BC Rail Takla Subdivision in HO Scale

[legostudios34]

After much consideration with regards to my time, funds, and available space, I've decided to put my Dawson Creek subdivision layout on hold for now. It'll be a project to tackle in a few years once I get an external garage built with proper space for a layout.

In the meantime, I've decided to work on a smaller project - the far north end of the BC Rail Takla Subdivision to the end of the line at the logging camp at Minaret, BC. Reading Dale Sanders' book Northern Light has been particularly inspirational, and my goal is the base the three main scenes on the layout (MP 257, the bridge over the Sustet River, and an S-curve between Connelly and Sloane) off of three specific photos from the book (pages 138, the cover, and 136 respectively). I'll be modelling the line from the time it re-opened in 1990 (although the portion I'm modelling never saw a revenue train in the 70s and 80s, so it was the first time the line was actually used) until CN closed the line circa 2006.

Currently, the plan is 8' by 10' although once I've made satisfactory progress on the drawn sections I'll be building at least one more section running off the lower right corner for staging and the logging camp at Lovell Cove (and if I get really ambitious, Leo Creek also). For this layout, I'm focusing very heavily on scenery, but that's not to say there won't be any operations opportunities - I'll be able to operate much like the real railroad. Run northbound empties to the siding at Sloane, move the caboose to the other end of the train; run to the logging camp to pick up loads and pull them down to Sloane; then push the empties up to the camp. Additionally, cars such as flatcars and boxcars carrying equipment and supplies can be left on the "mainline" north of the switch to the logging camp for unloading (in real life, the track extended another 30 miles past Minaret and the roadbed to just outside Dease Lake, although it was never used). There's also the opportunity for special trains carrying just supplies and lots of hi-rails and the UTV for transporting camp workers and the First Nations people that live in the area.

I started building the frames and clearing the space for the layout this week. I'm hoping to have the frames for the sections at MP 257 and the Sustet River built this week as well as putting the spline on the risers. Track height will be 48 inches above the floor (I was happy with this on my old DM&E layout), and the layout is designed to be set 13" in from the wall on each side so that I'll have plenty of height for the backdrops due to the sloping ceiling. The plan is to run the backdrop all the way to the ceiling on the side walls.






Baxter Barnes

[Hawghead]

Looks like it's gonna be a great layout.  Looking forward to watching your progress.

Scott

[amato1969]

Nice manageable size! 

  Frank

[legostudios34]

Made more progress tonight. I put down the plywood on the section for MP 257 and put it on the legs. The frame for this section has made it's last trip up and down the stairs! This will be the scene that's on page 138 of Northern Light. I'll have 16 inches of height above track level for the backdrop, which was slightly more than I was expecting. Hopefully I'll get the frame for the Sustet River bridge to this state tomorrow night.



Baxter Barnes

[LIRR]

simple, yet elegant...

[wazzou]

simple, yet elegant...

...and quite robust too.

[legostudios34]

The frame for the Sustet River bridge is built... and also, a train on the layout for visualization purposes. Next step will be getting a sheet of insulation foam to start working on the terrain on this half of the layout. I'm out of town this weekend and working Sunday night so hopefully I'll get started again on Monday.

Side note - I need log cars! 😂(I did get a package tonight with 8 Walthers spine cars that I'll cut up and add Details West log bunks to so I can have some reasonably passable log cars. I got all 8 of the spines for $40 shipped so I can live with them not becoming perfectly accurate cars)




Baxter Barnes

[nuno81291]

An nice simple track plan, room to stretch and scenery. What’s not to love? Looking forward to this coming together!

[craigolio1]

Looking forward to seeing more of this. The Takla sub is a more mysterious part of BCR’s system. Not photographed allot and as far as I’ve seen, modelled even less.

Craig

[BCR 570]

Wilderness railroading!  Also looking forward to seeing what comes.

Tim

[legostudios34]

The grading crew working on the Dease Lake extension has discovered that the terrain about 200 miles north of Ft. St. James consists of pink hills that turn to dust when cut or sanded...

(Side note - my previous layouts have been primary flat - South Dakota and Florida. This is my first time having any significant hills in my terrain and it's been a pain getting the foam to work the way I want it to but I'm slowly figuring out good ways to cut and shape it.)



Baxter Barnes

[craigolio1]

It’s super messy but do you have a Surform rasp?

https://www.amazon.ca/STANLEY-21-399-6-Inch-Surform-Pocket/dp/B00002X1ZQ

It’s great for shaving forms into the foam.

Craig.

[legostudios34]

It’s super messy but do you have a Surform rasp?

https://www.amazon.ca/STANLEY-21-399-6-Inch-Surform-Pocket/dp/B00002X1ZQ

It’s great for shaving forms into the foam.

Craig.

I do! I've got both the linked rasp and the smaller Surform tool with a long yellow handle. Both have been very useful in shaping the foam. You're not lying about messy though.

Baxter Barnes

[Yannis]

Very nice track plan and benchwork!!! Looking forward to more updates as well!

[legostudios34]

Due to the remote areas along the Dease Lake Extension with no road access, when proper compacting equipment was unavailable the construction crews resorted to unconventional methods for making sure the roadbed was sufficiently compacted. On this day near MP 257, various supplies such as paint, nails, and a few cans of soup were used.

I hope I have enough Homabed stockpiled for the entire layout since Cascade Rail Supply shut down...



Baxter Barnes