I thought I'd bring everyone up to date on my progress via a photo essay. Our tour guide is GP-9 5978, the latest kitten in the litter.
Our train is eastbound at Eckhart Junction, heading under the old State Line Branch, on the west end of the Cumberland Narrows.
5978 and mate (GP-40 4061) coming into City Junction, rounding the O-31 curve that will take us under the city (hidden trackage).
Our train is passing the WESTERN MARYLAND Cumberland station, entering the 45 degree crossing. From this point, we can either head over to the B&O side, or continue onto the Cumberland Viaduct.
Climbing over the Viaduct.
Rounding the west side of the old court house and Allegany Academy, heading westbound now.
Our train has now looped over itself (Tehachapi style) and is now traversing the State Line bridge.
Now heading back onto the original CONNELLSVILLE SUBDIVISION, preparing to enter the town of Meyersdale, PA.
On our return trip we opted for B&O rails, and are about to cross Baltimore St.
This is the return loop thru town, with a maximum train length of 15 cars.
Front of train is coming out of Narrows, while markers are just coming past the 45 degree crossing, next to station.
This is the area linking old (CONNELLSVILLE SUBDIVISION) with new (CUMBERLAND EXTENSION).
That's a keeper!
Coming "eastbound" across Viaduct Junction.
More over/under action.
Well, our tour is over. Time to get back to work!
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
Fife - just amazing what you have done! Can't wait to see the Yellowbelly pulling some streamlined passenger cars around the Cumberland Extension! Or the B&O Sharks pulling their newly acquired passenger cars (thanks RT!). Also want to get a closer look that the new GP9!A+++++ work there bud!
Wow! Nice progress, Fifey! I love the fall foliage. Very realistic.
Great photos. A real treat to see them.
Jim
Modeling the Baltimore waterfront in HO scale
Thank you gentlemen.
Chief - K-LINE tubular with JOHNSON'S rubber roadbed. I use ROSS track on the bridges because it just looks better with the girders.
Jumijo - Trying to capture that last gasp of fall foliage.
88 - check the minimum radius before you haul that stuff over to fifedom...
FIFE,
Great job on everything you did, really looks good. With all that CHESSIE pics are you trying to get into the GOOD GRACES of all them OHIO BOYZ?
laz57
laz 57 wrote: FIFE, Great job on everything you did, really looks good. With all that CHESSIE pics are you trying to get into the GOOD GRACES of all them OHIO BOYZ?laz57
I can hear the "suckie" noise right now.
RIP Chewy - best dog I ever had.
ChiefEagles wrote: laz 57 wrote: FIFE, Great job on everything you did, really looks good. With all that CHESSIE pics are you trying to get into the GOOD GRACES of all them OHIO BOYZ?laz57I can hear the "suckie" noise right now.
LOL CHIEF, YOU DA MAN!
Fifer - Sweet!
How much larger does this make your layout? Did it double in size?
Regards, Roy
Roy - The new section is only 7 x 6'2". Tied in with the old CONNELLSVILLE SUB, the railroad now measures a "still" manageable 9 x 13. My 2.0 speed-controlled engines take approx. 1 min 25 sec to make a complete circuit at 16 volts.
Dave C - The switch from the smaller scales to "Hi-Rail" has allowed me to concentrate on giving the scenery the right "flavor" without having to sweat the details. If I built a contest quality kit for the railroad, it would stick out like a purple thumb. I want the visitor to watch the trains, while getting the feeling they've been in the area before.
Brutus - Chessie is my all-time favorite, but I certainly would love if Mr Wolfe brought out a chop-nosed GP9/GP7 in WESTERN MARYLAND colors.
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
cnw1995 - Whenever you get in the area, the throttle's all yours!
Mntneer - I'm game if CTT is. Thanks.
lionroar88 wrote:Waiting for more pics here Fife... been a month since we've seen updates!
Yuuuuuuuup. Been a month since I actually did something other than run trains for company...
fifedog wrote: lionroar88 wrote:Waiting for more pics here Fife... been a month since we've seen updates! Yuuuuuuuup. Been a month since I actually did something other than run trains for company...
Get on the stick, Fifey! We need a photo fix!
Fife, in the event you missed the subtlety in all of these posts........
WE WANT FIFE PICS. And no, we won't send money first.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
RockIsland52 wrote: Fife, in the event you missed the subtlety in all of these posts........WE WANT FIFE PICS. And no, we won't send money first.Jack
Fife, do you plan on using plaster cloth to tie all of your plywood viaducts and house platforms together? I am starting to see that starting from a completely flat bench and building solid earth and hills out of foam and foam inclines might not really be the way to go. This is the stuff I really don't understand completely yet.
Wes
Wes - The next hillside will rise just above and behind the town, and extend on a downward slope towards the old benchwork. The train will emerge from under the town thru a concrete tunnel portal. The hill will be fashioned with plywood scaffolding and cardboard strips, then covered with a layer of plaster cloth. The Army Corps of Engineers built concrete retaining walls all throughout Cumberland (to turn back an angry Wills Creek from time-to-time), and that's how I will dress some of the vertical gaps inside the town. The curved Viaduct will be scratchbuilt from plywood, painted to match concrete, and really distressed with cracks, patches, and vines. Last to go in will be the main shopping district (Baltimore Street), which will fill the opening in the foreground.
Not knocking foam, but I would have to spend a God-awful amount of time carving it like a Pumpkin, when all I need is the shell...make sense?
That totally makes sense. Why change something that people have been using for layouts for years! You could have the cloth down in just a couple of days. Sounds good to me.
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