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N Scale Tehachapi Layout

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The Layout

May 2007: Three faded warbonnets head a JB Hunt stack train around the freshly re-tree'd Caliente horseshoe

A set of bluebonnets bring a baretable train into Woodford

SP locos downhill on the bridge...

...uphill at Caliente...

...and downhill at the Loop. That's hardly prototypical

Under the Bridge, to steal a line from the Chili Peppers

March 2007: The new ES44DC. I tend to sit on my arse contemplating a project for about six months and then the whirlwind strikes - this morphed from a partially stripped AC4400 to a fully decaled Evo in about 6 hours, primarily through rebuilding the radiator and engine roof sections. Its not perfect - the grilles under the radiator section are wrong (but the effort wouldn't justify the outcome) and I forgot to remove that very last step on the port side. Hey, close enough. Must fix those cab numbers and put a horn on her though...

The Evo has my most subtle weathering job yet. Dullcoted, some chalk dirt on the walkways and plow and a smidge of black chalk on the roof.

Don't look toooo closely...

Feb 07: At dawn, a helper set returns own the hill

Oct 2006. Well, there's something different - four SD40-2s - a BNSF wedgie, a pair of BNSF patches and a pumpkin on an autorack train. This is my 'builders pic' of the leader which was one of the 'new design' Kato D40-2s in H1 paint. I painted and repainted and added decals from the recently available Microscale 'H3 Slugs and Switchers' sheet -hence no nose logo as yet. You have no idea how long it took to find a prototype wedgie with nose headlights & black cabroof and a BNSF Whiteface with high headlights and cabside patched numbers...

Mr UP in charge of a colourful stack train. Headlights courtesy photoshop.

Back in another time, a set of SP helpers add their muscle to an uphill train. Appalling sky was a feeble attempt to do something worthwhile in photoshop.

At the end of the day, a BNSF stacker loaded with JB Hunt intermodal containers passes a slower BNSF manifest at Woodford

A selection of shots from Sept 2006. A BNSF train headed by BNSF SD75i, LMX B40-8, BN B30-7a, and SD40-2 winds its way down around the bridges under the famous Tehachapi loop with a pair of SD40-2s providing dynamic braking assistance at the rear

Up at the loop an autorack train slows for a crossing with an uphill stack train hot on the heels of a set of light power headed for Barstow. Must fix that abrupt scenery transition stage right...

An uphill with a NS standard cab Dash 9 in second slot runs across some rather lightly ballasted track

More stacks and autoracks seen from the unfinished manicured fields above tunnel 10

Clean BNSF and tatty Santa Fe Dash 9s head uphill. Yes, those two trees are temporary..!

The same train taken at the same spot from the loop hill

Overall view of the train room

SP locos at Caliente. Yes, there is a bridge here now... 2002

A coil train heads down from the loop after this section was nearing completion in 2005

SP locos cross the bridge

UP locos including some heavily weathered ACs

2002 Caliente stacks - nice trees - not! These have since been replaced... This was the first part of the layout completed.

Caliente coal

In 2003, the loop was built. This shot taken before the green, green grass of home was weathered

And again - decent sized trains can run here - 40 odd cars and 8 locos works, and looks pretty neat...

Locos

Supergrunge B40-8W snotbonnet 518

The new ES44DC. I tend to sit on my arse contemplating a project for about six months and then the whirlwind strikes - this morphed from a partially stripped AC4400 to a fully decaled Evo in about 6 hours, primarily through rebuilding the radiator and engine roof sections. Its not perfect - the grilles under the radiator section are wrong (but the effort wouldn't justify the outcome) and I forgot to remove that very last step on the port side. Hey, close enough. Must fix those cab numbers and put a horn on her though...