SP Mountain District (Tehachapi Pass) - N scale

[C855B]

Nice.

[ChrisKLAS]

Nice .. I love CATS ..  are you able to sufficiently recreate the SP signal rules?  On the M&O, I've not tried to recreate any specific railroad rules outside of JMRI

Thanks! Yep, between defining a whole bunch of custom signals in CATS and using Logix within JMRI to "override" the CATS indication where the software gets confused (along with controlling the prototypical approach lighting scheme), it's working really well!

[kc9jts]

Yes I know this is probably getting nit-picky (but you did you say you want to capture all the nuances).  As info there was (and still is) only one block between each control point on the dispatcher screen between Bena and Cable (although Bena-Ilmon was recently updated to two indications).  The SP had an old K-code system in this area that involved "stepper" units at each location.  When a message was sent out along the line each "station" (read: control point) would start to decode the message until they realized whether or not it was intended for them.  Due to this and all the relay logic involved the amount of information sent back and forth was kept to a minimum and therefore indication blocks were not segregated in between control points.  Just to give you an idea of the volume (as in how little) a stepper unit could handle the crossover at Bealville actually needed two stepper units just for that location.  This old K-code system was still in place for the UP-SP merger and when the upgrades were done recently in this area the old K-code system was actually left intact albeit with a solid state interface.

I've spent the past couple evenings trying to whip the dispatcher's workstation into shape in preparation for Sunday's upcoming operating session, during which we'll try remote dispatching for the first time with my buddy in Tennessee running the show from 1,600 miles away. We did a little test run this evening and all went remarkably well, with my buddy running the board and me frantically running around the room(s) trying to keep an eye on four trains at once. I didn't get by any red signals, so I came away with that minor accomplishment under my belt.

Photo Caption: ATSF stacks (S-RIDA) and SP racks (KCOAU) are meeting at Walong, the Santa Fe's wine train empties (H-SRFR) are just about to enter single track at Cable, and the SP's EUESM land barge is lined into the hole at Bealville. The EUESM doesn't fit anywhere between Caliente and Marcel, so its a$$ end will be hanging out of W Bealville meaning he can only meet one there. The DS will send the racks on down to meet the manifest at Bealville, put the wine empties in at Marcel (where they'll meet the stack train that will leave Walong after the autoracks get by), then send the SP manifest up from Bealville to meet the wine empties at Walong, where they will have been waiting for him after heading down from Marcel to the Loop once the stack train cleared. 

[ChrisKLAS]

Another year, another cab ride. In the past year, most of the fascia and backdrops have been installed, CTC and signaling is 100% complete, and many other projects have been started or completed. Hope you enjoy it!

[TLOC]

Very nice, thanks for the ride. I look forward to your scenery efforts.

TomO

[sp org div]

Cool
The prized signal appears to be the cantaliver at Tehach...
Who gets credit for taking the time to put the correct handrails on it?

Jeff

[jagged ben]

Wow, how long is that train?  . You're still in Woodford as you round the loop and you're still on the loop as you enter Marcel.   .   Don't you think that's overdoing a little.

[ChrisKLAS]

Wow, how long is that train?  . You're still in Woodford as you round the loop and you're still on the loop as you enter Marcel.   .   Don't you think that's overdoing a little.

It's only a mile and a quarter from Woodford to Walong and 8/10 of a mile from Walong to Marcel in the real world! You've never seen a train longer than 6,600ft???

The prized signal appears to be the cantaliver at Tehach...
Who gets credit for taking the time to put the correct handrails on it?

That'd be Richard at Custom Signal Systems. He does phenomenal work!

Very nice, thanks for the ride. I look forward to your scenery efforts.

Thanks, Tom!

[jagged ben]

It's only a mile and a quarter from Woodford to Walong and 8/10 of a mile from Walong to Marcel in the real world! You've never seen a train longer than 6,600ft???

So the train was 6,600 scale feet?   

(Seriously, I think a train would have to be about 2 miles for the engineer to see his own tail still in Woodford when rounding the far side of the loop.  Remember that's another 3500 or so ft in the loop.   But your point about Marcel is well taken.   When I looked back through my pictures I have seen a train long enough to enter Marcel when the tail was still behind the loop hill.  It did have helpers though!)   

[ednadolski]

Looking great!   Are you going to use LED strip lighting on the lower decks?

Ed

[ChrisKLAS]

I spent awhile today trying to get a handle on exactly what's on the layout for insurance purposes, and the numbers kind of astounded me!

Mainline Length: 598.56ft/18.13 scale miles
Total Trackage: 1714.6ft/51.95 scale miles
Switches/Turnouts: 107
Detected CTC/APB/ABS Blocks: 87
Signal Masts: 104
Signal Heads: 152

Locomotives: 82
Freight Cars: 567
Passenger Cars: 19

Here's a current pano of the layout from one corner. Visible progress has been slow this summer as I've been out of town quite a bit trying to escape the desert heat and, when I have been home, I've been working on the other new toy in my house (pictured below). I'm hoping to finish up fascia installation, get the backdrops finished and painted, and the fascia stained in preparation for the beginning of scenery by the fall.

[ednadolski]

the numbers kind of astounded me!

I have no clue what a cockpit sim like that would take to put together, but as far as the garage is concerned it looks like you could have put either the RR in there or else a pretty nice set of wheels.   I'd say you made the better choice

Ed

[ChrisKLAS]

I have no clue what a cockpit sim like that would take to put together, but as far as the garage is concerned it looks like you could have put either the RR in there or else a pretty nice set of wheels.   I'd say you made the better choice

Ed

It's funny you mention that. My neighbors never let me hear the end of it for parking the Maserati outside. Of course, they don't know what's in the garage either, lest the powers-that-be at the HOA decide to try to enforce their rule against "converting the garage into a finished living space."

[auburnrails]

Tehachapi Pass layout.  Full size flight simulator.  Maserati. 

Waiter, check please.

[C855B]

What Chris isn't saying is the neighbors are complaining about the Maserati because it's a 35-year-old pile of rust that used to be a Biturbo.