ATSF Los Angeles Division, circa 1949

[draskouasshat]

Ill have to see if i have the bookmark still but you can order 4x8 sheets of styrene. The company i was looking at would cut them down as well. Im planning on 2'x8' sheets for my backdrops of whatever layout i eventually build.

Drasko

[Cajonpassfan]

In between my not so enjoyable dcc projects, I’ve done a bit more rough scenery work on the Cajon peninsula. Boy what a difference does a bit of fascia make! Next is the Blue Cut side around the corner...
Otto

[Yannis]

Admirable work there! I will be following with great interest since i am modelling the same division (Pasadena subdivision in HO) albeit 20 years later.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks Yannis! Are you local to SoCal?
Otto

[Yannis]

Thanks Yannis! Are you local to SoCal?
Otto

You are more than welcome Otto. No I am not local to SoCal, it would have been very nice though.

[Cajonpassfan]

You are more than welcome Otto. No I am not local to SoCal, it would have been very nice though.

Too bad, your layout should be very interesting to run on...
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

With some more fascias going up around the layout, I decided to start hanging curtains below, to hide all the junk. Black feels too foreboding to me, so I went with dark blue fabric to play off the carpeting and my California sky backdrops. Pics below of entry into the layout room at Summit, and of the “operator tunnel”, the only duckunder I have. It’s under the removable Summit wye and the opening is 56” high, and most of the time the wye lives in a storage closet. For ops with steam helpers though, ducking will be required. Small price to pay I think...
Otto

[Yannis]

Very nice curtains there Otto. They sure add a ton of tidiness feeling to the layout.

Many thanks for the compliment on operating/running the layout!

Quick question (if i understood right), do you run trains to/from 1st Yard in LA to SB and then through to Cajon?

[coldriver]

Really like how this is coming together Otto - the overall look is outstanding!  I've been to layouts where you literally had to duck under on hands and knees so 56" doesn't seem too bad. 

[Cajonpassfan]

Very nice curtains there Otto. They sure add a ton of tidiness feeling to the layout.

Many thanks for the compliment on operating/running the layout!

Quick question (if i understood right), do you run trains to/from 1st Yard in LA to SB and then through to Cajon?

Thanks Yannis. In answer to your question, the fully modeled layout is only San Bernardino to Summit, and it’s relatively accurate with every siding on the Pass represented, with hidden East end staging (Barstow) in an adjacent room (garage). West end staging (Los Angeles) also started out as a hidden yard, but I’m slowly scenicking it to be somewhat representative of First Street and Union Station. I wanted to give the LA operator, whose principal job it is to bring trains in and out of LA something more fun to see and do. Time will tell...
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

Really like how this is coming together Otto - the overall look is outstanding!  I've been to layouts where you literally had to duck under on hands and knees so 56" doesn't seem too bad.

@coldriver, thank you, coming from you, I’m flattered. And yea, I’ve been to a couple of those layouts as well...
I struggled with the duckunder. It actually started to be 62” high, but I ended up building a 6” platform along Summit and through the duckunder, because the 65” elevation at Summit turned out to be a bit too high for me (and I am 6’1) and especially for some of my shorter friends. Funny how these things evolve...
Otto

[Yannis]

Otto thank you for the details. Reading about the representation of the 1st street yard in previous posts, brought up questions in my head about macro-ops for freights in the division hence my question about the local freights and the 2nd district.

[Cajonpassfan]

The fascia work at Cajon forced me to finalize the “access window” to the back side of LAUPT, below on the lower deck.
The backdrop swings up and is held in place in horizontal position by kitchen cabinet magnets when needed. When down, two small slides keep it locked in place. Slick, I think...I like simple, low tech solutions, my modeling life is complicated enough as is...
Otto K.

[CRL]

Is your lower level a “sit in chair & roll around” level?

[Cajonpassfan]

Yes, that’s the idea around the big yards, although there isn’t much “rolling around” involved.
There are three, possibly four, sitting operator positions with easy reach of their assigned areas (Fifth Street Tower, West Yard Tower, Yardmaster/Trainmaster). They are in close proximity and communicate verbally with each other. Only the Yardmaster/Trainmaster is in contact with the Dispatcher via intercom. That’s the plan, anyway.

At its core, this is a mountain railroad. The only way I could get a 35” climb up to Summit without compromising the 2.2% helper grade or ending up at the ceiling was to set the yards at desk height and Summit at 65” (the floor at Summit is raised by two 6” steps resulting in a very comfortable height). I had my doubts when I designed it but I like the way it’s turning out, and frankly, as I’m getting older, I really enjoy a sit-down job... There will be plenty walking around available as well, and the majority of the trip over the Hill takes place on the upper deck which is close to optimal height for me, 42” to 65” inches.
Otto K.