GSM goes the way of the California Zephyr

[beavercreek]

The train is longer than the garden is wide

Original track plan with it's curves was to small for this train but managed to secure the rights to the whole
back garden
Trying to force a minimum 10foot diameter with mainly 16 foot diameter was a real nightmare.
It's a bit of a mish mash as I had to negotiate various objects that were'nt possible to remove for the time
being......ie that large square metal thing is my hamradio mast with a ton of concrete underneath it.

Would love to get mine looking like yours.......something to aim for in the near future. :thinking:

It is real nice of you to say so but I would love to have a trestle like yours!
Because my garden slopes up from the house and begins from a raised wall and there some mighty gradients, there are no places as yet for a trestle. If I put one at the house end, then I would have to have a 'lift out bridge' for everyone who needed to come onto the lawn and that could lead to disaster!
I am working on a new track plan that could take the main route over and around the pond and that would need to go over existing track and therefore a ...trestle! Only problem is, although the pond is fairly big (20' x 10'), it is surrounded by overhanging bushes so getting track around it will be a real nightmare.
Even with your problems that sweep coming around the curve and then up the trestle looks pretty special :applause: :applause:

 

[Richie]

Hi Mike
Did you find that Photo of the Royal Gorge on Google Images ? :thinking:

 

[beavercreek]

Richie - 28/10/2009 7:42 PM

Hi Mike
Did you find that Photo of the Royal Gorge on Google Images ? :thinking:

Hi Richie

No It was on the Royal Gorge website - royalgorgeroute.com

The photos make the aspen gold seem very very orange in some of the pics!

I have had a day off (seeing I work mainly from home a day off is really a day skiving!) and have been 'detailing' some of the CZ cars. The newer aristo ones are nicer inside and have clear windows but they are the same plain Janes outside so a little 'fancying up' is in order using some fairly thick aluminium sheet and silver-backed homemade decals.
The USAT (Ski Train or Royal Gorge) cars are so much better detailed all round. But they are to a seemingly smaller scale than the aristo ones probably 1/32 as opposed to 1/29

I have also been piecing together a sound track for a vid that I am doing based on my layout versions of CZ, Yampa and Ski Train. Having seen the Royal Gorge kit is almost the same I might just throw in an attempt at that as well!
Mountains are causing me production problems haven't got the budget to build some scale ones!
maybe I should try some bluescreen video jiggery pokery :thinking:

Anyway it has kept my mind off work :applause:

 

[Richie]

Sounds like you had a better day than i've had :wits: The day started ok with the last GSM train to run on Rockery Ridge :bighug: Then spent the rest of the day off clearing up the mess the gas men made put back up some fence relay slabs and gravel and put back my water feature and spot lights :wits:

 

[beavercreek]

Nice shot Richie
I recognise those old timers! They certainly get around

 

[beavercreek]

Some more of the lads. They must be commuting between layouts

 

[spike]

beavercreek - 28/10/2009 7:49 AM

Even with your problems that sweep coming around the curve and then up the trestle looks pretty special :applause: :applause:

Most of the layout is sweeping curves.
Here is the layout in early 2008......area is approx 24x24 feet.
Most of what is there is still the same but I now have another 20 feet behind the camera to
the bottom of the garden, this allows the track to have approx 30 feet of straight track back up along the hedge you see.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wxsatuser#p/u/16/eMcaLfEkHYw">Ski Train</a>

Here is the long straight back with a video shot last week.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wxsatuser#p/u/0/BaXNES3n568">New straight section</a>

As you can see it's a bit undulating and approaching 2% near the top.

 

[beavercreek]

spike - 29/10/2009 6:42 AM

beavercreek - 28/10/2009 7:49 AM

Even with your problems that sweep coming around the curve and then up the trestle looks pretty special :applause: :applause:

Most of the layout is sweeping curves.
Here is the layout in early 2008......area is approx 24x24 feet.
Most of what is there is still the same but I now have another 20 feet behind the camera to
the bottom of the garden, this allows the track to have approx 30 feet of straight track back up along the hedge you see.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wxsatuser#p/u/16/eMcaLfEkHYw">Ski Train</a>

Here is the long straight back with a video shot last week.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/wxsatuser#p/u/0/BaXNES3n568">New straight section</a>

As you can see it's a bit undulating and approaching 2% near the top.

Great layout Spike! I wish I had the room and the nice level land to enable me to fold the track over itself. The run down the hedge looks real good for long strings. My garden grade reaches 15 -20% so long trains need a lot of power and it can cause problems on the down grade with all the weight pressing behind the locos! :thinking:

 

[spike]

beavercreek - 29/10/2009 8:47 AM

grade reaches 15 -20% so long trains need a lot of power and it can cause problems on the down grade with all the weight pressing behind the locos! :thinking:

You can see the Ski Train locos gather speed and here the gears whining
on the first down grade in the video.....very heavy those USAT coaches

 

[beavercreek]

spike - 29/10/2009 9:19 AM

beavercreek - 29/10/2009 8:47 AM

grade reaches 15 -20% so long trains need a lot of power and it can cause problems on the down grade with all the weight pressing behind the locos! :thinking:

You can see the Ski Train locos gather speed and here the gears whining
on the first down grade in the video.....very heavy those USAT coaches

Yes they are.... my observation car broke away from the string when it had almost reached the top of the grade, it hurtled back down the slope and came off at the bottom where the track curves. Luckily there is a soft bush strategically left for this type of contingency! :-o

Although the USAT locos, with their traction tyres, can keep the string back on the down grade, my steamers without tyres have a tendency to carry on slipping if I bring them to a halt on the slope and they have a string behind them. I am going to investigate that 'Bullfrog Snot' stuff to give them more traction.

 

[Gizzy]

Ah, the Royal Gorge!

Did that one when I did a job at Canon City, CO, around 2001.

And I still have this souvenir....

 

[beavercreek]

Gizzy - 29/10/2009 9:52 AM

Ah, the Royal Gorge!

Did that one when I did a job at Canon City, CO, around 2001.

And I got this souvenir....

Hi Gizzy.....lucky boy!
Mmmmmm not sure what the photo is......... bubblegum wrapper??? ;-)

 

[Gizzy]

beavercreek - 29/10/2009 9:55 AM

Gizzy - 29/10/2009 9:52 AM

Ah, the Royal Gorge!

Did that one when I did a job at Canon City, CO, around 2001.

And I got this souvenir....

Hi Gizzy.....lucky boy!
Mmmmmm not sure what the photo is......... bubblegum wrapper??? ;-)

It's a fridge magnet mate!

Confirms that the livery is much more Smashing Jaffa orangey bit than the yellow colour of Zmate's choice....

 

[KeithT]

<p>Oh heck don't start Zman off... </p><p>BTW I am still hunting for the video of the Southern Zephyr observation car in Chicago Union but got bogged down last night viewing shots of Duchess of Hamilton storming up Shap in a record breaking attempt, blasting out of Crewe station at 3:00 am - I imagine that wakened the neighbours and lifting a heavy train out of Cherry Tree station, Blackburn. I will get there in the end but slowly! </p>

 

[Richie]

beavercreek - 28/10/2009 10:51 PM


Some more of the lads. They must be commuting between layouts

Hi Mike
Like your shots with the old time print effect Those chaps do get about Is your line part of the narrow gauge circle ?If yes that would be how there getting about so much No sign of them here today :thinking:

 

[Richie]

Gizzy - 29/10/2009 9:52 AM

Ah, the Royal Gorge!

Did that one when I did a job at Canon City, CO, around 2001.

And I still have this souvenir....

How lucky you are

 

[spike]

Gizzy - 29/10/2009 9:52 AM

Ah, the Royal Gorge!

Did that one when I did a job at Canon City, CO, around 2001.

And I still have this souvenir....

The Hanging Bridge and the Gorge :love:

Would love that on my fridge......do have one of Casey Jones Village which mum bought back
from her trip to Memphis

but thats not the same league

 

[spike]

Never been to the Gorge but have the Pentrex DRGW DVD with a cabride thru the gorge

 

[beavercreek]

Can you post a bit of it onto YouTube spike?

 

[spike]

beavercreek - 1/11/2009 12:56 AM

Can you post a bit of it onto YouTube spike?

Pentrex have a trailer on utube.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJx_COjOhu4

The whole DVD has various sections including the Ski Train with two SD45 tunnel motors and the steam car.
The Skitrain in this dvd is a mayor's special with two silver vistas.
The Royal Gorge cabride is in the bonus section.

Thoroughly recommend the Pentrex DVDs if anyone is interested in US railroads
and the DRGW DVD is excellent if you like high tonnage mountain railroading

Next DVDs on my list are the Donner Pass and Tennessee Pass.