Innovative Recycling Solution for a Common Layout Problem.

Most of us enjoy beverages that come in Aluminium, & Glass. Fizzy beverages are too often seen on layouts, crushing scenery, hindering operations, and add to clutter, especially if they’re abandoned by their owners after having been consumed. For the solution to a folding layout cupholder, go here: http://www.newrailmodels.com/Products/Accessories/CupHolder/Default.htm

What happens if cans have nowhere easy to go when you’re done with them? Here’s an interesting solution that the guys at the Niles club came up with: A can & bottle chute disguised as a scale gas storage tank!

 

You can use a small office trashcan for personal layouts, or for clubs, use a full-sized trashcan.

By taking all those pre-sorted cans to a recycling center, it will probably pay for itself in a couple of trips! Who would have guessed an industry on the layout could actually make you money?

The Loop.

Let me be probably the millionth person who has said this, but: “Wow, the Tehachapi Loop is SPECTACULAR!” There’s excellent scenery, trains very frequently, and good mountain style railroading as a 3000 ton train armed with helpers fights its way upgrade, then brakes all the way down to Mojave or Bakersfield. It’s really exciting to see trains snake their way through the loop, it’s a railfan’s paradise.

A BNSF Container train begins entering the loop.

Looking through the container well cars, the lead locomotives round the loop next to the famous loop ranch. The Train will soon enter the tunnel.

A Union Pacific Mixed Freight enters the loop after fighting upgrade from Mojave.

Approaching the Loop is the train that followed us up from Bakersfield, Caliente and Bealville.

The Red Arrows map out the path of the tracks throught the loop. The arrow ending in the center of the photo enters “Tunnel 9″ and proceeds downgrade.

Here is the middle of the loop, the tracks begin looping downgrade, finally going through “tunnel 9″ before continuing down to Bakersfield.

 

I came across this unusual plaque which is a memorial to a horrific wreck in San Bernardino that claimed 4 lives, and injured dozens. Read the full story here: http://www.trainweb.org/KernJunction/cross.htm

One wonders why the words “Cross” “Memory” and “Employees” are so eroded ompared to the rest of the tragic message. I also wonder if the strange shape of the twisted rails coorelates to the wreck site.

Even more Info here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Bernardino_train_disaster 

It looks like the Mother and Daughter are looking and comtemplating the meaning of the cross on the hill, or perhaps they already know.

Field Trip: The Northern Half of Tehachapi Pass

Edison, Sandcut (Bena), Caliente, Bealville are the sidings and towns that comprise the area we took these photos. This will depict a North-> South compilation, starting in Edison, and ending in Bealville.

The Tehachapi Loop will be covered tommorow.

Basically, Edison is a small town that has a dozen or so seasonal packing sheds that deal with all the regional produce that includes potatoes, and oranges, both of which are shipped by ARMN (Union Pacific) mechanical reefer cars..

A nice orange packing shed in Edison proclaiming ”Tree Ripe Oranges”

Oddly enough, there’s a Winery down here. It looks like it used to be an ICE plant and cold storage in years past, judging by the architecture.

Modern Orange trees are unfortunately cut into little boxes, shaved on both the top and all the sides for easier picking. The entire grove of trees on the hill behind the grape vines in the foreground are all square!

A Fantastic old ATSF Candeliever signal bridge is still in operation here in Edison.

We’re now at Bena siding, ”Sand Cut” to the railfans. The ATSF signal bridge in the above photo is off in the distance there. We’re looking north towards Edison and Bakersfield.

 

Same location, looking south towards Tehachapi Pass. The regional plants in spring really look nice. As you can see those hills are almost completely brown now.

The first BNSF train of our trip arrives at Sand Cut about 15 minutes after we arived. A quartet of GE locomotive rounds the curve heading south towards the Loop.

Here we are in the pass itself, watching a Union pacific freight drift downgrade into Bakersfield, which is now at least 10 miles away.

Here’s a map showing the smallest town along our route, but one that is a popular modeling subject: Caliente. The appeal of this REALLY tiny town lies in its model railroad like curves, shown in the map above. The Train makes a sharp curve uphill going towards Bealville and Tehachapi.

Heading upgrade we reach the first tunnel at Bealville (not the first in the pass though) The road goes right above the portal, something to keep in mind for your next Model railroad tunnel portal.

 

Look at the STEEP grade that this UP stack trains is coasting down, it’s almost surreal when you’re standing there. It looks much steeper in real life, as you’re watching a 3000 ton train (no exaggeration there) drift downgrade.

The Train winds its way upgrade through the tiny town of Keene, and eventually to the Tehachapi Loop, which will be featured tomorrow.

Field Trip: Cajon Pass.

Over this last weekend, I went along with a group of my closest railroad buddies on an 1100 mile trek across the Central Valley in California, through the Techapi Mountain Range, and into the Mojave desert. We decided to also go on a bit of a detour to visit some of the best in western mountain railroading: Cajon Pass.

  

The Pass is spectacularly beautiful, and this time of year (May) it’s 80*F Degrees and sunny. It’s SO nice to be somewhere in California so remote that there aren’t ANY buildings in view from where we were. The Pass itself is only 20 miles from San Bernadino, yet it’s really untouched, almost pre-historic, except for the obvious attraction: these 4 (Four!) mainlines that run through Cajon (Box in Spanish) Pass. Three of the Mainlines are owned by the BNSF, and one by the Union Pacific. Because of the varied intensity of the grades between the alignments, one track is used only for ascending the grade (from San Bernardino) and one for Descending (From San Berdoo) with the UP and secondary BNSF main bi-directional, it seems.

BNSF Stack train descending downgrade into San Bernadino while BNSF TOFC trailer-train ascends the grade towards summit, only a mile or two east of my location.

 

We saw mostly double-stack container trains on Saturday, with a healthy mix of TOFC. We only saw a handful of mixed freight, but certainly enough, considering that there’s a train about every 10 (ten) Minutes!

A rare consist of locomotives on this mixed freight, including an EMD Oakway SD60, an ATSF GP60, and the usual power, a BNSF GEVO/ AC6000.

The Colorful history of the Pass is written in a nutshell below:

The Following is an excerpt from http://www.trainweb.org/cajongroup/History.html

The first railroad to operate over Cajon Pass was the California Southern Railroad, completed in 1885 with Santa Fe backing. From 1897 until 1902, the railroad was known as the Santa Fe Pacific. Starting in 1905, trains of the Los Angeles and Salt Lake Railroad (now the Union Pacific) began operating over Santa Fe rails through the Pass via a trackage rights agreement which is still in effect.

The original single-track line was built on a 2.2% grade from San Bernardino to Cajon Station. The final six mile climb to Summit was a 3% grade. When the line was double-tracked before WWI, the new track was built on a 2.2% grade the whole way. This resulted in a track that was two miles longer than the original route. This longer, yet gentler grade was used for eastbound, uphill trains, while downhill trains headed westbound on the original route. It was therefore necessary for trains to run left-handed, opposite of the usual practice.

In 1967 the Southern Pacific Railroad built a new, single-track line from West Colton to Palmdale. This line runs fairly close to the Santa Fe alignment between Devore and Summit.

In an attempt to revive passenger rail service, Congress passed the Rail Passenger Service Act in 1970. That Act created Amtrak, which on May 1, 1971 began a nation-wide passenger rail system, including routes through Cajon Pass.

In 1996, Union Pacific merged with Southern Pacific, and the Palmdale Cutoff was now part of the UP and AT&SF trackage agreement.

In 1997, Burlington Northern and AT&SF merged into the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. The railroad has over 33,000 route miles covering 28 states and two Canadian provinces. The UP has over 38,000 route miles covering 23 states. 

 

 

That brushy field between each track lends to some striking desert scenery! I didn’t run into any animals other than a couple of ground squirrels, but I’d imagine these hills have snakes, other reptiles, and some mammals. http://digital-desert.com/wildlife/ 

The highlight of the day was this consist of locomotives charging upgrade. From front to rear; BNSF AC6000, CN SD50F(!), BN SD60 “Whiteface”, BNSF C-44-9W.

What really sets Cajon Pass apart from a variety of good locations out in the Mojave Desert is that they frequently use Helpers. This pair of C-44-9W’s drifts almost silently downgrade ready to help a variety of trains upgrade today. They worked hard pushing the rear of at least 4 trains we saw that day.

 

This being my first trip to Cajon, I was floored at all the trains we had seen from 12-5. TRAINS magazine says that in a 25hr period, 100 trains travel over Cajon, and now that I’ve seen it, I can believe it! If you have a chance to go in the spring, I’d recommend it over any other time of the year. The Ground is still cool, not baked like it inevitably will be by June, July, August, September & October. The temperature is ideal, and the trains, as always, spectacular.

Obviously there aren’t any bathrooms out in the middle of nowhere, so please keep that in mind. Also bring LOTS of water, you’ll need it. Sunscreen is NECESSARY, and an umbrella, a cooler full of drinks and some folding chairs would be welcome additions.

 

The Rock Island Lives Again!

A few months ago, a railroad was reborn. The Idea behind it not unusual. However, how well it was executed certianly was. One Dream, one altered railroad history, and one great and offical site: www.rockrail.com

I wanted to look deeper into what motivated Eric Miller into taking what would seem a casual pastime into a really enthralling alternate history…if the Chicago, Rock Island& Pacific was saved from the jaws of defeat, and realistically rebound in the coming decades into a huge western railroad, eventually merging with the struggling Southern Pacific to create an imposing Class 1 railroad empire.

 The rest of this article will be a one-on-one interview on the threory behind his idea, how it relates to us as modelers, and to the internet with its professional looking site, and top notch modeling. So join us as we gain pointers into creating a “rock solid” freelanced future based on a prototype railroad. A renaissance in miniature, one could say.

The Interview with Eric Miller

-Was it you who came up with the idea for resurrecting the Rock Island?

 

Well I came up with this version of the Rock Island; I am sure there are others who have chosen other concepts so I can’t take full credit.

-Why the Rock Island?  

 

The Rock is in my blood – I remember it from growing up in Omaha, although it was already abandoned, traces still existed and it has always been my favorite railroad.  The Road of Planned Progress was a contender and never gave up the fight.  You can never forget the Rockets, 4-8-4s, and the consistently inconsistent paint schemes!

 

-Do you plan to keep it up-to-date, like Eric B’s UTAH BELT?  

 

That was my original intention; however, as I conduct more research and dig deeper into my own soul, I find myself wanting to stick to a certain era.  The late 90s brings so many good railfanning and modeling memories to me that I am planning a layout for that time period.  The momentum behind keeping up with the times is intriguing, but I can’t help thinking “will I like what railroading brings in the future?”  This decision seems safer to me and is a way to recall the “good old days.”

 

-How did you develop your paint scheme? It’s striking.

It was an evolution that began when I first started painting custom locomotives.  One of my favorite schemes was the SPSF Kodachrome, so I painted a few “modern” locomotives in that scheme, which gave me experience on custom painting.  I realized that it is difficult to paint a scheme with 3 colors with stripes and weird angles.  Therefore, the Rock Island scheme had to be simple to paint and maintain; something real railroads consider.  Second, I have always liked the BNSF Heritage I scheme – the simplicity of the yellow stripe and the separation of the dark top and bottom with a brighter, bolder midsection.  It makes so much sense for dealing with the effects of weathering.  Finally, I drew from my favorite Rock Island paint scheme: the black, red, and white introduced on their first diesels – FAs, F7s, and GP7s.  Reintroducing silver trucks was also important.  I then designed a way to balance those colors on a modern diesel, added the herald in front and the highly visible “speed lettering” on the flanks, and there you go.

 

-Do you believe that you have more or less freedom as a proto-freelancer?
Definitely more freedom – I can say that it is my own railroad so I can make decisions as I like – I can run my favorite locomotives, decide how many of each they should have and the reasoning behind it, etc.  However, I still have to stay within the laws of railroading and follow real market trends and FRA regulations, which enhances the realism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-How do you plan to incorporate the previous (acutal) history into your alternate scale modeled world?

Basically, my “altered” history of the Rock Island is the exact same right up until March, 1980 – but I have taken some liberties.  For example, a big assumption is that the Rock Island would have spent more capital over the years to ensure remaining solvent – this means better signalization, more double track and longer sidings, heavier rail, and an overall better maintenance program.  There are also a few changes in rolling stock history, like fulfilling the rumored order of Alco C430s.  I also added an important merger with the Chicago & Alton, which increases the Rock Island’s trackage in Missouri and Illinois, provides a better route between KC and St. Louis, and the shortest and fastest route between St. Louis and Chicago. 

The turning point of my alternate railroad is the early 80s, when the Rock turns away from its original plan to reduce its size to a core system and instead slides out of bankruptcy from selling off old equipment and some branch lines, partnering more with the Southern Pacific, and beginning to run more coal and chemical traffic to diversify its freight.  Then comes the official merger with the SP in mid-90s and the new system is totally solvent.

-What clues of the past from the (actual) company exist on your layout that hint or solidify the new alternate reality of this great company?

 

 

 

 

Mostly locomotives like the U30C, GP7, GP38, and C415.  Since a railroad cannot repaint its rolling stock overnight, there is still quite a bit of “Route Rock” blue and white out there, especially considering how much was built and rebuilt for the capital rebuild program.  There is also evidence from stations, like University Place Station, which is still painted in the white scheme with blue trim.-

Your Website is very well done, and to the untrained eye, can easily fool somebody into thinking this is an actual company. (More so when you first launched it) This was obviously intentional, what gave you the idea? 

 

The website was built to show what the Rock Island looks like today and anyone that wants to know about my fictional system has a resource to go to, which in turn adds to the legitimacy of my concept.  Any major corporate institution in the modern world has a motivating website and I felt my concept could be further supported by it.  My website really got off the ground with the help of my friend Matt Faruolo and his concept for the modern New York Central System’s website.

-What’s your favorite section of the site? 

 

Probably the history section because that is what I find most intriguing about the Rock Island and this section helps people understand what would have happened for the Rock to transcend bankruptcy and survive today.

-Any plans for website expansion?  

 

After learning about how many people are “tricked” by my website, I would like to add more subtle hints that this is an HO Scale railroad.  Therefore, I would like to add a section explaining my concept and another section in the “About Us” that shows what the Rock would look like today and include a sample photo of virtually every piece of rolling stock on the modern Rock Island.

-What trends are you seeing in the real roads that you plan to incorporate into your ROCK ISLAND?

The major trend in railroading today is that there is not enough capacity to meet shipper and passenger demands.  By keeping the Rock Island alive, in addition to the two other western railroads that exist in my modern scheme (BN and UP), there is more railroad mileage and therefore more capacity.

A specific trend in the routes that are still around is increasing the capacity and upgrading rolling stock.  The Rock Island will become a passenger corridor again when service begins from the Quad Cities to Chicago and is extended further west.  The Iowa Interstate Railroad shortline is buying new ES44AC locomotives to provide better service.  Union Pacific continues to upgrade the “Spine Line” between Minneapolis and KC and the “Cotton Rock” line between LA and Chicago.

-To the trained observer, what details from the past come forth into today? (A good example would be the SP light packages and how long they survived)
The six-digit freight car numbering system started in the mid-70s is mostly intact, with some obvious additions (coal cars and well cars for example).  However, the ROCK reporting marks have reverted back to R.I. but both share the same numbering system.  Some of the hot trains are still running, like the famous Train 57 and the hot intermodal train between Denver and Chicago.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Does your railroad have plans to invest in passenger service either for commuter or intercity routes?
The public perception of railroads is built on its passenger service; therefore, we play enormous roles from helping to finance improvements to passenger corridors that also help freight movement to simply cooperating with public agencies that run passenger trains on our track.  This includes a purchase-of-service agreement with many regional transit authorities like Metra.  There are some instances where we will help a community in its commuter rail planning by adjusting freight schedules or even considering capital investments.  This make commuter rail feasible in communities where it is not as likely to happen in real life, like the Omaha-Lincoln, Nebraska commuter rail corridor.

 

There is also an ongoing effort between my fictional Rock Island and Amtrak to expand service on our lines, which increases the mobility of the nation while increasing community awareness on our lines and helps safety campaigns such as Operation Lifesaver.  Such routes include the “Corn Belt Rocket” service between Lincoln, NE and Chicago and the “Rocky Mountain Rocket” daytime service between Denver and Chicago.  The extension of the flyer north from Oklahoma City to Minneapolis/St. Paul via Kansas City is also included in assumed new services.  It also is possible to introduce a new transcontinental passenger route bypassing Chicago between New York/Washington, DC and Los Angeles via Little Rock and Oklahoma on the “Choctaw Rocket” route.

-What is your favorite thing about your new, revitalized railroad?
Above all, I can model an inspiring railroad.  Let’s face it; railroads today aspire to be corporate conglomerates with acronyms unbeknown to the average citizen.  Class I railroads today are, for the most part, not interested in their image and what that means to their heritage.  When I began to get seriously involved in model railroading, I was most interested in the Burlington Northern Santa Fe because it took one of my favorite railroads, the BN, and combined it with the Santa Fe, another legendary railroad.  Then with paint scheme changes and logo changes, the potential of that concept was ruined.  With the Rock Island, I take complete pride in the railroad I model.

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Another Sneak Preview & Reminder

 

Coming Attractions Include:

-An official scenery tutorial from plywood to plants.

-Railroad Profile: The Reborn Rock Island!

-Essential Freight Car Weathering: Tank Cars

-Essential Freight Car Weathering: Reefer Cars

-Essential Freight Car Weathering: Flatcars

-Essential Freight Car Weathering: Gondolas

-Essential Freight Car Weathering: Passenger Cars

-Essential Freight Car Weathering: Steel Boxcars

-Essential Weathering: STEAM LOCOMOTIVES Part1- Small Steam/ Part 2. Large Steam

-Essential Weathering: Early Diesels

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 REMINDER

This blog works like a magazine, in which articles are categorized, by content and date. Click on the subject you’re interested in. Unlike most blogs, this information doesn’t go out of date, or become “old news” it should remain helpful for years to come, and I HIGHLY suggest you look around as much of the site as possible. Also, as more and more people click on a lot of the same links gives me a clue to the topic’s popularity, and thus give me inspiration to write more articles related to the most popular topics.

With that in mind, I’d like to hear from YOU. If you’d like an article about anything in particular, please leave a comment in this article telling me what you’d like to see more of. Your reply will almost always recieve an answer by me personally, so PLEASE suggest something you’d enjoy reading about.

  

Railroad Comercials

Although I really cannot see the direct impact upon the populace for railroad commercials, it’s nice to see that they exist. Why can’t I see the impact?

-Outside of telling the public what your vegetables, toys, and furniture had to go through to get to your local store, it really doesn’t make much sense.

-Most people who deal with the railroad (mostly industries) already know about how to ship, what railroad to use, etc.

-It seems that most ad agencies have been having problems portraying the railroads. The Santa Fe ad with the kid, the trainset, and the dad is kinda clunky in it’s portrayal of railroading and how it interacts with you.

-You cannot go to the store and demand that your lettuce come by rail in a Union Pacific ARMN reefer, or have your furniture and priceless collection of fragile objects come in a hydra-cushion boxcar, so why would the public care?

Here’s a few ads.

Some are campy, some are so-so, and a few, like the NS ad, are just AWESOME.

Amtrak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0MIkduzGx4&feature=related

“realistic” amtrak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jm5xVNjkYzU&feature=related

The Original Version of the spoof above:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjITNdIMLmE&feature=related

ATSF in the 1970’s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kQK1RPb8M8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQydxFO1LOY&feature=related

Danish railways
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lziZht1pCMg

NS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpYWEfKfy7Q

CSX
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy_5r-U1EnI&NR=1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jDk-g02GNw&NR=1

VIA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUKJXwJ9AYA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fh6hAJmympw&feature=related

LIRR
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxrmx8pgXMM&feature=related

UP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEPgg4xcEe0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-T0OLZ-i84&NR=1

 

Out of Production, but Not to be Forgotten!

Some of the best, (and worst) Transition-Era Models, and why you should buy them if you see them.

  Small steam and diesel locomotives are a personal penchant of mine. Whenever I come across one, I usually purchase at least one. Why? Because there are too many 4-8-8-4’s, 4-6-6-4’s, 2-6-6-2’s and 2-6-6-6’s on layouts across the country. Some collectors go nuts and collect the ENTIRE fleet of Union Pacific’s fleet of 25 big boys. At an average list price for the Athearn Genesis Big Boys around $449.98, someone could plop down  $11,249.50! and that’s not even including shipping, or state sales tax!! Rather insane, don’t you think?

  So therefore, it’s more economical, and fun to collect, DCC-equip and operate smaller stream locomotives. There are a lot of excellent locomotives from Bachmann’s SPECTRUM line, and those I’d highly regard.

However, below, I’ll point out some of the lesser-known offerings from yesteryear that would be fun to turn into a great model. If you’re not an adept scratchbuilder/ kitbasher, this article probably isn’t for you.

 Here’s an incomplete list of some of the more interesting small steam locomotives, and why you should take note of them next time you see them at a train show for dirt cheap.

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This AHM/Rivarossi 0-4-0.

What it lacks, like all 1970’s Rivarossi locomotives, in good running characteristics, it makes up for in charm. The motor is a bit on the large side, so I’d suggest a replacement can motor would be in order. As you can see, my locomotive isn’t prestine, I plan to begin kitbashing it into a more interesting locomotive and probably add DCC if I can.

You can find at least one on eBay in an average week.

Check out a page dedicated to the locomotive here:

http://tycotrain.tripod.com/ahmhoscaletrainscollectorsresource/id79.html

Some nice detail was cast into the drivers, representing a light, 1900’s era switcher. Note the Steel Cab. Also note some of the BEST archbar trucks made for a steam locomotive. The depth of the casting, the brakeshoes and the coils are all excellently done.

 

Not everything is as wonderful from up top. The wonky looking coal bunker with the cast-in shovels must have been a nice touch 30 year ago, but it looks bad today, and ruins the possibility of running more than one of these locomotived on your layout, unless there’s rules and regulations about putting the shovel just so on top of the coal pile. I plan to make this an oil burner anyway. The roof vent looks unconvincing too.

Another actually nice detail is the steam dome and unique looking whistle mounted on the right of it. The rivet detail is fairly good as well.

 

Not the best photo, but you get the picture, so to speak. The steps coming off the tender had a railing following alongside, but it didn’t have it when I bought it. The Ancient oil burning lamps will probably be replaced as I “modernize” it.

 

  

An attractive little switcher, This is another AHM/ Rivarossi offering, BUT, unlike most of the other Rivarossi offerings I’ve come across this one actually runs pretty well. It has nice detailing, interesting lines, and can be found on eBay from time to time.

The only thing that kind of makes me mad about this switcher is the pathetically small ladder on the back of this thing. It’s also superfluous considering the grab irons are right…there.

If you enjoy building micro layouts, like those on Carl Arednt’s Micro Layouts site: http://carendt.us/index.html This is THE locomotive for you. The wheelbase is slightly larger than a 6 wheel buckeye freight truck, Imagine the minimum radius this locomotive can operate at! Check out a page about the locomotive here: http://tycotrain.tripod.com/ahmhoscaletrainscollectorsresource/id90.html

This switcher was made many decades ago by the fabled manufacturer, Penn-line. This lil’ critter is probably better for Sn3.5 layouts thanks to its size, but will just as well work nicely in HO. Powered by a clunky system of awesome looking old bass gears, and an ozone producing 1950’s era open frame motor, it probably won’t work right off the swapmeet table. I would suggest putting something like a NWSL spud underneath it for power.

 

 

Yet another Rivarossi Tank engine, this is based on one of the surviving “Rock of Ages” Quarry locomotives in Vermont. Mine has been painted and weathered. When I find the time, I hope to repower it, plop a decoder in it, and hope to get it running again, after I file down those flanges to RP-25 contours at least!

Follow this link to learn more about this locomotive: http://tycotrain.tripod.com/ahmhoscaletrainscollectorsresource/id90.html

Bridges of The Sunset Route

The nice thing that sets Southern Pacific bridges from any of their competitors is their attention to detail. What would be a normal overpass is turned into an appealing testament to the espee’s pride in their railroad. You can find this Bridge on the highway 101 between San Jose and San Francisco.  

Look at those awesome ceramic roundels! They’re untouched by time, vandals, and the weather somehow. Also note the railing between the spans, another nice touch. Another interesting feature of this bridge is that it has been built, like much of SP’s bay area bridges with expansion in mind, with an prebuilt foundation for a second bridge. Perhaps I’ve got this backwards, and there used to be another span there, that has been removed.

Another interesting bridge is found in Oakland, near downtown. This Bridge features not only the ceramic roundel, but the ornate leafy patter around it. It also looks like a couple of trucks have misjudged their height on this bridge before.. It might be an interesting thing to model, if you were to cast this from plaster.

 

Ardenwood Historic Farm& The South Pacific Coast Railway.

Introduction.

For those who haven’t discovered the real gem of the south east San Francisco Bay Area, prepare for an authentic travel back in time. Now I wouldn’t say that if I didn’t mean it. Once you leave your car behind, you become the only anachronism.

This East Bay regional park is located in Fremont, not far from the 880 freeway. Lined with Eucalyptus trees as a traditional California windbreak, this farm is still fully operational today. The Centerpiece is a STUNNING 1889 Queen Anne Victorian Mansion, with all the amazing glass, woodwork, carpets, and period furniture you probably wouldn’t see anywhere else. In addition to the house itself, all of the original outbuildings remain, a variety of barns, sheds, tractor sheds, Sheep& Cattle pens, rabbit hutches, and a Victorian-era Aviary with a collection of live, impressive rare birds. Other unusual areas include an Indian Burial ground (luckily preserved by the Ardenwoods) and of course, the last remnant of the great South Pacific Coast railway.

If you’d like to visit this amazing park, follow this link to learn everything you need to know before going. Make sure to pack some sunscreen though, you’ll be out in the sun for most of the day.

http://www.ebparks.org/parks/ardenwood

The Railroad.

The South Pacific Coast Railway is one of my personal favorite narrow gauge operations. It ran from   a pier on the end of the dock on Alameda Island (near Oakland), known as “The Mole” to Santa Cruz. Learn a LOT more about the real railroad, as well as the official society that runs the mile-long 3 foot gauge line at Ardenwood Farms here: http://www.spcrr.org/ The Main purpose of the organization today is to help preserve the last fragments of rolling stock built by the once-popular Carter Bros. car builders, located in neighboring Newark, Ca. The Original site of the Car shops is, like almost everything historical in California, covered with housing tracts. 

The Depot at Ardenwood (The real stop at ardenwood was an ornate passenger shelter) is patterned after a SPC design.

The side of the depot that faces the railroad is deorated with old passenger carts, crates, and barrels.

 

A portion of their collection, showing a small Plymouth locomotive, and three ex-SPC and Southern Pacific Keeler branch boxcars. 36″ gauge wheel sets are certainly interesting, and note the switch “clear” post, to protect switching movements.

 

Although it looks old, don’t be fooled. It was built in 1989, it roughly follows design standards of the Westside Lumber Company.

This flatcar came from the predecessor of the Northwestern Pacific Railroad, the North Shore.

What’s California 1870’s era narrow gauge without link& Pin couplers, archbar trucks and wood frames and trussrods? Well, a whole lot safer, but at the speeds they operate this mile-long railroad, it doubt it’d ever be a problem.

The ride is scenic, lazily winding around the farm, from point to point. You really get a feel from what the area looked like as recently as 50 years ago, nothing but rolling farmland.

After curving around the previous field, you enter a grove of euclyptus trees.

These classic “harp” switchstands are really beautiful, and certianly define the location, railroad, and era. Also note that the switches don’t have points, two or three rails move into place, guiding the train along.

The line terminates just past the little “s” curve. It’s really pleasant, and a good way to get around to the back of the house, where a good deal of interesting attractions are.

After touring the house, looking at the animals, watching the birds, eating lunch, checking out the indian burial ground, and taking lots of pictures, I returned to the freight cars just before we left.

I urge you to check out one of the best parks in the Bay Area. If you live in the region or plan to visit San Francisco, be sure to visit this vivid portion of preserved history.