Tehachapi, BC

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks guys.  RE woodworking, I really should credit my dad who had low enough standards for his DIY home projects that he was willing to let his kid (me) go to town with a saw.  Mostly, that experience taught me how to think through a project -- and I forever treasure that.

And why so stingy with the layout photos?!!  Why use just one to succinctly illustrate your point...when you can post two or three and give us a view of all the adjacent bench and track and stuff? Stop the teasing!!!  I have to say if I was there looking at your layout, and you were showing me something, I'd also be enjoying the chance to look at all the other nearby parts of your layout.

Ok Steven, this will teach you to ask for more layout shots.  Here's a pair that encompasses the upper deck work to date:





Now, could you please photoshop all the junk out of them like you did before? 

Cheers,
Gary

P.S. When I get further along with the lower deck, I'll have a better idea of what to store where under the layout.  At that point I'll seek better storage solutions for things.

[JSL]

That looks awesome Gary.    Artist at work!!!

[Philip H]

Gary,
Clearly your dad also taught you what to do with that saw, as did mine.  I think once you get teh benchwork done, you'll end up designing and installing custom cabinets - and we'll all be insanely jealous!

[Dave Schneider]

Gary,

Skip the cabinet making and head directly to wooden boat building. All you need are some ratty Carhartts and a black lab in a pickup truck.
On the US side, Port Townsend, WA is lovely place for this lifestyle. http://woodenboat.org/

Best wishes, Dave

[arbomambo]

Seriously, one of the best thought and planned Tehachapi concepts I believe I've ever seen...viewed through the eyes of a railfan!
Respectfully,
Bruce

[Cajonpassfan]

Gary, you're not planning to cover that beautiful benchwork with scenery, are you?
Very nice work!
Otto K.

[GaryHinshaw]

Just came across this nice aerial photo of Mojave on RailPic today.  Of special resonance to me is that it was taken aboard the NASA Shuttle Carrier which was bringing Endeavor to its final resting place near LAX.   

The S curve in the middle distance was the inspiration for the simple scene on my arid east slope shelf, a portion of which is seen in the 2nd photo of the above post.  In the distance, the prototype line swings to the left (west) to reach summit (and the Monolith cement plant) a few miles away.  On my version it swings to the right and the cement plant is situated on that curve, one of the many compromises I had to make. 

At the very bottom of the photo, the line passes under the highway, and just beyond that it splits: the UP continues south to LA and the BNSF heads east across the desert to Barstow and points east.  The Lone Pine sub, with its connection to the Trona, can be seen heading off towards the middle right.

[GaryHinshaw]

Speaking of summit (and despite the fall term being in full swing), I did manage to get another pair of turnouts completed - these for the end of double track at summit (the doorway crossing).  I built them as a single unit over a printed template:



and test-fit them in place:



The two tracks on the left will serve the cement plant.  This will be code 40 track, but I'm still waiting for some code 40 parts from the proto:87 store before I can build the third turnout in this section.  In the distance, a bare-table train can be seen heading into the upper tunnels (the same scene that Ed N is modeling).  This marks the beginning of the 4 scale mile descent to Bakersfield on a fairly steady 2% downgrade.  I'm happy to report that the first train to run back and forth through these turnouts did so without incident.

I still don't have turnout actuation settled.  Before I install these permanently, I'm going to run some linkage under the roadbed and make sure I can reliably throw (and lock) them by hand.  I'll settle on switch machines later, and decide if I want them to be DCC-enabled, and potentially dispatcher controlled.

Cheers,
Gary

[Sokramiketes]

While your points will be a little more robust than most handlaid turnouts, I'd still suggest powered switch machines as the gentle approach (versus anything push/pull rod activated).  And there's still only one clear leader, Circuitron's Tortoises.  They are powerful, gentle, and will be easy for you to mount to the subroadbed.  And you get a pair of contacts built in, one for the frog and one for signalling.  And the electrical control can be any number of options down the road. 

[ednadolski]

May I ask -- Gary, now that you've done a few, how long does it take you to build a turnout on average?  Are you using the P:87 frogs/points/throwbars?  and do you have to shim them up to match the height of the flextrack?

Thx,
Ed

[Dave Schneider]

Gary,

Great looking track. I really like the lines of the new turnout. Nothing like building it to fit. I wish I had the time and energy to try to learn how to do it. Quick question for you. Is that your circuit breaker panel on the wall near the door or something else. From the photos it looks like access is blocked. I doubt that you would overlook something like that...just curious.

Best wishes, Dave

[C855B]

> Just came across this nice ... photo of Mojave...

Not possible. There are no photos of Mojave that could possibly make it "nice".

[Bsklarski]

So ya drink Blue Moon I take it?

[jagged ben]

> Just came across this nice ... photo of Mojave...

Not possible. There are no photos of Mojave that could possibly make it "nice".

LOL

[GaryHinshaw]

Mike, Tortoises are definitely the front-runner in the election right now.  I shudder a bit at the cost, especially when I get down to the yards, but that's a future challenge.

Ed, no you may not ask, because the answer is embarrassing.    Several hours per turnout, partly because I dote over them as I go.  (I'm trying to heed MC's advice.)  I am still using the p:87 parts and I still like them very much.  It turns out that the Kappler wood ties are within a few thou of the ME concrete ties, so I haven't found it necessary to shim.  (BTW, the code 40 p:87 parts just showed up yesterday.)

Dave, there's a stay-out zone of about 6" in front of the panel that's hard to see in the earlier shot.  Here's the "electrician's view" of the panel, as seen from under the benchwork:



When I located the panel and designed the bench, I made sure it was accessible with hands and screwdrivers.  The top of the panel is just below track level, so it will be under the upper deck scenery, but well above the lower deck level.  I may or may not have a removable lower-deck backdrop here.  By the way, I really like your breaker-in-a-building solution on the Beer Line.

C855 and jb, Mojave is a great place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there (no offense Mike).  I'll take Tehachapi, BC!

Blue Moon?  Negative - a bit sweet for my taste.  That was the box the liquor store gave me long ago when I bought a sampler of six-packs.  I never buy a full case of any one brew.  I'm still acclimating to the Canadian beer scene...

Cheers,
Gary