Hesitation.....

Well, I'm still struggeling with the theme. The Cascade theme is great offcourse, but the Tehachapi-style is also very tempting to model. As it will be a pure exhibition layout it could show log running trains with multi-power in front. The scenery part would be easier to do than the Cascade-one, but the latter would be more spectaculair.

Try to get it even this weekend!

Grtz, Ronald.

Theme....

I'm struggeling with the theme I want to build. My previous plan was a piece of Cascade mountain rr, but I also could do a piece of the Techachapi area. To that point my eye felt on a nice photo of the San Diego model railroad that stands in their museum:

It is the Bealville area. They build it in the 60's timeframe, I would like the 90's timeframe:

So I try to work out a plan for that. It is a perfect piece to build as mainline railroading. A long stretch of track where trains meet and pass, and where I could locate a helper set if I wanted. My part of rebuilding this would be SP/UP loco sets with a single SF loco.

What I want is 90% mainline railroading, and 10% switching with helpers etc. I also want as less turnouts in the plan as possible.

Later more, I've got to go to the drawingboard!

Let's start!

So well, I started this new blog today. It will show you the coming time how I will build my sixth exhibition layout. From 1999 I build 5 sofar, most of them H0 (1:87) scale, one in 0N30 (narrow gauge 0 scale) and one in 1:55n3.

Links: www.ronaldhalma.nl                     my homepage
          www.metusajuction.blogspot.nl     my blog about the 1:55n3 ACW layout

I'm Ronald from the Netherlands, 49 years old and very fanatic in building exhibition layouts. As said, I build 5 till now which all depicted on switching.

I always build American style exhibition layouts, so this one will not be a exeption in that. Reason for building this is that a have collected a pretty big collection of SP and UP locomotives and cars. I bought them from 1999 till now, so a good 14 years.
I do a lot of exhibitions per year with my layouts and all of the are pure switching layouts. The big disadvantage is that you cannot run trains in circles, so when talking to visitors it always need attention to not let anything go wrong. Running is circles has a bigger advantage that it always has trains running on your layout. So this time I decided to build a pure running layout with lots of trains on it.

Idea; it has to fit in my MPV car. So I decided on approx. 125 cm by 33cm modules, 4 of them. They will fit nicely in the back of the car. My staging yard is 4,40 meters long and in 4 parts. It can be stored under the 4 modules.

What it will behold? This is the idea, 4-loco long consist in 4- and 6-axle locomotives:

4-axle, 4 units; GP60, GP40, GP35, Dash 8-40B:

6-axle; AC4400, SD45, SD45, AC4400:

My staging yard:

Theme; I was really impressed by the UP Cascade layout of Mike Lestico: http://www.macrodyn.com/ldsig/wiki/index.php?title=Cascade_Subdivision_-_N_-_Mark_Lestico

It shows the SP line from Eugene to Klamath Falls in the Northern part of the USA.

That is what I want! My plan will be slightly adapted to my needs and wishes. I will take the part between Chemult ands Summit (see his trackplan). I will add a helper spur here to simulate the helper service on this part of the line. Originally it was located elsewhere but for exhibition needs it puts a lot of extra action to it.

A drawing is in the make, the layout will be approx 6,5 by 2,5 meters in square. So be patient.

More to follow!

Grtz, Ronald.