ATSF Los Angeles Division, circa 1949

[Scottl]

Thanks for sharing your electrical lessons- that is impressive staging regardless.   

Nice looking bridge.  If I were to guess it it might be Anderson Creek near Boston Bar?  Assuming since your friend plans to have the Cisco bridge on his layout.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks, Scott. No, I don’t know the origins of this bridge, I’ll have to ask. On the freelance layout, it’s supposed to be somewhere on the  California coast, like Gaviota but curved. I do love the graceful curve, but the radius is huge...
Otto

[MDW]

Good luck sorting out the short so that you can get back to the fun stuff!

Michel

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks, I *think* maybe I “fixed” the intermittent short problem😬. But unfortunately, I can’t explain what t( problem was, so I suspect and fear it’s just in hiding at the moment. It has to do with a specific set of turnout alignments, on/off track switches, and maybe the weather and phases of the moon I swear Things are working now and we can JFRTM again (what does the M stand for?)

On my “other” , HO friend’s layout, I spent the day today building a benchwork cradle for yet another big bridge. The arch spans 60”, and with approaches it’s almost 10’ long It will be a thing of beauty, for us bridge and scenery addicts...
I wish I could make as much progress on my own layout....
Otto K.

[MDW]

Hey Otto-
Nice looking bridge.

“M” is for ...”Man”  JFRTM!

Michel

[OldEastRR]

Hopefully your working on a brand-new HO layout isn't making you think fine-tuning a nearly-complete layout isn't as much fun, and you tear everything up and do a new layout. Hazard of the hobby, I suppose, but I really like the '49 ATSF.

[Cajonpassfan]

Ha, thanks @Old EastRR, but there is no way I will ever do a new layout. This one is awesome and I only wish it was “nearly“
complete”. Some day it will be, I hope.
But yea, the big HO monster has all my creative juices flowing at this point. I was given an opportunity to design and build something at a grand scale most of us can only dream about, and I’m grateful for that. Three full days a week worth of grateful, plus my free time doodling at home
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

With apologies to those following my ATSF LA Division layout....I've been doing little on it, and a lot on my friend's HO monster. Three days a week....
Among other things, designed and roughed in a scene for the big 5' span arch bridge shown earlier, and one of our "rock artists" did the castings and finish scenery around it. Still more work awaits, including foreground scenery and the other 5' of approach spans flanking the arch. Progress pics below...
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

I did manage a bit of progress on my Summit scene, with Dirk's (ATSF N Scale) exquisite Train Order Signal temporarily in place. The TO Signal here, and another one at Cajon, are key to communicating with the train crews....Written orders can be transmitted to train crews at these two "offices  of communication" in an era before radio became the norm, to allow efficient passage of superior trains. See my DCC TO signal thread if interested in how to make the TO Signals to work...😎
Still a lot of work to come....
Thanks for your interest,
Otto

[SP-Wolf]

Hey Otto,

Absolutely fantastic.

Best regards,
Wolf

[Cajonpassfan]

That's some high praise, coming from you, Wolf! Thank you.
Otto

[Santa Fe Guy]

Wow on both accounts.
Great to be able to work like you are on a friends layout and what a great scene you are creating at Summit.
Had the pleasure of getting to see Summit during one trip, what a great spot.
Well done with the signal and to get it to function that is something else.
Rod.

[Cajonpassfan]

Thanks Rod, much appreciated. It's kind of ironic I spend a lot more time working on my friend's monster HO layout than I do on my own...  but it's got its own rewards. Today, I got to test run my (one and only HO) locomotive through "Troublesome Gorge" and it was quite enjoyable...a kind of N scale track-to-scenery ratio in that scene. An HO layout done right😀😎
Too bad nobody makes an ATSF 3800 in N scale. Are you listening BLI???

To give credit where it is due, I do the design, track boards, cork and rough scenery contours, and a couple of our rock artists do the castings and finishing work. The stone retaining walls are hand carved by them from 1" pink foam, hand painted and weathered. Pretty cool I think. Nice to work with talented people.
More to come, even my Cajon layout in N scale....
Otto

[Cajonpassfan]

I just came across a couple of very cool images of the Cajon Mt. Camp, located on Route 66 in the heart of Cajon Pass. Cajon Creek is behind the camp, and the railroad climbing the Pass to the right is beyond.
The camp was a welcome refuge for folks driving down the Pass into Southern California in the 30's and 40's. If you didn't have much cash on hand, you'd stay here, or in other similar establishments lining Route 66. I need to find a way to incorporate this into my layout...it just speaks to me of the place and era that now seems so distant and forgotten.
More to come, at some point...
Otto

[Simon D.]

Too bad nobody makes an ATSF 3800 in N scale. Are you listening BLI???

Possibly this is because the Santa Fe Historical Society engages with BLI on HO models very well, including the 3800's, but N Scale doesn't appear to be on their radar.  I suppose it's up to us as members to make that point to Steve Sandifer et al.


Great stuff Otto!  Really like your work.