Tall Trestle

Friends, this is what I've been doing lately. I built a jig for this tall trestle and you can see the first trestle made with it. I usually build trestle bridges in place but this is so much bigger I had to prefab it. The trestle shown is 8" high. This will be a 490mm curved trestle on the Northern Division. The total arc length will be 18". Cheers, Jim CCRR

Wow, 146.6 feet high, that should look incredible.

Hi Terry, Probably only 140' once it is stuck in the ground. Cheers, Jim CCRR

Jim,

Wow! Tall AND long It'll be a beaut when it's finished

Jim,
I just hope you don't buy any cheap wood from a fly by night traveling wood salesman......knowing what a sucker you are for a good deal, you're liable to buy termite infested wood and then we'll eventually all watch as they all fall down....

So, is the track planning coming along or are you just anticipating a valley where you think you will need a trestle?

When do you plan to dynamite the old layout?
Loren

Jim,

Do I need to bring the BLUE FLASH back and run her once more on the Southern Division??

Robert

Hi Robert, Loren, et al. For all you new members of ZCS that may read this, this is to inform you that do to certain intangables that I can't figure out I seem to have the tendency to build layouts in my spare bedroom and after what many would consider a short time tear the layouts down and begin on a new one again. I found this hobby late in life and never knew I had any skills for this kind of thing. So, after I moved off the boat and got my bedroom I decided to build the Central California RR. The first bedroom sized layout was called the New CCRR. I built it, photographed it, published it, learned from it, and even ran a couple of trains on it. I think the New CCRR lifespan was about 15 months. My thoughts were always to do a trilogy of CCRRs. The CCRR/Southern Division was the second stage of the trilogy. Completely different from the New CCRR, I built it in a desert canyon style of my own imagination. I decided to use MTL Micro Track this time around simply because I knew of no one who had done a layout this size with this track yet. It worked great. I'm actually able to run trains consistantly with no hassles. So, I built it, photographed it, published it learned even more from it and got to run trains on it. The Southern Division was begun in November 2007 and completed in March 2008. Five months. So the Southern Divsion has been sitting around finished for over a year now. Frankly, I am a bit bored with it and it is time to move on. I guess starting this great hobby late in life has got me all excited about scenery and building these layouts. The CCRR trilogy is going to begin again with Part III, the Northern Division. I am very excited. This layout will be much larger than it's predecessors. The backdrops will be four feet high as apposed to the previous two footers. The terrain will be very mountainous and fir tree covered for the most part. Again, scenery will be the thing. No one has done a layout like I forsee in our scale and I ready for the challenge. I will use MTL Micro Track again but ALL curved track will be the 490mm curved track that comes with the turnouts. This is about an 18 inch radius and should make for an even more realistic looking layout. This time around, instead of an point A to B type of track plan, the Northern Division will be "out and back". After leaving the one town it will take quite a while for the train to get back so I decided on this type of plan so I could incorporate more mountains.
As most of you know I like doing scenery and photography the best. Train running and operations are secondary to me. I'm going to try something different scenery wise this time. I love challenges and like to be a bit different, so this time around the Northern Division will have parts of two seasons on/in it. Late fall will be at one end and early winter will be at the other end approximately 24 feet away, with a bit of snow flurries. No gawdy reds and oranges. Later than that. I think I can pull this off with the subtle changing of deciduous trees and bushes from one end of the layout to the other. The deciduous trees will mostly be at one end of the layout and the color change will be handled by the bushes for the most part. I'm figuring around 4000 fir type trees for this layout. That said, the Northern Division will take some time to build. I will take as long as it takes. No 5 month job this time.
So there you have it. Robert you still have some time to get the Blue Flash down here don't worry. I'm still waiting for the Iowa layout fellow to decide if he wants another layout shortly. If he doesn't, then I would say sometime this summer deconstucting the Southern Division will take place.
Lastly, I would like to thank all for your interest in the CCRR. It has been my pleasure to bring you the Original CCRR in the box, and the New CCRR and the Southern Division. The best is yet to come I'm thinking. I can hardly wait! Cheers, Jim CCRR:woohoo:

Hello Jim. This sounds so exciting, many of the features you have outlined are things I am planning as well. I basically have a U-shaped layout that will have three sections connected together. One will be for my German trains. Most of my layout will be mountainous with pine trees as these are the cheapest for me to make. (Thanks to Loren ) So far I have four rails and four tunnels on one end of the first section. I agree it is exciting and am looking forward to jumping into it full time once I have the house remodeling completed. I expect this will be your best effort yet, you really seem excited to get going on it. The best wishes in your endeavor, and thanks for all your help.

TerryH

Hi Jim,

Part III of your trilogy sounds wonderful It's too bad that you can't find room for the predecessors because having them all intact would be a great way for people to see your great work. Once they're gone there will be no more photos of them Is there any place nearby that would take Part II so folks could enjoy it for years to come? I can't tell you how inspiring it's been to see photos of this layout stream by over the past few months.

I agree that making scenery is the most exciting part of model railroading. I'm looking forward to working on our large layout, too, though ours will be significantly smaller than the one you have planned.

Keep posting photos, man!

Jim,

Are you going to use the same bedroom or have you talked the MRS into giving up the MASTER BEDROOM so you will have more space ! ! ! ! !

Robert

Robert, Don't I wish. I plan on lengthening the window side of the layout. I'll give up the window. Because the curves are about 37" in diameter I will have narrower walk ways. So you and I will have to find a good diet! Cheers, Jim CCRR;)

Socalz44 wrote:

I'm figuring around 4000 fir type trees for this layout. That said, the Northern Division will take some time to build. I will take as long as it takes. No 5 month job this time.


4,000 conifers of varying types will definitely keep you occupied for oh, I'd say about 20 years:laugh:
By the time you finish your trees, you will have a definite loathing for the name Smokey The Bear.

Of late I've been watching reruns of Rockford Files in the evening while I crank out tree armatures. Got 78 done last night while watching two episodes. Of course, then there is the trimming, coating the trunks, painting and finally adding the ground foam.

I have only one question for you Jim..............after the Northern Div. is done and has sat around for about 2 years...............what then?

Cogitate on that one for a while.
Loren

Loren, I've thought about it and I'm just hoping I'm around that long???Cheers, Jim CCRR:unsure:

Socalz44 wrote:

Loren, I've thought about it and I'm just hoping I'm around that long???Cheers, Jim CCRR:unsure:

Jim,
I know you well enough to know you are just ornery enough to hang around until the forest is complete,just so you can say......"I told you I'd do it"

Do you plan to have some of the forest area 'thickly planted' or just a sparse appearance? On my new end module, (which is not finished of course) I have over 500 trees in the one area above the lake.

You may end up having nightmares by the time you plant your last tree.......
Loren

Hi Loren, Most will be thickly planted. The rest will look like your layouts and modules! After all, Northern Division right? Sort of the best of BC, WA, and OR. The highest peaks will be over three feet high. After this? Probably retire or build a module. God, can't believe I said that. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Well Jim, I won't have to worry a bit about where to find you, and Gayle will always have you home for those occasional 'honey do' jobs. Three feet of peak is going to really make you glad you are taller than the average.

I'm feeling sorry for you already and if I didn't need every tree I make, I'd donate to the cause.

Hey, maybe if I give you two dozen male trees and you provide two dozen female trees, maybe in six months you won't have to worry about planting as many trees......or doesn't it work that way?
Loren

Hi Loren, Not sure asexual reproduction works that way but once the tree making bug hits me I get to it. Other than senior softball I'm here with all the list anyway. Cheers, Jim CCRR:)

Very funny Loren, you made my day. LOL