# Denver Convention Layout 6; Strong's TUSCARORA RR



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

I've been a bit leery of approaching the Tuscarora Railroad. After all, Kevin Strong's layout may be one of the best documented garden railroads in the U.S. We've seen the layout evolve as a 'project railroad' in the pages of Garden Railways -- and whenever Kevin's reviewed a product, built a piece of rolling stock, or tried out some new technique or other, the TRR has been his test bed. And whether here on MLS, the pages of GR, or Kevin's own blog and website, we've been privileged to follow along and learn.










And yet, one of the most interesting things about this layout .. (and I sure hope Kevin takes this right!) is how _undramatic_ it is! To begin with, the Tuscarora RR is a moderately sized layout built along the perimeter of a moderately sized suburban back yard. There are none of the spectacles you might find on a more theatrical layout; elements which serve to focus your attention on some piece of eye-candy or other. No waterfall, no volcano, no animated ice-house or flaming refinery. Instead, what Kevin has focused on is the creation of several independent vignettes, each of which is quite plausibly strung upon a fairly rigorous and realistic back story. Every vignette suggests a place, and every place has a purpose on the Tuscarora Railroad. AND...each vignette has been skillfully modelled from the track up in 1:20.3 scale, achieving a sense of realism which left me, at least, muttering "well, of course, THAT's how you do it."

If you'd like to know more about the rationale behind the Tuscarora Railroad, and its connection to the EBT and Tuscarora Valley, I suggest Kevin's new blog site at http://tuscarorarailroad.blogspot.com, or even his modeling pages here on MLS. It would be foolish of me to attempt to reiterate all of this material; my purpose here is simply to provide a short guided tour.

We'll start with the introductory overview shot as we enter the back yard. The Tuscarora RR is a loop-to-loop railroad that runs along the perimeter of the yard. Kevin is on the right, with his back to us. He's wearing his obligatory convention 'host's vest.' At the left, two gents (looks like one -- I know) are looking over the town of Blacklog.










Here's a closer look at Blacklog -










The freight station










Beers & Green, Woodworking










EBT No. 1, the Edward Roberts, is pulling in for water at Blacklog. This water tower is an odd duck, isn't it? I thought that maybe Kevin had done a builder's log on this here on MLS, but I can't find it. Why the strange shape, Kevin? And does it have an EBT prototype?










No. 1 continues to Shade Gap.










Here's a tighter shot of the freight platform. I hope you can see the weathering on car #150.










On a siding a little ways past Shade Gap sits the Dublin Steam Tannery (est. 1818). Boxcar #123 is even more weathered than #150.










And where you have tanneries, you're likely to have a tanbark industry! Somewhere Kevin has discussed the role of tanbark in his Tuscarora Railroad; he'll happily discuss the importance to your railroad of having strong interlocking industries; they provide the need for your transport, after all!










EBT No. 1 loops around the small engine shed at Neelyton. This angle yields a good view of the Strong-crafted cab & its roof.










And returns through the Neelyton Yards. The Heisler belongs to the Tuscarora Timber Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the TRR. Doubtless the logs in that gondola will eventually head out to be stripped of their bark.










As No.1 heads back out towards Shade Gap, we have a better view of its Varnish consist, including the beautiful Orbisonia.










Here's a closer shot of Orbisonia, with its distinctive windows. Kevin documented the building of this car here on MLS.










Kevin discusses the Aristo 'Revolution' controller with a convention-goer. He's been quite critical of Aristo's earlier controllers (especially their range limitations), but he gave this new one a very positive review in a recent GR. "They finally got it right" he told me.










Several people have posted wonderful pictures of Kevin & Allison's MLS get-together which took place on the Thursday after their open house. We had to leave the shindig early to get to the Forney Museum event, but Carla was able to get a few interesting shots before we left. Here are a few selections of the great modelling talents displayed by MLSers.

Jim Carter shows us his WWII U.S. Army hospital car, a tribute to his father. It won first place in Rolling Stock at the convention's model contest.










Here's a close up, showing some of the interior detail. You can just make out the hospital beds through the two windows at the right.










Winn Erdmann poses with his exquisite live steam Mason Bogie and his Rio Grande Southern passenger car.










A closer shot of the Bogie -










And the interior of the RGS .










We prevailed upon Allison Strong to bring out her eponymously named "Allison Wondersteam" live steamer!



















And a 'cute kids' pic. While Kevin's back is turned, Suzi Strong and a friend see how many of their stuffed animals they can 'deadhead' through the bridge!










And finally, but certainly not least, we see our hobby passing through three generations. That's Jim Strong, Kevin's father. I'm sure I'm not the only one who first started dreaming of having a garden railroad while looking through the pictures of his wonderful layout and fantastic buildings in the early pages of GR. And that's his grandaughter Suzi Strong on his lap. Together, they're looking at 'the book' of the Tuscarora Railroad.


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## markoles (Jan 2, 2008)

Great pictures and summary!! Nice to see the railroad from a wide angle.


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## Fred (Jan 2, 2008)

Great pictures and dialog, thanks for posting so those of us who couldn't make Denver this time can enjoy it.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

Thanks, Gary! It's always interesting to see my railroad through others' eyes. I love learning what people find of interest. It helps me to make it all the more interesting for the next visitors. 

The water tower is a mixture of two EBT water towers. The size and shape comes from the tank at Shade Gap, while the board-and-batten siding comes from the tank at Saltillo. The original plans for the railroad had the tank located at Shade Gap, as per the prototype. Alas, by the time I put in the station, coal tipple, and landscaping, I ran out of room for the tank! So, I moved it to Blacklog instead. It's an enclosed tank--inside you'd find a round water tank up on stilts as you'd see anywhere else. The difference is that inside the enclosure is a coal stove to keep things warm(ish) in the winter. This worked in locations where the tank was near a station, and the stove could be tended. I like it because it's dead simple to build. You don't have to worry about counterweights, tank bands, or any of that fiddly stuff. Four walls, a spout, roof, and a long lever's all you need. 










I said I like seeing the railroad through others' eyes, and this photo is a prime example of why. I've been struggling with where I put the water tank because I'd not been able to frame it in a photo that I really liked. (And photography is a primary motivator for how I landscape the railroad.) This angle here, with the road going in the background really puts it in a nice context. I think I'll keep it there, but maybe do something different with the vegetation opposite it. I think that's what was throwing me. I think I want something a bit lower there. 

Later, 

K


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