Tehachapi, BC

[sizemore]

Me likey! Maybe when you're on the East Coast and I actually get the basement ready I can hire you to do the lower staging on the BYR. Say sometime in 2018?

The S.

[Smike]

Ah when the supply and market of available C55 track and switches rules the track planning 

Looking great, here's hoping 2014 brings us back to a reliable supply of C55.

[GaryHinshaw]

At least for the temporary track that I'm not willing to invest much time in...  I'm still committed to rolling my own for most of the pike.  I do wish there were other high-quality turnout options available though!

[basementcalling]

I'd swap ya a #10R for a #10L but I think your problem is bigger than one turnout!

[GaryHinshaw]

It was bound to come to this: my desire for a large ops-friendly layout and decent-looking, well-ballasted track collide at the clock.  Aside from laying a few more temporary staging tracks, the only thing I've accomplished on TBC in the last 6 weeks is to paint Pandrol clips and ballast half of the upper deck mainline -- about 45 feet of track, or 13,400 clips (but who's counting...  ).  Here is 1/239th of the completed section:



Now that I have the process down, which includes a two-step ballasting sequence to get the right profile between the ties, I'm ready to start on the Loop shelf proper.  The rationale for doing this work before the scenery is down is access: I find it much easier to paint and ballast before delicate and obstructing scenery is in place.  When this is done, I'll start putting in landform supports which will also keep trains from falling to their doom in the event of a derailment.  Then it will be time to have another ops session, with the added staging capacity.

But the real reason for this post is to bring this layout to your attention:

It's being built by Chris Kilroy in Henderson NV:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/11/t/217317.aspx

[James Costello]

Better thread and photos here mate:
http://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?26282-Tehachapi-Pass-in-900sqft

[GaryHinshaw]

Thanks James!  I don't actually get around that much...  Just don't ask me to ballast that pike.

[Scottl]

Gary, you are a slave to the details, but it will be worth it when this all comes together.  The track looks excellent, I will be emulating your technique closely for my concrete track.

[nscalemike]

Gary,  maybe I should apologize in advance but when I clicked on your update my attention was first drawn to this picture and thought to myself 'wow, look at that tank car, coupler, platform, and truck!'  Then I read the update and noticed you were referring to the ballasted track!!  Anyways, the track, clips, ballast and that tank car are all top notch work! Keep it up, and yes, it'll all be well worth it!

Mike

[GaryHinshaw]

Better thread and photos here mate:
http://www.nscale.net/forums/showthread.php?26282-Tehachapi-Pass-in-900sqft

I just went through this thread and I'm flabbergasted by how much Chris has accomplished in essentially 6 months.   I'd love to have that kind of space for TBC - and I'm really impressed with the plan he laid out - but there is no way I could get a layout of that size built in less than a decade.  So no regrets about having only a single-car garage.

Thanks for the comments.  Aside from the modest rate of progress, I'm happy with how things are going.  The track work is time consuming, but not unenjoyable.  Some of the details are still crude, but I haven't come up with a better way to do concrete tie track that wouldn't entail heroic efforts, so this is it.

Glad you liked the tank car Mike.  I really love the combination of BLMA trucks, LE couplers and Ed's pockets.  When a train rolls by on the layout, I really tend to focus on those details.  Something about steel wheels on steel rails that I find mesmerizing (even if these are not steel).  I know that puts me in a bit of a fringe crowd...  Looking forward to seeing more of your layout!

[ednadolski]

Something about steel wheels on steel rails that I find mesmerizing (even if these are not steel).  I know that puts me in a bit of a fringe crowd...

I'll sign me self up for that fringe any day!   I've been very pleased so far with converting all my cars to metal wheels.  Even just the sound, while subtle, it definitely adds a surprising amount of life to the scene.  Much the same way that adding sound to a loco can bring a scene to life, I would contend that that the wheel sound is better than sound from a decoder, since it is "real" and not coming thru some tinny little speaker (which can wear thin after a while).

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

I just wish I could get the flanges to squeal like the prototype now and again!   

Coming soon: a brand new edition of the Turnout from H*ll.  Stay tuned... and don't worry - it ends well.

[ednadolski]

I just wish I could get the flanges to squeal like the prototype now and again!   

With metal wheels they actually do....  you just have to listen closely, because the sound is scaled down!   

Ed

[GaryHinshaw]

Nature abhors a vacuum:



But she loves a yard full of trains:




The temporary staging yard mentioned upthread is now operational and tied into the upper deck via the 1-turn helix that join the lower and upper decks.  While it's very simple, this yard adds significant interest to the operations of Tehachapi BC.  I still have two service tracks and a crossover to install before its done, but I'm looking at having another "ops" session in early May to get some more experience with this pike. 

Meanwhile, ballasting and turnout construction continue anon.  Hopefully something more photo-worthy will emerge before too long.

-gfh

[3DTrains]

Nice to see staging taking shape, and nice shot of the spine cars, Gary!

Cheers!
Marc - Riverside