In case you get tired of “mountain” railroads

[Trainman203]

It's not a question of being a fan of anything or not. It's a statement that some layout themes like eastern mountain coal roads or the Colorado narrow gauge are quite simply overdone . And some people like Quentin and I would like to see something else now and then.  

I'm a big fan of the late great Saluda Grade on the Southern, that's as fine an example of mountain railroading as anything on the PRR or the B&O, but how many layouts feature Saluda? Or the KCS in the Ozarks? Or the Hiwassee Loop?  Or the Rathole Division? Or some narrow gauge besides those in Colorado?  There were dozens of not hundreds at one time. I'm thrilled to see the FEC modeled at all, especially the steam era, and the models of ag branches through flat country demeaned by many but what constantly tugs at me to, like the salmon, return home to the familiar.

[jward]

Personally, I've always thought the Belgrano Cargas west of Salta, or the Central Andino would make good prototypes is suitable models were available. But there are very few models available of export Alco or EMD units.

Other possible ideas would be Santa Fe's Crown King branch, or Western Maryland in Blackwater Canyon.

For us modellers, mountain railroading allows us to reasonably get more railroad in a given space. you can loop your tracks back on themselves and model bridges and tunnels. A flat railroad only exists in two dimensions, a mountain railroad exists in three. One of the tragedies of this hobby is that the so-called "experts" that publish the magazines are flatlanders who tell you railroads crossing over and under each other in narrow valleys is unrealistic. Apparently they've never visited Pennsylvania, where we have an entire state full of places like that.

[Trainman203]

I worked jobs in West Virginia and Colorado, and traveled through western Pennsylvania, and saw the railroads in those places, so I've seen the things you speak of, Jeffrey.  But I just didn't feel the magic there that you do.  I didn't stay there because mountains make me claustrophobic, they literally give me the willies, I need to be able to see horizons and distance. I love seeing a steam train from miles away but hearing the whistle float in on the wind.  I saw it in Arizona in 1965, standing on top of a water tank watching the Magma Arizona slowly fade into the horizon.  You'd see the steam rise up from the distant engine and then after a very long moment hear that moaning 5-chime scream softly float in and out on the eternal wind; sometime very clear then fading away.... like steam itself was back then.  It was beyond heartbreaking.  And as a child I heard that same sound from our home on hot summer afternoons, goes back a long long way with me.

My take only .... the magic of open country and distant horizons can't be had with hills.  And it is really hard to imply distant horizons on a layout.  I haven't done it yet as much as I want to.

[Trainman203]

Other mountain railroads you never see modeled are Raton Pass or the GN/NP/MILW over the Cascade Range, especially the earlier as-built with switchbacks on the mainline.  Who the heck models switchbacks on a Class 1?  What a great way to get to a second layout level without a helix, and create a lot of travel time too.

Or the CP/CN over the Canadian Rockies.  I don't know much about them but seems like I remember one of them having a complete ascending loop inside a tunnel , what a way to make a helix prototypical.

The criticism of layouts looping over each other I believe was directed st the same line crossing over itself, although the Hiwassee Loop in Tennessee does exactly that, crossing itself on a pile trestle at that.  I'd post a photo if I could.

[Ken Clark]

  Rode the Central Andino in 2000,  a Class 1,  with 20 some switchbacks, short train's 8 cars if I remember
no caboose, (just dead weight) more tunnel's and bridges then any model RR layout would ever have. At the
time most motive power was MLW (Alco) DL 535 ? both standard and narrow gauge on the H&H Rly, which has since
been rebuilt to standard gauge.

  Ken Clark
   GWN

[jward]

Now i'm jealous.

[Trainman203]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_4Yyti9K9cg

I can tell this (part 1) might convert me.

[Ken Clark]

Saved the video's for later today, when there is nothing on the TV worth turning it on  
What I did watch brought back memories of the trip. Looking forward to watching both part's.

  Ken Clark
   GWN

[Terry Toenges]

Here's some vacation video I took from around Raton, New Mexico from 2001. The last part of it has the train snaking it way through. I'm an "off the beaten path" kind of guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXfsXB6-5PM&feature=youtu.be

[jward]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSJXIGaOdZE

Here is the legendary Cranberry Grade on the former B&O about 1996. The first scene is at Ambersburg, WV. Only a mile or so from the bottom and already the train is down to walking speed. Second scene is about 9 miles up the mountain. Final scene is coming over the top at Terra Alta. And yes, it really DOES look like that. Enjoy.

[Quentin]

Thanks!

[jward]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nErcIvhsUw

Riding the dynamic brake through the switchbacks on Belgrano Cargas. Track is meter guage, and the logomotive is a narrow guage export version of the SD39.

[WoundedBear]

Here are a couple of videos of the Spiral Tunnels. One is a good scenic view and the other offers a good explanation of how it is designed.

Sid

https://youtu.be/Gz8BhGUA7ok

https://youtu.be/Sxwxw_xAIAI

[jward]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ6eoaEcGvQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3EMYxJXQg0
And here is the essence of West Virginia railroading as modelled in HO scale.

[John Zelada]

Very beautiful model, just one question: does it simulate a real tour?