Weekend Update 3/23/25

[davefoxx]

Sometimes I fantasize about doing the San Juan Central, but as a more plausible railroad following D&RGW practice and with a more workable track plan...

I fully support this decision and would enjoy seeing someone take the original San Juan Central track plan and alter it to fix its shortcomings, i.e., the ruling grade.

DFF

[Dave V]

I fully support this decision and would enjoy seeing someone take the original San Juan Central track plan and alter it to fix its shortcomings, i.e., the ruling grade.

DFF

I see three fundamental problems with the original, ignoring the obvious (train passing through scenes more than once on different tracks):

1) The ruling grade...something in excess of 5% at San Juan Hill.
2) The ruling curvature... Published as 15" radius but clearly a lie. To fit the space, something closer to 12-13" at San Juan Hill.
3) The utterly worthless and confounding yard layout at Montrose.

Even the Crazy Horse Bridge is 15". These radii would preclude K-class 2-8-2s and would reduce the consist of a C-19 to maybe two cars and a caboose at best. As for the curve/grade behind Montrose at San Juan Hill...there's a reason all the video shows trains descending and not ascending. Charlie Goetz, who owned the layout before donating it to the California State Transportation Museum, confirmed that that published minimum radius and maximum grade were far more generous than what was actually built.

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[dem34]

Makes you wonder. Did he work on it knowing it wouldn't work properly. Or was he just embarrassed that he had a headline layout with world class scenery but didn't have the heart to admit it wasn't a functional layout. Because I have done the latter twice so far.

[chessie system fan]

Would the solution be to just make it in a bigger space like 10x12 feet? I would imagine options are limited in the original 8x10 area.

[davefoxx]

Would the solution be to just make it in a bigger space like 10x12 feet? I would imagine options are limited in the original 8x10 area.

I think that’s exactly the answer.

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Makes you wonder. Did he work on it knowing it wouldn't work properly. Or was he just embarrassed that he had a headline layout with world class scenery but didn't have the heart to admit it wasn't a functional layout. Because I have done the latter twice so far.

Honestly, I don't think he worried about it. He was creating a three dimensional painting and I get the sense  the running trains were not actually the focus or important thing.

[Dave V]

Would the solution be to just make it in a bigger space like 10x12 feet? I would imagine options are limited in the original 8x10 area.

That's exactly what some folks have done.

Makes you wonder. Did he work on it knowing it wouldn't work properly. Or was he just embarrassed that he had a headline layout with world class scenery but didn't have the heart to admit it wasn't a functional layout. Because I have done the latter twice so far.

Realizing that Malcolm was much more an artist than model railroader, you start to realize that this was exactly on-brand. His home layout--the Denver & Rio Chama Western--was a series of disconnected loops and stub-ended tracks, most of which were merely for show. Sure, you occasionally see trains move in his scenes, but they didn't operate. That wasn't important to him. I don't think he was embarrassed at all... I think he just did what he normally did and Model Railroader insisted that it be an operational layout. I doubt Malcolm measured any curve radius or grade directly; I'm guessing after it was built he just fudged numbers because MR needed them for the articles.

[dnhouston]

I've been working on the interior for a diner.

[Iain]

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did a little more work on my tank car.

[Roger Holmes]

Two 3D printed trucks that I bought on eBay.  Woodland Scenics Ballast in one and Earth in the other.





The Golden Dragon Chinese Restaurant from the same vendor.  After seeing the photo it needs a little more touch-up painting.

[mu26aeh]

Caught a pair of YorkRail CF7s working Lincoln Yard this evening.

[InterurbanModels]

Pre-assembling an Osgood-Bradley 1929 "Electromobile" HO kit, and working on the tiny N scale cousin

[Ed Kapuscinski]

You'd never know it if I didn't tell you, and I WILL be telling everyone all the time now, but my photo (and SDs) are in the April MR.

https://conrail1285.com/look-ma-im-in-model-railroader/

[chuck geiger]

Junk under a shade tree.

[Missaberoad]

You'd never know it if I didn't tell you, and I WILL be telling everyone all the time now, but my photo (and SDs) are in the April MR.

Nice! Good job Ed! That shot has big Bernard Kempinski vibes too!