# NR&W FROM THE SKY SORTA



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

The straight section of track to the right is the first track I laid when I started 7 years ago. The track to the left is what was added when I decided to go double mailn line after I returned from one of Marty's Steam Ups













This is a view of the bridges across Cozad Crossing. ( Actually the septic tank is there) 












This is a view looking west of a canyon dug to correct for a 9% grade. 

It becomes a river when we have heavy rains.










This is the other end of Cozad Crossing. We are at the south east corner of the layout The curve was orginally a 10 ft curve and trouble some so I changed it to a 20 ft curve

It is not finished 











This is a view standing on the other side of the bush on the left in the above picture 










This was taken from a 12 FT stepladder. 

You can see where the reversint loop will reconect to the layout 

The tunnel in the very lower left corner of the picture is the other reversing loop 











another view form the ladder 

.













Ladder shot again 











This is looking east 

The cinder blocks on the left are the beginings of Carter's Canyon.

Just below the rocks in the middle you can see the remnants of the 16 FT curve that the 20 FT curve replaced. The grade was too steep

You can also see in the lower left that some of the track leading to Carter's Canyon is burried. That is due to some heavy rains we had.

I have to work on the drainage there .












Off the back porch you can see three tunnels.

The one in the middle is the other reversing loop 










Closer look at the tunnels 












The next two pictures are what the area looke like before I put in the tunnels and rocks. 

The tracks are on the same concrete road bed I put in orginally about 5 years ago . All I did was build tunels over it and added the rocks 






















Back state of the big rocks


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ,
It looks like you are making serious progress. Keep us advised on how it is coming.
JimC.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Man, that really helps JJ! I have to go back and stitch the pictures together in my mind. I see why you need the backhoe. You got some nice runs there, nice broad curves, and a lot of work! 

Thanks again for posting the pictures! 

Greg


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

I love a man with a plan!!! Good work J.J. Ummmmmm if ya don't need all dem great big rocks you can haul em up here!! I could use a few! Hah LOL Regal


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By blueregal on 17 Oct 2010 09:59 PM 
I love a man with a plan!!! Good work J.J. Ummmmmm if ya don't need all dem great big rocks you can haul em up here!! I could use a few! Hah LOL Regal 

Plan? I aint got no stinkin plan









I just build where the voice in my head tells me to build.









You know, He may not be real but he sure has some great ideas


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Hey me too! Hah just ask Greg E, and Noel W. Hah LOL Regal


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Nice shots JJ, great to get the overall feel of what ya doing. 

I'm still figuring out the desert/rain thing in my head. We just get rain. 

What ever happened to those rock splitters you were playing with (and the victim rocks..) 

Cheers 
Neil


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You can see one of the victimes in # 5 #7 and #8 That is a rock I split with the quary Feathers.


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## Steve Stockham (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice layout JJ! The pictures really lets us get a "feel" for your railroad. I love the desert venue too!


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

All those "stones" no wonder your tired all the time. 
I need to make it down some year and take some belly shots from track level and see some action on the line. 
Good job Bud.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Quite impressive JJ 

Randy


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ your layout is coming right along but where are the trains? 

Marty, how could you take belly shots without thinking about meeting sneaky snake eye to eye?


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By wigginsn on 18 Oct 2010 02:11 AM 

snip
I'm still figuring out the desert/rain thing in my head. We just get rain. 
snip



Cheers 
Neil 

-----------------------------------------------
Neil,
I live a bit south of JJ, but share the same kinds of rain. We get much of our annual rain during the second half (or so) of summer. 
Here it has to get hot for our Monsoon storms to form. We get moisture from tropical Mexico and Latin America, so the air is humid and rises sapidily off our hot desert. Meeting cold air aloft creates turbulance and makes rain.
Not all rain makes it to the ground, those that don't are called Virgas. The falling cold does sometimes make tho', see below. It's probably upper 90s on the ground.











The other thing about a Monsoon, one side of the street can get an inch of rain while the other side stays dry. 

In the shot below, it's raining on the mountains, but dry overhead.










We do get cold front rains, but California mountains remove most of the moisture. 

Unlike the Sahara with miles of sand we have plants and underground water. We also have mountains which create their own cooler conditions, often called Sky Islands.
Rain run off fills our aquafiers.

John, 
ps;
I like both youse guys layouts


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Looking good JJ, but it appears you have been "Messing" with your yard.... 

Chris


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ 

Thanks for posting the pics. Nice work on an ongoing project. I especially like the ladder shots. You sure have stacked alot of boulders. So do you get rattlesnakes hiding in your shady tunnels? 

Terl


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I have not seen any Rattle Snakes in the tunnels. But rabbits and Lizards Have been in them.

Here are pictures of two piles of rocks that I have to add to my Layout. There is a third pile of the same size.

Most of them came from my property.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Yesterday I managed to get all the track out from under the porch. I was thinking of a parking area but it didn't work out. The desert winds got under the porch and tiped all my cars over. 

I now have another 70 FT of tack to use else where.

I had to go into work yesterday afternoon and then again last night. 

Now that nice weather has arrived in the desert this dam idea of having to earn money sucks and it cuts into my train work time.









I now have the money for a new tire for the back hoe. I will be moving some of the rocks from the herds. 

I will post progess pictures as I do the work 

JJ


PS. I have three buildings for my layout. I got a Aristo Farm house I got from JC a few years back at Marty's I got Aristo Train Station I got at the Baptist Swap meet. And also a red Pola warehouse I got from Claudia's when I stopped in Witchata on my way to Marty's 

I also have several Colordo Models structures. I hope to get some more at SWGRRS.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

"Now that nice weather has arrived in the desert this dam idea of having to earn money sucks and it cuts into my train work time." 

Was talking with my sister yesterday, I do her home upkeep and was trying to convince her that it would be faster and better to reseal her outdoor wood collumms and carvings with a power sprayer and Teak oil vs my use of a brush. She looked at me and with a laugh in her voice asked me; "What do we have but time?" 

The 'need more track' voice cut me off and reminded me that Time is money! ha ha 

Too bad she also has dibs on my at home time! I salvaged the Pecky cedar roof from her remodel... yet it seems I'm a holding site for it... from it I built the Tree house for her great Grandkids, some hose boxes (more to come) and am in the midst of a CD tower started last spring, but on hold in my back porch workshop.... too hot! 

I suspect I've seen the last of my rattlesnake for the season. He grew another foot longer since last season. He hangs out where I feed the birds and that's never on the pike. 2 weeks ago I filmed him swallowing a dove. Was a true NatGeo thrill! Once he had the dove's head in his mouth he was committed to the deed. Took about 40 minutes, he missed the second wing shoulder and had to unfold that wing to swallow it.. I swear he burped and smiled at me! He was aware of me throughout. Camera on the tripod low and me kneeling behind and keeping still. Telephoto of course! If requested I'll post some here, but no trains were involved. 

City folk; Don't worry. I get along with my critters. I listen and look around and where I'm walking. When the snake is out the birds (doves and quail) make a different sound and point it out. My rattlesnake has never shaken a rattle at me. 

JJ, extra track. How about some Amtrak sidings, where you bump the passeger train into a siding as a long freight rumbles by? 
I think you might could oughta get one of those Swiss tunnel borers to clean JC's Canyon! Nothing like a ground level RR to see how much dirt moves in a rain, eh? 

John


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

VarmitPosted By John J on 17 Oct 2010 10:04 PM 
Posted By blueregal on 17 Oct 2010 09:59 PM 
I love a man with a plan!!! Good work J.J. Ummmmmm if ya don't need all dem great big rocks you can haul em up here!! I could use a few! Hah LOL Regal 

Plan? I aint got no stinkin plan









I just build where the voice in my head tells me to build.









You know, He may not be real but he sure has some great ideas









................................................................................................
I like your aditude......... We do the same thing here. If it doesn't work........ pull it out and do something else. Course being in the country like you, there's always something bigger or badder trying to take it from you and really don't want to mess with.

One Varmit 

Great photos and looking like a lot of fun. Nice to just not run a train in the same route all of the time.. Neat R.R. J.J.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Ok Went to Yuma today. Fixed a press....Got paid.....Got home by 1 PM..... Got new tire for Backhoe. Now the Diesel Driven Rock crane is ready to raid the herds this week end. 

There is not a rock on my property that is safe. Maybe the ones that are all read in place are safe. 

I was chastized for not having pictures with Trains in them. Evadently there is some regulattion against naked track. So I will try and take pictures from the "Sky" again and have trains in the pictures .


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## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

Nice views .... I think I will sit on the porch.....


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

This is what I did the last two days. 

I worked on Carter's Canyon. I have been having trouble with diging creatures. So this time I filled in between the rocks with Dirt, dry portland cement/motar, stucco mixed in the cement mixer dry.

I then filled in the areas behind the rocks that needed filling. With dye added to the mix to make it look more like dirt. I dumped it into a 5 gal bucket. 

After I filled the spaces with the mixture I wet it. I hope the cement mixture will set up thus slowing down or stopping the diging creatures. 

JJ


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Today is Wed the 27th

Herer are pics I took of what I have done for the last two days. 

I think the first two are what Marty calles Belly shots.

It looks like some of the rocks are leaing over the RR. They are.


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice work JJ....


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Here is some more work I did 
































This is from my friend the Cholla Cactus.

This little bugger was once part of a Pack Rat's den.

It got pciked up when I moved a load of rocks.

It is through my boot and about 1/16 of a inch into my small toe.

I had to take my boots of and pull the head out with a pair of Needle Nose Pliers


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 29 Oct 2010 08:10 PM 
Here is some more work I did 






*Wow... that can hurt.. I have some jumping cactus in the layout, but nothing like that..







*


This is from my friend the Cholla Cactus.

This little bugger was once part of a Pack Rat's den.

It got pciked up when I moved a load of rocks.

It is through my boot and about 1/16 of a inch into my small toe.

I had to take my boots of and pull the head out with a pair of Needle Nose Pliers


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

A friend and I were taking a "shortcut" across the school campus in La Jolla, California. We found a small path in the right direction as we headed out in late afternoon. 

All of a sudden we discovered a number of things as the trail petered out: 

1. There was an extra "valley" with a guarded building between us and our destination. 
2. We were not supposed to be there, based on the barking dogs and the helicopter that appeared. 
3. We were also in a cholla cactus patch. 
4. We had run into the cactus, and it was thigh high... 

So, while fearing being arrested, shot, or bitten, we had to pull our pants off to get the cholla out of our thighs. 

I had visions of being bitten and arrested with my pants at my ankles. 

Luckily we pulled the cactus from our legs, scraped them off our pants, the dogs were behind a fence, and the helicopter was a coincidence. 

Needless to say, we took the road next time. 

Greg


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Well, does this mean we finally caught Greg with his pants down???????? HAH LOL Regal


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I have added a littl more to the Carter's canyon





















AS you can see I am working two sides of the area. I have added some rocks on the side by the yellow bucket. I have three more things to do around the track.

Then I am going to do some rock formations in the middle.


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Oh Dang, and he used the rocks I wanted him to bring up here!! Hah LOL Regal


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I had to water the rocks tognight. Not to make them grow but to flood the base. They way they sink in the mud and become more stable.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I see the "JC trackage" is still under a layer of dirt! 

Greg


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## pimanjc (Jan 2, 2008)

JJ,
Some of those rocks in Carter's Canyon look like they are almost waist high!

Jim Carter


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

The dirt over the tracks was from a drainage problem I had which I will fix as I got a long 

And yes some of those rocks are waist high....the one with the straps on is waist high about 35 inches high


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By Greg Elmassian on 30 Oct 2010 03:05 PM 
A friend and I were taking a "shortcut" across the school campus in La Jolla, California. We found a small path in the right direction as we headed out in late afternoon. 

All of a sudden we discovered a number of things as the trail petered out: 

1. There was an extra "valley" with a guarded building between us and our destination. 
2. We were not supposed to be there, based on the barking dogs and the helicopter that appeared. 
3. We were also in a cholla cactus patch. 
4. We had run into the cactus, and it was thigh high... 

So, while fearing being arrested, shot, or bitten, we had to pull our pants off to get the cholla out of our thighs. 

I had visions of being bitten and arrested with my pants at my ankles. 

Luckily we pulled the cactus from our legs, scraped them off our pants, the dogs were behind a fence, and the helicopter was a coincidence. 

Needless to say, we took the road next time. 

Greg 

Greg You could have ended up like this guy.











You have no idea how painfull that is going to be to get those off him.

I have had one pod with 15 quills in my leg


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Needle nose pliers are the best at removing those jumping cactus pods. 

Seeing that pic makes my eyes water! Unlike other cactus Cholla have a chemical sting as well... 
There are two on my property, but no where near where I walk. 

John


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I have used pliers to remove them from a person. It's amazing how far your skin pulls away from your body until the spines give way. 

That guy was surely not one happy camper! Looks like a golf cart there, he was off in the rough, and looks to be Arizona, by the sunburst badges. 

Ouch, hurts just looking at that picture. 

Greg


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Ok Not that the "Home" has got my meds back in ballance Here is what I did next. 















































The Question is: Should I leave the mesh raw and let it rust as a retainer wall or should I cover it with stucco to make it look like rock?

The shop vac allows me to sculpt the walls with out distrubing a lot of the dirt.


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

John whats that thing with the wooden stick on it? You have a big tamper on the back of the tractor.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By Ron Senek on 19 Dec 2010 03:36 PM 
John whats that thing with the wooden stick on it? You have a big tamper on the back of the tractor. 

I never tried the backhoe as a tamper. I thought it would be more of a smasher than a tamper. 

I got one job in the morning when I get home I will try it. 

JJ

Ps just as a refresher this is what I started with

Where the gray car is sitting is where the dirt piels are now












This is where the tunnels are.

The orginal concrete road bed is till in the exact same posistion Just added a bunch of rocks around itl

It is still level side to side as the day I poured it.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

What size is your mesh? When it rains everything small enough will wash though and fill your cuts. Kneeling to dig them out will weaken the hills for the next rain... 
The hillsides above the mesh will also wash into your cut, the steeper they are the farther and faster they move. I'd guess to cut them back to 30% rise.

If you have time, you could mortar rocks to the mesh. As I remember this is a draiage issue area, better to minimise the inflo. Might install drain pipes now too... perforated collectors piped to a lower level. 

John


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

John you worry me, I think you need more clearence from the track to allow for thickness and big engine hang over. Plus instead of dumping dirt on it you could use temp blocks to hold it up then back fill.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By NTCGRR on 19 Dec 2010 05:26 PM 
John you worry me, I think you need more clearence from the track to allow for thickness and big engine hang over. Plus instead of dumping dirt on it you could use temp blocks to hold it up then back fill. 

I have run my container train through the cut. It is a little tight. That is what the shop vac is for . I can suck out dirt behind the mesh and move it back.


I thought of the block method but did not have enough to do the job. 

JJ


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice, JJ!! You've got a LOT of potential there! 

Thanks for sharing!


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Boy ...you got quite a long project there.. For a while i fig. you were saving up and storing extra track and dig it up as needed.. laf.. 
Looking good ... Not sure where you are going with it but looks good.. 
May in time....... need climbing equip. to get to a train if keep on getting bigger rocks tho.....








*MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY DIGGING, JOHN.....







*


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## chaingun (Jan 4, 2008)

Hey JJ, 
You are really get'en it done on the NR&W! I love dem rocks! 
I am almost ready to start the new Salome layout. The main looks like it will be around 1000 ft.I will have a couple of areas with drainage issues too. Have access to a Bobcat and small dump truck that should make an old mans life a little easier. I am tiring to decide if I want to go with concrete roadbed on this one.I want a USA Big Boy in the future so I am leaning towards going with the concrete. How do you attach the track to your roadbed? I want to make it out to Marty's this year but I have been trying to get there for the last 3 years and haven't made it yet, but--- hope springs eternal yes? 
Best, Ted


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

JJ I forgot about these pics, it refreshes my memory. Looks like you have a lot of work getting it done...but BOY what fun task it must be!

Keep us posted looks awesome!

Bubba


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

lookin good crash!


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

This is what I am attempting to accompolish 

The burring and diging when I get done should look somthing like this 

Less the vegatation of course.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

In recient days due to the excessive rain a "New River" broke from underground into Carters Canyon 

Here are some Pictures of the MOW crew's work installing a new drain to carry some of the water off.


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking great JJ


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

JJ 
looking very good, lots of hard work setting up these large stones. Keep the pics coming 
Dennis


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