# We've Got It Up and Running!



## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

I want to thank everyone from this forum for helping me out during my early planning phase in October 2013 and to report back with the good news -- we now have a train running. The layout is still in chaotic mode -- no trees planted, few buildings in place, no automobile roads yet -- but yesterday we did a few test runs, including a locomotive camera run, caboose camera run, and a long consist of mixed freight, passenger, and circus cars, just to see where and when the Bachmann Annie locomotives would slip. There was no slippage at 17 cars, so that was the video we posted. We will normally be running 6 - 8 cars in 3 consists (passenger, freight, and -- on holidays -- circus). 





 G-Scale 17-Car Consist Test Run at Lucky Mojo





 G-Scale Locomotive Ride at Lucky Mojo






Here are the people to credit:

Nancy Norris: layout design

Daniel Smith Railroads (danielsmithrailroads.com): trestles, track, scratch-build buildings, general supervisor, fantastic artist!

Eric Moe (moetrains.com): electrical

Don Herzog (Miniature Plant Kingdom): plants (in pots, not yet planted!)

Bo Maldonado: miniature painting and detailing (more videos to come will showcase his art)

Eagle Wings Iron Craft: steel bridges.

Ebay: virtually everything else on the layout. 

Our debut will be May 3-4, 2014! We are working fast to make that deadline!


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## Lorna (Jun 10, 2008)

Congratulations!


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## Skeeterweazel (Feb 11, 2014)

Very nice. Congrats!


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nice layout! Hard to believe it's only been six months. You have been very busy.

Thanks for posting.


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## MikeMcL (Apr 25, 2013)

That's a lot of work in a short time, and it looks awesome!


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

Thanks for the kind words, folks. 

The real work began in January, by which time we were also dodging raindrops. Most of the layout has come together in the past 6 weeks. Unseen is the simple train room built into the barn, the lanterns on posts from Somethin' Different, and the many little painted people waiting to come out into the sunshine. 

So far we have brought in 20 yards of dirt, a couple of cages of Sonoma Fieldstone, a pallet of Coldwater Canyon flagstone, and many bags of ballast. We have 4 weeks left to finish it. More rock will be arriving early next week.

My job is to find little things on ebay. I love my job.


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## noelw (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking great.. nice work.. Nice area down there.


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Very Nice!!!


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## Sjoc78 (Jan 25, 2014)

Wow that looks great. Its cool to see some one else with a Bachmann Circus train. Guessing that's a 4th gen version of the engine? I recently had to replace the drive for mine which was an early track powered version so its great to see what I can expect with the upgrade I installed.


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

We planted our first few trees today -- tiny junipers and a dwarf barberry. Daniel finished the hand-spiked ties on the fifth iron bridge. We got Locomotive #14 (A Bachmann Annie) back with its new Sierra Sound system installed -- what a difference! Real sound!

This layout is all track power for now. I intend to be able to alternate to battery power as well. There are advantages to both. For me, listening to the debate has not resulted in an opinion forming, so i am going to try it both ways -- for a couple of years if need be -- and then i will have my own answer. LOL!


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## Dick Friedman (Aug 19, 2008)

Great work, Catherine. Congrats to you and your crew. What's going on in May to make it a deadline?


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

On May 3-4 my church is sponsoring our annual Hoodoo Heritage Festival -- a 2-day session about folk religions and folk magic around the world. Teachers and students will be coming in from all over the world to take a series of workshops on the traditions of spiritual bathing, cooking magical and lucky foods, using the Bible in magic (as well as prayer), what an Afro-Brazilian Quimbanda service for Exu is like, what a Spiritualist Church road opener service is like, how to wildcraft herbs used in African American folk magic, the history and practice of Swedish Christian folk magic -- and so forth. We put on one of these ecumenical festivals every year. 

Last year we built a Cretan labyrinth on the premises as a permanent installation, and taught the two (very different) traditions of contemplative labyrinth walking in a New Age and Catholic context versus the wild and crazy use of the labyrinth in Swedish folk magic to get good luck in fishing. The labyrinth remains, as a permanent fixture, on the property. 

This year we are building the train, and i am financing it, because it makes so many people happy (myself included) and we will be teaching people about the role of the train in the movement of people and cultures in America. It's not strictly educational, but there is certainly an educational aspect to it. Also it goes Toot Toot. 

Well, you get the picture. It's a lot to hang on 300 feet of track and a couple of Bachmann Annies, but that's the story! 

We have a little more than TWO WEEKS to pull this together. Wish us luck.

Read about the Hoodoo Heritage Festival here: http://hoodooheritagefestival.com


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

The new tunnel by Daniel Smith ... not yet fully planted on the hill:

http://www.yronwode.com/cowboy-horse-bears.jpg

And some bridges -- a steel one by Eagle Wings and a wooden trestle by Daniel Smith:

http://www.yronwode.com/gondola-boxcar-caboose.jpg


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## Crisolite (Jan 9, 2008)

*Messinger of Peace*

Hi Catherine,

I wish you luck in getting the train done in time.

Have you heard about the chapel cars that at one time road the rails?
There is one being restored at the Northwest Railway Museum called the Messenger of Peace.

I could see modifying a Bachmann coach into a chapel car. That, while not being an exact replica, would give a good example of the car and an educational piece. I don't think it would be that hard either.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Ed;

I have the book This Train Is Bound For Glory which documents the history of the chapel cars. It is interesting to read. One of the steel cars even finished its service life as the chapel at a church camp.

I had also toyed with the idea of converting a Bachmann baggage car to a chapel car. It would have been fun to hide a small digital music player playing organ music in the car. I just have too many proposed projects, so that idea fell by the wayside and the baggage car got sold.

Regards,
David Meashey


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

The Pacific Electric ran a funeral car in LA. The casket slid in from the side and the interior was nicely done in wood and rattan... 
I did a search on my old pc, a while back... got some nice pics.
Can't show any today.... my progress!

John


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

Wow, and DOUBLE WOW! You folks just totally changed my life! I had no idea that there were chapel cars (funeral cars, yes, chapel cars, not a clue!) This is stupendous! I will be doing this as soon as i find the time. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 

cat


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## greghile (Jun 10, 2008)

There is a funeral car on display at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California near Riverside. As for chapel cars I have wanted to build one for years but never got around to it but I am getting the bug to do so again. I did considerable research on chapel cars back in the late 1990s and even looked into doing a Ph.D dissertation on them. A couple of them still exist in various stages of restoration. Another one was converted into a church building in Rawlins, Wyoming and I got to see it several years ago.


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## catherine yronwode (Oct 9, 2013)

A new house and some dairy cattle have arrived on the Lucky Mojo ET&WNC Garden Railway layout! Notice the 4" plant pot next to it ready for planting -- LOL! 

http://www.luckymojo.com/locomotive-white-house-cattle.jpg

The red prototype building in the background, by the way, is the World's Smallest Church! It is 6' x 6'.


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