If anyone knows were some trackplans of some of the more famous California passes, Altamont, Donner, Feather River, Cajon, or Tehachapi, I'd greatly appreciate it if you could inform me were to look.
I'm doodling around with an idea for a layout I'd like to build sometime down the road, but can't stop planning one. I've narrowed my choices down to these because they where were I first saw trains, and all of them feature some grade and feature multiple railroads. Even Altamont still has commuter trains, to go on the old WP line.
Anyway, thanks.
I realize you are asking for model railroad track plan, but, I have found that Google Earth is a great resource for getting satellite photos of the prototype track plan. This may inspire you to develope an original for your train room. Just an idea.
Check out the Deming Sub by clicking on the pics:
There were two great articles on Cajon Pass in Model Railroad Planning 1999. Back issue here. The March, 1988 issue of Model Railroader had John Armstorng's exceptional track plan for Donner Pass as well as photos from Pelle Søeberg's former layout based on Caliente on Tehachapi. Back issue here.
For subscribers, one deck of Armstrong's 3-deck layout plan is here:http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1796(unfortunately, it's probably the least interesting of the three decks)
For subscribers, Søeborg's layout plan is here:http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1794
Don Mitchell's out-of-print book Walkaround Model Railroad Track Plans (Kalmbach, 1991) has a plan for the Feather River pass and a detailed plan for the La Mesa club's huge Tehachapi layout in San Diego. Jim Kelly's nciely done N scale Tehachapi was in Model Railroad Planning 1995. This issue is sold-out at Kalmbach, but turns up on eBay or from Railpub.
For Tehachapi, the best prototype souce is John Signor's Tehachapi (Golden West Books, 1983). Your library may be able to get it on an inter-library loan.
Although the Inside Gateway does connect at the Keddie Wye, the pass itself was really not shared among different railroads to the same extent as in Cajon, Tehachapi, or Altamont (in the past).
ByronModel RR Blog
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Most of the layouts I've seen based on the old WP Feather River Canyon route through the Sierra tend to focus in on the Keddie Wye in the canyon itself, where the Inside Gateway takes off for Bieber. That's really the more 'spectacular' region in the canyon. The actual pass through the Sierra watershed divide--Beckwourth Summit--is merely a tunnel through a low sage-covered hill leading into the Sierra Valley, headwaters of the Feather River.
Much more spectacular as far as mountain railroading, is the SP Donner Pass, where the railroad has to fall from 7000' feet at the summit to an elevation of 5800 feet at Truckee, hugging the granite ridges above Donner Lake.
Also, don't forget Cuesta Grade on the SP 'Coast Route' between Santa Margaurita and San Luis Obispo, where the railroad crosses the Santa Marguarita Mountains and drops down a curving, spectacular series of horseshoe curves to access the Pacific Coast just south of San Luis Obispo. It's extremely scenic.
All of these can be accessed by maps, especially Donner and Cuesta, in two books by John Signor: DONNER PASS and THE COAST LINE.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
Thanks, I forgot I actually have one of the John Signor books.
The problem I'm having is trying to condense the passes down to something reaonable for the amount of space I'm going to have to deal with. I'll definitely check out Google earth
Man, compromising on size sucks