Shiny objects

[nkalanaga]

"just out of reach of day tripping for me."

Google Maps and Street View?

[sirenwerks]

"just out of reach of day tripping for me."

Google Maps and Street View?

Yes, there's that, but there's nothing like being there.

[OldEastRR]

The layout plans were tossed; they never came close to what he wanted to achieve.
The track arrangements of the 3 roads went to 3 points of the compass from downtown Bellingham: N,S (GN), and NE . The MILW branch and NP main basically paralleled each other from downtown Bellingham northeast up the hill to the lumber mills on Lake Whatcom. The MILW branch ended there but the NP ran along the edge of the lake to meet the NP main several miles to the east. A newer MILW line headed out toward the N-NE from downtown, making 3 eastbound lines. The GN line is basically flat but the other tracks were on constant upgrades. Tough to get that mix, plus continuous running and staging tracks, on a small layout.
The Bellingham Library has old maps showing where the lines and spurs of the railroads ran in the early 20th century on property maps showing lots, streets, etc. They provide way more info than you can get from looking at Google maps today, even with all the traces of ROW still throughout the city.
I think a very interesting area to model would be the area around Marysville/Arlington, WA. Both the NP and GN served various heavy industries (including lumber mills) along their respective mainlines which were parallel but miles apart. There was a long interchange track between them at this point, which still exists today and serves as the BNSF's link to part of the former NP line still used for business. At the north end of this segment the line is abandoned halfway through a rail yard -- literally only one half of the double-ended yard still remains and the rest has been sold off and structures built on it. Makes it Look like the city is slowly growing over the yard. And one yard track is a long switchback so the RR can reach an industry on a trailing point switch off the yard track. An elevated highway goes over the tracks next to the industry.  A model layout scene!
At least, that's what the area looked like about 10 years ago.

[Kentuckian]

I know the feeling, too.

For years I have wanted to do the C&O in Kentucky. Most people think of the C&O as a Virginia or a West "by gum" Virginia railroad. Besides the mainline on along the Ohio River, there were two major branches: the Lexington Subdivision and the Big Sandy Subdivision. The BS was and still is primarily coal, while the Lexington (no longer in existence) was primarily merchandise. Both subdivisions connected to the mainline at Ashland, KY. I grew up in Russell, near Ashland.

I thought I really didn't have room to do both, and couldn't bear to do one and not the other, so I have been putzing around with a HCD layout. It's like choosing a favorite child. I've probably drawn a thousand track plans; half for each subdivision. I've finally come up with a plan that has both, after giving up some of my "druthers". Being in my mid fifties has started to spur me to build something. Now I have to do it!

[basementcalling]

UP in California is mostly desert, too.

And this is a problem how?   I mean, talk about reducing scenery complication and cost.    (Truthfully, lots of scenery and and terraforming ahead. It helps to have been raised in the desert. Even my wife doesn't understand.)

Trees can hide mistakes, and be used as scenic blocks and dividers. Hard to do that with a sagebrush or cactus. Sometimes minimalist scenery is harder to carry off successfully than a more complex reporduction because every little item in a simple scene gets scrutiny. Desert scenery requires a careful eye to soil color and texture, plus density of ground cover, size of rocks and soil. And then there is the scenery to backdrop transition.

[randgust]

Aside from my relentless pursuit of Santa Fe in 1972 on the Seligman sub, I've done N Pennsylvania logging since the very start of my interest in N and done it as a tiny portable layout, that has now grown exponentially with the addition of a second logging module and now, FIVE t-trak modules that are able to be operated stand-alone, with the Hickory Valley logging theme, or as quasi-PRR 1920's/eastern/modern/whatever.

I used to get all guilty about either spending all my time on the Santa Fe layout and ignoring the logging one, or vice versa.   I finally got over that.  One of the two usually captures my interest at least.

But I also have annoying interests in local-themed circus trains, LEF&C, local regional diesels, critters, large excursion steam locomotives  (NKP765, PM1225, ATSF3751..).... so yeah, easily distracted.    I try to be disciplined, but as I age, I worry about it less.  I see guys like Dave Vollmer and Chris dabbling in equally unrelated interests on opposite ends of the scale and completely sympathizing.   Yeah.   Like that.   Having fun and not getting bored or stuck.

My 'permanent cure' for shiny things has been doing custom modelbuilding through Randgust.   There, I have a chance to try fun projects I'd never do otherwise, like a BN SW-1, or the NASA SW-8 with the MU boom, or Pioneer Valley CF7's.  I get to build, and then part with, stuff that would otherwise overflow everything from the layout to display cases.    I freely admit I enjoy building far more than operating and that 80% of the stuff I have rarely gets operated.  I get a kick out of seeing my custom stuff appear on the forums and in magazines just as much as if I still owned it and can't ever really admit I've regretted parting with stuff I've built for others.

I'll probably never build another 'big' layout - no space, current one actually runs great, and working on a modular level appeals to me more and more.

[nkalanaga]

Sirenwerks:  "there's nothing like being there" - very true.  Central Oregon will be in the path of the August total solar eclipse, and will probably have some of the best weather.  Maybe you could talk your wife into seeing that?  Motel rooms in the path of totality are probably already gone, but go a little ways south and rooms should still be available.  Drive up to the eclipse path, watch it for a couple hours, before and after totality, which will be about 10:20-10:30 PDT, then you'll have an excuse to do your sightseeing the day before or after.  Plus, there's some nice desert and mountain scenery, so she should be able to find places she'd like to visit.

[sirenwerks]

Unfortunately, 'Im the Emergency Management Coordinator for the BLM in Oregon and Washington and, because of the level of activity expected on federal and state public lands in the weeks prior to and after the eclipse, I'm on call that whole time. I'll work it out.

[OldEastRR]

Do you live in WA or OR?

[GaryHinshaw]

Do you live in WA or OR?

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=profile;u=491

or:

https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?action=googlemap

[Answer: OR]

[GN63]

I think a very interesting area to model would be the area around Marysville/Arlington, WA. Both the NP and GN served various heavy industries (including lumber mills) along their respective mainlines which were parallel but miles apart. There was a long interchange track between them at this point, which still exists today and serves as the BNSF's link to part of the former NP line still used for business. At the north end of this segment the line is abandoned halfway through a rail yard -- literally only one half of the double-ended yard still remains and the rest has been sold off and structures built on it. Makes it Look like the city is slowly growing over the yard. And one yard track is a long switchback so the RR can reach an industry on a trailing point switch off the yard track. An elevated highway goes over the tracks next to the industry.  A model layout scene!
At least, that's what the area looked like about 10 years ago.

Marysville was served by GN alone, Arlington was served by NP alone - in the 1960s, NP had trackage rights from Everett to Kruse Jct (a few miles north of Marysville) where they connected to their line to Arlington - Darrington - the NP would run what was known as the "Darrington Logger" daily turnaround from Everett.

[sirenwerks]

Do you live in WA or OR?

As Gary pointed out, I live in Hillsboro OR, just west of Portland.

[OldEastRR]

Almost next door to Max Magliaro!

[nkalanaga]

Then you might be able to get far enough south to see totality and still be in on-call range.  I can certainly understand why you can't take a long vacation...

[pdx1955]

If he wants to see totality and do a day trip then he needs to model the SP&S/BN and its Alcos in the central Willamette Valley!