Silicon Valley FreeMo-N: SV Station & San Felipe Desert Modules and Show Photos

[RBrodzinsky]

Hi All,

Since I am new here at The Railwire, but not to modelling, a quick intro for those who do not know me. I have been modelling for about 5 years now, and active in the SV FreeMoN group for the past 2.5 years. I have the JACALAR layout  at home, and created the Silicon Valley station and San Felipe desert modules  for the FreeMoN shows.  Both are well documented over on Trainboard, so I don't plan to repeat all that info (the embedded links take you to my primary threads, there, for those interested).

What I do plan is to continue MC Fujiwara's SV FreeMoN posts about the shows we attend, with as many pictures and (maybe) video that I can manage.  With MC cutting back on his FreeMo-N time, I also encourage the other members of our loosely affiliated band of anarchists, with great modeling skills, to post their photos here, too.

My San Felipe module is a generic desert scene, with a ghost town, abandoned right-of-way, burned out trestle and 4 coyotes. This photo, with a desert background photo-shopped in is one of my favorites



While this, from the recent Great American Train Show, at the Craneway Pavillion in Richmond, CA, (Jan 3-4, 2015) features one of MC's trains



Rick

[RBrodzinsky]

These shots from the Jan '15 show feature my Silicon Valley Station module, the new Kato FEF with excursion train

The FEF parked at teh station, with the old section of town across the tracks
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An Amtrak train on the opposite platform
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Wider view, showing the right side of the station, parking and bus areas. It also, unfortunately, highlights some of the damage one experiences with these portable modules
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These two views are looking across the park, back towards the station

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[RBrodzinsky]

From the same show, Nils' Bridge o' Wonder, with an AC-12 traveling across it, pulling a mixed freight consist







Rick

[RBrodzinsky]

Ryan Wilkerson's very cool Dunsmuir module (in progress), and the AC 12 going through it



Here the AC-12 is approaching Nils' new Wall of Rock


Rick

[RBrodzinsky]

Making its way around the rock faced turn








Rick

[Mark W]

Great to hear you'll be picking up the torch and carrying it on!  That depot is great!  The detail you put into it absolutely makes the scene come to life!  One of these days I'll operate a train or two through the station.

[chuck geiger]

Amazing work

[RBrodzinsky]

Paraprhasing the immortal words of MC Fujiwara:  The Silicon Valley FreeMoN-sters will be rocking the Great Train Show in Sacramento, CA, Feb 28 & March 1.  In conjunction  with the nascent Sacramento FreeMoN group, our own Ryan Wilkerson and the help of other local N-scalers, a number of the SV team will be making the long(ish) drive up to Sacramento to set up at the Cal Expo site.

Hope to see a lot of new faces as folks from the Central Valley and Sierras attend this show, rather than the ones in the Bay Area.

[RBrodzinsky]

We had an absolutely great show this past weekend, at the Great Train Show, at CalExpo in Sacramento.  Attendance was phenomenal, and it was very nice to see a lot of new faces (one does tend to see the same folks when attending the same shows).  There were also a lot of familiar ones, of course.

Here are some photos of the event.  These do not do justice to all the folks in SV FreeMoN and (the new) Sacramento FreeMoN groups who participated.

Here's my Morning Daylight, at Silicon Valley Station

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The photo (and all the ones coming through the Rock Wall photos) was taken using my new 14mm fully MANUAL, high optic quality lens. I acquired it primarily for night-sky photography, but wanted to give it a try at the show, since it really lets you see the scene. And, IMHO, a much better optical quality photo than I get with my wide angle zoom, even for this type of photo.

Here's an Amtrak pulling into the station, next to the Daylight

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[RBrodzinsky]

Nils' "Wall of Rock" has had a lot finishing touches added to it, since its debut at the Richmond Show in January. Ballast, drainage pipes, a stream... all contribute to the realistic impact this 90(ish) degree curve makes

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Here is one of his unit coal trains pulling through (he runs LONG ones)

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and, here we see Eric's Amtrak, along with Eric and Nils

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[RBrodzinsky]

Here is Amtrak on Ryan Wilkerson's fantastic Dunsmuir module.  It has had a whole forest grow, since January, and keeps getting better and better

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Close up of #123

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[RBrodzinsky]

Nils' industrial module has continued to evolve. Here we see the details taking shape on the retail space. Not too sure about a logging truck in the urban environment.... There are upward spot lights for the palm trees

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Close up of the store fronts

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[RBrodzinsky]

The front edge of the module also has this new amazing loading bay area. Even down to the appropriate placards. There are even hazardous material placards, but I didn't see the MSDS binders, nor are there any safety showers or eyewash stations

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[RBrodzinsky]

There is even a homeless encampment under the highway bridge!

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and, some freight moving through

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A wider view of the whole module

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[RBrodzinsky]

Anyone want a Tesla (the opposite side is for iPhone 6)

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And there is this new factory building (with an interior that extends far beyond the edge of the module - maybe Nils needs a TARDIS, too)

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