# 2011 BAGRS Western Regionals Report Pt.1



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

In years where the National Garden Railroad Convention is held in the eastern U.S., it's become a sort of a tradition that some club in the west hold a "Western Regional Convention" for those of us who find a trip back east impracticable. Regionals are less formal and less organized than a national convention; there is no vendors show, clinics, or even a 'convention hotel.' What there are are layouts to tour (and sometimes a big picnic or barbecue.)


This year the national convention was in Kansas City, which qualifies as 'back east' to us Californios, so the Bay Area Garden Railway Society (BAGRS) stepped up to the plate as they had done several times before. President Russ Miller, a regular here on MLS, organized 47 garden railroads which were open at scheduled times between July 10th and 14th.


Unfortunately, Carla & I couldn't make it up until the 12th; but Tuesday morning, tour booklet in hand, we arrived at Bill Eldredge's EASTERN PACIFIC AND COASTAL RR. Jack Verducci, in his book How to Design and Build Your Garden Railroad, recommends a folded dogbone trackplan as a way to stuff a lot of track into a small area. I haven't seen a better illustration of this concept/idea than Eldredge's EP&C. This layout occupies an area of about 15' by 30', and that includes space for a lemon tree.













Bill says the mainline run is about 100 feet, but it feels like it's gotta' be more than that. The layout has 4 bridges, two water features, a pier, several sidings... and somewhere there might be a partridge in a lemon tree.
































Bill is proud of the layout's extensive use of found and recycled materials. Even one of the ponds was found and patched.






















This was one of those layouts that reveal a lot of hidden detail if you take a moment to look for it! A great way to start the tour...


It's hard to get a good 'establishing shot' of Dan Smith's unnamed logging layout. What you see here is sort of the 'tip of the arrow' -- the layout continues going back, rising on the right side, falling off on the left side.












The resulting slope creates a scenario full of tight clearances and steep grades -- up to 6%. This is not a mainline layout -- only geared engines need apply. It feels as if you're somewhere between the West Side Lumber Co. and Thunder Mountain!
































The long drawbar between the engine and the first car is the only way the train can snake through some curves of 42" diameter! Track is all hand-laid code 215.












Some of the scratch-made buildings were a tight fit in the niches and gaps of the rocky slope.
























Engines are all battery powered. Close attention allows one train to yield the switch into a section of three-rail gantlet track.












By the time you reach the 'back end' of the slope, you're looking at an elevation change of 12 to 14 feet. This 'down' shot shows an incomplete extension of track fairly high on the slope, although there were running sections that climbed even higher. And yes, those are real people down at the bottom!












Having climbed so high, how do the trains get back down? A spiral helix trestle, of course.












BTW, if you haven't guessed from looking at his trestles, Dan Smith is a real artisan of wood (he mentioned off-handedly that he kept 300 different kinds of hardwoods in his shop). He specializes in making boxes of varying size and complexity, as well as furnishings. You can find his work at steamboxes.com


Bob and Linda Elia's layout is an 'L' shaped island that's almost a periphery layout along the back & side of their yard. Here's an 'establishing shot' down the long leg of the 'L'












And here are some nice vignettes -


This close-up of the lumbermill shows some interesting detail, including a steam donkey which 'drives' a belt up to a driveshaft, which runs the length of the mill.












Here's an opposite angle, which shows a different donkey unloading logs.












The freight yards --












And the shop yards alongside the engine house --












A beautiful little farm --












A man pauses on the bridge, looking down the creek against the afternoon light. (I thought he was holding something over his head, but when I blew the picture up, I realized he was preparing to swat away the giant fly that had landed on his head.)












This rusted and bullet-riddled old car is another piece of detail which helps a scene spring to life.












The layout has two loops as well as a point-to-point trolley line. We'll rejoin that Bachmann 'Indy' as it comes around the upper loop. Meanwhile, a 'Big Hauler' drags a passenger consist around the lower loop.












Bob is known for his trestle work. As the 'Big Hauler' passes one, you can see a full maintenance crew at work.












Did I mention that the Elia's live in Gilroy, the garlic capital of the world? You can't drive through this gently aromatic town without getting a sudden urge to order a pizza with extra toppings!














More to come...


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

That is some REALLY interesting and clever stuff you and Carla have shared with us. I'll be looking through those pictures many times to spot the details I'm sure I missed the first time around. They're kind of like a Disney ride, you can't spot it all the first time around. 

There's no way anyone can get to all 47 different layouts on a tour like this. It makes you wonder what delights you might have missed............... 

Thank you Gary, for sharing Carla's ever improving photographic skills.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Great pictures, thanks.


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## Henson (Jan 2, 2008)

Always look forward to your pictures. Thanks for sharing them with us.


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Nice! Thanks for sharing.


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

A couple of more shots of Dan's layout. All the rail is hand bent, meaning NO RAIL BENDER, and hand spiked aluminum. Note that there is alomost no straight track either...








All of the switches are hand made also... Check out this 3-way switch.









Russ Miller


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Very nicely done RR. Good detail. Thanks for sharing. Later RJD


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