Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

From

The G-scale Crew

 

Special thanks to John and Jane Griffin for providing the holiday lights and the photo of the picnic shelter.

Change comes to the G Scale Area

 Bob Whitt and I debate some of the finer points of the project

On Thursday, 11/19/15, Bob Whitt and I worked on a long overdue project, the G Scale picnic enclosure.  John Griffin had picked up some cast concrete pylons with 4x4 post hangers sometime in the past year.  The pylons had been parked in the G-scale area for far too long.  The pylons were set, posts and beams placed, rafters and fascia boards installed.  Bob used some 2x6 pieces and cut knees for the structure.  The knees were installed on Saturday, 11/21/15.  Once paint is purchased the structure will be painted.  

                                                      Thanks for the push and help Bob!

The plan is to cover the south wall with T-111 plywood, a counter top and some storage storage cabinets.  Roofing will be corrugated metal similar to the campground picnic shelter.

Photos courtesy John Griffin 

Blogging ain't my thing.

No matter my well placed intentions things always manage to get in the way of me updating this blog.  Perhaps I should hand this off to one of my daughters, they are always up to date.

Yesterday John Griffin had trains running on the G scale layout.  Thank you John!
JTS members Michael and Nancy brought Megan and railroad operator, conductor and engineer Matthew out for an operating session (loop the loop).  John passed along these photos to memorialize the event.  Looks like it was a beautiful day.

 

 

... than never.

John has been working on more buildings and details.  He definitely has an eye for these things.  John has been collecting orange rocks and strategically stacking them.  With the light and camera position just right it becomes difficult to tell where the G scale end and reality begins.  Nice work John!

Better late than...

Sierra and I were out to the railroad in November to install the bridges Gary Conley had made for the G scale pike.   We also worked on improving the new timber trestle that connects the new raised be to the old mainline. 

View of the Gary's large mainline bridge and the improved trestle.

I also added cribbing to the original raised beds for the mainline to bring them more inline with the newer sections of the railroad.  Quite a bit of subsidence has occurred on the main since it was originally installed.

Thank goodness for John...

John Griffin, the MOW foreman, building renovator, and all around handyman has kept the G-scale layout alive and active over the warmer portion of the year.  John meets visitors and gives tours of the layout, has trains running for them, runs track cleaning units to "check" on the condition of the railroad, repairs g-scale buildings and keeps the native vegetation clear of the right of way.  All I would like to say is THANKS JOHN!

                                        One of John's MOW trains highlighted by native color

 

John's homage to Mormon Rocks.  John has an eye for details and takes pride in blending the G scale scenery into the full size background

Quite a picturesque and believable scene.  John rebuilt, repaired, painted and placed the buildings in the engine servicing area on the new extension

                  
                  John's Mogul and passenger cars on Creosote curve, taking water at the tower

The original portion of the mainline is in need of repair.  The plan for this season is to add additional cribbing to re-level the mainline.  John has built new crib walls to support the track fill.  Additional structural walls will be added with additional fill.  Some of the bridges are slated for repair or replacement.  A small picnic shelter is also on the to do list. This photo is of John's Mogul on the old section of the mainline.

 

Thanks for all the support John!

 

G-scale Rudy Run Update

John Griffin's C-16 crosses the gorge

As usual the plans to be out over Veteran's Day weekend were thwarted.  My original thoughts to be at JTS for 4 days became a one day turn around.  Oh well, what else is new.  Thank goodness for John Griffin who is constantly working on improving the G-scale layout.  My daughter Kelly and I ran out on Sunday to work on the layout.  Kelly ran some trains and I worked on a replacing the temporary trestle with a driven pile trestle built in place.  Five bents were set to replace the three temporary ones.  As you can see from the photo, the bridge needs diagonals, girts and stringers, but it is off to a good start.  During the installation I discovered the next portion of the project will be to raise the height of the original raised planters and re-level the mainline.  The original planters have subsided over the past dozen years.  JTS President Tom Arnold advised me that is was decided that the plans for the G-scale picnic shelter (a smaller version of the large shelter) have been approved.

Reverse angle of John's C-16 and mixed freight on the Trestle.

A G-scale work crew inspects and adds to the trestle abutment.