ATSF/BNSF San Jacinto District - 2.0

[chuck geiger]

ATSF/BNSF SAN JACINTO DISTRICT

When I was a kid, my parents would take day trips from San Diego and in Hemet one day in 1969, we drove through and I saw the area
of dirt embedded track around the depot, the lumber company and packing houses. I tried to replicate it on a really poor Postage Stamp
2x4 N scale layout and couldn't. ATSF had similiar districts or "branches" like Hemet in Escondido, Blythe and around Fresno. When we
bought the new home and I had a good size room, I wanted to do a "point to point" layout, which I have never done before. I looked at
ATSF GRAND CANYON DISTRICT and looked at SP HOLTVILLE INTERURBAN RAILWAY. I wanted to have the feel of Lance Mindheim's
LA Junction and Keith Jordan's The Patch, that blend into the room. The other side of the room will be my home office and radio
production studio. This is a large room with bathroom and shower called a "casita".

https://lancemindheim.com/model-railroads/los-angeles-junction-railway/
https://www.patchrailroad.net/The_Patch/Patch_Home.html



I have spent the last year and change developing scenery and benchwork techinques I wanted to put to use on this layout. I went with
1' only by 11'x3'x4'. I experimented with the scenery squares and knew what could go into a 1' wide area. This is the trackplan for the
ATSF/BNSF San Jacinto District (Subject to change).



Wrapping up this first installment with some pictures of the prototype that certainly fueled my excitement to do this.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That space looks REALLY good too.

Although I'm not sure if your'e going to have enough lumens in there to capture the sun blasted nature of the real thing. Or is that just the photo?

[wazzou]

I’m excited to see you put forth the things you’ve learned but that lighting man...I just don’t see it as the best option to give you what you’re looking for...of course I’m presuming to know what that is, but it just doesn’t provide much evenness.

[chuck geiger]

Good points as always. The room has no lighting except the track lighting. Going to:

1.) Add lighting to ceiling fan.
2.) Add track lighting on the wings.
3.) Paint the 18" backdrop light blue/white.
3.) The backdrop will be a few inches higher than the light domes.

Can the lamp wattage be increased with new bulbs? I ask this because this was
the wife's demands for giving me the room, keep it from looking like a broke a$$
train layout. She picked out the track lights which actually look better and light
better than the pictures. The room only has once window which faces the patio.

[chuck geiger]

Mr. Hand:
Am I hallucinating here? Just what in the hell do you think you're doing?

Jeff Spicoli:
Learning about lumens, and having some food.

[chuck geiger]

FOCUS ON DILL LUMBER

At the North end of the small yard arrangement at Hemet was this awesome business to model: DILL LUMBER. Looking into several kits or scratchbuilding the office/showroom, lumber storage and stacks. This business appears to be gone in the late ATSF and early BNSF time. Stretching the timeline here.

[chuck geiger]

When researching the ATSF/BNSF San jacinto District, lo and behold, there was a plan from the late great AndySperandeo.




Then this three level plan:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jomrd.com%2Findex.php%3Fpage%3DShowRecord%26ID%3D3&psig=AOvVaw1nY7mcrFzMjs1AhHpdVRJb&ust=1626714110176000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAsQjRxqFwoTCIi917qM7fECFQAAAAAdAAAAABAD

Neither really reflect Hemet as it lays out on the prototype. I might be looking at pulling the Hemet scene back a foot and change on the track plan. What looks
good on paper for 1' isn't sometimes reality.

[davefoxx]

I was a fan of Andy Sperandeo.  That plan says February 1980.  Thanks before he designed and built Phase 1 of the Washita & Santa Fe.  Can you use anything from his plan?

DFF

[chuck geiger]

Both of the plans above from Andy and the other source really don't portray Hemet as it lays out. Andy has like two tracks, like a yard
with a runaround. The other plan pretty much the same, a little more detailed to the proto. The mainline comes into Central Hemet across
Florida Ave and the depot is on the right with turnouts to form the yard.

[davefoxx]

What is/was the actual track layout in Hemet?

DFF

[chuck geiger]

Good question, I can't find one except for the CLIC map and these pictures. I will have to draw one out. As always DFF you make me think, which is great. I might have to redo Hemet layout.
http://coastdaylight.com/ph/scph/scph_hemet.html

[Chris333]

Something like this?

[ednadolski]

Wrapping up this first installment with some pictures of the prototype that certainly fueled my excitement to do this.

Code 40 rail territory for sure, and you don't even have to worry about details or disguising PCB ties

Ed

[davefoxx]

Whoa!  Right on, @Chris333!  Nailed it, as usual.

DFF

[Chris333]

Well I just guessed it could be wrong.