...and now for something completely different.
So I started a post/thread about my Wisconsin & Central Hayward Junction over a year and a half ago with every intention on keeping it updated both online and irl (in other words keep building the layout). And then, nothing. I lost my mojo for it and months went by with nothing happening on it. So down it came. I'm still a die-hard WC guy but couldn't quite figure what my next modelling move with northern Wisconsin was going to be. Should go all ore and embrace the 5' long lake freighter I built (for some reason), should I go back to just a small town branch line all about pulpwood, should I move south and build an HO version of WC mainline action in lake Villa, Illinois from Model Railroader's N scale plan? Or something really different?
Living in Alaska, a "perk" is that Alaska Airlines has regular direct flights to Hawaii, only 6 hours due south as the crow flies. And keeps on flying. So like almost everyone else in the state, I migrate to tropical climes for a weeks or so mid winter. Something about having snow 8 months of the year will make it seem really affordable. For a few years now I've noticed things that are particularly railroady, a trait I'm sure almost all of share. The ability to look at any town, harbor, scenic view, building, or even simple rock and instantly start figuring out how to model it. Several spots in Maui struck me as begging to be modeled, but what really did it was a trip to the big island and seeing both old lava flows that have resorts, roads, and infrastructure plopped down in them, and the port of Kawaihae on the west shore which seemed perfect-sized for modelling. (Turns out I'm not alone Joseph Kreiss's Big Island Rail layout models exactly that too!).
So in March of this year down came Wisconsin in Alaska, up goes Maui in Alaska. Briefly, it is a shelf layout built on shelf brackets with Styrofoam glued to plank boards and 1x2 reinforcements. My studio/train room is a 19'by 8' room in my heated 2-car garage, not too big a sacrifice since my Tacoma won't fit in there and still leaving my spouse happy not to be scraping snow of her car. I have lift-out in front of the door ands layout is set at chest height for me. The Hawaii & Pacific is a totally fictional railroad of my making but Hawaii does have an extensive history of railroads, there were even some last vestiges of narrow gauge still to be found in Lahaina. I envisioned a modern short line linked to North America with ocean going rail barges and containers, much like the Alaska Railroad here at home. I used TacomaRail as inspiration, the Hawaii & Pacific would run 2nd gen diesels with a couple up to date high horse SD70s or GE's for heavy stuff. Essentially what I designed is a point to point layout with switching & train make-up at either end and the ability to run continuous via the lift-out. I wanted to model the present era with 40' well cars hauling 40 & 45 foot containers (it looks like 45' are the largest that go to HI), modern reefers for produce both to/from, and lots of bulk commodities in covered hoppers and tank cars that need to get to the islands. Added bonus was business shipping refuse/garbage back to the mainland. After trying to be uncommitted to where/which Hawaiiian island was my setting, I gave in and I'm just calling it Maui. Many of the scenes I'm modelling find there reference there and it's my favorite island so what the heck. Enough writing, here's some photos of where I am so far [ Guests cannot view attachments ] [ Guests cannot view attachments ]
