter and spline benchwork. In most of the area around the gold spike it's spline. Like this...
If you look carefully at some of the photos around "Promontory" you'll see the spline running into the sceniced area.
The foam is cut to fill the area between the plywood decking and the spline. Todd really likes using the foam to carve the base of the terrain. He then adds plaster rock molds, hydrocal, and True Scene Modeling Fibre. The spline construction is naturally quiet and the foam surrounding the spline just deadens the sound even more. The problem with building on sheet foam on a single layer of plywood is that the structure is quite flexible (low natural frequency). That flexibility allows the structure to vibrate and transmit sound just like a paper speaker cone. The trick is to make your benchwork VERY rigid (high natural frequency) and minimize the surface area attached to the track. One of the best construction methods I've found for modules is to use 1/4" luan plywood top AND bottom on 2" foam. Putting the ply on both sides makes a composite structure similar to the floors in Boeing aircraft. It's strong enough that I can walk on it (that's saying something
) but it's still pretty light weight. We used a little of this construction method for the On3 narrow gauge section that surround a chimney foundation on the NWTL. It's dead quiet. 
So, Dave, is this your model of where the UP and CP built tracks parallel to each other to gain the extra bucks per mile and because no one had told them where to meet the tracks?
Great photos, btw.
quote:Originally posted by SteveF:
So, Dave, is this your model of where the UP and CP built tracks parallel to each other to gain the extra bucks per mile and because no one had told them where to meet the tracks?
Some thing like that.
Hi all,
Our friends at the Woodshire Railroad were gracious enough to record the "Gold Spike" ceremony on the NorthWest Trunk Lines. After much editing they have put together a highlight reel of the evening. Thanks guys for the video.
I hope all of you who have been following our progress enjoy the video. Unlike earlier NWTL videos this one gives little more of a behind the scenes look at parts of the layout.
Our friends at the Woodshire Railroad were gracious enough to record the "Gold Spike" ceremony on the NorthWest Trunk Lines. After much editing they have put together a highlight reel of the evening. Thanks guys for the video.
I hope all of you who have been following our progress enjoy the video. Unlike earlier NWTL videos this one gives little more of a behind the scenes look at parts of the layout.
Awesome video... incredible layout. Someone needs to put together a complete layout tour.
quote:Someone needs to put together a complete layout tour.
Jim Barret seemed enthusiastic about doing something along those lines.
Hi all,
Last week several members of my crew and I had the opportunity to visit Promontory Summit in Utah. It gave us the fun of "recreating" the NWTL's GREAT EVENT at the place that inspired the festivities.
For those who have never been to Promontory, I highly recommend the trip. It's a bit out of the way, but if you're a rail fan it's worth every miles. The site is run by the National Parks Service. Besides a visitors Center they maintain and operate reproductions of the CP Jupiter and UP #119 locomotives.
One detail was a little off the day we visited. The flag flying atop the telegraph pole had only 20 stars (in use 1818-1819) rather than the 37 star flag used in 1869.
One of the other prime features of the historic site is the driving tour that allows you to drive several miles of the original CP roadbed. Along this stretch the CP and UP built parallel roadbeds until Congress set the final union point at Promontory Summit.
Along the route there are several points of interest marked gold spike signs. One such location is "Chinese Arch." This naturally occurring stone arch was once along the shoreline of Lake Bonneville. Today it offers a tremendous view of the Great Basin.
Last week several members of my crew and I had the opportunity to visit Promontory Summit in Utah. It gave us the fun of "recreating" the NWTL's GREAT EVENT at the place that inspired the festivities.
For those who have never been to Promontory, I highly recommend the trip. It's a bit out of the way, but if you're a rail fan it's worth every miles. The site is run by the National Parks Service. Besides a visitors Center they maintain and operate reproductions of the CP Jupiter and UP #119 locomotives.
One detail was a little off the day we visited. The flag flying atop the telegraph pole had only 20 stars (in use 1818-1819) rather than the 37 star flag used in 1869.
One of the other prime features of the historic site is the driving tour that allows you to drive several miles of the original CP roadbed. Along this stretch the CP and UP built parallel roadbeds until Congress set the final union point at Promontory Summit.
Along the route there are several points of interest marked gold spike signs. One such location is "Chinese Arch." This naturally occurring stone arch was once along the shoreline of Lake Bonneville. Today it offers a tremendous view of the Great Basin.
Hi all,
We had another "Great Event" at the NorthWest Trunk lines this past Monday. We had our annual Christmas Party. It's the one time that (nearly) all of us involved in the project are able to get together with our families and friends and see the layout at the same time. As the project has grown so has the group of wonderful people who have made it happen. This year we had 45 people in attendance.
From all of us to all of you on the forum we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year!
We had another "Great Event" at the NorthWest Trunk lines this past Monday. We had our annual Christmas Party. It's the one time that (nearly) all of us involved in the project are able to get together with our families and friends and see the layout at the same time. As the project has grown so has the group of wonderful people who have made it happen. This year we had 45 people in attendance.
From all of us to all of you on the forum we wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year!
Dave any new pictue up dates?
quote:Originally posted by Popsrr:
Dave any new pictue up dates?
Especially the ladies????
Hi all,
Now that the forum has permanent threads I thought I'd "hijack" the Great Event thread from last year. I changed the thread title from "GREAT EVENT - NorthWest Trunk Lines" to "Northwest Trunk Lines - The voyage continues." From now on I'll post NWTL updates here.
In the months since the Christmas Party we have been able to work on a lot of detail projects that had been by-passed in order to make the layout presentable for several events around the holidays. Much of the work isn't very photogenic. We have been steadily improving our iPad control panels and computer control system.
I've posted the above photos on several other threads. However, what's not clear in the photos is that we have now integrated audio and lighting and track power controls into the same system. When Peter (the layout owner) comes down stairs to run trains he can now press a single button on a lighting control pad and turn on track power around the entire layout. Another button on the same control pad can be pressed and held to bring up the lights. The lighting now works on a time basis. Press and hold the button and the "time of day" changes 1 hour every 2 seconds. When you let go of the button the lights stop at that time of day. It sounds simple enough, and it is pretty slick, but it took over 35,000 lines of computer code to make it work.
One really neat feature we barely got up and running in December was ambient location sounds. Peter made contact with a sound editor who is also a railroad buff. He has been building audio mixes for each location around the room. Initially these effects had to be turned on at each location manually. Now we have them integrated into the automation system. You can start and stop all the sounds from the computer, any iPad, or a DCS remote.
Originally posted by Popsrr:
Dave any new pictue up dates?Originally poster by Hot Water:Especially the ladies????
After about 3 months of staring at the computer I FINALLY got to work on a nice scenery project this past week with one of our scenery artists, Jennifer Theroux. (Middle front, sleeveless dress, in the Christmas photo) One of the things we skipped over to get the bulk of the NWTL's scenery built was bridge work. Here's a photo of the Skykomish, WA, section that was built with a temporary bridge across the aisle way.
The temp bridge was built of plywood and homasote. It has been perfectly functional for years but is hardly attractive. I designed the aisle and bridge angle from the beginning to use an Atlas Pratt truss bridge kit. The real bridge leading into Skykomish from the west is a two span truss bridge. The east span is a Pratt truss, so the Atlas kit was a natural selection.
I wanted to make some enhancements to the stock bridge kit. We added cast metal bridge feet, simulated concrete abutments, and gave the truss a light weathering. The biggest modification was replacing the stock plastic deck and Atlas code 215 rail with wood ties and ScaleTrax code 193 rail. Jennifer built the wood deck using O scale wood ties that she stained and weathered to look like creosoted wood. She built six sections of ties spiked together to the same dimensions as the brown plastic sections of the stock kit. I glued the tie sections to the bridge base and then spiked the ScaleTrax rail to the ties. To add another touch of realism I added code 148 guard rails across the bridge. A mere 1108 spikes later and we had a nice new bridge.
Hope you enjoy this little update.
Dave
The temp bridge was built of plywood and homasote. It has been perfectly functional for years but is hardly attractive. I designed the aisle and bridge angle from the beginning to use an Atlas Pratt truss bridge kit. The real bridge leading into Skykomish from the west is a two span truss bridge. The east span is a Pratt truss, so the Atlas kit was a natural selection.
I wanted to make some enhancements to the stock bridge kit. We added cast metal bridge feet, simulated concrete abutments, and gave the truss a light weathering. The biggest modification was replacing the stock plastic deck and Atlas code 215 rail with wood ties and ScaleTrax code 193 rail. Jennifer built the wood deck using O scale wood ties that she stained and weathered to look like creosoted wood. She built six sections of ties spiked together to the same dimensions as the brown plastic sections of the stock kit. I glued the tie sections to the bridge base and then spiked the ScaleTrax rail to the ties. To add another touch of realism I added code 148 guard rails across the bridge. A mere 1108 spikes later and we had a nice new bridge.
Hope you enjoy this little update.
Dave
Fabulous! Thanks, Dave.
Peter
Thanks for the update.
This makes me want to take another trip to the Pacific Northwest.
Thanks Peter.
Pat, you and Jean are welcome to pay us a visit any time. The layout has certainly changed a LOT since you were here in 2010. See if you can drag Bear and Jophie with you.
Thanks Dave this update shows what an amazing layout like this can do for the hobby and spreading the word about trains in general. Well done!!!!
Dave, looks great! Hope you can make multiple layouts like this so I can order one.
PS. Don't feed Jen to the wolfs here!
WOW Dave! What an amazing tribute!
Hi all,
We had some fun this week editing video taken over the summer. Kat Hazelton, sister of longtime crew member David Hazelton, is studying film and television production at Chapman University in Southern California. We put Kat's talents to good use and thought we would share the results with you.
This first video is quite long, but it's an often requested view of the layout that helps answer a common question... Just how big is this thing? As the title suggests, it's one complete lap around the single track mainline.
This second video has nothing to do with the layout, other than the fact that the crew and I are all in it. We had the distinct privilege to go for a ride in Peter Hambling's Douglas A-26 Invader, aka Sexy Sue. As seen earlier in this thread, Peter is the owner of the NWTL. He is also an avid aviation buff with a long family history in both commercial and military aviation. Sexy Sue was converted from a two engine WWII bomber into an executive aircraft in the early 1950's. Hope you don't mind me sharing with you an event that was pretty special for myself and the NWTL crew.
Dave:
Those were great. The layout is HUGE. I spotted several custom hand-laid ScaleTrax turnouts and at least one custom crossing. Excellent work.
I spotted several custom hand-laid ScaleTrax turnouts and at least one custom crossing.
Good eye Matt. There are 10 hand laid curved switches on the layout. All were made with ScaleTrax rail and Ross frogs following Ross #6 or #8 curved switch patterns. Dave made the points and I did all the rest of the work on the switches. Dave designed and built the crossing in the Spokane yard. He also hand laid the On30 and On3 dual gauge track including 0/0n3 dual gauge switches on the Leadville wye. I was proud of myself after making the curved switches but Dave blew me away when he laid the crossing and dual gauge. The is some very unique trackwork in several places on the layout.
And for something else unique take a look to the left of the screen from 2:45 to 3:05. The crew of the 0-8-0 has real work to do.
Thanks Matt! As Ted mentioned, I kind of got carried away with the custom track work. I posted fairly extensively above about the O/On30 dual gauge in Owenyo. Following on that I decided to build O/On3 dual gauge in our HIGHLY compressed representation of Leadville, CO. O/On3 is much more difficult than O/On30 because the "center" rails ends up farther off center. We have to restrict both the motive power and cabooses (because of differences in pick-up rollers) to a hand full of equipment that has been tested to run on the off-center center rail. It's also the only part of the layout with less than O-72 3-rail curves. The curves in the wye are roughly O-42.
Compared to the Leadville Wye, Owenyo was a piece of cake. Owenyo has two custom crossings with no moving parts. Leadville has four dual gauge switches, two hand laid On3 narrow gauge switches, and an On3 crossover that shifts the On3 from sharing one outside rail to the other in the middle of the wye. I'm glad I did it just to prove I could, but I NEVER intend to do it again. All totaled it took about five weeks of work to lay the track in Leadville.
We've run both O and On3 equipment through all the track work, but never at the same time. Right now the NWTL's Precision Scale On3 Climax is still a DC locomotive. Leadville is now wired and connected to AC track power with DCS. I recently purchased one of MTH's new HO GP-35's with Protosound 3E+, which is designed for Marklin HO 3-rail AC operation. We'll be cannibalizing the GP-35's electronics to convert the On3 Climax to AC operation on DCS. Once that's done we'll be able to operate O and On3 engines simultaneously in Leadville without any toggling between power sources.
Hi folks,
I posted some side by side location comparison photos over on the WPF thread and figured I should add them and a few more over here.
SILVER BOW CANYON, MT
[img]http://i155.photobucket.com/al...20Lines/DSC_6089.jpg[/img
PALISADES CANYON, NV
ROYAL GORGE, CO
OWENYO, CA
ST. PAUL PASS, MT
LOMBARD, MT
CASTLE GATE, UT
SKYKOMISH, WA
Hi all,
We've been doing some "wiring" on the NWTL lately and I thought it was time for new post.
Washington State is blessed with an abundance of hydroelectric power, much of which comes from the Bonneville Power Administration's dams on the Columbia River. The only unfortunate aspect is that the dams are east of the Cascade Mountains and most of the power is used on the west side of the range in Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, and the surrounding communities. Just like the railroads, the BPA was forced to cross some of steepest slopes in North America. Since the 1930's when the dams were built on the Columbia, the railroad lines across Stevens Pass (Great Northern), Snoqualmie Pass (Milwaukee Road), and Stampede Pass (Northern Pacific) have been closely paralleled by high tension towers flowing BPA power.
One of the scenes on the NWTL depicts Skykomish Washington, along the GN's route over Stevens Pass. In our representation the viewer is essentially standing in the Skykomish River looking south into the town.
In an effort to help "sell" the location we've added a string of five high tension towers on the opposite side of the viewing aisle. Three of the towers are an MTH set, which has recently been produced for the first time in many years. You can distinguish these towers by the single insulators for each wire. This type of insulator is common on towers that are in a straight line with both adjacent towers. The other two towers are 30+ year old brass models imported by House of Duddy. These towers feature double insulators, which are commonly used where the transmission lines change direction. All the towers were painted flat gray to match oxidized zinc galvanized steel and the insulators were paint with reddish brown high gloss to match brown glazed ceramic insulators.
For transmission wires we chose to use .5mm elastic beading filament, which is very close in O scale to the diameter of 1/0 cable. The filament is readily available at craft stores at very reasonable prices. The elastic filament is far more durable in this application than actual wire or string. When (not if) you snag a line, it will stretch to over six times its relaxed length without breaking. Once we pulled the cables through the insulators and set the slack a dot of CA glue keeps the lines from getting out of adjustment.
All in all, we're pretty pleased with the results.
Attachments
Images (6)
There must be some area that needed to be redone? I'd buy the old one for my cellar!!
Absolutely gorgeous Dave. Kind of makes me wish I needed some for my layout. Hasn't even been a week, and it looks like you guys got a lot done.
I heard a story about a History teacher who, at the beginning of the year, he taught Morse code to his students, and after a few lessons, there was a Morse code test. He had done this with every one of his classes for about 14 years. All of the kids who missed a few had to retake the test, but mind you, he was not mean, but thought if it was once a main way of communication, then people should know how to use it. Well, a couple months in the year, the kids were taking a test, and he noticed a kid, "randomly" blinking, the answers of the test in of course, Morse code. He stopped teaching Morse code after that. Just thought you older folks would like to hear that. Right after that, I thought, I should learn Morse code, you know, not to cheat with or anything like that.
Originally Posted by david1:
quote:Originally posted by Hot Water:quote:Originally posted by david1:
OK i'm confused
Dave
So you don't read Morris Code?
No i didn't learn the Morse code in school but i did learn the abacus. If you don't know what the abacus is just ask some old person.
Dave
Dave...absolutely breathtaking and another great story!!!
Alan
