urr
My formerly free Photobucket account dies in about a month. I figure what better way to celebrate being able to use free photo hosting for the last decade than to recap some of the highlights from my account over the years? I’m sure this will hit the bandwidth quota real quick so I can’t guarantee how long the pics will stay....
Most of these shots are from the Willoughby Line. This layout is my third large layout, a triple deck monster in a 13’ X 22’ room. I have been building this layout since 2004. The photos shown in this thread are all from my Photobucket account and have appeared somewhere in a forum on the web. There are lots of scenes on the layout that are not in these shots. Send me a PM if you want to see the current updates (PDF form).
Other places to check out:
The website: http://thewilloughbyline.com/
Two threads on this forum – one more time before they are toast:
Heavy metal - big Articulateds: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/88/p/248779/2776931.aspx
Turntable/ Swing gate build: http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/127351.aspx
The Old Layout:
My old layout. Inspired by John Allen, this hand carved Hydrocal plaster canyon was five feet deep. It took two years to complete the plaster carving on the layout.
My favorite Marklin Locomotive - the crocodile. My first experiments with Fine scale modeling, featuring scratch built catenary and details. This loco was so heavy/beastly that it rattled details off of loading docks as it ran around the layout.
Track laying supply car on a 2’ X 8’module that I built to test out scenic techniques before I started the current layout. The car is inspired by a photo of a construction train along the Hetch Hetchy line (one of my prototypes)
The Willoughby Line (current Layout)
Ninth Street (Bottom Deck):
The view of the ninth street scene. Street running, Big styrene boxes for buildings. The beginnings of the ice dock are in place – after the photo was taken I stated building the ice dock. It is now partially complete and is roughly five feet long across the front of the scene.
HWY 99 – Arvin (Bottom Deck)
The first part of the scenery on the new layout to be completed was this little scene right as you come in the door to the layout room. I thought it would be cool to do a play on the typical tracklaying scene by flipping it to a track removal scene. For years as the plywood pacific lurched forward, this was the only scenery on the layout. The men are super human as the rail is pretty heavy...
Tie plates in the grass at Arvin. A modeling friend had a bunch these tie plates so I painted up a few and put them in this scene.
Arvin scene along HWY 99. Scratch built fruit boxes on the deck of one of my favorite models the Campbell’s fruit shed.
Reefer cars along Hwy 99. I only need about 30 more of these to complete my reefer madness theme.
Static grass along HWY 99. The car is weathered with chalk.
Hetch Hetchy Junction (upper deck)
SERA #25 (a foobie) fills up at Hetch Hetchy Junction. HHJ was the first scene to be completed on the upper deck. Water tank is scratch built. The RPO is a favorite model of mine from the YV. I super-detailed, painted and decaled (uuuugh) the model.
SERA #25 at the HHJ station. Structure was scratch built from photos of HHJ Junction. The picture is another example of cell phone placement in the scene to get the shot.
The bear is zeroing in on some unsuspecting snackers at the mess hall in the workers camp at Hetch-Hetchy Junction. The bear is an inside joke meant to amuse my mother, who is fond of California Brown bears.
SERA #24 switching a side dump gon at Hetch Hetchy junction. The side dump is another favorite piece of rolling stock.
Briceburg/Mountain King (upper deck)
Log train crossing scratch built bridge at Briceburg. The YV log cars are some of my favorite cars. Here they are rolling through the partially completed scene.
The approach to Briceburg bridge. The oak tree is an “Okey-Dokey Oak” long OOP but sure looks good. Photo is an example of I-phone photography right down on the layout.
Black and white on Briceburg bridge – Loco is a modified Bachmann Yosemite Valley RR foobie. You can see the more complete foliage in the scene.
Bachmann shay rests at Mountain King mine siding. The engine has since been re-lettered and weathered.
I found this miner/Burro set in my stuff and decided it would go well in the junk field around Mountain king mine.
Mather (upper deck)
Proto 2000 stock car at the soon to be stock pen area in Mather. Note the hand painted backdrop in the distance...as best as I could muster.
Scratch built stock pen with cowhands killing time at Mather. Pens were built from plans in the Southern Pacific standards books.
HHRR caboose #14 at Mather in front of the stock pens. This repurposed SFRD old Time caboose is pretty easy for Santa Fe fans to spot. The HHRR had a very similar caboose on the roster but this stand in isn’t fooling a certain crowd. Notice the more complete ground cover.
Groveland (upper deck)
Looking into the woods at Groveland. The scene looks out over the helix. Finishing this area marks the completion of scenery all around the top deck.
HHRR Fivespot at the tank in Groveland. This brass 2-6-2 looks great but has eaten a gear and awaits new axle gear installation.
Well it will all be gone soon (I’m talking about the photos, not the layout), so I hope you enjoyed the quick tour down memory lane...
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Wonderful pictures of a great layout!
Thanks for sharing!
I hope you still have that old Marklin "Croc". It´s woirth a small fortune these days. In mint condition and oroginal box, it can fetch up to $1,000!
Guy, Enjoyed each and every photo, gave me a pleasant nostalgic feeling of bygone railroads and golden California summers.
Thanks and regards, Peter
Great great stuff Guy. Spent quite a while enjoying going through it. I was going to spend the day in the trainroom today anyway and your work just gave me a little extra push.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
That Groveland trucks-in-a-field is a shot I REALLY like. Not that I don't like the others. Which I do. The pictures of the guys hoisting a rail triggers "John Allen" instantly.
I'm a bit stymied by scenery right now, and these pictures get me more "in the mood".
Sure wouldn't mind others showing up on a different platform, someday.
Thanks for the treat,
Ed
Move them to Imgur, kid.
https://imgur.com/
WOW!
Thanks for sharing.
Wayne
Your technique and skills are very inspiring.
Amtrak America, 1971-Present.
Those are beautiful pictures and beautiful modeling work.
.
Thank you for sharing.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
I like them all and I love the bear.
Beautiful pix! Excuse my ignorance, please, but what's a "foobie?"
Deano
OT Dean Beautiful pix! Excuse my ignorance, please, but what's a "foobie?" Deano
A lot of people think that, because, well, hey, most of us are guys, and it looks exactly like that. However, if you look up the entemology of the part of the word that's the same as used for part of a woman's anatomy, espciecially in other contexts like that certain kind of trap, you'll find that the root behind it is a reference to someone who is a fool, long before the varient with the ie on the end became a reference for female anatomy.
The use of the ie on the end has become rather engrained, but I think the proper spelling would be 'fooby' since in this use it's not related to female anatomy.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Guy,
Some great stuff and fantastic models. You are a true craftsman. Thanks for sharing.
Allan
Remember its your railroad
Track to the BRVRR Website: http://www.brvrr.com/
Everyone - Thanks for all the kind words.
Ulrich - Yes I still have it. I would never sell it. I ran this loco as a kid in the 1960’s on a layout that folded down from the wall and rested over my bed...Sometimes I would sleep under the layout to avoid putting it all away...
Mel - The lower deck is the San Joaquin Valley in western Ca and the upper deck is the Sierras. On the bottom deck I have rolling stock from the SP, WP, Tidewater Southern and Modesto & Empire Traction Company. On the top deck I have rolling stock from the Sierra, Hetch Hetchy, Yosemite Valley and Westside railroads. Everything else that doesn’t fit goes under the Willoughby Line freelance railroad name. Arvin is represented in name only - meant to be a generic HWY 99 town. I do model Modesto (ninth street) so I got close to the Bakersfield vibe....
Dean – I meant foobie as a locomotive that is lettered for a prototype railroad that either didn’t have the type of loco on the roster or didn’t have the road number on the roster (or both) – an intentional fake.
Guy ... Your photos show a great layout. Thank you for sharing.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
Thanks for sharing! I love the bottom two pics especially. By the way if you need to host photos, check out www.imgur.com for hosting photos, it's what I use mostly.
Funny thing about railroad rosters, many times they have been shown to be incorrect. This was do mainly after new (to the aquiring company) stuff was received but was sold later and never intigreated into the line but at times may have been used. Don't know if this can happen much in new times but in old it happened more than one would think.
Thank you for a very nice tour of the layout, and I'm glad it's not gone! The trucks sitting rather randomly in the grass was my favorite picture also. I love the late summer look of yellowed out tall grass in real life too, more than green grass. Dan
A true inspiration to all.....so some good comes from Photobucket closing your account.......Thanks for Showing
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
rrebell Funny thing about railroad rosters, many times they have been shown to be incorrect. This was do mainly after new (to the aquiring company) stuff was received but was sold later and never intigreated into the line but at times may have been used. Don't know if this can happen much in new times but in old it happened more than one would think.
Definitely true of the class one railroads and in general in the old days.
Many of the lines I model had small rosters. Most of my buddies know all the locos on these lines by heart so I always try to call out the made up road numbers/non roster equipment..
Then again if I want to run something that doesn't fit in any other way I can letter it for the freelance name