# Phase II update



## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The outdoor portion of the work on the Phase II project  (the 1:29 modern trains)  ended in October, same as the year before, at the point when temperatures stayed below freezing at mid day.  This forced all remaining work indoors.  All the rail lines have been connected and the line will be fully operational in May. One new connecting segment will be added next season to enable an easier turn-around of trains without bringing them back inside the bar itself.



At present the  fleet for the Phase II segment includes one F3-A NP with a passenger consist of  NP USA aluminum coaches; an F3 A-B GN with a set of GN USA set of coaches; a GN mallet with a mixed assortment of freight cars, mostly coal hoppers; an Alaska Railroad 40-2 (custom paint) plus two AKRR SD-70 Macs (stock) and a set of FA-1-FB-1 AKRR engines along with two custom AKRR passenger cars and an assortment of freight cars; a Canadian Pacific FA-1 and FB-1 unit with a limited edition set of CP Aristocraft heavyweights plus a CP Aristocraft Pacific; a large Santa Fe USA passenger consist with an SF E-8 and an SF Dash 9; and a custom painted set of Milwaukee Road modern coaches plus the FA-B-A Aristo stock locomotive units in that paint scheme.  Additionally, in the Milwaukee paint scheme, we will be converting several heavyweights into the same stock Milwaukee colors later in the year.



The operational model trains in 2008 will be the two Great Northern ones; one of the AKRR consists; the BNSF passenger consist; and one Milwaukee Road passenger consist.



Finally, the structures so far mostly consist of kits and kit-bashes redone to fit the Cicely-NX scheme (mainly brick structures). However, several original NX-Roslyn buildings remain on the drawing board, likely to be completed before summer arrives. At this point only The Brick tavern is completed, including a full bar inside.  Several false-front structures from the Roslyn prototype will follow. The town will be quite large and very full of structures, limited only by its dedicated, covered footprint of 32 feet by 12 feet.  It will be quite a sight to behold. Trust me on that.



 










(click for larger view of model)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

*Reference Map Showing Location of Phase II additional line, 2008*







* Once this extension is added, it will be possible to turn the consists around without backing up through the wye, which also means backing up into the bar.  The extension enters the western end of the Cicely model structure, passing over a 48 inch turntable pit, and ending up on the northern tracks of the Cicely model where another turn-around enables the train to return from this point back to the bar--or continue to the far-eastern end where the large turn-around loop marks the far-end of the Phase II railway.*


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## Allan W. Miller (Jan 2, 2008)

As always, I thoroughly enjoy reading your updates! Keep them coming!


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I really like *The Brick*, and the weathering on it. Looking forward to seeing the planned town and the other scratch structures.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

*Thank you for the comment.*


* A word on the new name:*












*ALCANEX stands for Alaska-Canada Northern Expo Consolidated Railways System, a reference to a combination of all the road names seen above on the presumption that a rail connection between Alaska and Washington and/or Montana was fubakkt established via an extension of the B.C. rails system by means of the abandoned Cassiar railbed. *


*This may not be all that far-fetched. It appears that the Canadian gas line proposal has cleared the first hurdle. There is an Alaskan railroad tie-in proposal by a separate entity which assumes that such a gas line will be constructed. Ten years? Possibly so.  

And, of course, as near as I can determine, I operate THE farthest north large-scale model railroad system not just in North America, but apparently the entire world. That is, until someone in Fairbanks finally builds one. So, for the moment at least, I can claim some rather exclusive bragging rights. *


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_Above: The Brick model before being placed into winter storage. Click for larger image._ 
_*The Brick*_ is probably the most complex structure that will ever be constructed on any of my layouts. The prototype is not as simple as it appears, with some rather odd roof angles, a variety of types of brick and plaster exterior sidings, that rise on the east side which you can see with the sloped sidewalk in this view, and interior detail I decided to add for this model only since it was the scene of so much of the action in the original NX television series. 
 
_Above: Photo I took of The Brick in Roslyn, Washington from the eastern hillside in May, 2007. Click for larger image._ 
There is one other major brick structure and one other stone structure prototypes remaining to be duplicated. These are the Roslyn Cafe which had the famous camel symbol on its side and the Northwestern Improvement Company building which housed KBHR with Chris in the Morning. 

The remaining prototypes are all of wood construction.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Richard Smith on 01/07/2008 8:13 PM
I really like *The Brick*, and the weathering on it. Looking forward to seeing the planned town and the other scratch structures.


I also have some kit models underway that are substantially changed from the original appearance in order to fit in with the Cicely scheme. One set of three is a Colorado model structures building that is a particularly aggrivating kit because the parts do not fit together well, but the final result is quite stunning. It is now in storage, but I will submit a picture of that one shortly.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Cicely Alaska layout plan for April 2008







The light green area represents the town footprint. It is 12 feet by 32 feet.  This is entirely within the enclosed area, fully protected from precipitation and wind, but not from temperature variations. The Ouside walkway is adjacent two exterior railway lines and views the model town through the glass. Inside the structure is another parallel walkway on the north side, enabling the town to be observed from the opposite angle and without looking through the glass. This is particularly useful for visitors wishing to photograph the model. 

The red line is the mainline railroad line that runs between the bar and the large turn-around loop to the east.  The black line represents the area where the Milwaukee Road and Great Northern depots will be placed. The green represents the other railroad lines which run through the north part of town. At some point a small Northern Pacific depot will be located along the far-northern rail line. The purple lines are sidewalks. 

On the west end is the covered deck which features a 48 inch turntable.  

The red boxes are the brick structures. The series of brown boxes are wooden buildings--all of which have Roslyn prototypes. Most of these are false-fronted buildings from the early 1900s.  This final layout includes more buildings and other structures than are represented on this map.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

East view of Cicely model structure (click): 
  In order to keep the weather off the structures, I had to construct yet another structure, in some ways similar to the one I built for the Kennecott model, which is visible in the background. 

This one utilizes a lot of corrugated material of the same type used in some greenhouses in order to keep as much light on the model as possible.  The track grade is seven feet above ground. 

The large windows face south.  The outside  walkway enables easy viewing of the model itself, which will is not yet in the building. I will begin installing the model structures sometime in late April.   The second viewing point is inside the building, thus enabling a very complete view of what will turn out to be a highly detailed, very complex model of the mythical town of Cicely. From this view (click for larger image) one can see there are two tracks running outside and in front of the building.  The one closest to the building is a siding while the outside one is the mainline. 

Another track will join the one on the left to complete the western-end turn-around which presently terminates at the wye.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

After taking this photo I added a parallel siding to the mainline.  
  I am now considering placing the siding under a modified snow shed so that the train can be parked there even during the occasional heavy wind gust events which seem to spring up out of nowhere.  Such a shed, will, of course, also protect the parked train from precipitation.  

Most likely the snow shed will have a see-through plex-like roof so visitors can readily viw the parked consist.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The four foot tall windows offer plenty of viewing area from both inside and outside the structure which will house the model: In the distance you can see the eastern turn-around loop (click for larger image).
  The two northern rail lines are brass--remanants from the previous project.  All the newer rail is Llagas aluminum, which is highly flexible and considerably less expensive to install considering that all the locomotives are remote battery control.

The mid-rail is on the north side of the main drag, tentatively named "Copper Avenue."  The Roslyn prototype name is "Pennsylvania Avenue.  This street will be 30 inches wide, allowing plenty of room for walking right through the middle of the model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Even before I took the time to visit the actual Northern Exposure (NX) filming site of Roslyn, I had the area well mapped out.  
The Northern Pacific coal line rail bed shows up in some of the maps, so I was able to transpose its approximate location on this map.

As you see it runs one block roughly north (right) of the main street (Pennsylvania Avenue).  Most of the NX filming sites are concentrated between First and Second Street on Pennsylvania Avenue. Even in NX. the real street sign names sometimes appear. 

First Street is Route 903, which runs south from Cle Elum through Roslyn and on to Lake Cle Elum which was the site for many of the outdoor NX shots such as the famous use of the trebouchet to flip Maggie's piano into the lake.  







When I finally arrived in Roslyn in late May, I was able to locate some of the old grade, but not much remains to indicate that a railroad once ran here. The old depot has become a horse barn. It looks more like it was built to be a warehouse than a depot. I will provide my own personal shots of that building along with others when I take you through the real town. 

Obviously, since my model of Cicely is the centerpiece of a railroad layout, I have emphasized this aspect of the site even though elements of railroads rarely appear in the television series. I do recall one sequence where Ed Chigliak is walking down some railroad tracks which are unnamed, but use of the railroad was exceedingly rare in the series. 

I, of course, took liberal use of the railroad history for the Roslyn prototype and ended up with several major railroads included in one model. I also, like any good model railroader, added a lot of extra track into a relatively small area, as you can see every time I show one of my Cicely model plans.  

My Cicely model is oriented the same way as Roslyn.


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## dawinter (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow! 

I really appreciate your guiding me to this thread. For reasons unknown I simply missed it. Waaaay to much information here at MLS so I had stepped over this gem. 

You have an amazing project going there. Far, far more than I would attempt. And your Brick building is museum quality. I'm going to be dropping by quite a bit from now on. 

Dave


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the problems for me is that it is difficult to do Large Scale in small scale. Thus, probably almost inevitably, I seem to have ended up with a very large project.  

The original layout, now referred to as Phase I, was the Copper River & Northwestern Railway historic model layout.  It was my extensive study of the history of Kennecott and its CRNW Railway which eventually led me into LS modelling, even though I am not really a modeller or a railroader.   I put the final touches on that project in 2003, although this year I will need to go back to make some repairs and adjustments--and the make the model more view-friendly.

In any case,  in a discussion on this MLS forum one day it hit me that  I had built an obsolete model in the sense that what had started out as a project with the widest available brass curves and switches back in 1995, was now too narrow for the more modern 1:29 locomotives and longer coaches that were already in production at the time the 8-foot diameter curves were the standard.  

I had acquired several Aristocraft heavyweights that simply would not work their way through my layout without derailing at some of the switches.  Additionally, I had picked up a 40-2, fully intending to use it on this model, but it did not like the switches either. 

On top of that I had acquired an Accucraft narrow gauge K-27 that definitely did not like the switches and did not look right on the track. At the time I had made no distinction between narrow gauge and what I was using, but now it became obvious.

So now I was forced to shelve these pieces--the heavyweights and the two rather expensive locomotives. The K-27 I had not only added sound and remote battery power to, but had the motor changed to work better on this system at a cost of about $350.00.

The 40-2 I had repainted into AKRR colors. I had acquired it as a remote battery operated engine with sound, so it was expensive to begin with. 

_The 40-2 on the shelf awaiting a more permanent home (click)._
With one particular thread here on MLS it finally hit me that the only way to ever utilize these locomotives and the larger rolling stock which was not available at the time I started this project in 1995 was to build entirely new layouts that would be designed with these larger pieces in mind.  

Thus I have the mostly-completed Phase II 1:29 line, which by its nature, HAS to be large.  And I have the upcoming Phase III project which is to be specific to narrow gauge 1.20.3.  The background for that one is being discussed in a separate thread under that name "Phase III."

Getting back to Phase II, I designed it wilth an intentional minimum curve of twelve feet. Where possible, the curves are even greater. This requires a large amount of space.

On top of everything else, the Phase II line means nothing if a part of it cannot be viewed from inside the bar.  I had contemplated for some time the possibility of building a static display behind my bar and above the bottles where everyone could see it.  

In fact it is this display which is most obvious and gets the most immediate comments because the Phase I line is over head just above door and window level. The Phase I line then heads outside headed toward another building where the expansive Kennecott model is located.

But the new Phase II 1:29 line exists for the average customer who will never see the full outdoor model as a set of elevated double tracks above the bottles.  It stands out quite well.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new problem was that because I was displaying these 1:29 models above the bar as you see here, they are well above ground level.  Thus, once again I would have an elevated line--not three or four feet above the ground for ease of operation, but a full seven feet average above ground level.  







Above: One of my early consists was the Great Northern passenger trains utilizing the new USA streamlined coaches.  Before installing the new elevated rail system, I acquired the bottle rack you see below it to ensure that I had plenty of clearance for the bar business which is in reality the life-support system for my expanding model train layout. 
Below:  Here you can see a couple of Santa Fe USA streamliner units with GN streamliners in the background.  Above it you can see the same CRNW ore carriers you viewed in the earlier picture of the Kennecott model.  As you can see, the initial difference in elevation between the two unconnected systems is approximately 1 1/2 feet.  







This decision to start the Phase II line inside the bar at this level would mean that I would have to develop an all new elevated train system for outdoors.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is a photo taken today of the double track area above the bar. Those are Aristocraft heavyweight Canadian Pacific units--part of a complete limited edition set I acquired from Art Knapp Trains in Surrey, B.C. (Click for larger image). They are occupying the rear track. No rolling stock is sitting on the front track as of yet, but that will soon change. 
  The trains exit through this point which is now blocked by two layers of two-inch blue foam to keep out the frigid air.  The track will be operational by some time in April.  The LGB locomotive is the tallest piece I have, so I used it to test the tunnel when I put up that tunnel face plate today.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

What is the most common question I hear all winter long? 

"When are you going to run the train?" 

The last several winters when summer was over, so was the train operation. Maybe this winter I'll get the inside part of the CRNW one running again just to shut them up.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow. 

I'm not much of a traveler, but I have to get up there sometime and have a soda in your bar.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have many visitors who come by only to see the ever-growing outdoor model railroad.  This year the system will be running more than ever before because I have made it almost a full-time summer priority to make this a summertime attraction here in Copper Center.

I will try to have the basic system up and running well by Memorial Weekend when summer officially kicks off.  

For those who don't drink, neither do I. You have to remember that the bar is really nothing more than a life-support system for the model railroad.  Railfans should feel free to check it out without obligation.  The viewing is free, although the person who tends the facility in the daytime (not me--I'm out there working on the railroad somewhere)  really appreciates the tips he receives.  The bar is the entry point into the model railroad area. 

Anyone seriously seeking to visit this area should contact me for more information before traveling in this direction. I will repeat this infornation from time to time because some will miss it. Due to the distances involved, it is important to do some special advance planning before coming up.  

--Ron in (where the h*** is) Copper Center, Alaska


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For those of you who have not followed this project from the beginning, I am going back to the START of Phase II to show how it developed. There is no way of my telling who has followed this because comments on this thread, for whatever reasons, have been almost non-existent. Therefore I cannot assume that the present readers are the same as the previous ones. So let us take a moment and go back to the original plans . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Original Phase II Plan:







_This  was the 2005 plan for both Phase II (1:29) and Phase III (1:20.3)_
Among the prominent features that was never built was the Princess Hotel model which I drew up in 2004-05. It will eventually be constructed in the location shown, but priorities have changed and its creation will have to wait.  The princess model is a 1:30 drawing, approximately 12 1/2 feet long.  Although the drawing is not wholly complete, it will eventually become reality.

The Healy open pit coal mines are part of the longer term Phase II-a plan for the segment which will eventually go to the ground. However, before this part is constructed, the Phase III segment will have to be built. 

The same applies to the Loop District and the Cordova Roundhouse. The Loop District was the historic trestle system at approximately mile 50 of the AKRR out of Seward which enabled the railroad to gain elevation through a narrow valley which included a protruding glacier. It was quite spectacular and is well worth rebuilding in model form, especially since one of the two trestles was an over-under bridge.

The idea was to use this historic feature to bring the Phase II railroad down to the ground. That is now put off into the more distant future.

Petty Coat Junction is a familiar name from an early television series that I assigned to a point on the proposed Phase II line where I intended to build a small model town of some type. As it turned out, this became the location for the Cicely model.

The point which shows "Cicely" will not be used for that purpose. It is possible that another model town will eventually be built there, but not any time soon.  More likely, I will install a switch at this point and begin a heading a branch line off to the ground. The turn-around loop here is at the closest point to the ground since there is a high feature to the immediate north (right) of the loop.  

The green line is the Phase I project which was completed in 2001 with the addition of the model town of McCarthy in 2003.

The black line for the Phase II proposal was built exactly as shown in this plan.  No alterations were made to it. 

The locations for Dawson City, Klondike City, Grand Forks and Sulfur Springs are approximately correct for the proposed Phase III model for which some work will begin in the upcoming summer season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The two most critical parts of the contemplated Phase II line were the turn-arounds on the extreme ends of the rail lines. The far western end where the track left the bar required a wye. I had always wanted one anyway.   It was a feature that was not possible to build on my original layout due to the large amoung of space it required.

I knew I had room with the new layout, but even then because of the overhead design, this was going to be tight. It would also require a lot of support structure--all of it seven feet above the ground.  I hired a kid to hand dig the various post holes to a depth of two feet. This is riverbed ground--very good for supporting fence posts but somewhat difficult to dig.  

All of those treated 4 X 4s are held in place by concrete.  There was always the problem that these would move over time. In fact, one of them did, but the basic structure remained unaffected.  By July of 2006 I had my wye support structure in place. The top end was 51 feet across--the minimum necessary to enable the passenger trains to clear the last switch before backing into the bar. 

As you can see from this photo, the train heads out of the bar on the left, immediately turns right and then heads down the mainline. When it returns, it heads left, clears the last switch, and then backs into the bar.

This required very high quality switches. I am using a number 6 Llagas switch where the wye splits at the end of the mainline and two number  8 switches  at the  top ends of the wye.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The problem is that now that I have this wye, the only way to turn a train around on the west (bar) end is to back it all the way into the bar itself. Before I go into full operation, I need to continue the end of the wye as a long loop back to the Cicely model structure.







That tie-in, which you see as the red line on the left, will require installing more posts and more structure, but it has to be done in order to facilitate a smooth train operation.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The post holes have to be dug by hand. We tried a powered auger, but there are far too many river rocks for that to work well.
    Digging post holes for the Cicely model structure:  Back-breaking work. Once the holes are dug to a depth of 24 inches, the post is set in concrete.  The entire elevated Phase II railroad has been constructed in this manner.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The floor (3/4 inch composite board) of the Cicely model was placed on 12 inch TGI supports spanning the fence to the south and the new 4 X 4 posts to the north.  The Phase II rail line to the right is on a slight downhill slope as it heads east.  The floor was made level with track grade on the eastern (distant) end.  This means that on the near (west)  end the floor is below track grade.  With this view you can see the track going into its turn to the south where it begins its turn-around. 

The Cicely model structure rests over the original driveway entrance to the CRD, which in those days was the Copper Center Bar.  I eliminated this drive in 2000, fencing it off so I could build the Kennecott model structure (from where this photo was taken).  Because of the location the ground is well compacted and this structure will be very stable.  My post hole digger--the laborer seen in the previous post--had to break through the old blacktop pavement in order to set the new posts.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

My plans for this structure specified a difference of two inches floor elevation lengthwise at the middle, with the northern part (left) being higher. This was to accomnmodate special features I intended to build into the model town of Cicely. The Brick model in particular had to be built as a level and a half structure. This split level floor plan  is designed to accommodate that. 

The levels are divided evenly with six feet north and six feet south with an overall length of 32 feet. Although that sounds like a lot, the model structures I either have on hand or on the drawing board fill almost the entire space.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The rear wall was to sit on concrete blocks cut into the hard ground below the old pavement surface. The solid back wall was intended to hold a Wrangell Mountains scene backdrop--the last item to be installed after the model was in place sometime in 2008. 
  Mts Drum, Sanford and Wrangell will appear behind the Cicely model, giving it that genuine Alaskan flavor that was always slightly lacking in the Northern Exposure (NX) television series. NX used the existing backdrop of the coastal range of Washington--mountains that clearly lack the spectacular effect of the Wrangell Range in Alaska and the Yukon. (Click). 

A similar effect was achieved when I added the Bonanza Ridge backdrop to my historic Kennecott model.









  The rear walkway was placed at the level I considered best suited for viewing the model while also allowing me easy access to the model base via a set of stairs to be placed at the far end of the walkway.  (Click).


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

So...with this turning the 'Wye' into a giant reverse loop...are you going to try to fit a new ...'city'... module or two 'behind' the Kennecott module or 'caddy corner' to the Cicely module?  Off the return loop itself, - not the coal mine spur from 'Cicely'.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/13/2008 2:38 PM
So...with this turning the 'Wye' into a giant reverse loop...are you going to try to fit a new ...'city'... module or two 'behind' the Kennecott module or 'caddy corner' to the Cicely module?  Off the return loop itself, - not the coal mine spur from 'Cicely'.
The wye extension will convert the wye into a loop that will head to the rear of the Kennecott housing structure, then intersect the Phase II line just west of the Cicely model structure.  However, this line runs along the north side of both buildings, placing it nearly completely in the dark and cold for almost all of the year.

In fact, neither the Kennecott model structure nor the Cicely one have doors or windows on this side, although that is about to change as you will soon see. 

However, this is a poor location for model structures, except that I have allowed room below the area of the new track extension for the Healy Coal Company open pit mine. 







Except for the mining feature and some adjoining track, no other features will likely be placed in this area--and that is assuming I ever construct the Healy open pit coal mine.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Rear of the Kennecott Model Housing Structure facing East
  This structure was built in 2000. The Cicely structure beyond it was built in 2007. Neither one has any north-facing windows or access. However, with my decision to add a track loop back to the Cicely model, I will alter this situation somewhat.  This photo was taken from the deck.  The plan now is to connect this deck with the one you see on the far end of the red building.  (Click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For years I have used this deck for access to Kennecott models area. It has not been publicly-accessible. There are no handrails and the inside is not properly setup for foot traffic. However, I have decided to extend the walkway along the north side of this building and add an exit door about halfway down this new walkway. What that will do is allow flow-through for viistors who will for the first time be able to view this model from INSIDE the building. 
  The new four-foot wide deck will have both handrails and an extension of the overhead canopy to protect the walkway and visitors using it.  The handrails will extend all the way around and a new canopy will be built over the front (west) end of this structure as well.  (Click). 

This is also allow for the attachment of the new Phase II extension rail. 

These latest photos were taken today. It was minus 25 F out there.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new pathway through the Kennecott model structure
  Not only will this new plan allow much better public access to the existing Kennecott model, it will provide an ideal pathway to the Cicely model structure.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The walkway will terminate in a set of stairs to bring the visitors back to ground level.
    On the other end, I will add one more access door on the back of the Cicely model structure to complete the flow-through access so people can keep moving without forcing those behind them to turn back. 

At this corner, access already exists to the glass front of this model housing structure,which will complete the visitor circuit.  From there they can readily return to the adjacent  beer garden area which is immediately below the Kennecott model structure.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Return-loop track intersection point: 
  I will place a wide-angle switch just ahead of turntable pit which will then complete this segment. 
This is the northern line, which is brass. It will connect back into Llagas track by means of a set of Llagas blenders. All of this will be accomplished more or less simultaneously.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/13/2008 2:38 PM
So...with this turning the 'Wye' into a giant reverse loop...are you going to try to fit a new ...'city'... module or two 'behind' the Kennecott module or 'caddy corner' to the Cicely module?  Off the return loop itself, - not the coal mine spur from 'Cicely'.
To get back to your question, I have no plans to add other modules to the Phase II model. However, I have always considered the eastern loop to be the most likely place for any significant elements which might be added at a later date.

Instead I intend to jump into the Phase III narrow gauge KMR project in which I have contemplated three towns and one mining camp to be placed close to ground level.  This will be discussed in my other on-going thread.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The CRD in '97







This was how the bar looked before I began the BIG model railroad project. In those days  the front drive was still open. I closed this area off in 2000 in order to build the Kennecott model structure.   It went right over the spot where the truck is seen.

That railroad model did more to transform the appearance of this property than any other single project.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm...if I understand things correctly, then 'reverse loop' part of your 'Wye' will be right next to your walkway exiting the Kennecott building and at just about the same elevation...give or take a foot? Not only that, said walkway would run parallel to the reverse loop for...fifteen? twenty? feet before dropping. Seems like to good of an opporunity to put *something* to pass up.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/13/2008 7:45 PM
Hmmm...if I understand things correctly, then 'reverse loop' part of your 'Wye' will be right next to your walkway exiting the Kennecott building and at just about the same elevation...give or take a foot? Not only that, said walkway would run parallel to the reverse loop for...fifteen? twenty? feet before dropping. Seems like to good of an opporunity to put *something* to pass up.
I see your point. If a long enough line runs parallel to the new back walkway, it does make sense to set up another area to add structures. They would have to be under an extension of the proposed canopy, of course, or the snow coming off that roof would wipe it all out. That's heavy snow on the north side.


At your suggestion, I will definitely give this some thought.


Thank you for the idea.


--Ron in CC


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Phase II Wye in Winter
  Three more months. With a little luck and some selective global  warming, perhaps this can be available for use a little earlier, bringing the ALCAN-EX-Con  back into service.  Shot taken 13 January 2008. 

Those three taller posts in the background are treated 4 X 6s that are there to hold the structure which will eventually house the 12-foot-plus long Copper River Princess Wilderness Hotel 1:30 scale model.  It will rest approximately three feet above track grade, facing east just like the prototype up the hill. 

No, that model does not exist yet.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Ron,

Your project is coming along very nicely, the pictures are beautiful all of them, and the diagrams and descriptions of why, what, & how you are doing really help people become part of your large scale railroad world.

Just a thought, have you given any thought to using the MLS Builder's Logs (Blogs) feature available in the new forum software. It would provide better continuity to the project(s) while keeping the viewer comments separate from the blog. Another nice feature of the blogs are they also provide for RSS feeds.

Not trying to push one way or another, cause like many other MLS members I'll follow your posts wherever you place them. Even though I don't always post a reply. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/whistling.gif

Builder's Logs
*MLS menubar > Features > Builder's Logs*


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't think it broke zero here in Kenai all day...or if it did, it were not by much. Stiill warmer than Copper Center, I suspect. 

Hmmm...maybe some of this cold and snow should head south for a while... 

::tries to envision LA with twenty degree temps and six inches of snow::


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 01/14/2008 12:12 AM

Just a thought, have you given any thought to using the MLS Builder's Logs (Blogs) feature available in the new forum software. It would provide better continuity to the project(s) while keeping the viewer comments separate from the blog. Another nice feature of the blogs are they also provide for RSS feeds.


Thank you for the kind comments. What has happened here is I made a deliberate decision two years ago to throw everything I have into this project,. making THIS the theme of my business with the hope that someday in the not-too-distant future the place will actually become a destination of sorts. 







The decision to pick mythical Cicely, Alaska was not just because I am so fond of that old television series (Northern Exposure--NX) but because I determined that a huge number of our visitors seem to be able to identify with the show and subconsciously put NX and Alaska together. Thus, Cicely when properly marketed should be something of an Alaskan attraction.  

Not being all the much of a business person, I haven't yet figured out exactly how I'm  going to make a nickel on this thing, but for now it is important to get it up and running and worry about that minor detail later.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

With that in mind, although I believe my layout plans are for the most part solid, this is still a highly experimental model because of the nature of the environment.  

I do not know the long-term effects of the construction of the outdoor portion of the model, including the housing structures themselves, although it does appear that thanks to the riverbed nature of the ground,  which means no permafrost and surprisingly good drainage qualities, the model should remain stable, I am hesitant to put my project forward as a way to construct _anything._ All of it is experimental. And, I am hardly an arctic-environment construction expert.

MLS has been far more influencial in the building of the model than most of you would probably think. I have, I assume like many other members, spent a great deal of time gleaning over the posts to see how others have done it, taking advantage of what appears to be many, many decades of collective experience.

I have also taken whatever comments I have received and paid even more attention to those, sometimes taking weeks to consider them and try to incorporate whatever the writer was trying to bring across into my overall project if at all possible.

Several major, somewhat costly decisions have occurred as a result of my participation in MLS. I know that this layout would not have gotten past Phase I were it not for this forum, for instance. But that is hardly a regret on my part.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have long considered MLS as a kind of gateway that gives one an opportunity to see the present state of the hobby as distributed not only in the lower 48, but elsewhere in the world.  The one thing that is clear about this hobby is that it is only getting better. Not only are the products becoming far more numerous and of better quality, but the layouts themselves have evolved into something that is really impressive.

Some of the layouts I have seen on line, mostly through this forum, have been almost staggering in their effect, employing unique combinations of artistry, engineering and often startling realism.  The talent within this group alone is impressive beyond my ability to express it.  

A lot of these layouts employ methods that may not work well here or simply will not work here, but I study them carefully anyway because if nothing else, they surely are inspirational. 

In an odd sort of way this is like remote group therapy. We encourage each other to do our best and then some by constantly upping the ante with even better work. This applies not just to the fabulous layouts out there but to the details added to the rolling stock, the figures and the structures--and to some of the electrical engineering that I see happening in the background that constantly seem to make it all work just a little better.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/14/2008 12:17 AM
I don't think it broke zero here in Kenai all day...or if it did, it were not by much. Stiill warmer than Copper Center, I suspect. 

Hmmm...maybe some of this cold and snow should head south for a while... 

::tries to envision LA with twenty degree temps and six inches of snow::
Minus 30 this morning. In a way I am relieved that it isn't nearly as cold as it could be, but nevertheless, all this cold air has become rather expensive in terms of heating oil and power consumption. I suspect that this latest spell has lasted long enough now that the effects of it WILL be seen in places stateside.  

Some of you down there, probably in the mid-west, can now count on ONE chilly blast wave of winter heading your way really soon. Brace yourselves.  There is a LOT of cold air up here right now and it WILL be heading south SOMEWHERE.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/13/2008 7:45 PM
Hmmm...if I understand things correctly, then 'reverse loop' part of your 'Wye' will be right next to your walkway exiting the Kennecott building and at just about the same elevation...give or take a foot? Not only that, said walkway would run parallel to the reverse loop for...fifteen? twenty? feet before dropping. Seems like to good of an opporunity to put *something* to pass up.
I'm bringing this reply back up as an example of what I meant as far as paying close attention to the comments made directly to me:  Thinker T has a really good point. I will have created a new useful space when this walkway is completed that almost begs for the addition of a new module for my Phase II setup.

Since he made that comment I have carefully considered it and realized that this opportunity is particuarly good because I will have a protected area (canopy) with supports already in place (for the walkway) that mean I will, at the very least, have one more place to park a consist.  Possibly I will use this space to add a small railroad yard or at least a siding for one of the flag lines, such as the Canadian Pacific. In any case, something will come of it.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm bringing this reply back up as an example of what I meant as far as paying close attention to the comments made directly to me: Thinker T has a really good point. I will have created a new useful space when this walkway is completed that almost begs for the addition of a new module for my Phase II setup. 


Glad to be of help. Maybe someday I'll get a chance to see your line. 

Minus 30 this morning. In a way I am relieved that it isn't nearly as cold as it could be, but nevertheless, all this cold air has become rather expensive in terms of heating oil and power consumption. 

Right at Zero here...at midday. Temps below -25 are rare in this part of Alaska. Makes me glad I have natural gas (though the bill for that keeps going up and up). Tried using those swirly light bulb things yet? I changed out a bunch of my lights with those things, and the electric bill dropped by 25%. They are spendy litter buggers though.


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## mhutson (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/14/2008 2:48 PM
"Right at Zero here...at midday. Temps below -25 are rare in this part of Alaska. Makes me glad I have natural gas (though the bill for that keeps going up and up). Tried using those swirly light bulb things yet? I changed out a bunch of my lights with those things, and the electric bill dropped by 25%. They are spendy litter buggers though."


-27 here this morning so far, -33 yesterday.  Gunnison County is colder than where my brother lives in Alaska!

Cheers,
Matt


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, your work is outstanding, especially with all you have to deal with in your part of the world. I can't begin to realize how difficult it is to acquire all the materials for construction, build in the shorter time period, and run your business too. I know you have help with a lot of your projects, but it is still one heck of a challenge! The new area looks great, and it will be very interesting to see it all come together.

The "Brick" looks fabulous! Along with the "Oasis Café" you plan to build, they will add a lot of character to that portion of the layout.

I really enjoy all the history lessons and neat pictures of the different areas and the maps. It all adds so much to the understanding of what went on. You should have been a history professor for your part of the country!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Google knows where Copper Center Alaska is. Of course, that leaves the question, "Why the *&^ is Copper Center Alaska?"


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By mhutson on 01/15/2008 5:11 AM

-27 here this morning so far, -33 yesterday.  Gunnison County is colder than where my brother lives in Alaska!

Cheers,
Matt

Sounds like some of our cold air has already slipped south. The coldest reported area in Alaska is somewhere in the minus 50s, but here the coldest I have seen was minus 37 up the valley from here. I understand some moderating influences may take over. I certainly hope so.

How long does YOUR winter last?


--Ron in CC


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 01/15/2008 6:06 AM
Ron, your work is outstanding, especially with all you have to deal with in your part of the world. I can't begin to realize how difficult it is to acquire all the materials for construction, build in the shorter time period, and run your business too. I know you have help with a lot of your projects, but it is still one heck of a challenge! The new area looks great, and it will be very interesting to see it all come together.

The "Brick" looks fabulous! Along with the "Oasis Café" you plan to build, they will add a lot of character to that portion of the layout.

I really enjoy all the history lessons and neat pictures of the different areas and the maps. It all adds so much to the understanding of what went on. You should have been a history professor for your part of the country! 


Thank you.  As you can see, one important element of all this is to make it possible for larger numbers of people (they sometimes show up in buses) to be able to readily view the extended layout. That will largely be solved by early summer.

The Brick is especially signifcant so an unusual amount of effort went into the detail of this model, which is, incidentally, very heavy. 

Roslyn's Cafe with the Oasis painting on its rock/brick wall will actually be one of the last of the prototype buildings to be constructed. Once we get back to the Roslyn NX structures (working on some kit-bashing right now) the false-fronted buildings are badly needed and will be next. There are three sets of those.

I am about ready to start a tour of Roslyn for those of you who wnat to see what I saw while visiting it early last summer. I am also considering going back there in late summer for the "Moosefest 2008," which is an NX-related event. 

Although the structure which is to soon house the Cicely model was more costly than I had originally planned, it will prove to be well worth it.  Similarly, I now have some rather expensive walkways to install in order to fill in the gap between that building and the adjacent Kennecott one. 

Overall, it HAS become a very large project, but so was the constructing of the Kennecott layout.  I am (optimistically as usual)  anticipating a heavy visitor load within the next several years, so all of this has to be right.

FInally, I HAVE taught history courses at the local community college which included tours of Kennecott. The second one, which was an all-Native-oriented program to teach students something about the tourism busines was particularly satisfying.  I no longer seem to have much time for that sort of thing.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

"Where the h*** is Copper Center" came about as a result of an old sticker from the 70s that read "Where the h*** (spelled out) is Chitina?"  Chitina has actually become a destination because of the king salmon dipnetting activities which occur there every summer. That is limited ot Alaska residents, most of whom come from Fairbanks.

Copper Center is actually not very well known and is off of the main highway, having been on an old loop that was bypassed over two decades ago. Thanks to Klutina River king salmon sports fishing, which is open to anyone who buys the license, it is slowly becoming better known, but it remains mostly a backwater even in the summer with very little traffic.  I am not complaining too much about that, either.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Cicely Model Structure as it nears completion on July 5th: 
  Except for the installation of the windows, which were not yet available, this entire structure was up and ready in three days. 
My same carpenter will be returning to do the tie-ins between the two buildings seen here this coming spring.   Each year for three years now I have brought him back from Anchorage to do some additonal carpentry work for me. Local carpenters are generally already tied up with other projects and often simply unavailable--and I am not a carpenter.  I just draw up the plans and set the specs. 

The Phase III towns will be constructed to handle direct precipitation and will thus not be placed inside any structures such as this one. I am considering modifying this one by adding a corrugated fiberglass canopy in front, not just to protect those on the south walkway, but to give some additional protection to the models from direct sunlight.


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## mhutson (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron,
Well, to date I've seen it snow every month of the year here except August.  It's pretty wintry right up until mid May or so, and I've seen some serious storms as late as mid June.

We've now had two days where the high didn't even get up to zero.  The forecast high for today and tomorrow is -5, but on Friday it's supposed to warm all the way up to +2!

Cheers,
Matt


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By mhutson on 01/16/2008 5:33 AM
Ron,
Well, to date I've seen it snow every month of the year here except August.  It's pretty wintry right up until mid May or so, and I've seen some serious storms as late as mid June.

We've now had two days where the high didn't even get up to zero.  The forecast high for today and tomorrow is -5, but on Friday it's supposed to warm all the way up to +2!

Cheers,
Matt
Doesn't sound much different than here. You must have quite a heating bill. What is your elevation?


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2008)

How long does YOUR winter last?


in the last twelve month we had NO day below freezing.... but more than 20 days above 40°Centigrade. and seven and a half months without a drop of rain. 
want to send me some snow? i trade it for dust and heat. 
 

korm 
.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 01/16/2008 12:53 PM
How long does YOUR winter last?


in the last twelve month we had NO day below freezing.... but more than 20 days above 40°Centigrade. and seven and a half months without a drop of rain. 
want to send me some snow? i trade it for dust and heat. 
" /> 

korm 
.
I don't see any information on where you are located in order to respond to this.  So where ARE you located?  


--Ron in CC-AK


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## Guest (Jan 16, 2008)

I don't see any information on where you are located in order to respond to this. So where ARE you located?


southamerica, paraguay, chaco, a semi arid thornbushplain, 150 miles to the next body of running water, over 300 miles to the next town with more than 6.000 souls.


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## eddie (Jan 2, 2008)

1 word: IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!!!!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 01/16/2008 5:41 PM
_(lives in)_
southamerica, paraguay, chaco, a semi arid thornbushplain, 150 miles to the next body of running water, over 300 miles to the next town with more than 6.000 souls. Wow. I finally found a place more remote than where I live where a fellow large-scale modeler lives. I'll never feel all that isolated ever again.  

My regards,

--Ron in Copper Center, Alaska


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By eddie on 01/16/2008 6:03 PM
1 word: IMPRESSIVE!!!!!!!!!
Was that directed at me? If so, thank you. 

My regards, 
--Ron in CC-AK


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2008)

you know what, i really believe, that living just some paces before the sign "known worl ends here" makes our hobby more interesting.
one has to replace missing materials with phantasy and creativity.

korm
.


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## mhutson (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron,
Our elevation is about 7800'.

It's -36 as I type this at 5:30 A.M.  Gunnison is well known in Colorado for its brutally cold winters.

Cheers,
Matt


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 01/17/2008 2:52 AM
you know what, i really believe, that living just some paces before the sign "known worl ends here" makes our hobby more interesting.
one has to replace missing materials with phantasy and creativity.

korm
.
Know exactly what you mean. There's a lot to be said for the relative isolation and how it effects one's sense of this obsession, uh, hobby.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By mhutson on 01/17/2008 5:29 AM
Ron,
Our elevation is about 7800'.

It's -36 as I type this at 5:30 A.M.  Gunnison is well known in Colorado for its brutally cold winters.

Cheers,
Matt
You sure have us beat today, anyway. it is about minus five here this morning. With any luck we will not see minus 35 again for the remainder of the winter. Elevation here is 1,025 feet. In this part of the country, lower elevation in the winter means colder, especially near the rivers, as is the case here. The reverse is, of course, true in the summertime.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Great Northern passenger consist being pulled out of the bar by my mogul double headers:
  The problem with the wye, is that in running multiple consists, this end would quickly clutter up. The extension loop that will added to the end of the wye will fix that problem and avoid the present necessity of backing all the way into the bar to turn around. That in itself presents problems because backing up this many heavy coaches increases the likelihood of derailment at the curves and switches inside the bar. 
  This is the present north end of the wye, which has just enough length to hold one consist that can be parked inside the back of the bar, thus defining the practical limit on the lengths of any consists on this track as it is presently operated. The extension will continue from the far right end, beginning a wide curve back to the direction of the Cicely structure to the east of here (you are looking west, the main run of the track is east-west, to the right is north).  Click either photo for a larger image.


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

hi ron


i'm following your posts with great interest. it always amazes me how much time you spend to search for all these background informations. incredible. i tried to email you thru the address on your website as well as thru mls. not sure if you received my messages. 

i'm looking forward to read more about your layouts progress and especially all the historical background of the kmr. been up there several times but didn't know about the railroad that existed up there.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sschaer on 01/17/2008 12:22 PM
hi ron


i'm following your posts with great interest. it always amazes me how much time you spend to search for all these background informations. incredible. i tried to email you thru the address on your website as well as thru mls. not sure if you received my messages. 

i'm looking forward to read more about your layouts progress and especially all the historical background of the kmr. been up there several times but didn't know about the railroad that existed up there.
I did receive the one message, but failed to reply to it as of yet. Sorry about that. I will get back to that one.

I have a great deal more on the KMR project and will be resuming that thread directly. 


My regards,


--Ron at the CRD in CC-AK


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The ALCAN Railway Routes:







The reality of my Alcan Railroad  --ALCANEX Consolidated -- a collaboration of several railroad lines for purposes of accessing Alaska and the Yukon Territory and tying them to the lower 48 is not as far-fetched as it may at first appear.

Proposals continue to surface for the alternative routes that merge east of Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory near Watson Lake. 
Alternative One: The Cassiar Route, is the less expensive route in terms of length and physical obstacles to overcome.  The Cassiar Route through Dease Lake would require 1355 miles of new railroad line to connect an area south of Fairbanks at Eielson AFB to Prince George.  

-- to be continued --
the above map can be viewed in a larger size by right-clicking and selecting "view image"


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

right-click on image and select "view image" for larger map   Quoting from a report which surfaced in July 2007:  _

"The present feasibility study presents the following findings from its research. An initial single-track line of 1,355 miles in length, would be built between Prince George, British Columbia and Fairbanks, Alaska, via the western Dease Lake route, in four years. at an estimated total capital cost of_* $3.715 billion*_. The construction of this railroad line would employ 3,000 to 5,000 workers during the planned four-year construction, with an operating staff of 1,000 to start increasing to 1,500, within 10 years after starting operation. The comparable capital cost of the alternative eastern route via Fort Nelson between Fairbanks and Prince George would be approximately $4.22 billion for the 1,435-mile route which would require five years to complete if built completely separately. 

  "The recommendation is to build the Dease Lake line first as a single-track route, with sidings spaced at 20-mile intervals, and centralized traffic contract signaling and diesel locomotive traction. It is expected that there would be a two-year evaluation and design period followed by a four-year construction period, with operation to begin in 2010. The siding spacing would be reduced to 10 miles by 2015 and 5 miles by 2020, as traffic increases and the line progressively converts to double-track operation by 2030, as the full line capacity is reached. The railroad line connection from Whitehorse to the east, to Watson Lake in the Yukon Territory and to Coal River, British Columbia would be built along the Fort Nelson route for the gas pipeline." 




--from   "Build the Missing Link: Alaska-North America Rail , " 

_


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Although the Dease Lake route is considered the preferred one due to the shorter distance and lesser obstacles, the eastern Ft. Nelson route is recommended based on the increased likelihood that a gas line will be built from the North Slope of Alaska, more or less following the Alcan HIghway through Dawson Creek and into Alberta on the way to the midwest Chcago area. 

These are proposals that have been around for years but have become more significant as the likelihood of the construction of an Alaskan gas line has increased. With the advent of Governor Sara Pain's administration in Juneau, late last year, this possibility of a gasline through Canada apparently has dramtically increased, particularly with the administration's recent announcement that the Trans-Canada proposal is the one that best meets the Palin administration's criteria reinforced with recent state legislation that seem to enhance that likelihood.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Remember, this is not news, this is just a proposal, but it is now beginning to gain traction. Continuing on with the above report: 

_  "It would be planned to add a single-track line to connect near Jake's Corner in the Yukon Territory, to the east to Watson Lake by 2012, and Fort Nelson, British Columbia, and then to the east to High Level, Alberta by 2015. Construction on this line would begin at the same time as for the Dease Lake line and be completed in one year, and be completed by 2020 with an additional connection between Dawson Creek and Fort St. John. At the same time, the eastern extension of the Dease Lake line to the east via Tumbler Ridge to Grand Prairie, Alberta would begin construction in 2010, and be completed by 2015 from the east side of the existing tunnel to the west of Tumbler Ridge on the existing rail line. 

  "The entire combination route for the Alaska-Canada railroad connector would then be completed for both the Dease Lake and Fort Nelson routes as a single-track route by 2015. A second track would be added for the common route segment between Fairbanks and Whitehorse to Jake's Corner by 2020. In addition, it would be planned to electrify the entire railroad route of the Alaska-Canada railroad connector between 2015 and 2020 as both diesel fuel prices and freight traffic volumes progressively increased into the future. It would also be planned to build a series of power plants burning coal and/or other fuels to serve the electrification needs of the railroad, estimated as increasing from 500 megawatts in 2020, to 3,000 megawatts in 2050. Additional electricity growth would be needed to facilitate regional economic development for the native reserves, mines, factories, and communities along the route of the Alaska-Canada railroad connector. "


from the Executive Intelligence Review


There is much more to this, which you are about to see,  but my main point is that my own ALCANEX Consolidated Railways System really is not all that far from reality in terms of serious consideration from some very large business and governmental concerns. 

Of course the really BIG deal is a renewed proposal (the original one was well over a century ago) to create a Trans-Siberian-Alaska railroad by means of a tunnel crossing in the shallow Bering Sea.









_


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The TKM World-Link: 








The headline reads: 

Russia Plans World's Longest Tunnel, a Link to Alaska 

By Yuriy Humber and Bradley Cook 

April 18 (Bloomberg) -- Russia plans to build the world's longest tunnel, a transport and pipeline link under the Bering Strait to Alaska, as part of a $65 billion project to supply the U.S. with oil, natural gas and electricity from Siberia. 

The project, *which Russia is coordinating with the U.S. and Canada*, would take 10 to 15 years to complete, Viktor Razbegin, deputy head of industrial research at the Russian Economy Ministry, told reporters in Moscow today. State organizations and private companies in partnership would build and control the route, _*known as TKM-World Link*_, he said.  (more)








There you see it: The ALCAN link !  aka  _*ALCANEX Consolidated Railways System*_ 
Pie in the sky you say?  Maybe, but never underestimate the large unseen forces that seek to control international market forces.  This is what is REALLY happening out there.   Recent events leading to increasing shortages not just in oil and gas, but many other raw materials seem to point to the TKM World LInk as one possible solution. After all, a large part of the problem we are experiencing in the developed and developing world  is _lack of  transportation infrastructure_, not lack of supply ! 

from Bloomberg Television


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System"







Below: The bigger picture: Are major railroad systems to once again become a significant part of the world's future? Very likely, it appears:   click


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

On the other hand, my Phase II line is going to be limited to an area in south-central Alaska centering on Cicely, which I will deal with in more detail in this thread. The hint of the international nature of this rail line is contained in the major railroad names utilized, including the Canadian Pacific. 

The Phase III line, which is entirely separate and not expected to be connected to Phase II,  will exist as a wholly-separate model entirely within the Yukon Territory of Canada and in a different time frame, specifically circa 1910.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Choice of the Canadian Pacific:
I guess you can blame Art Knapp Trains in Surrey B.C. for my choice to inclue the CP into my Phase II line. About a year ago Art offered a limited-edition run of CP heavyweights. 





















Above: Samples of the heavyweight units offered by Art Knapp Trains which I acquired. 







The set also included this sharp-looking Aristo Pacific, which will not be used with the heavyweights on the Phase II line, at least not initially. 







The Canadian Pacific recently acquired this American line. As you can see, CP is well suited to take advantage of any Trans-Canada  natural gasline which comes out of the Alaskan North Slope.  Like my other roadnames, except for the AKRR, it is an east-west transcontinental that happens to parallel the others: GN, NP, ATSF (less so) and the Milwaukee Road.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/18/2008 6:09 PM
The Choice of the Canadian Pacific:








The set also included this sharp-looking Aristo Pacific, which will not be used with the heavyweights on the Phase II line, at least not initially.   It has gone into indefinite storage. 
Instead of the Pacific I will be using these Aristo units (which just arrived) with the CP passenger units:














and this new  E-8, which is now on the way from Art Knapp Trains.  It is already out of production, just like the
FA & FB units above, which I acquired on Ebay. 








The Phase II line is not a steam line, nor do the model steamers seem to work nearly as well with the large passenger consists as do the various diesel units made by Aristocraft and USA Trains.  

The GN mallet, however, with its consist of coal cars, will be operating on this line.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/18/2008 6:57 PM
Posted By blackburn49 on 01/18/2008 6:09 PM
*The Choice of the Canadian Pacific:*
  This is the all new E-8, which is now on the way from Art Knapp Trains.  It is already unavailable.  I was fortunate that Art was able to find one in the back room: 










And the addition of the E-8, of course, means that I can plan on acquiring a few of these: 









Which may very well become part of the Phase II set up at a later date.
The CP is going to end up warranting its own terminal on the layout. I am giving some thought to that and may have just found the right space for it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I pulled out my FA1 unit for this photo. It is quite the impressive engine.  I don't see information on the year this one was produced, but my guess is that it is relatively recent. Anyone out there know?  
  This one will probably go into service later in 2008.  Like all the other units, it has to be sent in for remote battery control with sound.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Possible location for the CP RR yard & depot: 







The planned addition of the walkway on the rear of the Kennecott model housing structure affords an excellent opportunity to add additional yard space for the Phase II railroad, which will pass right by that point. It now seems likely that this will be the home for the CP system.  A railyard is needed for all the passenger cars, but it is also possible that a depot will later be designed for this area.  Thanks, Thinker T for the suggestion.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/18/2008 4:36 PM
Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System":

No comments?  

How odd._ Even_ if these proposals appear to be highly unlikely (I am not so sure anymore), they are certainly as worthy of a comment as such other earth-shaking matters such as how to change couplers or what radius of track would be suitable for a specific piece of rolling stock, or remarks on the current winter weather that prevents someone from running their train on their day off. 









These are actually updates of proposals that go back into the 1840s--well before the completion of any of the great trans-continental lines. The fact that they are not only alive and well, but actually of serious interest by governments of major powers (Japan, Russia, China . . . ) _should_ indicate to even the casual observer that _something_ may be afoot. 

One of the significant aspects of all this is that railroads _could _once again come into their own after decades of decline here in the US and probably elsewhere.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System": 

No comments? 

I hadn't heard anything in the news recently about a rail link to go along with the gas pipeline project. But with my work sced, I miss the news more often than not. 

Last year (or was it the year before?) there was brief mention about a railway tunnel underneath the bering strait - though that was supposed to be a commercial operation. (might have been discussed here for a bit). 

Some of the guys at the 'peak oil' board I visit are very much into having the US network of railways rebuilt, on the grounds that rail travel is vastly more energy efficient than hundreds of millions of private autos. However, they point out that such efforts tend to be viciously sabotagued by airlines and pro-car interests. 

I would certainly like to see a rail line connecting Alaska with the lower 48. Wonder what it would cost for a ticket from here to VSmiths part of the world?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/19/2008 3:06 PM
Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System":
Last year (or was it the year before?) there was brief mention about a railway tunnel underneath the bering strait - though that was supposed to be a commercial operation. (might have been discussed here for a bit). 

Some of the guys at the 'peak oil' board I visit are very much into having the US network of railways rebuilt, on the grounds that rail travel is vastly more energy efficient than hundreds of millions of private autos. However, they point out that such efforts tend to be viciously sabotagued by airlines and pro-car interests. 

I would certainly like to see a rail line connecting Alaska with the lower 48. Wonder what it would cost for a ticket from here to VSmiths part of the world?
In my humble opinion, railroads are definitely the way to go. I am not all the enthusiastic about the notion of connecting Alaska with Russia via a Bering Sea tunnel, but such a project necessarily would mean that Alaska would then be connected by rail to the states--something we could DEFINITELY use in Alaska. Meanwhile, where are all the comments on this Bering Sea tunnel proposal? Surely it isn't ALL about model track laying and ONLY model track laying (or purchasing, waiting forever and then and fixing damaged or poorly-built K-27s) in this forum? Or is it? Just asking.


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## Guest (Jan 20, 2008)

well....

a lot of trade routes could use railroads. specially in the third world.
but i don't believe in underseatunnels anymore.
everybody was so excited about the tunnel between france and england.
now it turns out, it can't compete with the ferryships.

korm
.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 01/20/2008 6:13 PM
well....

a lot of trade routes could use railroads. specially in the third world.
but i don't believe in underseatunnels anymore.
everybody was so excited about the tunnel between france and england.
now it turns out, it can't compete with the ferryships.

korm
.
That, however, is beside the point.  If the Russian government with all its new-found wealth as a major oil producer decides to back the Bering Sea tunnel project, that brings an old pipe dream that much closer to reality. Besides, there is no transportation competition in that area except cargo planes with the obvious limitation of size of cargo and expense in transporting it. 

The fact that it is brought up at all in that context is in itself a very big deal. And it is important to keep in mind how quickly the world is changing. Is this proposal really all that far from what may be our future?  Perhaps rails will once again resurface as a major world mode of transportation.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 01/19/2008 3:06 PM
Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System": 

No comments? 

I hadn't heard anything in the news recently about a rail link to go along with the gas pipeline project. But with my work sced, I miss the news more often than not. 

Last year (or was it the year before?) there was brief mention about a railway tunnel underneath the bering strait - though that was supposed to be a commercial operation. (might have been discussed here for a bit). 

Some of the guys at the 'peak oil' board I visit are very much into having the US network of railways rebuilt, on the grounds that rail travel is vastly more energy efficient than hundreds of millions of private autos. However, they point out that such efforts tend to be viciously sabotagued by airlines and pro-car interests. 

I would certainly like to see a rail line connecting Alaska with the lower 48. Wonder what it would cost for a ticket from here to VSmiths part of the world?
I see that this topic--the idea of  world-wide railroads ultimately tied together-- is going to have no traction on this forum, but my point was that my ALCANEX line in a way represents the future possibilities for Alaska as part of an integrated North American railroad system. 

Those of us living here in AK would definitely benefit in significantly lowered freight rates and new options for traveling south were such a connection to be made. 

It is this possibility, no matter how apparently remote, which justifies my use of the multiple road names I selected for my Phase II line.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/19/2008 12:29 PM
I pulled out my FA1 unit for this photo. It is quite the impressive engine.  I don't see information on the year this one was produced, but my guess is that it is relatively recent. *Anyone out there know?*  
 

Does anyone else out there have one of these models? I must say that the picture does not do it justice. This is a very impressive piece.  Maybe an even better question would be "does anyone outside of Canada model Canadian railroads such as the CP? "


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

the idea of  world-wide railroads ultimately tied together--


Might be hard to get past the greenies. Hawaii would be hard to reach. Australia too


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 01/23/2008 7:33 AM

Might be hard to get past the greenies

This is a major obstacle that any potential builder of larger projects would face--with enough potential weight to kill any major construction project--especially if they are to take place in the arctic environment which are actually, if anything,  over-protected.  

In this sense the world has changed enormously. The railroad builders of previous centuries faced nothing like the environmental activism and all the subsequent protective multi-layers of legislation and regulations that exist today.  In a way, these industrialists in their zeal brought this on themselves, but now we all get to pay for the those excesses that are perhaps best represented by an enormous cosmic pendulum that has swung in the opposite direction.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay. I don't see anything more developing here on the subject of a world-wide rail system. But, then, this MLS forum IS about large-scale GARDEN trains, which apparently has at best only a tenuous connection with the real world of railroading or their future or past, so I will move on . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

As you all undoubtedly are aware, Aristocraft introduced a small line of brass models. Four are listed and already two of the four are no longer available. They may come back, but it is best to assume not, given the pattern demonstrated by Aristocraft.

One of them was this railbus: 







Aristocraft describes this model as " 1:29 "#10 Railbus" Gray & Black 1:29 Railbus The “#10 Railbus” is a model of the Morristown & Erie #10 Railbus in the Whippany Railroad Museum in Whippany, NJ. A small Railbus like this one was typically used by a shortline railroad to move passengers along their route. Lacking the funds to buy new rail equipment, it was not uncommon for a shortline to convert highway buses to rail use like what was done with the #10." One such railbus shows up in several historic photos of the CRNW Railway that ran until 1938 along the lower Copper River valley. It was actually operated by a private company who took advantage of the existing but abandoned rails between Chitina and McCarthy and on to Kennecott from 1939 until 1947.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This was the "Chitina Auto-Railer" as it looked while in operation, parked in front of the company store in abandoned Kennecott sometime in the 1940s.  In those days, this auto-railer was the primary means for people living in the McCarthy area to travel or bring in goods from Chitina--the point where there was a road link.  The service was only discontinued when it became apparent that the trestles would not hold up much longer. (click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Fortunately for all of us, the Chitina Auto-Railer has survived into modern times and can now be found at the Museum of Transportation near Wasilla. 







The museum  has quite a collection of railroad-related artifacts, including this early Alaska Railroad diesel:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Even though I had planned to not purchase this model until later, upon seeing that these Aristocraft brass models were beginning to dissappear, I went ahead and obtained this one:  
    
This one will eventually sport the "Chitina Auto-railer" lettering, but I am considering placing it on the Cicely model along the Phase II line because I believe it will stand out more there. 

You may click onto either photo for a larger version


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/23/2008 6:33 PM
Even though I had planned to not purchase this model until later, upon seeing that these Aristocraft brass models were beginning to dissappear, I went ahead and obtained this one:    

You may click onto this photo for a larger version


Even though the Aristo model is not an exact match for the Chitina Autorailer, the suggestion of what it is just by the very similar shape would make it instantly recognizable to those who are familiar with the late history of the CRNW Railway.

It is not the same, yet how many observers would know that? In all probability, NO ONE  would notice. I will not repaint this in the school bus color that one would see at the Transportation Museum, but it will have the right lettering. 

As most any of us who are into modeling in this scale are aware, such minute details are lost on most everyone.  Only a handful of "rivet counters" will notice. For the remainder--and that's almost everyone interested in history--they simply appreciate the effort we modelers take to bring the past back to life.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

That's pretty neat Ron. The picture of the Kennecott buildings in the 1940's look like they are in pretty good shape, though I realize pictures can make things look better sometimes. That is a great picture, especially with the rail bus in it!

I sure wish we could travel back in time, and see some of these things first hand. That would really "make my day"!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Those brass models are jewels, aren't they? I don't own one, just admire it from afar, or on the shelf.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 01/24/2008 6:00 AM
That's pretty neat Ron. The picture of the Kennecott buildings in the 1940's look like they are in pretty good shape, though I realize pictures can make things look better sometimes. That is a great picture, especially with the rail bus in it!

I sure wish we could travel back in time, and see some of these things first hand. That would really "make my day"!


It is indeed quite the shot! That IS how it once appeared. Kennecott remained essentially pristine until the late 1950s when the first scavengers began the process of wrecking it.  It wasn't until the 80s that the effect of years of weathering began to show. And, yes, if there is one place I would love to have visited in this condition, Kennecott would be it!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 01/24/2008 7:23 AM
Those brass models are jewels, aren't they? I don't own one, just admire it from afar, or on the shelf.
I couldn't believe it when this model first came out! Who would have guessed something this close to the Chitina Auto-Railer would actually be made available--and by Aristocraft, for crying out loud !


I knew the moment I saw this one advertised that it was only a matter of time and I would have it here for this model.  I suspect it will be quite the eye-catcher, too.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/24/2008 1:10 PM
Posted By Torby on 01/24/2008 7:23 AM
Those brass models are jewels, aren't they? I don't own one, just admire it from afar, or on the shelf.
I couldn't believe it when this model first came out! Who would have guessed something this close to the Chitina Auto-Railer would actually be made available--and by Aristocraft, for crying out loud !
I knew the moment I saw this one advertised that it was only a matter of time and I would have it here for this model.  I suspect it will be quite the eye-catcher, too. 
The auto-railer on the east bank of the Copper River near Chitina, 1942

(click for larger size)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Referring back to my old map, you can see Chitina (red asterik) at the point where the CRNW headed east--aka the Chitina Local Branch of the CRNW Railway.  In this map of a future which never was, the CRNW survived long enough to be tied into the AKRR by means of a route that was actually surveyed to Fairbanks. 

The AKRR will be continued as far as Ft. Greely, south of Delta. Right now the AKRR ends at Eielson AFB, about 30 miles south of Fairbanks. 







I am considering tying in the Phase I and Phase II lines, which will require over a hundred feet of additional rail in order to link the two up because of the vast difference in relative height of the two lines. Should that occur, I will power up the new model autorailer so I can run it between the two  segments: Kennecott to Cicely. 

The ** * * *is the location of Copper Center, which for our purposes becomes Cicely in this model. Although Chitina is a better representation of mythial Cicely, it is already represented as itself on the model. As you can see from viewing this map, it only makes sense at some point to tie the two together in the model.  Phase I, the historic CRNW Railway, however,  is nearly 3 feet above the Phase II line where it comes closest to Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Chitina Auto-Railer on the Gilahina Trestle in the 1940s
  A connection between the two model railroads may also mean that ultimately my model of this trestle will be moved _from _a point_ inside _the bar to a protected area _outside_ the bar where it will be more visible. Presently the model is largely masked by the Phase II workings which have had the effect of overwhelming the model. 
And, of course, if the model is moved, it will enable me to re-create this rather neat historic image--a rather exciting prospect.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For those of you not familiar with this project, Phase II centers on the mythical town of Cicely from the television series "Northern Exposure," (NX) which first ran on CBS from 1991 until 1996.








Roslyn, Washington is the actual filming location for most of the outdoor shots for NX, and there is a lot of information on the net about Roslyn simply because most of that series was shot here. The studio shots were done in Redmond, which is why the interior of the Brick Tavern is not the same as the actual one in Roslyn.

I was talked into using this locality for modeling purposes right here on MLS some time ago. Although Cicely itself does not exist, many people who had not yet seen Alaska or may never visit the state have seen NX and thus in some way see Alaska through the eyes of the writers of that series.  This is one of the most popular of this genre of television series of all time--and no one, to my knowledge, had ever attempted to incorporate it into a model railroad--at least not in large scale. It was to be a very exciting project, indeed. 

Once I made the tentative decision to incorporate Cicely into the model, I spent many hours on the net gleening what I could to see if I had enough by this one source to re-create a credible model.  It did become clear at some point that I would need to physically build the site, but there was in fact enough data, maps and images available for me to proceed. 









Comparison Maps: My tentative layout (early 2007) and a map of the main filming area of Roslyn--side by side.
What is clear from the filming site map is that I could isolate the main area into something that was realistic to construct in large scale. I did not want to construct a model that was more than 12 feet wide nor 32 feet long.  As it turned out, those parameters were just sufficient to include all the essential elements of Cicely

--to be continued--


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Roslyn as Cicely (1)

Although it was not too clear where some of the residences used in NX were located, specifically those for Maurice Minnifield, Maggie O'Connel and Ed Chigliak, information on the net seemed to indicate that these were all adjacent each other up the hill on this street (red arrow).  I would be visiting these for a closer look. 

Most everything else, though was located roughly between 1st and 2nd Streets centering on Pennsylvania Avenue, the main drag for Roslyn.

There was also one other interesting feature: that abandoned railbed going right through the town. The info on Roslyn clearly indicated that this had been turned into a hiking trail, but nevertheless there it was--a REAL railroad line going right through my chosen prototype. 

The existence of a railroad in the series is only briefly alluded to in a couple of scenes, but since this is a railroad model, I would take the prototype and incorporate even more of that than I had originally intended in terms of features so I could credibly make use of an existing or historic rail line.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Roslyn Aerial on disc:
I also ordered a disc with a complete aerial of Kittitas County so I could more closely study Roslyn from above. 
Here I have outlined the main highway 903 (a country road) in blue. This is also First Street. The railroad grade is in red and the areas warranting closest study are boxed in purple.  The smaller one is the residential area while the larger one centers on Pennsylvania Avenue. 
This map was quite helpful to my study:  click for a larger view.  
   One thing that was obvious is that the area around Roslyn was more settled than I had thought.  This definitely does not resemble most Alaskan communities as seen from the air--far too much development.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The NX maps: 

I had found two segments of the film studio map used to delineate their downtown area. This was also of some use, 
mainly because it identified by name the important structures that would be used in the filming as well as providing
some of the dimensions--enough to determine the width of the faces of most of the structures.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

NX Map of Pennsylvania Avenue

Thus I was able to better identify the target buildings and assign them some dimensions.







A is the Brick; B is the Northwestern Improvement Company which houses Minnifield Communications and KBHR Radio with Chris in the Morning; 
C is Ruth-Ann's General Store and an adjacent shop which at the time was Pennsylvania Station Cafe; 
D is a group of nearly-identical false-front frame structures, including Village Pizza, whose name appears every time at the beginning of the NX episodes;
E is Harper Lumber, which is still there; F is Roslyn's Cafe and the adjacent museum and G is the locastion of the Roslyn Brewery, which was not used in NX but
which I will use on this model.  I also noticed for the first time by viewing these maps that there is a bank located at the corner of First and Pennsylvania. I have just the model structure for that one since I will not be using a copy of the prototype there. Not shown is Dr. Joel's Office, Ed's Theater and the residences.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Western Washington Railroads in 1928

Then I sent for a large map I found was available that shows the main lines of the time. This one,
which is clickable to a larger size, is a section I had scanned (it is very large) that shows the Great Northern (green),
the Northern Pacific (red) and the Milwaukee Road (orange)
  I have highlighted in yellow the Roslyn-Cle Elum area. Cle Elum is on the mainline while Roslyn is on an NP coal shortline.

I wanted this map to better understand the relationship of these railroads to each other. Ultimately I would include all three of 
the mainline railroads shown here in the model. The last of these was to be the Milwaukee Road.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Detail of Above Map:







Even though the original plan called for me to model Cicely as Roslyn, it is important to me to understand 
the relationships of the actual localities and the rail lines. This could very well affect what features I add to my own model and 
how those features will appear on the model.

It was this map which first alerted me to the nearby existence of the Milwaukee Road which would ultimately become a very significant feature within my model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Roslyn-Cle Elum Area:
  In the same area as the previous map, here is the NP coal shortline and the wye which I added to the aerial map after 
carefully studying it to determine the near-exact location of the original line. I would later walk the wye area.

Unfortunately, the NP station no longer exists. I could not even tell where it had been. All but a very small portion of the wye and all of the rest of the shortline heading off to Rosyln was pulled out in the early 1960s.

This image can be clicked to view the larger version.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Back to Roslyn Shooting Scenes: 
Find this map was a real bonanza for me. I keep referring back to it.
In this one I delineated the exact shooting areas, including the three residences which are
actually located some distance away from the downtown area. 17N is Maggie's house;
18N is Maurice Minnifield's big log home and 19N is Ed's upstairs apartment. They
are practically adjancent as it appears on this map. I will show you the pictures I took of them while up on that hill.
All of these houses will eventually appear on the model. 
On the main block 1N is Dr. Joel's office; 2N is the Brick; 10N is Roslyn's Cafe. 
7R is the fire station for Roslyn and 6R is the library. Although I will not be duplicating those since they do not appear in NX (except indirectly), 
I will be placing brick models already made up to represent the fire station and city hall (the library) in the approximate relative location.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

NP Coal Shortline:

I fully intend to use as much of the railroad heritage of Roslyn as possible in my model. The shortline, as you can see,
continued past Roslyn, servicing a group of coal mines that terminated somewhere near Lake Cle Elum--the same lake
which is used for many of the outdoor NX scenes, including the homesite for Joel's cabin and for Chris's Airstream trailer
(which I have a model of).  

There was no obvious way from looking at the aerials for this train to turn around. However, it turns out that a former resident of
Roslyn (he grew up in nearby Cle Elum) spends his summer in a fishing camp on the nearby Klutina River. He told me that the NP used a 
turn-table for this purpose. Thus, I had a reason to incorporate one into my own model town. 
hr








  The 48 inch turntable pit is just outside of the main building in the same relative position where it would have been in Roslyn--just beyond the NW 
part of the town.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

NP Coal Line

The provisions for this line began to appear early in my plans. This one shows the turntable as well.
How far this line will be developed as a part of the overall scheme remains to be seen. 







On this end, provisions will be made for a small model of one of the Roslyn coal mines just below
the residential hill, indicated by the orange boxed-in area at the lower right corner of the building.  It
will have to be a relatively small one.  The houses will be placed above the mine adit similar to the way
it would have been during the coal mining days at Roslyn.







One of the coal mines near Roslyn. You can even see the railroad loading shed below the tipple.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Why Roslyn for the NX filming? 

It is said that one of the writers somehow came upon this town and upon viewing the false-fronted buildings 
decided that this was the best location he had yet seen to film his series.

This is the scene as it would appear from Dr. Joel's office. I have added the labels. 







As you can see, Roslyn's Cafe lies just beyond this group of two-story frame structures. 














Looking east you can see a road heading up the hill. This is where those residences are located. 
The third business in this group of three is Village Pizza. It still operates.   Obviously, all of these
buildings would need to be included to make this model complete.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Roslyn Cafe as "Roslyn's Cafe"







In order to be consistent with the NX story line, The Roslyn Cafe is Roslyn's Cafe in the series. They actually repainted the mural to reflect that. After all, Roslyn and Cicely were the two lesbian founders of Cicely--a part of the history that made the very straight Maurice Minnifield very uncomfortable. That special made up piece of history for a fictional town certainly added some intentional tension to the series.

I will probably use the version with the 's added. 







Here it is with the adjacent museum. 

This museum structure will be a part of the model as well.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Roslyn's Log Cabin Adjacent the Roslyn museum is a small log cabin, said to be one of the original Roslyn structures. I have a model 
of one almost like it which will be placed next to the museum model. Mine includes drying salmon strips (left) because, of course, 
this would be an Indian cabin near a salmon spawning river. 







You can just see a part of it in this photo of the back of the museum property. The underground coal cars will also become a 
part of the model, naturally.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Roslyn Looking Down Pennsylvania Avenue:

This is the same scene used in NX in the opening views.  Roslyn Cafe & the museum are on the immediate left. 







Pennsylvania Avenue from the opposite direction: 







By now the NX layout as  it was filmed in the early 90s should begin to make some sense. 
The intention is to make the model resemble the above scenes as much as possible.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Roslyn Brewery
Across the street from the Roslyn Cafe is the Roslyn Brewery. 







The one which exists today, while it fits in well with the existing architecture of wood frame structures,
is relatively new.







The old one was a brick & stone brewery in the old style:  







This is similar to a style which already exists in g-scale, which is the one I will be using.  I need this because I have elaborate
plans that need this kind of a setting--and I need a way to display all those beer reefers I have been collecting.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Roslyn _Cicely_ Alaskan Brewery
       Taken in 2006 in the CRD Bar: Click any of these for larger image.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Brewery Model in Storage:
  Today this model, along with most of the others sit in the Uncle Nicolai store which now serves as storage for 
the Phase II project, including not only all the models, but the rolling stock as well. The room is full to the ceiling with 
items awaiting their new home.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

K & L Distributors

K & L is the Alaska supplier of Alaskan Brewery products as well as Budweiser and many others.
A K&L sales office will be included in this model. 
    This is a Colorado Models product which fits in well with the existing style in Roslyn as Cicely


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Alaskan Brewery Cars:
    USA Trains produced two versions of Alaska Brewery cars, of which several will appear on the model. Samples of each are shown
here, along with a Jack Daniels car and a custom K & L Budweiser caboose.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Brewery Complex plus the K & L yard with its sales office and warehouse (not yet completed)
will take up a considerable amount of space on the western end of the town, but I have 
no doubt that it will all fit together well. 







I sell many Alaskan Brewing products in the summer, so it was quite something to see that USA Trains had 
produced those two cars.  It will all look good in the Cicely model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Like the railroad and the coal mines, city hall and the fire station, the Roslyn Brewery never made its appearance 
on the NX series, but here is its actual location. 







If you're ever in Roslyn . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Maurice Minnifield, the Big Man in Cicely:







Maurice's expansive log home will become an integral part of the model as well, although this feature may not be ready until late into the tourist season.  The real one sits high on the east hill overlooking Roslyn. It is just uphill from the small two-story house that was designated as
Ed Chigliak's apartment.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Ed's Apartment

Bet you never saw this. 







Ed & Maurice: Below is Maurice's Place. To the immediate left was Ed's apartment (bottom)


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

I sure do enjoy reading and seeing all the information you have dug up on Cicely and NX. I agree it was one of the best series I have seen and sure wish it had gone on longer. I don't know what exactly it was about it, but it sure was extremely enjoyable to me. The characters were so believable, it really added a lot of realism to the whole thing.

Your research is extraordinary, and I know quite time consuming. I, for one, really appreciate what you have done and shared with the rest of us, and hope it continues.

I wanted to buy the series, but read the comments about it, and it seems for some reason, the original musical sound track was removed and replaced with  a lot less satisfactory one. If you have the series, what do you think of it, and did that really have that much of an impact on watching it? If not, I'll get it.

Please keep up the good work!!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 01/28/2008 6:47 AM
I sure do enjoy reading and seeing all the information you have dug up on Cicely and NX. I agree it was one of the best series I have seen and sure wish it had gone on longer. I don't know what exactly it was about it, but it sure was extremely enjoyable to me. The characters were so believable, it really added a lot of realism to the whole thing.

Your research is extraordinary, and I know quite time consuming. I, for one, really appreciate what you have done and shared with the rest of us, and hope it continues.

I wanted to buy the series, but read the comments about it, and it seems for some reason, the original musical sound track was removed and replaced with  a lot less satisfactory one. If you have the series, what do you think of it, and did that really have that much of an impact on watching it? If not, I'll get it.

Please keep up the good work!! 

 
The series, so far as I have viewed it, is excellent. I am into the fourth season right now, but with little time to just sit down and watch these episodes. From what I've seen, I'd go ahead and order them. Great stuff!

There will be more to follow, including my own tour of Roslyn and a little of Cle Elum as well.

Thank you so much for the comment. 

--Ron in Alaska


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Northwestern Improvement Company Building

One of the most fascinating structures for me in this project is the Northwestern Improvement Co. building--NWIC--the one which housed the radio studio for KBHR and the office of Minnifield Communications.  They weren't real, of course--just props. But they're still there in place now eleven years since the last episode of NX was filmed. 

There are few good shots of this building which appear on the series, so the massiveness of it is not apparent. You can see from the NX plans that this is a fairly substantial structure.

NWIC was actually the company store for NP Railway's coal company that was based in Roslyn and Cle Elum.  It is actually two large brick structures back to back. You can see just part of it in these plans, but the dimensions of the massive structure (for such a small town) are on the plans. 
















This is one of those structures that I chose to include in my Cicely model, but it would have to be a compressed version.  It was also apparent that I would need to make a person visit to the town because this was one of those buildings where there were simply not enough photos available on line to get a good sense of the nature of the structure.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris in the Morning:

Chris Stevens was the voice of Cicely. Often the show would begin and end with words from Chris coming out of the KBHR studio.  He was an absolutely fascinating character in a series that was full of interesting ones. It was those characters which really made the NX series.

NX was really about the town of Cicely as seen through its very eclectic group of town-folk who, while very different, somehow always found a way to live with each other and make their town work. 

In this way, the writers of NX were able to capture an element of backwoods Alaska that is very real. Those of us here in Alaska who watched the series found that we could identify with many of these characters because in real life we knew them.

There is probably only one Chris Stevens, though.  You probably won't find another one of him even here in Alaska.  Yet he was a very believable character. 

He  was central to many of the story lines--as if he was the narrator of the series. He filled in the necessary blanks and gave the show a real sense of a truly wonderul place somewhere deep within frontier Alaska with a strong, almost magical, mystical quality to it. 







Chris was often the town peacemaker--capable of bringing together feuding parties and find unique resolutions to long-standing personal conflicts. More than that, he was almost like the conscience of the town.

Although he loved a good physical fight--the Chris Stevens character was a natural scrapper--Chris had evolved into a very deep, reflective person steeped in some very deep highly esoteric philosophy. 

Part of the story line reveals Chris as an ex-con from West Virginia who came to Alaska to start life anew. Somewhere along the way he became a preacher based on an advertisement he found in a magazine. Several of the episodes utilize him as the one who conducts the marriage ceremonies and the funerals in ways that are remarkably touching. 

The memorable music which is an integral part of NX comes right out of the KBHR studio. Some of that music, in the context of the storyline, became enormously compelling and highly emotional--as if we were all looking at a wonderful past to which we strongly wished to return but realized that this was not possible. 







In the end Chris leaves us wondering if he will ever find what he is seeking. He is obviously looking for something, but we never quite find out what that is. It sure made for a great series.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

KBHR in the NWIC Building:

It is still there just like it was nearly a dozen years ago. One can peer through the windows and imagine seeing Chris Stevens inside working on another broadcast. 






















A new owner of the NWIC has begun renovating the inside of the building. It is now in doubt as to how much longer this last remaining nearly complete NX prop will remain in place.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Minnifield Communications: Maurice's Office
Maurice, Chris Steven's boss, had his office right next door to the studio. It is still there--at least, for the moment.  







Some very excellent stories evolved around these locations which were actually shot in Roslyn--not in the Redmond studio. 







It would not be Cicely were I to leave this part of it out. Chris in the Morning and KBHR radio will live on


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

NWIC Bldg, pt 2
When approaching Roslyn from Hwy 903, the NWIC building is on the right nearly opposite the Brick Tavern, which is seen here on the left.  Behind the Brick is the barbershop which actually appears in at least two of the episodes. The real barber at the time was used for one of the scenes. 







Here you see a view of the SW corner of the NWIC. It is two brickk structures back-to-back  that are tied together. 
My version will have the same face but will not be nearly as deep. The back section will not be included and is unnecessary to the Cicely model in any case since it was never seen. 
  This picture is clicable to a larger size


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

NWIC / KBHR Radio from the satellite view: 

When I first pulled up some satellite shots, it was readily apparent how large this structure really was.
I really wanted to take a good look at this building first hand.  The size alone made it a fascinating building.  Why so large? 








  this picture is clickable to a larger size


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Annual Running of the Bulls:

This is an event right out of NX, but it has now become a Roslyn tradition. Here you see the runners 
approaching the NWIC building.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Dr. Joel Fleishman: The "fish out of water" theme:







_Rob Morrow portrays Dr. Joel Fleischman, the quintessential "fish-out-of water." Joel is an inveterate New Yorker who has been transplanted to the remote Alaskan town of Cicely. Immediately welcomed by the oddball locals of Cicely, the reluctant Joel struggles to operate in the sparse, make-shift medical office set up for him, and has trouble accepting what passes for "normal" behavior in this eccentric little town. Morrow brings a disarming warmth to Joel's griping as he copes with his perpetual relocation angst, and was nominated for Outstanding actor in a Drama Series for the 1991-1992 season.

from  Moosechick's Notes on Northern Exposure_







Dr Joel's office was just down the block from the Brick. It is a well-worn wood-frame building that is now a gift shop, as you see from this photo. This building will be included in the model. 














A delegation of local Indians meeting with Dr. Joel in his office.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Great Northern whistle stop:

The original railroad for the Phase II line was the Great Northern.  Although it eventually was evident that the GN was not near the prototype filming location town of Roslyn, I am including it, using a kit depot.  Even my K & L caboose is a GN, so that railroad necessarily becomes part of the overall scheme. 
      There will be at least one other depot, and possibly two or three others on the Phase II line.  The Milwaukee Road depot will be essentially a scale model of one that still exists in Cle Elum--about five miles from Roslyn.   In 2008, both the GN and the Milwaukee Road will be operational on the Phase II line.  Both depots will be placed along the south-facing side of the model.  







  most images can be clicked to view a larger size


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile, back in Uncle Nics (the storage for the Phase II NX Cicely project):
  This is a Colorado model structures kit that will fill in some of the business district of the Cicely model.  I especially needed the fire engine house and there  it is.  Adjacent it is the local police station and then a video shop on the far left.  Click for a larger image. 

Several of the models are kit structures. I have already provided a list of the prototypes which will be built from scratch. Among these are the Cle Elum Milwaukee Road depot, Dr. Joel's office, all the false front structures across from Dr. Joel's office, the NWIC building which housed KBHR Radio and Roslyn's Cafe. Much more on that to come.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This morning, fearing that the extreme cold might cause the river to begin overflowing and then backing up, resulting in flooding (as has happened under these circumstances in the past) I put on my  arctic gear and headed down to the Klutina. I followed moose tracks to the middle of the rive. The ice is solid and there is no immediate danger there.

I took this shot looking east of Mt Wrangell from the perspective of minus 55F. The picture can be enlarged by clicking. 
  A few minutes after I returned to the house the temperatures began a dramatic rise. It jumped from approximately minus 55 to minus 15--a forty degree difference in a matter of minutes.  Incredible. 

This came about as a result of southerly winds which are blasting through Thompson Pass (the road pass to Valdez) at 85 mph--which is probably not even drivable considering the whiteouts and drifting that has to be accompanying those high winds.  In any case, the winds have reached here, but it is a mild wind. What a break for all of us here in the valley.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Chicago seems rather balmy after reading that/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, have you ever heard what happened to Chris Stevens as an actor? I don't recall ever seeing him again, but may have missed recognizing him in another show. I just can't imagine someone with his talents going by the wayside.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Chris Stevens  (Played by John Corbet  I think)   has been in several movies.   The last one I saw him in was on  TV.   Montana Sky  I think was the name. Or Monana something.
it was about a  Montana Rancher  That had Three Daughters.  All different personalities and can't stand each other.   He Dies and for them to get thier inheritance they all have to live on the ranch for one year.
John Corbett  played the  Rancher Next Door and  Exuttor of the will.   I am not sure but I think John Corbett  was in  Tumbstone also

PS I buy my movies from  MOVIES UNLIMITED.COM   I have been buying from them for years.  They are in Philadelphia PA

If you go to thier wetsite  they have a  search by  ACTOR   

John Corgett has been in  22 movies  including  TOMBSTONE


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

John J 's response largely covers it. John Corbett has been busy filming, even when he was in the middle of the NX series. His filmography is here.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks John and Ron! I knew I could count on you guys for a lot of good info! I sure didn't know there was a site that had as much about an actor as the one you indicated Ron. That's something else!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I belong to a Yahoo group called "My Cicely," which discusses various aspects of the old NX series.  On occasion the question "where is Cicely?" comes up. I  have answered this before, but have since refined my answer:

_Where is  *Cicely?*_ _I have run this one before, but have since modified some of my responses.  Being a Native Alaskan I am probably in a better position than most to attempt to resolve the question.   These are my answers that are more specific to the real Alaska but based on the mythical one portrayed in the NX series._

*







* Pennsylvania Avenue, Roslyn, WA, looking WNW toward 2nd Street

"Nobody knows for sure-- the producers and writers of Northern Exposure--NX have sprinkled enough misleading clues that it cannot be pinpointed exactly." 

_But one can take the bulk of the evidence and come up with some educated guesses.  I will explore some of these below. _

Some include (references to specific episodes are in *[brackets]*): 

It's in the 63rd parallel, placing it in the main body of the state. [Hello, I Love You] 
Cantwell, Alaska is latitude 63 23 17 N 

You can travel from Cicely to Cantwell on Route 8 (Ruth-Anne and Walt did), which again places it in the main body of the state. [Hello, I Love You]. 
barkeep: Route 8 is the Denali Highway, which runs east-west between Paxson on the Richardson Highway and Cantwell on the George Parks Highway. _Good clue--fits in with some of the others. _

 Route 6 also leads into town [Una Volta in L'Inverno] 
barkeep: Route 6 is the Steese Highway between Fox (just north of Fairbanks) and Circle on the Yukon River. On this route is Central--another town that in some ways resembles the fictional Cicely.  _Not a useful clue. As it contradicts some of the others. _










The men run naked out to Highway 1 when the ice breaks [Spring Break] 
_ barkeep: Highway 1 is the Tok-Cutoff to the Richardson to the Glenn Highway at Glennallen to the Seward Highway, Anchorage to Homer, Alaska.  Good clue because it fits with several others that seem to place Cicely somewhere within south central Alaska. _


It's just across the border from Sixty Mile, in Canada. [Northern Hospitality] 
barkeep: Sixty-Mile does not exist. There is a Forty-Mile, which is the gold-mining country in the eastern part of Alaska adjacent the Yukon Territory. This clue can be discounted. 


It is within a 75 mile radius of 143 degrees W, 62 degrees N, according to the ice-sculpture at Maurice's feast. [The Big Feast] 
barkeep: Talkeetna is at 62:20:13N 150:05:33W 


The address on the post card that Joel sends to Maggie is 

Maggie O'Connell 
P.O. Box 86 
Cicely, AK 99729 
barkeep: The zip code for _Cantwell, AK_. 

_However, it is noteworthy that Cantwell is one of the destinations frequently mentioned in the series, which eliminates that community from consideration.  _











It's north of the Arctic Circle because they spend some days in complete darkness [Northern Lights] and some days in complete light [Midnight Sun] It's south of the Arctic Circle because they don't have permafrost [Survival of the Species] 
barkeep: The only place where this happens are certain Inupiat communities.  None of them even remotely resemble mythical Cicely.  This clue is not useful and might as well not be considered. 


It's 40 air-minutes from Anchorage, the nearest hospital. (Joel tells Shelly she'll be going there to deliver. [Baby Blues]) Maggie also receives her flight service briefings from Anchorage. 
barkeep: Could be Talkeetna or the Gulkana airstrip near Glennallen. _Good clue. _

It's 200 miles from the next nearest town. [Ill Wind] 
barkeep: That's about right for Chitina or Cantwell. _Good clue._

It's 200 miles from Sleetmute, and not too far from Unalakleet. 
barkeep: This one matches nothing. Both of those are in far-western Alaska, well off the highway system on or near the Bering Sea ! _Actually, all the references to Sleetmute can be discounted. Sleetmute is a small barge landing on the Kuskokwim River with no discernible town. _

It's 400 miles from Soldotna (the length of the drive for the owner of "Rick" the dog.) [Animals R Us] 
barkeep: Could be either Chitina or Talkeetna . _Good clue. _


It's 500 miles from Sourdough. [Spring Break] 
barkeep: This one does not fit anything. Sourdough is just north of Glennallen. The writers obviously found this name on either a map or a book of Alaskan place-names and liked it, just as they did Sleetmute and Unalakleet. This clue can be discounted. 
 
  
aerial of Copper Center where the Klutina (right) meets the Copper River (top). The CRD (my home and business) is on the left (click)

It's located along a river (or at least Roslyn, WA is), and is 1000 miles from Anchorage [Kaddish] (which of course, means that Maggie's little Cessna 170 travels at 1500 miles an hour  
_ barkeep: The Susitna flows near Talkeetna, the Copper flows near Chitina. Both are subject to a massive breakup every spring--much as described in the episode "Spring Break."_  _The distance can be discounted, but the existence of a river is a useful clue. _


It's in the panhandle, because the specific Indians mentioned are Pacific Northwest tribes 
_ barkeep: The Indians are prototypical Pacific coastal Natives with the recognizable totem poles that mark them as such.  They do resemble Tlingit or Haidas, but are actually a kind of generic coastal mix of Natives. In fact, the Native stand-ins were from a mix of tribes from various places in Washington State. This clue can be discounted, except for one thing:
the presence of so many Natives in the series, which is not the case with Roslyn, is in itself a clue. Best locations based on this are Chitina, Copper Center, and to a much lesser extent, Talkeetna.  I know of other fellow Natives who were attracted to this series largely because it marked the first time (and maybe only time) we know of where Natives were present in ways that were a) reasonably realistic in their portrayal and b) numerous. They were literally integrated into the fictional town with many, many stand-ins. We really appreciated both of these aspects of NX, of course. It was, I believe, very much in keeping with the highly-unusual and very compelling spirit of the entire show._


It's in the panhandle portion that runs along the coast next to Canada ("The cusp of the new Alaskan Riviera" - premiere episode) 
_ barkeep: This one doesn't fit in with the others, although the climate in SE more closely fits the filming site of Roslyn, Washington than does the interior. This clue can be discounted. _


At least we know that it's on a major log truck route, and there are paved roads nearby [premiere]. 
barkeep: There actually was a modern-day logging operation around Chitina and Copper Center in the late 90s after the show went off the air. However, Southeast Alaska was the only major logging area in Alaska (not anymore. That industry was largely killed by environmental law suits years ago). No log trucks were used in SE except maybe on some of the remote islands.  This clue is not very useful.  



original clues came from alt.tv.northern.exp newsgroup








_Although it is obvious that there is no way to determine the intended location of the fictional Alaskan town of Cicely, I have always maintained that it most resembles Talkeetna on the Alaska Railroad route and the Parks Highway, but even more so it appears to be a cross between Talkeetna and Chitina (see map above). It could also, in some ways, be my own locality of Copper Center. _ 


 
Downtown Roslyn: Pennsylvania Avenue, the main drag (click) The problem is obvious: too many contradictory clues. Additionally, if one is to look at the actual filming location, it does not much resemble any place in interior Alaska, being far too developed with all those paved streets with sidewalks, the many brick structures, and large number of houses surrounding the main town.  In this sense fictional Cicely does appear to somewhat resemble either Juneau, Sitka or Ketchikan (where I grew up), but not sufficiently so in conjunction with the other clues. 

Talkeetna: 62:20:13N 150:05:33W Chitina: 61:31:29N 144:29:21W 









Beautiful downtown Chitina ! 



--- In [email protected], Alces Alces Chickus wrote:


> 
> I am not sure if anyone on this list has asked this question before but I
> thought I would ask anyway; based on all you know about NX, where would
> Cicely, AK be located within present day Alaska if it was a real town?
> Central AK? Southern AK? Near what real city? I have not been able to
> figure this out so far so I thought I would ask the trivia experts :0)
> 
> Michael (Rockymtnmoose)
>


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Of course, what I really like about Cicely in the context of  its Roslyn, Washington prototype, is the historicrailroad connection: Not one but two: Northern Pacific and Milwaukee Road. 







Natually, being the (converted) dedicated model railroader that I now am, I spent some time while in Roslyn and Cle Elum investigating the railroad features of those locations. There wasn't much left to see in Roslyn except the old depot, which was actually a railroad warehouse, not a passenger structure. But the Milwaukee Road depot at Cle Elum and the railroad artifacts surrounding it are quite interesting.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

It has been a long time since I've seen the series, but Sutton, to the NE of Palmer (more or less), might be a passable fit. Otherwise, I'd say Talkeetna.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/10/2008 1:56 PM
It has been a long time since I've seen the series, but Sutton, to the NE of Palmer (more or less), might be a passable fit. Otherwise, I'd say Talkeetna.
Not a bad choice at all.  I should have considered it. After all, that's the family burial grounds (the visible Russian Orthodox-style spirit houses along the main highway)---so I am somewhat familiar with it _and_ it is another historic railroad town. This was the home of the coal washing facility for the Chickaloon branch of the Alaska Railroad.  However, there is not much of a discernable downtown--definitely nothing the rises to the character of the NX Cicely town.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Sun is Back

It has been a bit dreary around here the last few months, with very little daylight and no sun hitting the ground here on the property at all for most of December and January. There is always sun hitting these mountains which I see as you see them here from this end of my property looking east. 
  I took these just before noon. Above is Mt. Drum and below is Mt. Wrangell. As you can see from the lower one, not a lot of sun is  hitting the ground just yet. It was minus 15 this morning--still very crisp, but a considerable improvement over the minus 55 of a few days ago.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The sun has been hitting the property in the last two weeks . . .
  Here you see the end of the Phase II track loop (piled high with snow) with the 32-foot long Cicely model building behind it. Inside it is perfectly dry but a bit cold !   When you enlarge the picture, look at the snow hanging over the edge of the roof extension on the Cicely building.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The CP E-8 from Art Knapp Trains:
      The last of the locomotives I had designated for the Phase II line arrived in early February.  This will be the second #-8 in my inventory (the other one is a Santa Fe).  When I first tried to obtain one of these, Art Knapp Trains, Surrey, B.C., had already run out and did not anticipate any more for another year. But a second shipment did arrive. 

Of course, I ordered one of them, and I have it next to my Aristo CP  FA-FB unit  for comparison, as you can see in the final photo.  When I ordered this E-8 I decided it was time to set up a new shelf (off of the ceiling as seems to be my style in the last few years) for these units as well as a few others that are not expected to go on line in the next year or so. 

The diesel CP s are attractive engines, but this is not their year. I just wanted them on hand for when the time comes, which should be 2009.  That is when I expect to put two full CP consists together. Thank you once again, Art Knapp.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Sun Finally Gains Ground on the Klutina River: 

The Klutina flows along the southern edge of my property. I have 600 feet of mostly-cleared river frontage on that bank and face the hill you see in the first photo. This hill blocks the winter sun from hitting any of my property for almost all of December and January.
  Above: My earlier tracks leading to the river, which lies in shadows
Below: the iced-over Klutina River looking west toward the bridge. Some sun is finally starting to hit this part of  the river. 
  Below: Looking downstream to the east, this part of the river remains in the shadows as of today, Feb 14th. 
  Below:  I walked out to the nearly the midway point of the Klutina to take this picture of my river bank.  Some sun if just starting to hit that bank for the first time. 
  Below: my low-level river bank looking west.  Last year all of the low flat area  was under ice due to river overflows. This year the river ice level is several feet lower than last year. 
  The temperature today was the warmest it has been in quite some time.  I was able to walk out here
without being completely bundled up.  That makes it difficult to take good pictures. All of the above 
are clickable to a larger size.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Mt Drum from the CRD property, 14 Feb 2008

The high cloud cover is due to a low pressure that is entering the area counter-clockwise  from the Gulf of Alaska resulting in an unusually warm day. We call it a "chinook."  

It has just occurred to me that I have all but made it through winter. At the most we are looking at 1 1/2 months of wintery weather, after which spring breakup is underway. Most likely, it will start earlier than that. 

It is a good feeling to realize that another winter is nearly over, believe me. It has not been an easy one.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new ALCANEX logo on my steel water tower for placement on the Cicely model:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It's getting a little crowded around here: 
I have been accumulating pieces for a modern town model for 15 years (the early ones are those expensive Franklin Mint and Danbury Mint models), although most of what you see here was acquired within the last two years, which was when I knew that I would be building a modern town.  Until now, my towns have all been circa 1920s-era, so much of what I had has been sitting for many years just accumulating dust. 

Now, thanks to the Phase II 1:29 project, I will have NX-Cicely, Alaska.   Cicely will be the home for all of this and a whole lot more. I can hardly wait. All of this is taking up most of one bedroom. 

This is not even the main storage area for all those goes into the Phase II model. All of that is in Uncle Nicolai's shop next door. In there the high walls are shelved to the ceiling with rolling stock. Then there are the boxes full of additional rolling stock, model buildings, more model trucks and cars and a large assortment of other detail pieces. 
        That stage coach is a Wells Fargo. I have the WF bank under construction now.  
Other odd items of interest:  two 1:24 scale airstreams (like the one used for the 
Chris Stevens character in NX)
The batmobile with Batman and Robin: Always wanted it: now I have it and in the right 1:24 scale
The infamous "Christine" from the Stephen King movie by t hat name. Yes, indeed.
And check out that Harley Davidson 18-wheeler--Goes with the custom cycle shop made for me a few years back, which will also inhabit the new town once it is up early this year.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Danbury Mint cars: "We pay tribute to the legendary Stephen King horror film 'Christine' with . . . Dennis Guilder's '68 Charger with the California license plate as seen on-screen . . .precisely re-created." 

Christine: "replica of the murderous 1958 Plymouth Fury from the legendary Stephen King novel and film. . ."

and, of course, the Batmobile from the 1960s television series. In the background is my Harley 18-wheeler--a real find.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Wells Fargo Stagecoach:

I always wanted one of these to go with my model. One day this came up on Ebay. Wasn't cheap, either due to its relative rarity. I'd never seen another one of these. Have you?  It will go with the bank building now being modified for the Cicely model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The LGB large-scale train hobby shop: 
This too, appears to be a relatively rare item. A sign will be added to this to personalize it specifically for the Cicely model. I like the date on it. That was my high-school graduation year.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Service Station #1 of 2

Although the Union Oil pumps are displayed with this one, it will be an Esso station. Another one will be a Union.  I believe this was a Danbury Mint display piece. It works out well for my purposes and will fit in nicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Harley Cycle Shop: 
Although I have had this converted model for quite some time now, it never had a suitable home until now. 
This one will have a good home on the Cicely layout. 
  The trooper car is one of two that I have which are actually Alaska Trooper cruisers.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Uncle Nicolai's Shop: 
Originally intended for other purposes, the main function of the shop these days is to store much of the Phase II project, including all the excess rolling stock and the larger model structures.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Inside Uncle Nicolai's Shop: 
  Some of the model structures sit on two wide, rolling shelf units (designed for commercial kitchens)
        There were a great number of kits I had purchased over time just for this model. These will all be completed by late March so we can resume the scratch-building part of the project.  Each of one these models is altered in some way from the original. Some are aged or repainted. Most all get new lettering or other graphics that are specific to the Cicely, Alaska theme.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One 20-foot wall contains two rows of rolling stock all the way to the ceiling: 
    I am almost out of available space for more shelving in here, although I do have my eye on one more area . . . I could sure use it.   Even after this model is completed, the rolling stock has to be stored during the long winter months. This is the only available space, but it works out well. I do keep an 8-foot step ladder on hadn inside the shop.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

First off..I'm impressed with all the models you have. I know once you start placing them on the layout, it seems there are never enough. It sure takes a lot of them to put a dent into what you want things to look like. 

Now you know I have to ask this...what is the "Original Bug Shirt" all about?? And..are there any "Native Arts and Crafts" there, or they elsewhere in the area?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 02/16/2008 6:25 AM

...what is the "Original Bug Shirt" all about?? And..are there any "Native Arts and Crafts" there, or they elsewhere in the area?


The Original Bug Shirt is a brand name for a prduct that seems to be the ultimate answer for those in the outdoors where there aer massive    amounts of mosquitos--mainly along waterways and tundra areas where there is a lot of standing water.

It is a netted, hooded piece of lightweight apparel. I sell these mainly to fishermen. Can be worn over hats. 

This one is displayed with the matching pants that are, of course, banded at the ankles to keep mosquitos out. 







Beads, beads and more beads. I have been trying to get  one of our local Native women to work on beads here so the tourists could see the work in progress.  So far, no such luck, but I am still trying. Meanwhile, every year I pick up a few more of these locally-made chokers and other items of interest to tourists. Those pieces using _rea_l bone are getting pricey, but they are _all_ unique and not to be found in most Alaska gift shops.  Looks like I may be picking up the inventory of a local Native gift shop going out of business this year.  If so, Uncle Nic's will be packed full of a wide variety of Native crafts and other Alaskan items.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 02/16/2008 6:25 AM
First off..I'm impressed with all the models you have. I know once you start placing them on the layout, it seems there are never enough. It sure takes a lot of them to put a dent into what you want things to look like. 


Here's an interesting one: The Christmas season 2006 I stopped by Tammie's Hobbies in Beaverton, Oregon and found this gem--a model of a piledriver. This is one of those pieces I could not resist. After all, the CRNW used them extensively with all those trestles they had on their line.  This one, however, will probably become a part of the Phase II Cicely model. 
  Great little piece, is it not? (click for larger image)


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

The pile driver is a neat piece of work. It looks to be built from scratch, though these days it is hard to tell, due to the excellent weathering and painting some of the fellows do. The steam engine looks somewhat like Ozark's, but again hard to tell.

I would also have been tempted to buy it, as it is unique, and would certainly fit well into the time period you are modeling. Nice find!

Whoops, just about forgot...thanks for the explanation on the "bug shirt". I sure could have used one of those the many years I went fishing down in the Everglades. I learned to go in the winter, when the mosquitoes were less bothersome, but they were still a pain if you got too close to the mangroves, when there was no breeze. I guess the ones you have up there would have been a little too warm though.

The chokers and beads are quite attractive, and I know how much hand work goes into things like that. Most people don't appreciate the time spent finding the raw materials and then the delicate work it takes to turn them into something as interesting as those. Also, most don't have a hint as to what different ones stand for, in a spiritual or tribal way either, and the designs that have been handed down through the generations. I can see how difficult it would be to get the genuine article.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's a cool piece! 

Watch for the bridges.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 02/17/2008 5:16 AM

Whoops, just about forgot...thanks for the explanation on the "bug shirt". I sure could have used one of those the many years I went fishing down in the Everglades. I learned to go in the winter, when the mosquitoes were less bothersome, but they were still a pain if you got too close to the mangroves, when there was no breeze._* I guess the ones you have up there would have been a little too warm though.

*_

The Original Bugshirts (tm) are extremely lightweight and would work well under the conditions you described. It is a very high quality material with UV protection but also plenty of places you can't see here that allow air to enter but not mosquitos.  The Canadian company that manufactures these also sells them online. 














That is a screen area underneath the arm pit and extending to the hand--one of these on each side.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I just pulled a round-trip to Anchorage ~10 am to 8:30 pm by the time I got back after picking up my shipped items and doing some resupplying. Among other items, I had two identical Bachmann 1:20.3 2-8-0s to pick up at an air forwarding office (one of them for the Phase III project). 

If a shipper insists on using UPS or FEDEX I have them ship to a stateside address in Washington to an outfit called Ship-to-Alaska--far less expensive then shipping directly too Alaska by either of these services. The service then forwards the items to Anchorage (there were other non-train-related items in tha shipment as well--might as well combine, you know) . It is almost always cheaper--sometimes considerably so-- that way then sending it direct to me in Copper Center, even if I have to make a special trip to Anchorage (205 road miles one way) to pick up the shipment. If shippers would just use the USPS,  I wouldn't have that problem, but some_ insist _on utillizing either UPS or FEDEX _exclusively._ This is par for the course living in Alaska.  

Because the weather was good both ways (no precipitation, miminal wind) , I made it a round trip since snow and even rain (Anchorage side) keep appearing in the forecast. It is always better to avoid that if possible.  Indeed, in places there _was_ considerable slush, including in Anchorage itself.  The roads _were_ icy in many places, including through the mountains, but I'm used to that, too.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I once had somebody ship me something I'd won off EBAY via UPS: the cost was extortionate (about four times what it would have been USPS) - and they delivered it to my neighbor one street over. 

Another outfit I dealt with for some reason regards FedEx as 'normal' shipping; both times those bills were...outlandish. But at least they found me. I am very leery about ordering from them again precisely because of the FedEx thing - they just don't seem to use USPS at all. 

I greatly prefer USPS.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 02/18/2008 11:21 PM
«snip...» I wouldn't have that problem, but some_ insist _on utilizing either UPS or FEDEX _exclusively._ This is par for the course living in Alaska. «snip...»

Usually the shipper is driven in carrier choice by the fact that each carrier wants to lock each of their shipping customers into exclusivity, the carriers accomplish this by offering the shipper significant discounts off of published tariffs. Depending on a shipper's volume and negotiation skill, that can be in the range of 50-60% discount.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 02/19/2008 5:53 AM
Posted By blackburn49 on 02/18/2008 11:21 PM
«snip...» I wouldn't have that problem, but some_ insist _on utilizing either UPS or FEDEX _exclusively._ This is par for the course living in Alaska. «snip...»

Usually the shipper is driven in carrier choice by the fact that each carrier wants to lock each of their shipping customers into exclusivity, the carriers accomplish this by offering the shipper significant discounts off of published tariffs. Depending on a shipper's volume and negotiation skill, that can be in the range of 50-60% discount.
A good point that I had not considered.  Unfortunately, it sure makes shipping almost prohibitively expensive for us here in Alaska (and Hawaii too).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/19/2008 12:35 AM
I once had somebody ship me something I'd won off EBAY via UPS: the cost was extortionate (about four times what it would have been USPS) - and they delivered it to my neighbor one street over. 

Another outfit I dealt with for some reason regards FedEx as 'normal' shipping; both times those bills were...outlandish. But at least they found me. I am very leery about ordering from them again precisely because of the FedEx thing - they just don't seem to use USPS at all. 

* I greatly prefer USPS*.
For the vast majority of items going to Alaska, that is definitely the preferred way to ship as long as it is parcel post and not air. Air mail in the larger sizes and heavier weights has also become exorbitant.  In most cases I am able to convince shippers to use this option, but not always. Those are the shippers I only use *once *! 

It also explains the need for the Ship-to-Alaska business for some of us. At least now I have an Anchorage destination to ship to so I can go pick up the item. Currently the cost per pound for air shipments from Sea-Tac to Anchorage via Ship-to-Alaska is $1.29 (in addition to an annual membership fee).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Most of the Simpson Oil Esso brand tank farm has been completed for the NX Cicely model: 
  All that remains is the industrial fence (I have it but it is not completed) and the trucks (have them too, awaiting logos)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

No tank farm appeared in the NX series, however, they are commonplace in small communities througout Alaska.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Logos have been a large part of my latest project--maybe even a hallmark of it.
I have tried to combine well-known logos with made-up ones that are specific to the Cicely project.
Simpson Oil, of course, utilizes my own last name.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I could swear I've seen that indian head logo somewhere...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/19/2008 2:25 PM
I could swear I've seen that Indian head logo somewhere...
Probably have--or one _very_ similar. I told my graphics man I wanted a _very_-recognizable Plains Indian head to represent Simpson Oil Company. He chose something out of his file. I also had one for my old company--the real one that once existed under the name Yukon Amusement.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Simpson's Esso Service:
  This will be my Esso station, complete with the art-deco Esso figure out of the 1950s.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Esso Art-Deco Symbol: 
    This is one of the wonderful pieces of the Americana of Route 66 days that I will be proud to place into the model as an integrated part of the NX-Cicely display.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And there he (and she) is. Now if I can only find a picture of one of these next to an Esso service station . . .














_ The "Esso Man"_


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For me and, I suspect, many other railroad modelers, part of the point of this endeavor/hobby is to attempt to re-capture a part of history--in this case Americana. There is something very appealing about the absolutely tasteless art-deco of the America of the 30s into the 60s.







It is irresistible for me.  I simply _have_ to use some of this type of advertising that we no longer see in the course of my railroad layout planning.  NX-Cicely is a project which seems to be ready-made for employing old-style advertising. The Cicely period I have chosen is a modern mix that extends from the 90s back to the 20s. Only in the model train world does this seem to be possible ! Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series _Northern Exposure_.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure. 



Hmmm...an alternate universe where the Cassiar mine project wasn't abandoned, and the rail line eventually built to that point and extended clear to Fairbanks...and where the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR, and the Kennecot mines remained open (maybe because of the cold war).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/20/2008 10:02 PM
Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure.


Hmmm...an alternate universe where the Cassiar mine project wasn't abandoned, and the rail line eventually built to that point and extended clear to Fairbanks...and where the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR, and the Kennecot mines remained open (maybe because of the cold war).
Something like that . . .  (more to follow on this)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/20/2008 10:02 PM
Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure.


Hmmm...an alternate universe where the Cassiar mine project wasn't abandoned, and the rail line eventually built to that point and extended clear to Fairbanks...and where the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR, and the Kennecot mines remained open (maybe because of the cold war).
In fact, I have been saying this for the last three years:  My CRNW Railway combined with the ALCANEX assumes that:  

1) Although the Kennecott mines played out, the railroad survived into the modern era, continuing along the already surveyed route all the way to Fairbanks (this was an old proposal from the turn of the century that was rejected by the Wilson Administration which wanted nothing to do with the Guggenheims who had a major stake in the CRNW in those days).

2) The ALCAN extension, either through Ft. Nelson or via the Cassiar route or both, would eventually be completed. This remains an ongoing proposal, albeit an  unlikely one, in conjunction with certain Alaska natural gas line proposals through the Yukon Territory, B.C. and Alberta to the mid-west.  This extension does not necessarly require the existence of any historic mines into modern times but it would have worked well in conjunction with a huge proposed copper mine in northern B.C. which was not allowed to proceed due to environmental concerns.  There is no doubt that the construction of a railroad infrastructure which connects the U.S. mainland to Alaska would also open up otherwise remote major mining possibilities in the same way that the CRNW did for Kennecott--mostly in northern B.C. and the Yukon Territories. 

3) That the White Pass extended their own line through Whitehorse to the mining area of Keno and on to Dawson, as an extension of the KMR. Of course this one was doomed from the start due to the economics involved, as was the extension of the CRNW Railway.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/20/2008 10:02 PM
 
Hmmm...an alternate universe here the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR . . .
Of course, the bridge fell in because of the great earthquake of 1964 with a magnitude of 9.1.  It was probably fortunate that the rest of the bridge remained standing. 
  The Million Dollar Bridge in the 1980s at mile 49 of the old CRNW


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And this bridge has since been repaired . . . 
  Alaska  has been made a  political standing joke because of  earmarks for a "bridge to nowhere."  But this is now the ultimate bridge to nowhere. The Million Dollar Bridge now leads to nothing at all even though at one time it was an essential part of the CRNW Railway from Cordova to Kennecott. (click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

MDB in a colorized postcard from the 1930s: 
  The MDB is a big part of old Alaska. Although today it sits practically in the middle of nowhere and leads to nothing, at one time this was the major tourist destination in all of Alaska.  (click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Wye at the MDB:
  On the right is a rotary snowplow consist.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The MDB:
In the early part of the 20th Century the federal government was faced with a choice based on recommendations of their experts in the field: a) acquire the old Alaska Northern line out of Seward and build their own railroad as an extension from the end of that right of way all the way to Fairbanks or
b) acquire the main line of the CRNW, which would have included the Million Dollar Bridge, and build an extension from Chitina on to Fairbanks. 
History would have been drastically different had they made the second choice. The MDB would not be in the middle of nowhere, Cordova would have been a major port, the Copper Valley would be far more developed than it is, and who knows what would have happened to what eventually became Anchorage. 
  click for larger image


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

South Approach to the 1500-foot MDB shortly after construction:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

At one time this bridge was considered an engineering impossibility because of its proposed location between two opposing glaciers--the Miles and Childs Glaciers. The events which occured around the construction of this bridge were among the most dramatic in western railroading history because, indeed, it proved to be _almost _impossible to build at that time.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Early map showing the CRNW line from Cordova to Baird--beyond the MDB:
  This map shows the entire Copper River dela, plus the railroad at neighboring Katalla. Click for larger image. 
This is a small segment of a much larger map.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Window View this Morning:
The more normal temperatures have returned to the valley. We had gone from a low of minus 55 to a high of plus 44. Now the range appears to be minus ten to about plus 20 with predictions of somewhat colder nights yet to come. But the severely frigid temperatures appear to be gone for good for the remainder of this winter. The long-term forecast shows temperatures dropping no lower than perhaps minus 30, although I doubt it will dip that low. 

One thing about it, these are ideal conditions for some great shots of the mountains. It is clear and sunny out this morning. These are two shots I took from my window next to the computer. 
    Click these. Mt. Drum is spectacular and the larger image is quite large but in low resolution so it loads fast.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

This is a really informative thread.  I like the ESSO station 

One structure really caught my eye.  It's this one:










What is this building?  Is it the Silverton City Hall that was manufactured in the 1990s?  Forgot the name of the company, but I sure remember the small mention of it in Model Railroader.  Wish we got one when they were made /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By San Juan on 02/23/2008 12:48 PM
This is a really informative thread.  I like the ESSO station 

One structure really caught my eye.  It's this one:










What is this building?  Is it the Silverton City Hall that was manufactured in the 1990s?  Forgot the name of the company, but I sure remember the small mention of it in Model Railroader.  Wish we got one when they were made /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/pinch.gif
Very perceptive of you.That IS the Silverton City Hall.  

This one came up on Ebay a few months ago. I decided I had to have it for my Phase II model. I bid very high for this one and barely made it. This will be the city hall and/or courthouse for my fictional model of Cicely. Not a bad choice, eh? 

In the first photo below you will note a missing window. I almost lost that one transporting it over to the bar to photograph. It had popped out. I found it in the driveway. 
    It turns out to be a perfect 1:24 match next to the scratch-built Brick tavern model.


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## San Juan (Jan 3, 2008)

Wow!!!!!!!! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif

That is a great looking structure.  Thanks so much for the close up pics.  

I saw it on eBay and was very, very tempted to bid.  My only concern was the 1:24 scale size.  I was afraid it would be too small next to Piko and Pola structures.   So I didn't want to spend the kind of money I was expecting it to fetch, if  it wouldn't fit with our other structures.  But it looks very good size wise above the (what appears to be) Pola church below it on your storage shelves.

Don't want to be a bother, but could you share the dimensions of the city hall (don't worry about the finial height).  The door size is probably the best way to judge scale.

It's such a neat looking building and very unique.  I don't think anything like it has been made by other manufactures in G scale.  And it's not all that far off from the real Silverton City Hall.

I'm glad you found the window /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By San Juan on 02/23/2008 2:53 PM
Wow!!!!!!!! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif

That is a great looking structure.  Thanks so much for the close up pics.  

I saw it on eBay and was very, very tempted to bid.  My only concern was the 1:24 scale size.  I was afraid it would be too small next to Piko and Pola structures.   So I didn't want to spend the kind of money I was expecting it to fetch, if  it wouldn't fit with our other structures.  But it looks very good size wise above the (what appears to be) Pola church below it on your storage shelves.

Don't want to be a bother, but could you share the dimensions of the city hall (don't worry about the finial height).  The door size is probably the best way to judge scale.

It's such a neat looking building and very unique.  I don't think anything like it has been made by other manufactures in G scale.  And it's not all that far off from the real Silverton City Hall.
The door opening is 3 5/8, the window openings are all 2 5/8 inches, while the walls are only a surprising 12 inches by 12 inches with a height of 12 inches from the base to the bottom of the rafters. It does not sound like much, but the structure _does_ look rather imposing and impressive nevertheless. In comparison the adjacent Brick model is 23 inches wide by 37 inches deep.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Yesterday I decided it was time to clear a path over to the building which will house the Cicely model structures.  Several of these models are now ready to be placed and are simply taking up space. 
It is finally getting warm enough out there to make initial preparations for spring when I begin setting up the model in earnest.  It only reached plus 15 today, but the sun is out for longer periods of time and snow is melting everywhere on the warmer days.  My main concern now is more snow heading this way and delaying the process. 
  _above:_ the initial pathway is cleared to the model building

_below: _looking from the other direction: The tall white building is Uncle Nicolais--the main storage area for most of the Phase II models and rolling stock. The model structures will be moved from there across this path to the building. 
  _Below_: Looking ESE from the model building over to the Phase II east track loop, which is now almost totally free of ice and snow--at least for now it is.   The loop is 24 feet across and stands approximately six to seven feet above the ground. 

The high ground over which the path is dug will serve as part of the hills for the Phase III KMR model when it is built beginning sometime next year or the year after.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Even though the ambient temperature was only +15, with the sun, heat is finally hitting the property with a vengeance. The tracks in front of the Cicely model housing structure are now free of ice and snow. I had to shovel off the walkway yesterday and the remaining ice on the surface is now largely melted away. 
  A true sign of spring on its way: One of the cats is enjoying the outdoor sun--something which hasn't happened since last October.  Another cat rests on the walkway below. 
  Obviously the tracks are warm enough for the cat not to mind a brief nap in the sun right on the aluminum and brass (the rear set of tracks is a brass siding). 
  It could and probably will drop back into winter again, but meanwhile the feel of an early spring is definitely in the air.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

But will the cat try taking a nap at that spot when summer hits and the trains are running? And what would the cats reaction be? 'It moves - it must be something to *kill*'? or 'where do I have to go to find a quie place to sleep?'


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/23/2008 6:13 PM
But will the cat try taking a nap at that spot when summer hits and the trains are running? And what would the cats reaction be? 'It moves - it must be something to *kill*'? or 'where do I have to go to find a quie place to sleep?'
Those cats are not impressed with the trains. Fortunately, so far, I have somehow avoided any train collisions with the furry felines.  But it has come close on more than one occasion.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Cicely Model Housing Structure Awaits:

I have blocked three of the track entrances/exits for now to help hold in the heat of the sun in advance of 
the preparations for moving several of the models into place. 
  The view below is of the 24-foot east turn-around.
  Looking toward the beer garden: the tracks are in place since last fall, helping delineate the locations of the various model structures which will soon be placed here. 
  The sun actually is heating up this area as long as the door is kept closed and most of the track entrances are blocked. Two of them on the left have not  yet been closed off.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Snow is vanishing from the tracks:
(but it could return anytime)
  This area is in the shadows most of the day and thus still holds snow on the tracks. 
  But to the east the area is mostly open, with nothing to hinder the sun light. 
  In the distance is 14,000 foot Mt. Wrangell


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Mt Wrangell, as seen from near the model: 
That's steam you see venting near the top. Wrangell remains the single active volcano in the Wrangell Range, viewable to the east of Copper Center.  Steam vents often appear during periods of cold weather and are clearly visible under conditions such as occurred today, Saturday.23rd of Feb 2008.

The great thing about this is how visible this particular mountain is from almost anywhere along the Phase II model railroad line.  The elevation of this point is 1,025 feet, while Wrangell tops out at 14, 163. To the north is Mt Drum, also viewable from some points on the property, with an elevation of 12,010 feet.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And finally . . . the sun sets on Mt Drum
as seen from my computer room window at 5:30 PM
  Copper Center already sits in the shadows as the temperatures begin their long drop for the night.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Glad you got the Silverton City Hall building. It is impressive, as you said, and will certainly be an eye catcher. The unique structures are usually what draws my attention in layouts.

You have a beautiful view out your window of Mt. Drum! The part to the left of it really looks STEEP and ragged. I'll bet it would be a real challenge to those who like to climb such shear sided mtns. Do any of them ever attempt it?

In the third picture up, what is that red building in the distance with the green roof. A hotel, or something like that?

Thanks for all the pictures of your area and layout. You sure have put a lot of work into it. I know you'll be glad when it gets warm enough to get some more done.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 02/24/2008 9:21 AM
Glad you got the Silverton City Hall building. It is impressive, as you said, and will certainly be an eye catcher. The unique structures are usually what draws my attention in layouts.

You have a beautiful view out your window of Mt. Drum! The part to the left of it really looks STEEP and ragged. I'll bet it would be a real challenge to those who like to climb such shear sided mtns. Do any of them ever attempt it?

In the third picture up, what is that red building in the distance with the green roof. A hotel, or something like that?

Thanks for all the pictures of your area and layout. You sure have put a lot of work into it. I know you'll be glad when it gets warm enough to get some more done. 


I never hear of anyone attempting to climb the steep face of Mt. Drum. Typically they go for either Mt Sanford or Mt. St. Elias, both of which are considerably taller. The steep face you see is the result of a massive volcanic explosion.

The building in the distance is the old Copper Center Roadhouse--one of two of its type still in existence _and_ in operation. 

And yes, the Silverton City Hall building is quite the eye-catcher. It will make an excellent court house and/or city hall because it has that typical Americana look that I wanted to capture. Of course, many model train enthusiasts seem to recognize it because it is so close to its prototype. It won't be long and that model along with several others will populate the now-empty Cicely model structure. 

Oh yes. This morning the temp is minus 18. But at least it is once again clear and the sun is coming up.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 02/24/2008 9:21 AM
 I know you'll be glad when it gets warm enough to get some more done.


I am monitoring the temperatures and watching the rate of snow melting quite carefully.  We are back into the colder temperatures, though not nearly as frigid as before.  With any luck this will be the last relatively cold spell. One signficant marker will be the melting of all the snow and ice along the pathway to the structure that I just shovelled out.  

As it warms up, my presence here on the internet will diminish until I am mostly occupied elsewhere. Right now there is little else I can do most of the time except wait out the coldest part of the end of winter. 

This morning it was minus 12 and is now rising somewhat. High temperatures are running plus 15 to plus 20.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I am monitoring the temperatures and watching the rate of snow melting quite carefully. We are back into the colder temperatures, though not nearly as frigid as before. With any luck this will be the last relatively cold spell. One signficant marker will be the melting of all the snow and ice along the pathway to the structure that I just shovelled out. 

As it warms up, my presence here on the internet will diminish until I am mostly occupied elsewhere. Right now there is little else I can do most of the time except wait out the coldest part of the end of winter. 



Don't let the cabin fever take over completely now. Even here on the coast, we still have at least forty solid days of snow ahead of us, and another ten days or two weeks worth of mud. Where your at...could be another fifty days of snow, easy. I'm not planning any serious outdoor projects for another two months or better.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/26/2008 7:12 PM
 
Don't let the cabin fever take over completely now. Even here on the coast, we still have at least forty solid days of snow ahead of us, and another ten days or two weeks worth of mud. Where your at...could be another fifty days of snow, easy. I'm not planning any serious outdoor projects for another two months or better.
I know, but I didn't really want to hear that.  Once again the high temp did not exceed plus 15 today even with the clear skies.  No drastic change appears in the forecast, either.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/26/2008 7:12 PM

"As it warms up, _*my presence here on the internet will diminish until I am mostly occupied elsewhere.*_ Right now there is little else I can do most of the time except wait out the coldest part of the end of winter." (blackburn49)

Don't let the cabin fever take over completely now. Even here on the coast, we still have at least forty solid days of snow ahead of us, and another ten days or two weeks worth of mud. Where your at..._*c**ould be another fifty days of snow, easy.*_ I'm not planning any serious outdoor projects for *another two months or better*.
_ Two more months trapped in here on this computer_?  Hmmmm. Let's see . . . March to mid-April . . . That should be about it. By then--mid-April--outdoor activities will be possible and most snow will be gone--although it could still snow. But remember,  this lower Copper River valley is practically a desert area.  Not much snow.

I also note that there is an MLS event in conjunction with a large scale trains show in Phoenix I am going to miss. Can't afford it after this long expensive winter, although if I can possibly make an opportunity at the last minute to go, believe me I will.   Not likely or otherwise realistic. And that is really too bad. I would love to have made that one.  Oh well. So it goes.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Two more months trapped in here on this computer? Hmmmm. Let's see . . . March to mid-April . . . That should be about it. By then--mid-April--outdoor activities will be possible and most snow will be gone--although it could still snow. But remember, this lower Copper River valley is practically a desert area. Not much snow. 


The mud and flooding of breakup must not be a big deal where you're at then. When I first built the house, my driveway (thanx to critically short funds) lacked proper drainage and promptly turned into a one foot deep, fifteen foot wide and three hundred yard long canal for three weeks. These days its just the mud I have to worry about. 

I also note that there is an MLS event in conjunction with a large scale trains show in Phoenix I am going to miss. Can't afford it after this long expensive winter, although if I can possibly make an opportunity at the last minute to go, believe me I will. Not likely or otherwise realistic. And that is really too bad. I would love to have made that one. Oh well. So it goes. 

Maybe you'll get a spurt of early spring business - possibly related to the gas line to the states. Juggle some funds, curb the EBAY spending, get an ultra cheap discount ticket somewhere... 

Heck, I can't afford to go anywhere either. Been ages since I've even made it to Anchorage.


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

tinker 

where in ak are you located ?


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

tinker 

where in ak are you located ? 

Kenai, Kenai Peninsula, south of Anchorage. Just about as far as the continental road system goes. 

Where are you at?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/26/2008 10:37 PM
 
The mud and flooding of breakup must not be a big deal where you're at then. When I first built the house, my driveway (thanx to critically short funds) lacked proper drainage and promptly turned into a one foot deep, fifteen foot wide and three hundred yard long canal for three weeks. These days its just the mud I have to worry about.
This property is underlain by an old river bed. Thus, drainage is good, even though the land is relatively flat.  Breakup is quick and easy  in that there is very little standing water and not for very long. However, it does seem to take forever for the last of the snow and ice to melt away.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/26/2008 10:37 PM
Maybe you'll get a spurt of early spring business - possibly related to the gas line to the states. Juggle some funds, curb the EBAY spending, get an ultra cheap discount ticket somewhere...
All the parts, structures and other equipment I need for this season, except for some additional track, is already here.   Work on the model is actually continuing  very close to my original schedule. In fact, I have already begun moving models over to the Phase II Cicely model structure as of today, starting with the Brick model, which is now in its permanent location. _Pictures to follow_. 

The hope of a gas line, of course, springs eternal. But at best it remains an _in_definite _maybe_.  Meanwhile the price of heating oil and gasoline has taken another sharp rise. Thankfully, spring is nearly upon us. I couldn't afford much more of_ this_.  Makes me wonder how this will affect the upcoming tourist season. It is definitely far more expensive to get here than it was even last year.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Makes me wonder how this will affect the upcoming tourist season. It is definitely far more expensive to get here than it was even last year. 

The drop in tourist traffic was felt here on the Kenai last year as well. Far fewer migrating Bago's than usual; lot of places making less money than anticipated. 

Ever considered making your own diesel?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/27/2008 10:08 PM
Makes me wonder how this will affect the upcoming tourist season. It is definitely far more expensive to get here than it was even last year.
The drop in tourist traffic was felt here on the Kenai last year as well. Far fewer migrating Bago's than usual; lot of places making less money than anticipated. 

Ever considered making your own diesel?
I will say this: The situation has definitely gotten far worse than I would have imagined, and with no end in sight.  Even Alaskan crude has gone over the $100 a barrel mark, which is good for the state, but not so good for us.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, take a peek: 

http://www.frybrid.com/forum/index.php?s=4a31d49556a804f5a65c181ea52d2f71 

Might be a helpfull item or five there; you're fast getting to the point where you don't have anything to loose...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 02/28/2008 12:40 AM
Ron, take a peek: 

http://www.frybrid.com/forum/index.php?s=4a31d49556a804f5a65c181ea52d2f71 

Might be a helpfull item or five there; you're fast getting to the point where you don't have anything to loose...
Regrettably, that will do me little good up here, but I have bookmarked the site.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_NX-Cicely_ Model: 
The completed individual structures are now being loaded into the building:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Almost all of the structures intended for the south-side of Pennsylvania Avenue (to be renamed Alaska Avenue) are ready and set in place.  The main drag will have a vinyl overlay placed over it to simulate a paved street. It is bounded by the tracks on the right and the front of the buildings on the left. 

Sidewalks will also be added along this part of the model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Car Service Bay & Used Auto Lot: 
    I have no shortage of 1:24 scale model cars to go with these structures, believe me.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Alaskan Brewery End of Model Town: 
  Plenty remaining to fill in over here. Among other things, just beyond the Rexal Drug building goes Dr. Joel Fleishman's office. Across the tracks go an entire row of wood false-front buildings not yet constructed.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_The Brick_ Is the Focal Point of the NX-Cicely Layout: 
    Besides the painted vinyl overlays for the streets with their accompanying sidewalks I have a plan for adding a special kind of rock material over the remaining area.  This is a naturally-occuring light-colored rock chip found only in one area about 200 miles north of Copper Center.

I used the same material for the Kennecott model. It worked out well.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Alaskan Brewery: 
Replaces the original Roslyn Brewery in the prototype town of Roslyn which was used to film the fictional Cicely in the television series Northern Exposure. There was no brewery in the NX series, but there is in actual Roslyn. This is closer to the original version. 
    Exact placement of the buildings is not yet determined. These views show only the approximate and tentative arrangement.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Simpson Oil: 
It's _my_ turn to be the _big oil baron _! 
    Also shown: the ALCANEX water tower.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Seems as though your plan is coming together.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 02/29/2008 7:33 AM
Seems as though your plan is coming together.
Just ahead of the snow, too. All the major structures are out there, fortunately. Soon we will resume working on the NX prototype structures.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 02/29/2008 11:50 AM
Posted By Torby on 02/29/2008 7:33 AM
Seems as though your plan is coming together.
Just ahead of the snow, too. All the major structures are out there, fortunately. . . 

These tracks were mostly bare yesterday. 
  Tracks leaving the Cicely model structure, heacing east toward the big loop.  Oh well, I never bring the engines out until mid-April, anyway. 
  West approach of tracks from the bar to the Cicely model structure.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

At least it remains dry within the model town area
  There are two levels inside of equal size, split the long way down the middle of the model area. The top level is approximately two inches higher than the other side.  This was primarily done to accommodate the Brick model, which was built along a slight hill. There is no good way to  hide the feature, so I just built it in. The main problem came when I connected a north-end track with a south-end track to enable an inside turn-around. You can see part of it here. The track had to be let down with shims. All of this will be covered with a special kind of rock that I will be using to cover most of the floor except for the roads and tracks.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Brick: two levels required: 
  Here you can see the problem referred to in the previous post. We built this model with the sidewalk already in place, designed to slip over the upper level while resting on the lower level--the equivalent of four feet lower than the upper section. For those who are familiar with this prototype, I had to do this. It will work out well. The road bed that will slip up to these sidewalks is a vinyl that will be painted gray with the dividing yellow stripes.  Thus, at the junction seen here, a realistic-appearing roadway will exist.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Comensating for the two levels: 
  Building models set along this street--Alaska Avenue (Pennsylvania Avenue in Roslyn, the prototype)--have to be set on 2X4s just to bring them level with the street base. They will still need to be raised another 1/2 inch to make them level with the sidewalks once those features are installed. Thus I have these temporary 2X4s in place until permanent bases are built for each of the structures on the south side of Alaska Avenue.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Esso Service Station and Alaskan Brewery on the West end of Alaska Avenue: 
  These are on the west side of 2nd Street--the point where I am narrowing Alaska Avenue down enough to accommodate these structures on the upper level. The remainder of the brewery plant is on the lower level behind the service station and main brewery building.  The track marks the north side of Alaska Avenue. Thus, the Esso station is on the SW corner of Alaska Avenue and Second Street.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The SE corner of Alaska Avenue and Second Street: 
  Here you can see the drastic narrowing of Alaska Avenue as it reaches the Esso station, heading west (this direction).  At the east corner is the K & L Liquor Distributors Sales Office (a real company in Alaska). 
In between those buildings will go the office of Dr. Joel Fleishman, which was a single-story false-front frame structure with the words "Northwest Minining Co." above the door. I already have that model drawn out. 

In the foreground is a heavily-detailed log cabin that is similar to one at Roslyn near this same relative position. 

There was, of course, no rail at this spot. It was farther north of here (somewhere_ behind_ the cabin).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

West End of Alaska (Pennsylvania) Avenue: 
  Just this side of the cabin will go the Roslyn Cafe--a brick and stone structure with the famous camel logo ("Roslyn Cafe--an Oasis") and the adjacent single-story museum building.  It will sit on the NW corner of Second Street and Alaska Avenue.  The houses in the foreground will_ likely _eventually be moved to a hill which has not yet been constructed.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

West end of Alaska Avenue: Detail: 
  The downtown (center) track exits at this point, presently blocked for the duration of the winter. On the right side is the Roadkill Cafe, which is only tentatively placed there. It may very well be moved to the front (industrial) track area.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

East-End Track Configuration: 
  Here you can see the turn around, which extends for most of the 12-foot width of this model. You can see the industrial track exit on the right and the point where the two northern-end tracks come together on the left to reach the other exit. 

Behind the city hall building is a used-car lot office. The city hall is sitting at the higher level along the east end of Alaska Avenue.

In the background is the community church. It is a ready-made model which very closely resembles the one used in the NX television series, which was located in a similar relative location to the downtown area.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

East-End Track Configuration, View 2: 
  The two east-end exits are blocked for the duration of the winter. Here you can see how the two northern tracks--the downtown line and the coal (north) line converge to exit the east side.  The switch is partly under the blue foam that blocks the exit. 

Just beyond the community church is a small engine shed. This marks the approximate area where a residential hill will be built. This will accommodate the houses you saw plus three from the NX series: Maggies house, Ed's apartment and Maurice's log house.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

That's really beginning to look good Ron! I know it does you some good to begin seeing how you want things to go together, and actually seeing all your hard work beginning to look like something you have envisioned. All the buildings look great, and even makes me anxious to see how it all works out. It sure is going to look super, with all the roads and grades in place. Can't wait!!

Re: gas prices. They are already saying we may be paying $4.00 a gal. by this spring. It will definitely curb travel a lot, and of course just about EVERYTHING will go up in price, due to shipping, fuel costs for farmers, etc., etc. I hope all those who are reaping all the money are enjoying themselves, because the rest of us are having to do without a lot because of it./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Revised Cicely Layout: 
  Here is it in rough form. The narrowing of Alaska Avenue is not reflected in this plan. 
Click for larger image (as in most all of my posts).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 02/29/2008 6:58 PM

Re: gas prices. They are already saying we may be paying $4.00 a gal. by this spring. It will definitely curb travel a lot, and of course just about EVERYTHING will go up in price, due to shipping, fuel costs for farmers, etc., etc. I hope all those who are reaping all the money are enjoying themselves, because the rest of us are having to do without a lot because of it.


My fears exactly.  Not much spending money left for most of us, including me now. This is now beginning to look like a very serious problem for those of us connected to what tourist industry we have. We will see soon enough, won't we?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Simpson Harley Shop in NX-Cicely
has finally found a permanent home
  There are_ lots_ of detail goodies that go with this model !


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## rkapuaala (Jan 3, 2008)

Looks like you have two kanakas paddling an indian canoe. You need a sweet little outrigger brah


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rkapuaala on 03/01/2008 1:21 PM
Looks like you have two kanakas paddling an indian canoe. You need a sweet little outrigger brah " /> 









You're right, of course. The canoe isn't even an Indian canoe, but it is all I have--and it is not a good fit forthe paddlers at that.  I haven't yet decided how to make use of the paddler figures, but I wanted them while they were still avalable. (The original idea was) At some point there will be a lake to accompany the NX-Cicely model--probably wholly artificial--just because I need a lake for Chris Steven's airstream and for his trebuchet. The NX producers had Lake Cle Elum. I wil settle for a small artificial pond.


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

I enjoyed the pictures you posted of your new town. I look forward to what you will do with your layout as the winter thaws. 

Terl


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By rkapuaala on 03/01/2008 1:21 PM
Looks like you have two kanakas paddling an indian canoe. You need a sweet little outrigger brah " /> 








So what are you _really_ saying?  Do you make these ? Are they available in this scale ?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Terl on 03/02/2008 2:54 AM
I enjoyed the pictures you posted of your new town. I look forward to what you will do with your layout as the winter thaws. 

Terl
Thanks. We are on the models now, but it is very slow-going, largely because model-building is not all that is on the plate at the moment.

Nevertheless, the intent is to complete this model--more or less--early in the upcoming summer season so that it can be appreciated by_ this_ crop of summer visitors.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Today's weather update (the_ Phase II _thread is my local weather update page): The cold air is being persistent, but at least we are seeing plenty of clear, sunny days. "Cold" is a relative term, of course. Right now our range is minus five to plus 15 or even 20--not enough to melt anything so many projects remain on indefinite hold.  Still using plenty of heating oil which continues to rise in price. Now it is ~  $3.75 a gallon. 

The state low was minus 42 at Pruhoe Bay.  We won't be seeing anything that cold again for the duration of the winter. Meanwhile the world-famous Iditarod dog sled race is off and running--out of Anchorage on Saturday with a record 96 participants rushing madly for Nome. Good luck to them !


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Got to 55 here yesterday. Today is cold and rainy. Supposed to snow again tomorrow.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 03/03/2008 7:36 AM
Got to 55 here yesterday. Today is cold and rainy. Supposed to snow again tomorrow.
Clear and *minus 15* here this morning.  The forecast does show a daytime warming trend--_finally_.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Another clear day at the CRD:
Today's (03/03/08) images of Mt Wrangell as seen from the Phase II RR line: 
  Above: the 24-foot wide loop.
Below: I can see  that I need to take down some trees before summer:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Relationship of the CRD in Copper Center to Mt Wrangell
  Distance between the two points = 40 miles


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

At 24 miles, Mt Drum, which I photograph through my computer room window is much closer :
    But, unlike Mt Wrangell,  it is not directly viewable from the Phase II railroad model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Relationship of CRD to Kennecott:
distance = 85 miles
This is one of my most frequently-asked questions when I 
am explaining the Kennecott model to tourists.
       Note: Mt. Blackburn cannot be seen from this part of Copper Center.  It can, however, be seen from various places on the new _parallel _Richarchson highway, which is at a  higher altitude than here (which is at river floodplain level).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The piledriver on one of those extra-long 50 foot flatcars is to be stationed on the Cicely model. 
    I had originally wanted it for the Phase I CRNW Railway model, but there is no place on the model where it can be properly displayed _and_ protected.  It will become part of a small railroad maintenance yard connected with this Phase II project. 

The 50-foot flatcar works well with the piledriver which is quite long.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

View 2 of Simpson's Cycle Shop
  and of the three Colorado Model structure buildings:
(w/customized brick surface)
  and of The Brick 
(_especially_ check out the detail on _this_ one!)
  The Coca-Cola logo is a late 40s-early 50s-era design I can remember vividly as  kid growing up in Ketchikan--a kind of "main street usa" in Alaska back in the 50s and 60s.  It appeared on the side of a warehouse on the approach into the downtown area.


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2008)

please could you explain, why you made different heightlevels in the flooring? 
i notice, that some buildings got a base with a step-up in it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 03/03/2008 10:55 AM
Posted By Torby on 03/03/2008 7:36 AM
Got to 55 here yesterday. Today is cold and rainy. Supposed to snow again tomorrow.
Clear and *minus 15* here this morning.  The forecast does show a daytime warming trend--_finally_. 
High overcast and* plus 25* this morning--one day later.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Ya' gotta love Global Warming


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 03/04/2008 3:40 AM
please could you explain, why you made different heightlevels in the flooring? 
i notice, that some buildings got a base with a step-up in it.
Only because of this one building:














pictured without the rear deck, ladder, or the adjacent street overlay In order to recreate the effect you see here of the _key building_ on the model, I had to create two levels.  I probably would not have even bothered except one of my regular customers who had been there at Roslyn, Washington where NX was filmed made a point of mentioning the slope he specifically remembered walking up the sidewalk you see here. After that, I _had_ to duplicate it. 

The other model buildings will have be set up on bases and fill will have to be added along at least part of the sides of some of these structures. 

The Roslyn area_ is _notable for its many sloping areas within a very small area.  It is at the head of a valley with a steep hill very close on the eastern side. I will be adding a hill on that side as well.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 03/04/2008 12:34 PM
Ya' gotta love Global Warming" />
I'd love to be a charter member of a new group:_* Alaskans FOR Global Warming*_ !


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## Guest (Mar 4, 2008)

we will send you warm globes! - you can barter them for ice cubes. 

thanks for the explanation. 

korm 
.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_Cicely's_ Wells Fargo Bank: 
  (It's just a kit but )click this image and check out the detail on this one.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I had already acquired the in-scale Wells Fargo stage coach with driver and horses and was looking for a suitable building. Wells Fargo took over one of the largest state banks in Alaska some years ago and is now a part of the Alaskan scene. It has also been here historically in territorial days as a telegraph system.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Union Oil Art Deco Guy:
  Although this is the Simpson Cycle Shop and not the Union Oil station, you get the idea. That station is an older kit that is awaiting new detailing.  It will, of course, utilize the Union Oil features seen here plus the famous red balls for the sign.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

A similar technique for bringing out the brick detail was used on this model. 
Many of the structures on this model are brick. Two scratch-built brick models are in the works in addition to what is already in place in line with the Main Street USA look that is Roslyn--the prototype for Cicely. 
  _Click for a much-larger view to see the details_


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile  a lineup of similarly-built 1920s-style residences await their final location.  The one closest is a kit while the others are pre-made. All of these strongly resemble existing residences in the prototype town of Roslyn. Most likely they will all be congregated along the planned residential hill along with some scratch-built homes that are for later production.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Log Cabin: Check out the details, including the hanging fish (click)
  Another look at the Roadkill (whimsical) Cafe in the context of where it may remain:
  Very few details are added to the models at this time, including vehicles, people and other props because the ground has not yet been prepared, nor are all the model buildings in place.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The GN Depot and adjacent bakery are best seen through the viewing area glass:
  
 







Budweiser themes abound here, including the customized coach and the adjacent Bud carriage with the familiar Dalmatian on top and the logo on the side of The Brick.
  The bakery seems to fit in well here, so here it will stay, right behind the beer garden deck of the Brick Tavern.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Detail Shots: Rear of The Brick with its beergarden porch & the ALCANEX steel water tower.
  The water tower kit, like many others, was not available when I wanted it. I had to wait many months to get my hands on one of these which I needed for this model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And finally, yet another look at my favorite piece of RR equipment, the piledriver: 
    As I keep looking at this I am considering adding an additional area for a maintenance equipment storage area railroad yard. This was not something I had planned into the model, but this stuff _does _tend to take up a lot of space. As you see, I have added a large caboose. I was looking for the right use for that one and I found it.  And, yes, the tower part of the pile driver does swing down to rest on top of the platform enabling clearance room for this huge RR unit to travel through tunnels and other limited clearance areas.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Because I don't have a shop that can be readily warmed up, I can't resume the scratch-building, which does require a larger area than that used for simply putting together and modifying existing kits until  late March or early April. At that time I'll re-open the area under the Kennecott model so we can resume cutting of the material needed for the remaining scratch-built structures.   _Shop area is under the Kennecott model (ground level)_
This was the scene as we were installing the initial posts for the Phase II structure that now houses the NX-Cicely model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 03/04/2008 12:31 PM
Clear and *minus 15* here this morning.  The forecast does show a daytime warming trend--_finally_. 
High overcast and* plus 25* this morning--one day later.
_Yesterday_ it reached plus 41. By 10am it was already _*+41 today*_.  This is not spring, but_ pre-_spring.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Yep, we got temps in the forties here in Kenai as well. Which means the roads that don't melt down to the blacktop will turn into rutted slushpits. 

Have the cats moved into Cicely yet? 

:: tries to imagine Blackburns reaction when his engine house 'meows' at him ::


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## Guest (Mar 5, 2008)

thinking about cats... 
make sure, that your mountains will be sturdy. 
my cats broke more than one mountain. they love the high places to observe the trains running. 
(i think, while watching the trains, they daydream the trains to become rats...)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 03/05/2008 3:09 PM
Yep, we got temps in the forties here in Kenai as well. Which means the roads that don't melt down to the blacktop will turn into rutted slushpits. 

Have the cats moved into Cicely yet? 

:: tries to imagine Blackburns reaction when his engine house 'meows' at him ::
Those cats are everywhere. No way around it. The higher the better, it seems.  

And, yes, the side roads are slush and ice right now.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 03/05/2008 3:38 PM
thinking about cats... 
make sure, that your mountains will be sturdy. 
my cats broke more than one mountain. they love the high places to observe the trains running. 
(i think, while watching the trains, they daydream the trains to become rats...)
Those mountains are at least one and probably two or more seasons away. They will be of _*solid*_ pit run, which is essentially light river bed rock with lots of sand mixed in.  The biggest problem will be keeping them from turning into kitty litter rest stations.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Mom and Dad had plants all over the house, however, the little tables to set them on were known as "Cat Stands," not plant stands. 

I didn't have a closet in my room, all my clothes were folded up and stacked on shelves. I had to leave Mittens' place open or in the middle of the night, she would clear it herself.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

As far as the matter of the Phase III mountain building project, I am already looking for ways to cut back  as the price of gas and heating oil continues to rise.  This probably won't affect plans I have for this upcoming season very much, but could put any projects  beyond that on indefinite hold. 

I was not expecting this continuing rise in energy costs. 

On the other hand, it doesn't take too many  paying visitors to make up the difference.  So the real question is: more visitors, about the same or _less_ visitors this season?


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I was not expecting this continuing rise in energy costs. 


Unfortunately, I was. Part of it stems from some 'back of the envelope' calculations I ran twenty odd years ago; part of it stems from hanging around a site dedicated to 'Peak Oil', particularly the financial side of things. It don't look good.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

We're having one of the earliest break-ups I have ever seen. I just came back from Anchorage where it was _raining._ The highway was free of ice until I got into the Sheep Mountain area. By the time I reached Eureka Lodge--the high elevation point--it was snowing. Then it began warming up again as the highway lost elevation.  It was fully 20 degrees warmer than Eureka at Glennallen. Over here my driveway ice has already started to turn to slush--that's _really _early !

Looking at the current 15-day forecast, however, it appears that this is more of a pre-breakup, but I would bet that the upcoming cold spell will be the _last_ _gasp_ of winter. 

This forecast begins today, March 7, 2008 and is for Copper Center/Gulkana area.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, its March. Still winter out there, and will be for another thirty days, at least.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 03/07/2008 10:08 PM
Ron, its March. *Still winter out there*, and will be for another thirty days, at least.
I know. But I keep hoping. Remember our new slogan soon-to-be bumper sticker: _"Alaskans for global warming!"_


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## mhutson (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, 
We only hit -20 twice this week. And then there's the mater of 30" of snow still on the ground! 

Cheers, 
Matt


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By mhutson on 03/08/2008 3:13 AM
Ron, 
We only hit -20 twice this week. And then there's the mater of 30" of snow still on the ground! 

Cheers, 
Matt
Wow. You can just _keep_ that weather! I take it that your area is a major recipient of the cold air we send stateside.

We remain in our most-welcomed warming spell with an early breakup now underway.  The real breakup will probably not take place for another two or three weeks. Just up the road it is snowing. Temp this morning was right at the freezing mark.    _This morning_: Mt Drum 1030 am 03/08/08 from my porch at Copper Center, view is east (click)


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

That's what they call a "clap cloud?" 

Beautiful place up there, but I think I'd avoid the winter


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## mhutson (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, 
We hit freezing once last week! All our other daytime highs were below that mark. 

Still, hope springs eternal. 

Cheers, 
Matt


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The (Temporary) Warming Trend Continues here in the Valley .  .  .
My shoveled walkway is now showing the ground below. The snow is off_ all _of the tracks and we are reaching the low 40s for the last several days. Even though snow is predicted for the days ahead, it will not last long. 

I added roll down light-filtering slatted shades to protect the model from the direct sunlight this week. This is the south-facing wall and it is getting a lot of sun these days. 
  The flag marks a pet that was buried there two summers ago.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 03/09/2008 8:12 PM
The (Temporary) Warming Trend Continues here in the Valley .  .  .
My shoveled walkway is now showing the ground below. The snow is off_ all _of the tracks and we are reaching the low 40s for the last several days. Even though snow is predicted for the days ahead, it will not last long. 

  




UNFAIR!

It is still below freezing here in Iowa and we are half way to the equator compared to Alaska!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 03/09/2008 8:38 PM

UNFAIR!

It is still below freezing here in Iowa and we are half way to the equator compared to Alaska!
Strange, isn't it?  You've been getting more than your fair share of winter down there in the midwest lately while we up here in south central Alaska are definitely on the warming upswing early--_very _early. 








Although we are at the top of our warming trend and will be seeing somewhat cooler temperatures ahead, probably including snow, it appears that we have finally escaped winter :


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I was working outside this afternoon after the sun came out and it finally warmed up. It was so pleasant out there that I decided to go ahead and raise the double flag (Old Glory and the Alaska flag) for the season--well ahead of previous years.  Usually I wait until Memorial Weekend to do that.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm.... 

The temps are almost 'warm'. 

The flags are flying already. 

The snow is off the tracks. 

Are we getting set for the first test run of the trains this year?


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Unfair! 

It's still just barely getting above freezing once or twice a week here.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Speaking of a previous remark I made . . . and this strange matter of Alaska warming up ahead of parts of the USA (that usually doesn't last too long) . . .

I see that some items are already available:
The tee shirt below is one of a large group of tees _only _available wholesale. 
I will probably have my graphics man design my own version of Alaskans for Global Warming tee shirt--
with the CRD logo on the back, of course. 

Oddly, I had already mentioned to him the possibility of a bumper sticker. The one shown is available at Amazon dot com.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 03/10/2008 1:51 AM
Hmmm.... 

The temps are almost 'warm'. 

The flags are flying already. 

The snow is off the tracks. 

Are we getting set for the first test run of the trains this year?
The earliest I have ever been able to run the trains prior to this has been late April. It is beginning to look like I will be able to do an early run this year.  If the weather continues as it has I will load up the Santa Fe--the one most ready to run at this moment--and give it a run through Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Bates Motel & Mansion Move to Cicely:
 These structures were part of the McCarthy model. They never really fit well over there. Now they have a more suitable home. I am in the process of rebuilding the McCarthy model, so these were among the first structures to be removed. Both have seen considerable wear from exposure to the elements and will require some rehabilitation early this season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For the first time since October the tracks are completely snow-free:
At this point, even if the snow returns, it won't remain on the tracks for long.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By mhutson on 03/08/2008 3:13 AM
Ron, 
We only hit -20 twice this week. And then there's the mater of 30" of snow still on the ground! 

Cheers, 
Matt
Interesting Comparisons: Copper Center / Gunnison / Denver:







Copper Center, Alaska 15-day forecast (downward trend begins tomorrow, Tuesday 11 March)








Gunnison. Colorado 15-day forecast







for comparison: Denver, Colorado 15-day forecast


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Details Being Added:
Detail elements that have in some cases been shelved for a dozen years or even more are finally making their way to their new permanent home at the NX-Cicely model.  Here you see the 1:24 cycles, snow machines, 4-wheeler RVs and other accessories that go with Simpson's Cycle Shop.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

More details . . . 
including the ~1:24 building crane in the background.  On the right side of the track will go a series of scratch-built structures based on the prototype Roslyn, Washington downtown area as filmed for NX in the 1990s.  You can even see two 1:24 Airstream trailers hooked up to Ford pickups.The Airstreams are similar to the one used by Chris Stevens ("Chris in the Morning" on KBHR).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 03/10/2008 12:27 PM
*The Bates Motel & Mansion Move to Cicely:*
 These structures were part of the McCarthy model. They never really fit well over there. Now they have a more suitable home. I am in the process of rebuilding the McCarthy model, so these were among the first structures to be removed. Both have seen considerable wear from exposure to the elements and will require some rehabilitation early this season. 
   I discovered some serious problems with these structures which have been under a corrugated fiberglass canopy since 2002, protected from direct precipitation and most sunlight, but not from other exterior effects, such as the wasp nest I found inside the motel unit.

I decided to go ahead and tear into the rest of the McCarthy model since the temperatures were well above average today and wind was minimal. Other scratch-built structures had even more significant problems and the canopy system itself will probably have to be rebuilt. I moved over all the models to a more favorable area, thus allowing me to view each one. 

Lots of work ahead. I am now adding the McCarthy model area to the model railroad projects that must be completed prior to tourist season, conditions permitting.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

We had 81 degrees here in  New River  Today     It was beautiful


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Well...have you taken advantage of the mild weather to underwhelm the local feline population with the first train run of the year yet? 

:: Older cat watches train rumble by. 'Those things again. They're not food, and they're not a threat, but they can be annoying.' Younger cat steps foward: SWAT! Locomotive falls over. 'See, problem solved.' ::


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 03/12/2008 10:13 PM
Well...have you taken advantage of the mild weather to underwhelm the local feline population with the first train run of the year yet? 

:: Older cat watches train rumble by. 'Those things again. They're not food, and they're not a threat, but they can be annoying.'  Younger cat steps foward: SWAT! Locomotive falls over. 'See, problem solved.' ::
From what I have seen, I have several weeks of preparations before I can run any trains on this line. That could be sped up, weather permitting.  Right now most of my work is inside the structure which houses the NX-Cicely model. Some of the additional track work I'd like to do is still dependent on ice melting off the ground so I can install additional supports.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Cold Air Returns to the Copper River Valley:
Typical Weather Pattern: 
  These were taken in the afternoon. You can see a light, cold foggy mist developing in front of Mounts Drum (above) and Wrangell (below).  If it _looks_ cold, it _should_ ! 
  Scene looking east from the model railroad yard: Mt Wrangell in the distance.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Alpenglow at _Copper Center: _
We are now having more typical weather for this time of year with a range of minus 5 to plus 25 but with an abundance of sunshine, which is enhancing a slow early break-up of the snow and ice.  Along with the clear, cold skies of spring, we often can see the aplenglow effect on the mountains to the east. 
  Above: Mt Wrangell, Thursday early evening.
Below: the encouraging 15-day forecast, finally showing a slow upward trend in temperatures. This could mean it will be possible to operate the trains earlier than ever.  If that prediction becomes reality, we will be experiencing a very early spring breakup. Stay tuned. 







Below: Mt Drum in the setting sun yesterday early evening, Thursday 13 March 2008.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok...what sort of progress is being made here? Find anymore wasps nests? Locate that pocket knife that vanished into thin air five years ago? Have the cats told you that breakup is taking way too long this year?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 03/26/2008 9:22 PM

Ok...what sort of progress is being made here? Find anymore wasps nests? Locate that pocket knife that vanished into thin air five years ago? Have the cats told you that breakup is taking way too long this year?


At this point I need most of the remaining snow and ice to melt away from the shaded area where the final Phase II track extension is to be placed.  On this map, which is clickable to view the entire Phase II line, that is the CP line/coal line.  Almost the entire area is shaded by the building on which the 2008 walkway is to be placed since the track extension will run along the north wall of the Kennecott model building seen here.  
  
Meanwhile I am adding details to the NX-Cicely model as they become available. It already looks like a very full model town, but there remain several structures which have to be scratch-built.  More on that later.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This was the status of the ice & snow cover as of today, April 8:

In the first picture you are looking down the path which the return loop will follow as it heads for the west approach of the NX-Cicely model.


  
In this second photo you see the end of the wye, 51 feet beyond the CRD Saloon building whence it originates. The track will be extended from this point in a loop that will swing around to follow the north side of the Kennecott model structure building pictured above to meet the west approach of the NX-Cicely model structure. As you can see the rail line is quite high, being an average of seven feet above ground level. When the loop is completed, much of it will include a catwalk access three to four feet above the ground. 


  
Click either photo for a larger view.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I think you mean April 8, though it might seem like March (or January) there


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 04/08/2008 4:16 PM

I think you mean April 8, though it might seem like March (or January) there, 


Thanks for catching that. Yes, it _does_ look and feel more like March than April around here today as I write this post. It is not going to make it above freezing today and it is overcast and somewhat blustery.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Things are slowly taking shape at NX-Cicely:


  
  
click either image for a larger one


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here you see one of the several coal mines in the historic prototype coal town of Roslyn which was the main filming site for Northern Exposure. Although none of the mine features such as you see here has survived, Roslyn is steeped in the rich history of its coal mines combined with the short line established by the Northern Pacific Railway to exploits its underground coal resources located there. 



I have taken advantage of a Piko gravel works kit to simulate a version of one of these tipples for the NX-Cicely model even though the coal mines were not part of the NX series. 










These mines were located along the north-south running hill to the east of Roslyn, of which a very small segment will be simulated on this end of the layout. These same hills served as residential lots, so I am combining the two, using the tipple with a series of old houses running up the hill which will be developed much as you see it here.  Either picture can be clicked to view a larger version. The one below is 1500 pixels wide.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

These same hills served as residential lots, so I am combining the two, using the tipple with a series of old houses running up the hill which will be developed much as you see it here. 



So the bottom cellar of the creepy old mansion is actually one of the uppermost access shafts of the coal mine. Sort of creepy thing you'd find in a Hitchcock movie...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 04/08/2008 6:26 PM

 

So the bottom cellar of the creepy old mansion is actually one of the uppermost access shafts of the coal mine. Sort of creepy thing you'd find in a Hitchcock movie...





Now that you mention it, yes, that thought is sort of creepy. 

I did find one house near downtown Roslyn that had that 

haunted look to it, although it was not a mansion. As it turns out,

it did have a very creepy history--and it has been unoccupied

for many years even though it looks like it is suitable for

occupancy with a little work. Pictured: Disney's Phantom

Mansion. Note that it has some similarities to the Piko model.


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## Guest (Apr 9, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/27/2008 10:56 PM


The Brewery Complex plus the K & L yard with its sales office and warehouse (not yet completed)

will take up a considerable amount of space on the western end of the town, but I have 

no doubt that it will all fit together well. 










I sell many Alaskan Brewing products in the summer, so it was quite something to see that USA Trains had 

produced those two cars.  It will all look good in the Cicely model. 



















I finally got around to reading through your post on Phase II. I was excited to see your brewery, and like you have some of the USA Trains Alaska Brewery cars. I first discovered Alaskan Amber on a trip to Seattle. I loved it so much that I have it shipped to me here in Nebraska by a distributor in Oregon. It's expensive to do so, but well worth it. Without question the smoothest and best tasting beer around. I also like the winter ale. So if I'm ever in Alaska, I'll stop in at your place for a tour of the layout and a cold draft of my favorite amber ale. 

Ed


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Now that you mention it, yes, that thought is sort of creepy. 

I did find one house near downtown Roslyn that had that 

haunted look to it, although it was not a mansion. As it turns out, 

it did have a very creepy history--and it has been unoccupied 

for many years even though it looks like it is suitable for 

occupancy with a little work. 

Well...you do have creative llicense...plus now you have a place to put those 'B Movie Victims' should you ever get any.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

I just got back from visiting my relatives for 3 weeks in Fla. and see you have been busy with adding details and more buildings to the town. It is really looking GREAT! I'm glad the weather is slowly getting better, so soon you will be able to get some outside work done. 

I noticed you have blinds to block the bright light from the sun. Will visitors be able to see all the great detail you are putting into your project? It would be ashamed to see only part of it from one view, as so much is there to see. I really can appreciate how much effort you have put into building the town.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 04/09/2008 5:10 AM

I just got back from visiting my relatives for 3 weeks in Fla. and see you have been busy with adding details and more buildings to the town. It is really looking GREAT! I'm glad the weather is slowly getting better, so soon you will be able to get some outside work done. I noticed you have blinds to block the bright light from the sun. Will visitors be able to see all the great detail you are putting into your project? It would be ashamed to see only part of it from one view, as so much is there to see. I really can appreciate how much effort you have put into building the town.


Hey, I noticed your absence. Hope you had a good trip. 


Those blinds are there for when the outdoor model railroad system is not in use to protect the models from ultra-violet rays. They will be raised whent he model train is in operation.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

More detail . . . 


  
  
  
Although I consider this to be an outdoor model, it is well protected from precipitation and ultra-violet light, plus the effects of direct wind.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

With the dinosaurs, you need a pteradactyle on top of that smokestack


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

and yet more details . . . 


  
Above: two banks and a church: First National and Wells Fargo: these are the two banks represented locally here in the Copper Valley.  The Piko church is  there as part of the NX fantasy, as is . . .


  
the ferris wheel and other circus/carnival elements.

And then there is the housing row . . . 


  
These will be behind a grouping of scratch-built structures that so far only exist on paper. Behind all that will go a wall mural of the Wrangell Range.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Among the details are these two AirStream trailers, similar to the one used by Chris Stevens in NX: 










The miniature hitching balls are secured to  the Ford pickups seen here. These are Franklin Mint 1:24 Airstreams that came out about a dozen years ago. I bought one of them new at that time and secured the other at an Ebay auction last year for about double the price I paid for the first one.


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## bryanj (Jan 2, 2008)

Dang Ron, Nice Town !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Final Push toward Completion:

By early summer I lose my design guy. He has given up on Alaska winters and is moving back to Califormia. Before he goes, we are rushing to complete several of the NX-Cicely / Roslyn prototype structures. The first of these is the building identified in this old Northern Exposure drawing of the Cicely layout which was filmed in Roslyn, WA. This is the Northwestern Improvement Company building which housed KBHR and Minnifield Communications in the NX television series. 

Then we will begin moving down the block to the left in this drawing all the way to the Roslyn Cafe on 2nd Street. The NWICo building is on 1st Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and is wholly constructed of a rich-red brick with green-painted wood trim along the front--which is a series of old-style picture windows.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By bryanj on 04/09/2008 7:09 PM

Dang Ron, Nice Town !


Thank you. It will be quite the town when completed-hopefully in early June.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The NWCI model will look like this, except that I have already modified the west-facing wall 

(top one) to a more compressed version. The front remains original and is in full scale. 


  
The above plans are clickable to a larger size. The photos below are not. 










































The NWICo was the company store for the coal miners of the company established for Northern Pacific to supply coal to the tenders. It probably dates back to the 1890s.  We will attempt to faithfully reproduce at least the front part of it so it is recognizable by NX fans as well as those familiar with downtown Roslyn.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The full-sized prototype Roslyn building known as the NWI Co building is quite large. It is 

now used mainly as a warehouse, although last summer the entire rear section was almost empty due to its enormous size in a place that no longer needs such buildings. My model is considerably compressed from the one seen here.










  
This is the rear section. The lower part on the far right is a continuation of this huge brick ediface. That is the segment which will be duplicated, although I will be using a version of the rear door seen here. At approximately the location where I stood when I took this picture was the original NP Railway tracks, now long-gone.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Coming together very nicely, and quite quickly from this side of the monitor. Although We all know just how much research, planning has gone before, but it's beautiful to watch it all come together.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/09/2008 8:32 PM

Ron

Coming together very nicely, and quite quickly from this side of the monitor. Although We all know just how much research, planning has gone before, but it's beautiful to watch it all come together.


I have been meeting with the graphics man to plan out that last group of buildings. Altogether there are a dozen of them remaining to be scratch-built in order to properly complete this project. Several of these will be constructed simultaneously.



The research: the process of gathering all that relevant data is what really does it for me.  The best part of this Phase II project was actually finding a way to set foot on Roslyn's downtown area to shoot the targetted buildings with my own camera. Now _that_ was memorable !  



We anticipate having this entire project wrapped up in early June. There are going to be some very busy days ahead.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The NWICo building had a particular fascination for me because on the aerials it showed up as so large. Of course, we only saw a very small piece of that building in the NX episodes--seldom seeing even the entire front of the building and never directly head-on.  



When I first arrived in Roslyn during the Memorial Day weekend of 2007 I walked all around the periphery of the downtown area and up the east residential hillside. This is the location of several of the residences used in the filming of the series. It also allows a good view of the downtown Roslyn area. Here you see just how large the NWICo building is considering that Roslyn never exceeded 4,000 residents and only recently was officially under 1,000 persons. Obviously this structure had to be constructed during the heyday of the community.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The old NPRy right of way ran right behind the NWICo building as you can see from this line. Click to see the same area without the line drawn in.  All that remains is a historic pathway. The line was last used in 1963.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This is the building identified as the Roslyn train depot (that's what it says on the sign). It is just northwest of the NWICo building where the track straightened out. 


  
On walking around to the back I found that this building was nothing more than a shell used as a combination garage and barn. There were no obvious railroad features I could associate with this structure. I will not be using it on the model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Maurice's House: This structure is at the very top of the residential part of the hill and was used for most of the outdoor shots of Maurice Minnifield's home. The indoor scenes were all done in a studio in Redmond. 


  
Although I originally planned to include a version of this home in the model, it seems unlikely that this will happen now.

Click for larger version.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It was difficult to get close enough to this log residence to obtain good photos, but I have enough to re-create a credible NX-version of Maurice's home should I ever choose to do so. 


  
  
This street map of Roslyn shows Maggie's house and Maurice's, which is just across the street. In between is the residence that was used as Ed Chigliak's upstairs apartment (green asterik).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Maurice's cabin: The Redmond Studio:

Eventually I was able to find some actual interior shots of Maurice Minnifield's residence as used in the production of NX.  These are fascinating photos direct from Barry Corbin's official website. Barry, of course, played Maurice in the television series. 










































Whenever I consider constructing a new model, I like to have interior shots as well as the exterior ones since these can actually alter the appearance of the final product. This is especially the case when the interior shots are from a different location than the exterior ones. Were I to do this model, having seen these photos, I would have to expand somewhat on the size and scope of the Roslyn prototype version.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

More from the Barry Corbin site:


 











It's probably the most visited log cabin on TV since Grizzly Adams' - if cabin is the right word for a place with a 1,000-square-foot living room and a dining table that seats 18. Northern Exposure's Maurice Minnifield, the ex-NASA jock  who splashed down in the one state big enough to hold his bluster, calls it home. 










"We wanted to give him a castle that's commensurate with the size of the character," explains Exposure co-creator Joshua Brand, "a monument to himself." 

MAURICE: "The challenge in redecorating this place was to bring into harmony the Alaskan landscape and the Victorian furnishing. Actually the two elements combine quite nicely." 












Imagine, if you will, a collision outside fictional Cicely, Alaska, between Charles Foster Kane's Xanadu and a hunting lodge. A zoo's worth of moose, bear, and buffalo gaze with glass eyes at museum-quality paintings. An arsenal of rifles and knives cozies up beside Victorian lampshades and rococo sofas. "Guns and roses," Brand calls the decor. "In a way, it's a Rorschach for Maurice." 










(Maurice's home interior) was built inside a Redmond, Wash., soundstage under the supervision of production designer Woody Crocker, and stocked with furnishings found at thrift shops and taxidermists'. "This is a man with a great knowledge of period and style, but who overdoes everything," Crocker says. "Practically is not Maurice's long suit." 










Leaning back in his character's study and scanning the wildlife-studded walls, Corbin says, "This is Maurice's vision. It's a very odd vision. It'd give me the willies to come in here at night and see all these dead things."


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Fascinating stuff, is it not? Kinda makes me want to start drawing up my own version of a model of the Maurice cabin. Maybe I will . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The prototype for Maggie's Second Home:

on the hill just north of Maurice's log cabin.


  
  
click images for larger view


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Ed Chigliak's upstairs apartment:

As you can see in both photos, Maurice's place was immediately to the right and behind Ed's place (in real life at Roslyn) Who would have guessed they lived so close together?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Since we are already this far up the hill, I'm going to take you the rest of the way. It isn't far.

The extension of the road beyond Maggie's house quickly turns into a trail leading up the hill. 


  
It then becomes very rocky, but not loose.  The first ridge top is probably not more than a hundred feet above the top row of houses. 


  
Some large stones sit on or near the top of the first ridge. Behind it is a steep ravine and then another hill. This is far enough for me. I stood on one of these rocks. The trees are relatively sparse and some good viewing is possible from here to the west. 


  
Heading back down the trail one sees the green roof over the log house that was supposed to be Maurice Minnifield's resident mansion.  In the distance is the coastal range. 


  
If you look carefully you can even see the roof of The Brick Tavern from here.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

You probably never saw _this_ view in NX:

It is well worthwhile to take the trip to Roslyn if you are an NX fan to see the  context of that old television series.


  
We are going to wander around the rest of the area, but I wanted you to see on of the hilltop views. 

It surely isn't Alaska--the fictional setting--but it isn't bad.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Even though it snowed again last night, today we are getting the cold and unheated shop ready for this final push. Several prototype buildings have to be ready to go by the end of May.  Fortunately, next week it looks like temperatures should be pushing into the 50s.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, we didn't find much in the way of railroad features up at Roslyn, so we'll head a few miles down the road to Cle Elum where we'll take a look at the old wye that came off of the Northern Pacific line to enable the short coal line that existed from about1886 until 1963. 


I took some time working up this image from a program provided by "Image Trader" of the Kittitas County area, 2006. I took a good-sized segment and saved a TIFF image. Then I reduced it for the web and made two low-resolution jpg images--the ones you see below and a larger one viewable when you click that first image. 
This is the Cle Elum area. Do you see the wye? 
  
The image above is clickable to a much larger one. This aerial covers Roslyn to west Cle Elum. 

Below is a detail of the west (actually it is called "North") Cle Elum area. Can't miss the wye in this image:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Okay. Time's up. Here I have the wye location and the track extension drawn in. You can click this image for the larger one below it. 


  
I walked the old wye area where one of the switches and some of the track still exist. This is now BNSF track. You can see a highway bridge on the left. It goes to South Cle Elum where the old Milwaukee Road depot has been restored. We'll be looking at both locations.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Cle Elum is a delightful All-American Mainstreet-type small town with many vintage brick structures 

lining streets in a town that is only a few blocks wide but maybe a mile long.  It lies on I-90. 

Here is a part of the local map showing exit points off that interstate, the location of the wye, and the road leading to South Cle Elum where the Milwaukee Road depot is located. 









I stayed at a modern motel near the downtown Cle Elum area. The city layout is just long enough that I drove from the east end where I was staying to a point nearer the wye. I found a convenient place to park and then walked down to the BNSF rail yard. The most interesting building I passed along the way was distinguished by this vintage sign.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

I gotta tell ya if you hadn't had that last picture, I sure wouldn't have had the faintest idea where the wye was located.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Those pictures are GREAT! I never realized the inside of Maurice's home was suppose to be so large. I wouldn't mind living in a place like that, as the dead animals wouldn't bother me, but I would hate to have to keep it clean. I would imagine it would be a never ending job! All the pictures you have posted sure help in understanding where everything fitted in the series, as well as some beautiful shots you made of your own. Thanks for taking the time to post them!!


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Do those decrotive things on the doors in the second picture mean something? I think I have seen them somewhere before.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 04/12/2008 7:36 AM

Do those decrotive things on the doors in the second picture mean something? I think I have seen them somewhere before. 











Probably not, but something about them sure gets one's attention.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/12/2008 2:37 AM

Ron

I gotta tell ya if you hadn't had that last picture, I sure wouldn't have had the faintest idea where the wye was located. " src="/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/biggrin.gif" />












And here I figured with all you guys that can instantly identify where Emmet is that finding a wye footprint on an aerial photo would be child's play.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 04/12/2008 5:38 AM

Those pictures are GREAT! I never realized the inside of Maurice's home was suppose to be so large. I wouldn't mind living in a place like that, as the dead animals wouldn't bother me, but I would hate to have to keep it clean. I would imagine it would be a never ending job! All the pictures you have posted sure help in understanding where everything fitted in the series, as well as some beautiful shots you made of your own. Thanks for taking the time to post them!!


When they chose that log home up on the hillside as the exterior version of Maurice Minnifield's personal mansion, it was just a little small for the interior studio scenes. The interior/exterior don't really fit all that well together. The Roslyn prototype log house does not have those double doors, either. Incidentally, the logs for the interior studio version are plastic fakes.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Must have been kinda like a TARDIS... bigger on the inside than on the outside.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Dining room table that seats eighteen...the folks could use one of those at the homestead (where all the holiday family get-togethers are held). As it is, its been dang near standing room only the last few times. Actually, even an 18 place table might not be big enough...though I think thats about all the dining room would hold. 

Most of the decor on the walls seems typical alaska homestead stuff - lots of dead animals, and enough rifles to outfit an infantry platoon. 

--------------- 

That said, according to my Calender, it is mid April. According to the therometer and the view outside my window, it is still late March. Looks like winter is hanging around here for another week or two.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 04/12/2008 2:36 PM

Dining room table that seats eighteen...the folks could use one of those at the homestead (where all the holiday family get-togethers are held). As it is, its been dang near standing room only the last few times. Actually, even an 18 place table might not be big enough...though I think thats about all the dining room would hold.


The table and chairs on the film set came from a Nevada casino.  


Most of the decor on the walls seems typical alaska homestead stuff - lots of dead animals, and enough rifles to outfit an infantry platoon.


More like modern faux-Alaskan big-game hunter lodge style, I would think. 
That said, according to my Calender, it is mid April. According to the therometer and the view outside my window, it is still late March. Looks like winter is hanging around here for another week or two.


It has been cold here with snow coming and going and blowing all along the highways, sometimes nearly shutting them down in the passes. Although some melting is going on in late afternoon, it has only been when the sun is out.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Northern Pacific Cle Elum wye, west switch: 
Although little remains of the NP Roslyn branch line, there is this one small segment, the west switch and track extension at Cle Elum.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The wye extension continues for perhaps a hundred yards before coming to an end:


  
  
  
  
  
This last view is the ground where the east leg of the wye rails once existed: nothing but a gravel bed remains of this segment.  All the views above are clickable to a larger size.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Nothing remains of the Northern Pacific Railway depot at Cle Elum





























But, fortunately, the Milwaukee Road depot in South Cle Elum has recently been restored.  We will head there next. 

article:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 04/12/2008 3:16 PM

Northern Pacific Cle Elum wye, west switch: 
Although little remains of the NP Roslyn branch line, there is this one small segment, the west switch and track extension at Cle Elum. 
  
  






Walking up these tracks then and looking at these pictures now makes me wonder about the nature of the NP trains that passed through here. Anyone know anything about the NP consists in this area in the period from the turn of the century until 1963? Remember , this was a coal branch line.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And then there's this: 
Posted By blackburn49 on 04/12/2008 3:53 PM














Look at that map. See that other railroad line over there on the right? I assume that is a logging railroad. Anyone by any chance know anything about that?


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Personally I don't know much anything about the NP railway or that particular area of Washington state, but as usual your topics always awaken an interest in learning more about things I know little or nothing about. So I go looking for information on the Internet regarding various topics. To that end, and most likely you've already been there before me, but on the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association's web site, in the Research Library - NP Telltale Subject Archive I ran across the following and thought you might find it useful.

*Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association: Home Page*

*NP Rwy. Historical Association: Research Library*

*NP Telltale Subject Archive: Coal Sources* 
_(Within this particular topic there are a bunch of references listed.)_

There is also a Yahoo group listed, where you may get information on an interactive level.

*Yahoo Groups: NP Telltale*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/13/2008 2:02 AM

Ron

Personally I don't know much anything about the NP railway or that particular area of Washington state, but as usual your topics always awaken an interest in learning more about things I know little or nothing about. So I go looking for information on the Internet regarding various topics. To that end, and most likely you've already been there before me, but on the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association's web site, in the Research Library - NP Telltale Subject Archive I ran across the following and thought you might find it useful . . .

There is also a Yahoo group listed, where you may get information on an interactive level.

*Yahoo Groups: NP Telltale*


You provided several resources I had not fully investigated--and I joined the NPTellTale Yahoo group where I found even more info. Thanks. More to follow . . .


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Here are some additional links to information that I've run across relating to Roslyn & Cle Elum (orig. Clealum) hope they're found to be of use.

*American Memory / Map Collections: 
Nothern Pacific Railway - 1900*

*American Memory / Edison Films: 
NP Rwy. Fast Mail 1897*

*Univ. Washington Library Digital Collection: 
Report of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs Railroads, Page XLII, Fourth paragraph down.*

*New and correct map of the lines of the Northern Pacific Railroad and Oregon Railway & Navigation Co. 
Rand McNally and Company, Chicago, 1883.*

*Univ. Washington Library Digital Collection: 
Report of the Commissioner 
of Indian Affairs Railroads, Page 112-113*

*New York Times Archive: 
Roslyn Mine Explosion 
May 11, 1892, Wednesday (PDF file)*

*Northwestern Improvement Mine: 
Result of legislation barring railrods from working mines directly*

*Knights of Labor, 1888 Strike*

*Picture of The Brick c. 1900*

*New York Times Archive: 
May 12, 1892, Wednesday, Roslyn Mine Explosion, 14 dead brought out*

*Ellensburg Public Library: 
MINE EXPLOSION AT ROSLYN*

*Northern Pacific Coal Company, Roslyn, Wash. (1889)*

*Map showing land grant of the Northern Pacific Railroad Co. in Western Washington and Northern Oregon : corrected up to January 1, 1887. (1887)*

*Geologic and topographic map of the Northern Pacific route from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Seattle, Washington, (1915) 
Bulletin 611 Sheet no. 26 (Ellensburg)*

*Russian Orthodox Church in the American West, 1890â€"1910: Slavs of Cle Elum (Clealum) & Roslyn*

*Early Roslyn- "Mt. Baldy", ca. 1898*

*Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, 1898: 
Roslyn, Washington; Kittitas County*

*Trade Tokens: 
Back door way to ge businesses that were once in Rosyln*

*Roslyn: $10,000 Bank Robbery; 30-Sep-1892 (PDF file)*

*Washington State Railroads Historical Soceity: 
1880s Timeline*

*Mines and Minerals of Washington: Page 26*

*Annual Report By Washington Geological Survey, 1902*

*Annual Report By Railroad Commission of Washington (1908): 
Northern Pacific Railroad p141-210+*

*Report of the Department of the Interior (1890): 
Washington Territory: Coal Mines*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/13/2008 4:06 PM

Ron

Here are some additional links to information that I've run across relating to Roslyn & Cle Elum (orig. Clealum) hope they're found to be of use.http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query...,flwpabib,wpapos,cmns,psbib,pin,coplandbib,co*

*


Thanks. I have been checking out all the links and have found two of the maps listed to be particularly useful. I spent much of last night while things were slow at the bar to go through that first set of links--which led to a lot of interesting places.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are a couple more interesting pages of information from the web site pointed to by the third link.

*Author: John A. Phillips, III. Title: Stampede Pass, A Virtual Tour -- Auburn to Ellensburg (mile post guide).*

*N.P. Ry. Tacoma Division, First Sub-Division*

*The Northern Pacific Railway | Route of the Great Big Baked Potato*


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Here are some photographs old and new of Roslyn that I ran across. I hope that I'm not cluttering up your topic, if you'd rather I could just send this to you via a PM instaed.

*Picture Roslyn ca. 1890*

*Picture: Primary and Central school buildings in Rolsyn, Washington erected in 1890*

*Picture: Glacier Peak Mining Company*

*Picture: Roslyn Tavern*

*Picture: Mine Number Five (No. 5) and homes near Roslyn, Washington.*

*Picture: Roslyn Meat Market*

*Picture: Early Day Roslyn ca. 1889*

*Picture: Early Roslyn Crowd ca. 1895*

*Picture: Early Roslyn, First Street and Pennsylvania Avenue*

*Picture: Roslyn's Pennsylvania Avenue ca. 1896*

*Picture: The Northwestern Improvement Company ca. 1900*

*Picture: Roslyn's Pennsylvania Avenue II ca. 1900*

*Picture: New York Millinery, Roslyn ca. 1900*

*Picture: Bocce Players in Roslyn ca. 1900*

*Picture: Roslyn's First Street ca. 1900*

*Picture: Railroad Street, Roslyn ca. 1900*

*Picture: Roslyn, Coal Mining Town ca. 1905*

*Picture: View on Pennsylvania Avenue, Roslyn ca. 1905*

*Picture: Catholic Church and Rectory, Roslyn ca. 1905*

*Picture: Residential View Roslyn ca, 1905*

*Picture: Home of J. P. Moreau Roslyn, ca. 1905*

*Picture: Home of William Reese, Roslyn, ca. 1905*

*Pictuer: Roslyn School Building, ca. 1906*

*Picture: Roslyn's Pennsylvania Avenue III ca. 1912*

*Picture: Roslyn High School II ca. 1912*

*Picture: Roslyn children's parade, ca. 1913*

*Picture: Roslyn High School I, ca. 1915*

*Picture: Roslyn, Washington I, ca. 1920*

*Picture: Central Drug and Slim's (Slims) Place, Roslyn ca. 1935*

*Picture: Northwestern Improvement Company Store, Roslyn, ca. 1935*

*Picture: Roslyn Public School, ca. 1938*

*Picture: Roslyn's Pennsylvania Avenue VI, ca. 1940*

*Picture: Roslyn, Washington III, ca. 1940*

*Picture: Roslyn's Pennsylvania Avenue V, ca. 1940*

*Picture: Medical Building & Bank, Roslyn, ca. 1940*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/13/2008 8:04 PM

Ron

Here are some photographs old and new of Roslyn that I ran across. I hope that I'm not cluttering up your topic, if you'd rather I could just send this to you via a PM instaed.*

*


No problem. This works fine for me. I have followed every one of your sources. Some of these have been particularly helpful in putting some historic pieces together.  I will do an analysis of some of these later.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 04/12/2008 3:53 PM









Look at that map. See that other railroad line over there on the right? I assume that is a logging railroad. Anyone by any chance know anything about that?
Ron

Here I think is the answer to your question regarding the spur coming off just before Cle Elum, once on the page scroll down to its middle.

*Picture: Cascade Lumber Company, Casland, Washington*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/13/2008 9:27 PM

Posted By blackburn49 on 04/12/2008 3:53 PM










Look at that map. See that other railroad line over there on the right? I assume that is a logging railroad. Anyone by any chance know anything about that?

Ron

Here I think is the answer to your question regarding the spur coming off just before Cle Elum, once on the page scroll down to its middle.

*Picture: Cascade Lumber Company, Casland, Washington*


Son of a gun! You're right--that has to be it! 








caption for this photo reads: 

_ Cascade Lumber Company, operating out of Casland, Washington(see above map). Here a slide back loader is seen loading Northern Pacific log flats, using end hooks. This was Cascade's (and many pine loggers') preferred method of loading for many years. In the background, spotting the cars, is one of their four Shays._ _Photo__ courtesy of John T. Labbe._


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's another photo showing one of those Shays and identified as being at Casland, Washington, which was near Cle Elum:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_And here is an interesting article which appears  here that gives background info to the narrow gauge rail line at Casland: _ 
On August 5, 2006, the old Cascade Lumber Company mill in Yakima is closed by Yakima Resources, Inc. after 103 years of operation. The mill first opened in 1903 to cut lumber floated down the Teanaway and Yakima rivers. 


In 1903, Yakima businessmen formed the Cascade Lumber Company on the banks of the Yakima River northeast of the city. Small mills cutting lumber in communities like Wenas, Cowiche, and at the mouth of the Tieton River were no longer viable as the pine forests were logged off. Hauling logs by wagon to mills proved uneconomical.



To feed the new mill, loggers floated logs down the Yakima and Teanaway rivers to a flume in annual drives during spring high water. _In 1914, Cascade built a narrow-gauge railroad on the Teanaway, which gave rise to the community of Casland in 1917. Cascade continued to be the largest mill in Yakima._



In 1957, Cascade combined with Boise Payette Lumber Company to form Boise Cascade, which expanded operations to include the manufacture of plywood. In 1984, 450 people at the mill processing 200 million board feet. Boise Cascade automated the mill in the 1980s and the payroll dropped to 225.



Boise Cascade became Boise and the corporation shifted its emphasis to office supplies and its retail operation, Office Max. In January 2004, Melvin L. and Norman N. McDougal purchased the mill for $3.25 million and leased it to Frontier Resources of Eugene, Oregon, which operated it as Yakima Resources. Frontier planned to close the mill in 2005, but delayed the action when a fire damaged another mill.



In June 2006, 225 employees in Yakima received a 60-day notice that their jobs at Frontier would end and that the mill would close on August 5.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_So, thanks Steve for the heads-up. That lead you provided really did the trick. _


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Here is some more detailed information on the area via some township plat maps.

*Page 035, Teanaway, Yakima River, Casland 
Township 20N., Range 16W.W.M. (1956) 
Section 6 - Casland (upper left) 
Sections 33 & 34 NPRR Mainline & Casland Branchline Railway(bottom middle) NPRR main and Casland spur.*

*Page 034, Teanaway City, Yakima River, Horlick 
Township 19N., Range 16E.W.M. (1956) 
Sections 4 & 3 NPRR & Casland Branchline Railway at Teanaway City (upper middle)*

*Page 028, Cle Elum, South Clem Elum, Yakima River, Cle Elum River 
Township 20N., Range 15E.W.M. (1956) 
Section 27 - Roslyn - Cle Elum Wye 
Section 17 - Roslyn 
Section 7 - Ronald*

*Page 020, Cle Elum Lake, Talmadge, Big Creek, Lavendar, Nelson 
Township 20N., Range 14E.W.M. (1956) 
Section 12 - Termination Roslyn Branchline Railway*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One piece of additional info: CASLAND:   Casland had a Post Office from 1919-1930. It was located in the fork of the Teanaway River, 6 miles north of Cle Elum. It was founded in the 1890's, reached a peak population of 400, and by the 1930's had disappeared. It was a railroad town with a water tank for steam engines.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/13/2008 10:36 PM

Ron

Here is some more detailed information on the area via some township plat maps.


I was looking at one of those earlier. Those are excellent maps, showing good detail, some of it historic because the map was produced in 1956.

I anticipate making minor corrections to the model based on what I have seen in the last few days. These revelations will be discussed in more detail. It is too bad that no one on this board appears to have any knowledge of the historic Roslyn-Cle Elum area or of either Northern Pacific or Milwaukee Road. However, I don't see a lot of true western railroads portrayed or even discussed on this forum. Western Pacific and Union Pacific seems to get the most interest. 








_The Hiawatha--one of the most stunning passenger consists of all time. Historically it was also one of the most interesting._ 
We had a Great Northern enthusiast, but like many of the other members, his interest seemed to be concentrated almost wholly on the rolling stock details. That was great but it is not enough for me. I need to understand the context of any railroad I am viewing, even if it is only a regional context. Without the rich historic details behind a great name such as the Northern Pacific or the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, the line becomes nothing more than another shelf item that rapidly loses its appeal. 










_The Milwaukee Road depot at Cle Elum before electrification. The electric sub-station is in place ready to go. _


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

When I first designed my Phase II line to include a wye I was not envisioning that the Cicely model would have a prototype (Cle Elum to Roslyn--NP Tacoma Div, Subdivision 6 line) which would also include a wye:


  
So, even though I did not plan this, it worked out well. 










I hope to have this part of the line back in operation in the next few days. Right now that is wholly dependent on a few more days of sun to melt the remaining ice and otherwise warm things up a bit. We are still experiencing unseasonably cold weather here in most all of Alaska in mid-April. Sudden snow squals remain the norm around here and much of the earlier melting action has simply stopped. 


  
A Great Northern passenger consist pulled by a CRNW double-header leaves the CRD Saloon, late summer, 2006.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

More snow and cold weather in local forecast:

Winter is definitely clinging to SouthCentral AK: Here is the projected temperature graph for the next two weeks. 










Of course, the forecast always seems to say warm weather coming in about a week. Will it finally happen? I'd sure like to get my outdoor railroad projects going.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Originally Posted By: blackburn49 
_«snip...» It is too bad that no one on this board appears to have any knowledge of the historic Roslyn-Cle Elum area or of either Northern Pacific or Milwaukee Road. However, I don't see a lot of true western railroads portrayed or even discussed on this forum. Western Pacific and Union Pacific seems to get the most interest. «snip...»_
Ron

Hehehe...I think that you have somehow mistakenly managed to hang onto a couple of childhood attributes (i.e. viewing with wonderment, things yet unknown and the driving desire to know WHY?), which many seem to learn, for whatever reason, to assign a much lower level of importance as they grow older. Although, I do believe that it's human nature for these abilities, over time, to wax and wane in all of us.

As for it seeming, that the iconic railroads usually receive the lion's share of remembrance. It's true, but then again it's always the financier and/or architect that gets remembered for bringing forth the wondrous structure, not the plumber that did or didn't do a high-quality job, well, that is until things start backing up anyways. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif


Originally Posted By: blackburn49 
_«snip...» In 1914, Cascade built a narrow-gauge railroad on the Teanaway, which gave rise to the community of Casland in 1917. Cascade continued to be the largest mill in Yakima. «snip...»_
The above statement from the article on the Cascade Lumber Company's history that you posted in a previous reply, got me to thinking. It just doesn't line-up with the statement _"Here a slide-back loader is seen loading Northern Pacific log flats"_ taken from the caption of the photograph that I referred you to, to answer the question regarding the spur coming off the Northern Pacific's (NP)mainline just prior to Cle Elum.

On one hand it sort of makes sense from Cascade's perspective to build a narrow gauge rail line, but then why would NP go to the expense of buying/building and maintaining a fleet of narrow gauge flats. Since if I'm not mistaken the NP wasn't a narrow gauge road and was already present and operating for approximately 30 years before the narrow gauge line was built.

On the other hand, why would either Cascade or NP want to build in a bottleneck that would add work and time having to re-load the logs from the narrow gauge to the NP's standard gauge flats at Teanaway for transport elsewhere. Then there's the fact that on some maps a junction between the two is depicted, yet on the township plat maps I couldn't actually find that. There just seems to be more there, oh well another detail to try and nail down.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/14/2008 5:21 PM


Originally Posted By: blackburn49 _«snip...» It is too bad that no one on this board appears to have any knowledge of the historic Roslyn-Cle Elum area or of either Northern Pacific or Milwaukee Road. However, I don't see a lot of true western railroads portrayed or even discussed on this forum. Western Pacific and Union Pacific seems to get the most interest. «snip...»_

Ron

Hehehe...I think that you have somehow mistakenly managed to hang onto a couple of childhood attributes (i.e. viewing with wonderment, things yet unknown and the driving desire to know WHY?), which many seem to learn, for whatever reason, to assign a much lower level of importance as they grow older. Although, I do believe that it's human nature for these abilities, over time, to wax and wane in all of us.

As for it seeming, that the iconic railroads usually receive the lion's share of remembrance. It's true, but then again it's always the financier and/or architect that gets remembered for bringing forth the wondrous structure, not the plumber that did or didn't do a high-quality job, well, that is until things start backing up anyways. 


I guess I am just missing something. It seems like these large-scale forums become mostly mechanical: how to customize this or build that or fix the other or which is the better buy, the most reliable model, the best fit for the scale and so forth. All of that is good information, but to me it's like eating C-rations. Everything you need is there--or at least it was until our understanding of nutrition changed. But are you sure you can subsist on that kind of meal indefinitely? 

Originally Posted By: blackburn49 _«snip...» In 1914, Cascade built a narrow-gauge railroad on the Teanaway, which gave rise to the community of Casland in 1917. Cascade continued to be the largest mill in Yakima. «snip...»_

The above statement from the article on the Cascade Lumber Company's history that you posted in a previous reply, got me to thinking. It just doesn't line-up with the statement _"Here a slide-back loader is seen loading Northern Pacific log flats"_ taken from the caption of the photograph that I referred you to, to answer the question regarding the spur coming off the Northern Pacific's (NP)mainline just prior to Cle Elum.

On one hand it sort of makes sense from Cascade's perspective to build a narrow gauge rail line, but then why would NP go to the expense of buying/building and maintaining a fleet of narrow gauge flats. Since if I'm not mistaken the NP wasn't a narrow gauge road and was already present and operating for approximately 30 years before the narrow gauge line was built.

On the other hand, why would either Cascade or NP want to build in a bottleneck that would add work and time having to re-load the logs from the narrow gauge to the NP's standard gauge flats at Teanaway for transport elsewhere. Then there's the fact that on some maps a junction between the two is depicted, yet on the township plat maps I couldn't actually find that. There just seems to be more there, oh well another detail to try and nail down. 


You are right, of course. I can't reconcile those issues, either. Something is definitely missing. I seriously doubt those logging cars were NP. They did not build a spur up there and I am unaware of any narrow-gauge NP lines anywhere, now that you mention it.  But I am quite sure that the logging road was narrow-gauge, considering that Cascade Lumber utilized FOUR Shays on it.  
Shay serial number  2794 Cascade Lumber Co., #214, Casland, WA 

                                 2906 Cascade Lumber Co., #215, Casland, WA 

                                 2329 Cascade Lumber Co., #3, Casland, WA 

                                 1790 Cascade Lumber Co., no number listed, Casland, WA 


Why would NP go there? It was a BIG operation. It even sold out its original interests in those Roslyn coal mines BEFORE they shut down that Roslyn spur line once they had divested themselves of all their remaing coal-burning locomotives.  That happened about 1956, but coal-mining went on at Roslyn until 1963.  As it turns out, that spur continued in use until 1986 because it was already built and there was a demand for lumber products being produced at Ronald--the end of the Roslyn line since the late 1930s.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/14/2008 5:21 PM



As for it seeming, that the iconic railroads usually receive the lion's share of remembrance. It's true, but then again it's always the financier and/or architect that gets remembered for bringing forth the wondrous structure, not the plumber that did or didn't do a high-quality job, well, that is until things start backing up anyways. 


Ah. But all good things come in time. Here's one for you: Today I got a phone call from a mining engineer who is going to nominate several of the lesser-known, but highly influential engineers to the Alaska Miner's Hall of Fame, which takes place in November of this year. Stephen Birch, the Kennecott president and originator and one of the great consulting engineers, Wesley Dunkle--both prominent in my book are already (relatively recently) listed. But not William C.Douglass and E.T. Stannard who had a lot to do with the direction Kennecott went that ultimately contributed to making Kennecott a world-wide corporation. 


But it gets even better: My own great-great grandfather, Nicolai himself, is being nominated for his role in mining history--and it was a great one. I would be willing to be that no other Native American has ever been distinguished in such a manner. 

Now, on the matter of these other lines, such the Milwaukee Road or the Northern Pacific, it seems only natural that some would pick up on these because of their own historic lore. There are many others, of course--most being much-smaller mainlines. My point is that I sure don't see any indication that these only slightly lesser-known rail lines are getting much play at all in large scale. I have almost never gotten comments on either of those or my Canadian Pacific line for that matter. I would have thought there would be a much greater interest in these rail lines just because their presence adds a great dimension to the hobby. They were real. They were huge. They all in their own way altered the course of history. 


There are many other similar historic rail lines to choose from as potential inspirations for a large-scale model, but I only have read comments about a handful of them--ever.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Continuing along that same thought, I realize that modeling main-liners presents some unusual challenges because of the scope of the project. I had never intended to do so beyond my own original Copper River & Northwestern Railway, a standard-gauge common carrier that ceased to exist seventy years ago.  But the really great rolling stock in 1:29 is all mainline and includes a wide variety of lines that I never seem to read much about here on MLS or any of the other large-scale forums. There is something alluring about those great, mostly-fallen flags however that is almost irresistible. In the end I had to create an all-new model rail line just so I could model two of these--the Alaska Railroad and the Great Northern. That latter was my choice because it was so well-known and had the fitting name for this environment even though GN never even envisioned an Alaskan presence. 


Then it took off from there . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

UPDATE: The graphics man was in the shop today. It is now ready for action even though it is a little cold in there, to say the least. It is unheated and has only a gravel floor, but it does have power and lights. Today the walls for the NWIC building were cut. Hey, it's a start.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Speaking of the NWIC (Northwestern Improvement Company Building): Here are some historic shots, in part thanks to SteveC who pointed out a site I had missed: 










Above: 1st and Pennsylvania with NWIC on the left and the building that now houses the liquor store (Ruth Ann's Store) on the left. This shot shows far more commercial structures than exist today. 

Below:The NWIC itself: very little changed except that the canopy is rolled out and an NWICo sign is placed above the center-front of the building. This was the scene of KBHR with "Chris in the Morning."










Northwestern Improvement--the wholly owned subsidiary of Northern Pacific--also had this store in nearby Cle Elum. Regrettably, it no longer exists. As you can see, it is very similar in construction to the one at Roslyn.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 04/13/2008 1:13 AM

Posted By blackburn49 on 04/12/2008 3:16 PM


Although little remains of the NP Roslyn branch line, there is this one small segment, the west switch and track extension at Cle Elum. 
  



Walking up these tracks then and looking at these pictures now makes me wonder about the nature of the NP trains that passed through here. Anyone know anything about the NP consists in this area in the period from the turn of the century until 1963? Remember , this was a coal branch line.




Since I don't seem to have anyone jumping up and down with their hands wildly waving to come up with an answer to this question, my recent research comes up with this:  NP used gondolas on the Roslyn Branch (Tacoma Div, 6th Sub-div). Here are a couple of examples. Definitely the top one would have been in use.  I am not so sure about the lower one considering its length and the age of the branch line in use, but thought I'd show one of them anyway.  
  
  
Comments?


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I do have a tortured and uninformed thought on the standard/narrow guage thing at Cascade and the NP bit. 

The NP was/is standard guage. If they were going to build a spur, it would be standard gauge. Therefor, if they built anything from their mainline to Casland, it would have been standard guage. 

Likewise, it wouldn't make any sense for Cascade to put in a narrow guage link from Casland to the NP line. If for no other reason, than it would mean extra work/more expense with the unloading/loading bit. 

However...suppose the narrow guage line didn't connect with the NP mainline? Suppose it just went from the mill out to the logging area proper? 

This way... 

Trees get cut down out in the woods someplace. They get loaded onto narrow guage flatcars or log cars or whatever they're called, and taken from there to the mill. 

At the mill, the logs get cut up into planks or more manageable sections, and the lumber/recut logs gets loaded onto standard guage cars, on a standard guage spur, which ties directly into the NP mainline. 

Maybe this cascade outfit owned both narrow and standard guage cars.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Roslyn branch conducted regular passenger runs until 1956.  That was the same year the NP abandoned the Chehalis to Sound Bend run. I found pictures of that one. Some of the appear here. I can imagine the scene must have been very similar in Roslyn.  Remember, this is 1956 and the NP is still seen using heavyweight coaches on this branch lines. Makes me wonder if the same applied to the Roslyn run. Did they keep a coach or two on hand at Cle Elum just for that run? Probably did. If so, it would almost certainly have been the older ones such as the combine seen below. 


These remarkable pictures came from the  The Sou'wester of the Pacific County Historical Society and Museum  website. 
































Apparently the conductor had made some comment about it no longer being necessary for him to be in his official uniform now that the passenger service was at an end. The story I have from Roslyn is that the NP train men switched to regular work clothes once they had unloaded the passengers. Then it was back to being a coal train.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 04/15/2008 12:49 AM

I do have a tortured and uninformed thought on the standard/narrow guage thing at Cascade and the NP bit. The NP was/is standard gauge. If they were going to build a spur, it would be standard gauge. Therefore, if they built anything from their mainline to Casland, it would have been standard guage. Likewise, it wouldn't make any sense for Cascade to put in a narrow guage link from Casland to the NP line. If for no other reason, than it would mean extra work/more expense with the unloading/loading bit. However...suppose the narrow gauge line didn't connect with the NP mainline? Suppose it just went from the mill out to the logging area proper? This way... Trees get cut down out in the woods someplace. They get loaded onto narrow gauge flatcars or log cars or whatever they're called, and taken from there to the mill. At the mill, the logs get cut up into planks or more manageable sections, and the lumber/recut logs gets loaded onto standard guage cars, on a standard guage spur, which ties directly into the NP mainline. Maybe this cascade outfit owned both narrow and standard gauge cars.


SteveC has just answered that question in a post below


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 04/15/2008 1:07 AM

The Roslyn branch conducted regular passenger runs until 1956. . . 


_ These remarkable pictures came from the  The Sou'wester of the Pacific County Historical Society and Museum  website._ 








I thought those were some really_ cool _pictures of an end of an era. Noting the age of the equipment I would say it seems possible that the NP management itself already was aware that its own mainline operation would soon enough become extinct. Here you have a steam engine pulling a heavyweight combine along a branch that existed only for the logging--a scene more appropriate for closer to the turn of the century.  Except  this scene was _not_ 1916 _or_ 1926. It was 1956. 



After seeing photos such as this one, I am inspired to bring out one of my heavyweights for repainting and re-lettering in the Northern Pacific colors for my Cicely model.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

OK gentlemen,

Here's the start of the answer to the Cascade spur.  
Take note of the value in the gauge cell, so whoever wrote the history article made a mistake or maybe neglected to include the fact that it was originally laid as narrow gauge then re-laid as standard gauge. Although personally I think the first option is the correct one. Funny how we're conditioned, say Shay and we automatically think narrow gauge. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif

*Shay Locomotives 
Shop Number 2794 - Built for: A. H. Guthrie & Co. 
Cascade Lumber Co. #214, Swauk Prairie, WA 
(12-1930) Cascade Lumber Co., Casland, WA*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 04/15/2008 4:00 AM

OK gentlemen,

Here's the start of the answer to the Cascade spur. Take note of the value in the gauge cell, so whoever wrote the history article made a mistake or maybe neglected to include the fact that it was originally laid as narrow gauge then re-laid as standard gauge. Although personally I think the first option is the correct one. Funny how we're conditioned, say Shay and we automatically think narrow gauge. *

*


Now _that_ is something ! Imagine that--a standard gauge Shay. I guess that takes care of _that_ question ! It certain adds to our understanding of this particular piece of local history. 










Come to think of it, this enlightening moment also shows us that not all Shays are equal ! Who would have ever imagined?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

. . . and a _three_-truck Shay at that !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Very early shot of Roslyn:

This is the only photo I have seen showing a train of any kind at Roslyn. 

I assume this is the big bend just north of the downtown core area. If so, the entire town has changed drastically.

Also, this would have to be pre-turn of the century--very close to the very beginning (1886)  because the NWIC building should be right there at the bend.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

When will winter_ finally _be over around here? 










cartoon of Dr. Joel & Holling at the Brick


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Warm and breezy here today. 

This is the first morning in over a week where the temperature hasn't been 4 degrees colder than the day before. 

Don't worry, they're promising cold weather for the weekend.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 04/16/2008 7:30 AM

Warm and breezy here today. This is the first morning in over a week where the temperature hasn't been 4 degrees colder than the day before. Don't worry, they're promising cold weather for the weekend.


We have some very cold air moving through the area right now with blowing snows and accumulations of close to a foot. Drifting snow everywhere as I write this. It appears the roads are probably unfit for travel.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Remember this? The sign you see in front identifies this structure as the depot. Obviously, it was not a depot but some kind of warehouse.


  
I have now identified the proper location of the real depot. The photo below shows you that location behind the NWIC warehouse as well as the approximate location of the warehouse building above. 


  
And this is the image that led me there.  I found this drawing showing a real depot with its obvious bay-window configuration right next to the NWIC to the northeast of it along the "big bend." 


















This is just another example of how enough photo research alone can produce some remarkable results. The above images showed up in an obscure group I recently joined. It definitely fills in yet another gap and conclusively proves that the present-day structure identified as the "depot" is not the depot but probably a railroad warehouse.



This also gives me a place to set a model passenger depot structure on my model corresponding to the historic prototype of Roslyn, Washington.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Two historic views of Pennysylvania Avenue, Roslyn, WA, looking east: 


















. . . and the modern version. This is the scene you saw if you watched _Northern Exposure _(click) back in the 1990s


  
Many of the structures are missing. The Masonic temple on the right, now the post office, shows up in both historic photos. And theRoslyn Cafe on the left--the white brick/stone building, shows up distinctly in the historic color photo.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The old Masonic Temple building is never used in the NX series, although it is impossible to ignore. Here you see it from the residential hill in a photo I took just below Maggie's second house (the first one burned, remember?):


  
This is the Roslyn post office, although in the NX series, the mail was delivered either directly through Maggie the airplane pilot or Ruth Ann's store. (click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Ruth-Ann's Store (click) 


  
and the earlier version. It is unclear whether the present building is a significantly altered version of the one seen here or if it is a replacement from one that burned. I am inclined to believe it is an altered one, since the liquor store I viewed does appear to be very old but with a newer exterior.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Inside Ruth-Ann's Store, looking at The Brick Tavern:


  

This view appears many times in the television series NX. No doubt about it. I'm at the right place !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

More Views of Ruth Ann's Store / Roslyn Liquor:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Masonic building will not be duplicated on my set. Instead I came up with a smaller two-story brick structure (with dinosaur on roof) that will represent something else in the same relative postion as the old temple/post office. 


  
Although I could have buildt it, the Masonic Temple structure is just too overwhelming for my theme. Here you see the model sitting loosely in place awaiting a permanent setting which will include sidewalks on the front and on this side.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

First Street, Roslyn, WA, looking south:

Count four power poles down. To the right of that one is Ruth-Ann's Store. You can also readily see the railroad crossing marking the NP track that separates the blocks immediately north of Pennsylvania Avenue. None of the buildings in the closest block survives. In the next block down, the one on the corner still stands as a bar. (click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Once again we are reminded that here in Alaska, winter is never very far away:

Looking over the turntable on the Cicely model structure: The snow was totally gone off of this area yesterday. 


   
   
   
Above: The 24-foot turn-around east loop. The snow has already blown off this section of track due to winds that have accompanied this latest snow.  The snow should wholly evaporate over the next few days.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The K & L Distributors Building which replaces the Roslyn Masonic Temple:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Regrettably, so far the only historic picture I have of the original Roslyn Brewery predates the other historic photos, so I don't have any of that facility in the context of the other buildings. However this certainly does appear to be the west end of Pennsylvania Avenue. 










Some time ago I chose to use the available kit to produce a generic brewery, except this one is renamed "Alaskan Brewery" instead of Roslyn Brewery. After all, this is not Roslyn, Washington, but mythical Cicely, Alaska. 


  
  
A representative of the real Alaskan Brewing Company, based in Juneau, will view this model in its context of mythical Cicely in early June. The model is adjacent the K&L Distributors Sales office model. K & L is the Washington/Alaska company which actually markets Alaska Amber and other similar products that I sell to the tourists in the summertime over in the CRD Saloon.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

April 23: I was finally able to break through the pond and get the waterfall pump in place and running today . . . Temperatures finally reached 60 degrees but much of the ground is still frozen and shaded areas still contain remaining ice and snow.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

April 27: The return of winter to parts of south-central Alaska has definitely delayed the project. Over in Anchorage, they are just now digging out from a record snowfall of 22 inches that hit them on Friday-Saturday. 

Much of the ground has finally thawed out and I dug one test hole to determine the depth of the thaw. The results were good: no ice in the ground in the unshaded areas. However, some sections where I have to dig remain frozen. 

The Klutina River is breaking through but remains largely iced-over except for one channel along the south bank. 

Even the Tanana River at Nenana has not yet broken free.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The shop where Lee is working is unheated. He has the walls cut for most of the remaining buildings from the drawings I provided, but he describes the shop as being like a walk-in cooler when the sun is not out. The conditions are such that progress is very slow. Nevertheless, three of the structures are beginning to take shape and are looking really good.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is an example of how my ongoing research can affect the model. This is a model of a fictional town based on a television series of fictional events which supposedly take place in an Alaskan town. However, my only prototype is the filming location of Roslyn, Washington. Thus, my model heavily depends on not only contemporary Roslyn, but historic Roslyn. This is because the historic version is a railroad town that came into existence as a result of vast coal deposits that the Northern Pacific Railway was able to exploit beginning in 1886. 

Since this is a railroad model, that historic aspect of it works out well for me. Now I find that I have this footprint of what appears to be a prototypical depot sitting within my target model area at the bend of the rail line. Inevitably, this will ultimately result in the placement of a model railroad depot at this location. 








I still need a depot in the location where I originally placed it, but now I have even better reason to build a model based on the Milwaukee Road prototype which still exists in South Cle Elum. I had mentioned earlier that we will be examining those photos I took of that structure.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

We are now getting much closer to the final product:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

GN did I say? What happened to the NP?  Actually, the NP, GN, MILW and the AKRR will_ all_  be represented on this model of a fictional Alaskan town based on the Roslyn prototype. Because I have far more GN rolling stock than NP, GN will initially dominate the model. 










Even though I have explained this before, in order to avoid confusion, from time to time it is necessary to explain that this is a multi-Class I line model railroad system.  After all, the whole thing is a fiction even though a real prototype exists. Even the prototype was very selectively filmed in the NX series to specifically avoid the historic aspects of Roslyn--the coal and the railroad. Those did not fit into the overall scheme of the NX writers. (NX= Northern Exposure). 










Nevertheless there is a certain irresistible challenge in attempting to build a model based on a historic prototype. Thus, the research continues, as well as the refinements to the model based on that ongoing research. 

Are you with me so far ?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I was particularly relieved to finally learn that this building, identified on the site as the depot, is NOT the depot at all, but probably just a railroad warehouse.  It will not be represented on the model.  There is no  room for it, and it is not a particularly interesting structure.  










Although I have_ no_ photos of the _real_  depot at Roslyn, the footprint clearly implies a prototypical depot for those times. 











Furthermore, we have examples of two depots that DID exist nearby--the restored Milwaukee Road depot in South Cle Elum and the Northern Pacific depot which seems to have existed within part of the wye itself at Cle Elum. Although it is long-gone, I have acquired a couple of fascinating photos which shed some light on the nature of that structure. I will share those with you in this thread.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Break-up of the Klutina River as of Sunday morning,  April 27:


  
As you can clearly see, winter has not quite departed the scene here in south-central AK. The river is approximately 100 yards wide. This is one of two narrow channels that have opened up in the last few days.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Only in the last two days has it been possible to restart the beergarden fountain for the season.

Finally enough ice melted to break the pump through the ice and start pumping water to hasten the melting of the remaining ice in the pond.

Since then much of the remaining ice and snow have melted off.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Until things start growing around here it will look a little bare . . . 

However the models are looking good.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

You must have missed out on that lat spring blizzard over the weekend, then. We got about five inches on the peninsula, Anchorage got more, and Eagle River supposedly got over a foot.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 04/27/2008 2:01 PM

You must have missed out on that lat spring blizzard over the weekend, then. We got about five inches on the peninsula, Anchorage got more, and Eagle River supposedly got over a foot.


The heavy snows missed us. However, we did experience some very strong winds followed by some snow which is now mostly gone.  Needless to say, no work was accomplished on the outdoor railway during that time.  In fact, part of the canopy which covers a segment of the model railway flew off during those winds.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry to hear aout the damage, but glad to hear about it starting to thaw out some up your way. Down here, the pollen is so bad all we have is itchy eyes, runny noses and sneezing!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif It does no good to wash a car, unless it is already yellow, and then it's not necessary./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif 

Good luck on the upcoming season! Are any of the pipeline repair guys still around?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 04/28/2008 5:32 AM

Sorry to hear aout the damage, but glad to hear about it starting to thaw out some up your way. Down here, the pollen is so bad all we have is itchy eyes, runny noses and sneezing! It does no good to wash a car, unless it is already yellow, and then it's not necessary. Good luck on the upcoming season! Are any of the pipeline repair guys still around?


No sign of much of anything happening this season as of yet. But that is about the norm for the pre-summer season.  I have already repaired the damage and am looking at   what exactly will be required to tie in that last 100 foot segment of elevated track to complete that loop around the back of the Kennecott model structure. I hope to start in on that project later this week.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Construction Resumes on Phase II:

The New West Loop, North End

The map shows the continuation of the west loop off the wye on the top-right. As of now the wye is the end of the line, but that is about to change over the next few days now that it is once again possible to dig into the ground that has finally thawed out. 










The first 66 foot tanget support posts went in today. This is the view looking east toward the NX-Cicely model structure. The top line represents the rail bed base, which will average approximately seven feet  above the ground. 


  
The new west loop is a continuation of this wye, which currently is the west (right) terminus. The end of the track you see in the forward part of the photo below will become a curve the enable this section to connect up with the new 96-foot tangent that is now under construction. 


  
Seven new posts went in today, most of them 8 feet apart. This is the first 66 feet of the 96 foot tangent. 


  
Below you see the yellow line that represents the center of the rail base. Below it on the ground is a white cord that helps to line up the supporting posts for this segment. The rail will run about 2 1/2 feet below the platform you see here. The platform will become part of a walkway connecting the back of the building you see with the Cicely model structure. On this end a set of stairs to the ground will be built sometime this season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I forgot to note that I have made in change in the original plan. 

Below you see the blue line--the original plan--and the black line showing the actual route the completion of the west loop will take. It simply made more sense, upon viewing the ground with the benefit of no ice and snow to establish a straight-line from the end of the turn over to the switch at NX-Cicely. It is shorter, simpler and far less expensive.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

I'm glad you are finally able to get some progress! That sure is an ambitious project and I don't blame you for shortening the route, since it doesn't seem to go through any structures in your planning. I'm sure you could add something later if you so desired. 

In the third picture from the top, what is that line for, that is threaded through some eyes that runs along the side of the track support? Just curious. 

Whew, I wouldn't want to be standing in front of that snow blower if it cranked up!!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif It sure is HUGE! Neat picture though.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 05/03/2008 5:52 AM

I'm glad you are finally able to get some progress! That sure is an ambitious project and I don't blame you for shortening the route, since it doesn't seem to go through any structures in your planning. I'm sure you could add something later if you so desired. In the third picture from the top, what is that line for, that is threaded through some eyes that runs along the side of the track support? 


At this rate I'll have the track up in a week or two. There are two lines running alongside those 4X4 supports: one along the ground and one just above the posts that give me the alignment for the 96-foot tangent I have created.



That picture of me in front of the rotary was taken just a few days ago. It sits on the south end of Anchorage.  Yes, one can't help thinking about those huge blades when standing there.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 05/02/2008 10:22 PM

I forgot to note that I have made in change in the original plan. 
















I should note that having tried a wye, I found it to be somewhat impractical because backing that many of those passenger cars into the building in order to turn them around vastly increases the likelihood of derailing. The west loop turned out to be absolutely necessary for smooth operation. The wye has its purpose in that it is the only way to return the cars to their parking place inside the bar, but it really slows the operation of the trains way down.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

No doubt you all want to know something more about that rotary.


Right?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In fact, I have found some fascinating information on the disposition of some of these rotaries that are or once were in Alaska.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It turns out that the Leslie rotary is the type of plow most people think of when you say "rotary." It has one large circular plow blade rotating on a shaft parallel to the tracks. Amazingly there are still 44 of them remaining.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I've always wanted a working model of a rotary. I have fiddled with designing the blade and such, but never got enough of the right materials together to get started. I also understand to make a model throw snow, it has to spin much faster than would be at all prototypical and that is discouraging.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I wonder how many of you have associated your model railroads with actual historic railway lines where rotaries were a significant part of the maintenance operation.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 05/02/2008 10:53 PM




  
And, with one exception, _ none_ of you have made comments or had questions about this recent photo yet.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

What can anybody say.... It looks like a "Moulli" on steroids! 

Okay, where is it? Whose is it? Whose was it? What are the specs... Steam, Dismal, Electric? Horsepower? Self-propelled? (a few were).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/03/2008 6:11 PM

What can anybody say....* It looks like a "Moulli" on steroids*! Okay, where is it? Whose is it? Whose was it?


It looks like a_ what_ ?


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 05/03/2008 6:49 PM
Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/03/2008 6:11 PM

What can anybody say....* It looks like a "Moulli" on steroids*! Okay, where is it? Whose is it? Whose was it?


It looks like a_ what_ ?




YOU don't remember the "Mouli"??? (I think I spelled it right!)... 

It slices, it dices, it shaves ice, it severes finger tips near the bone. 

Kinds of a rotary Veg-o-matic.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/03/2008 6:11 PM

What can anybody say.... It looks like a "Moulli" on steroids! Okay, where is it? Whose is it? Whose was it? What are the specs... Steam, Dismal, Electric? Horsepower? Self-propelled? (a few were).




You've got a point. It doesn't make much sense to bring up such odd-ball things as a picture of a historic rotary snow plow on a large-scale model train forum and then ask for responses, does it?


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

It may be quite historic, but I think it would be most significant to those that have lived in the area where it is... not that I and others are not interested in the history of many and any place... but you should not expect people not from the area to know all about it. 

And "odd=balll things" seem to be the bread and butter of most modelers. I sometimes think the real reason why is because few people would be able to point out discrepancies in a model if few people know much about it. 

Now, I am most interested in the "business end" of rotary snowplows... like I said before I have attempted to design an accurate working model of one; not just put a muffin fan on the end of a boxcar, so the photo is of some interest to me in that it has some detail of one that is a bit different than the ones I have info about. But others might be a whole lot more interested in the overall outline and shape of the rest of it, including whether it is a remodeled boxcar or a purpose built vehicle. 

So, do tell. What is the historic significance to this piece of railroadiana? And I ask again, gimme spec's. Got more photos? Know of any videos of it in operation? When was it last in operation? 

You have a way with words that has drawn me into knowing a wee bit of the history of the Kennecot mines and such... drag me into this one too.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/04/2008 12:35 AM

I have attempted to design an accurate working model of one; not just put a muffin fan on the end of a boxcar, so the photo is of some interest to me in that it has some detail of one that is a bit different than the ones I have info about. But others might be a whole lot more interested in the overall outline and shape of the rest of it, including whether it is a remodeled boxcar or a purpose built vehicle. So, do tell. What is the historic significance to this piece of railroadiana? And I ask again, gimme spec's. Got more photos? Know of any videos of it in operation? When was it last in operation? You have a way with words that has drawn me into knowing a wee bit of the history of the Kennecot mines and such... drag me into this one too. 










 
This is Cooke #45425, built in August, 1908 for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul--the Milwaukee Road--one of _my_ lines on my Phase II layout. It is believed to have become CMStP & P X900207, converted to electric power in 1958, shipped to the AKRR in 1981, following the demise of that line, retired in 1984 and put on display at the Potter Section House--a state park immediately south of Anchorage.

Be sure to click on the images. I have much larger ones for you to see.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I did not know until very recently that the rotary at Potter Marsh was not originally AKRR but was instead Milwaukee Road. Interesting that the company kept it to the very end, but then it was sold off. Kind of a nice piece of history that found a home way up here in AK.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

The rotary is quite interesting, but, (and I know I am in a very small minority) the shrouded Hiawatha loco is plug ugly!


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

AKRR? What line is this?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/04/2008 10:23 PM

The rotary is quite interesting, but, (and I know I am in a very small minority) the shrouded Hiawatha loco is plug ugly!


BUT, it is _historically_ interesting.


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## Guest (May 5, 2008)

BUT, it is historically interesting.

here we are at the different facettes of the hobby again. 
you, Blackburn, seem to be a modelrailroader, because it fits your interest for historics. 
i am in for the landscaping and modelhouse-building. 
others just like to see little trains go round. 
don't be decepted, if not everybody is interested in everything. 


korm 

ps: for my eyes this loco is ugly too


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

BUT, it is historically interesting.

here we are at the different facettes of the hobby again. you, Blackburn, seem to be a modelrailroader, because it fits your interest for historics. i am in for the landscaping and modelhouse-building. others just like to see little trains go round. don't be decepted, if not everybody is interested in everything. korm ps: for my eyes this loco is ugly too 
BUT it is _still_ _historically_ interesting.  

The streamlined Atlantic is certainly unique and instantly recognizable. Of course, this is not _my_ preference in locomotives either.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 05/05/2008 1:58 AM

 

here we are at the different facettes of the hobby again. you, Blackburn, seem to be a modelrailroader, because it fits your interest for historics. i am in for the landscaping and modelhouse-building_*. others just like to see little trains go round*_.


I am beginning to get it.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 05/05/2008 6:54 AM
BUT, it is historically interesting.

here we are at the different facettes of the hobby again. you, Blackburn, seem to be a modelrailroader, because it fits your interest for historics. i am in for the landscaping and modelhouse-building. others just like to see little trains go round. don't be decepted, if not everybody is interested in everything. korm ps: for my eyes this loco is ugly too 
BUT it is _still_ _historically_ interesting.  

The streamlined Atlantic is certainly unique and instantly recognizable. Of course, this is not _my_ preference in locomotives either. 







Maybe to an historian. But to me it is as interesting as penguin droppings in the shape of Elvis. Chuck the shroud and expose the steam locomotive underneath and I have a whole lot more interest. 

I open and at least skim read EVERY posting on this web site (all forums). Some I get really interested in and others I forget before can get the mouse to the close button. When you first started posting some of the info on the mines, I didn't pay much attention. Then "something" attracted my attention, (and no, I don't remember what it was... sorry) and I gained an interest in your writings. I can't say that much of your words really stuck in my cranial tissues, like if I read about Walshearts valve gear or boiler construction, but that doesn't mean your posts are without value to me and lots of others, just that my time, though more copious than that of the non-retired MLS members, is still limited by my own interests and needs. So you keep posting and I and others will keep reading and periodically something will tickle the fancy of someone and you will get some gratifying feedback... but if you post another photo of such a plug ugly abomination of a loco I just might start posting photos of penguin scat!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/05/2008 10:16 AM

here we are at the different facettes of the hobby again. ... but if you post another photo of such a plug ugly abomination of a loco I just might start posting photos of penguin scat! 
I'm sure I have an extra picture or two bumping around here somewhere . . .

I even considered the possibility of bashing one. But MY problem is I just can't get into Atlantics. I think THEY are kind of ugly. I much prefer the FAs that came later.


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## Guest (May 5, 2008)

did someone say "Atlantic"?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By calenelson on 05/05/2008 11:51 AM








did someone say "Atlantic"?


Fascinating! Aside from the huge drive wheels, look at the SIZE of those leading and trailing wheels


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

They almost defeat the purpose of leading and trailing wheels!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By calenelson on 05/05/2008 11:51 AM








did someone say "Atlantic"?


It turns out that this wheel classification is a "Columbia," NOT an "Atlantic." An Atlantic is a 4-4-2 whereas this is a 2-4-2.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Atlantic










The Milwaukee Road Class A Atlantic


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Didn't I warn you about posting pictures of such abominations!!!!!!!!!!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/06/2008 1:24 PM

Didn't I warn you about posting pictures of such abominations!!!!!!!!!!


I just couldn't help myself.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I think you need Psychological intervention[]


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 05/06/2008 4:00 PM

I think you need Psychological intervention


Not really. I just find the Milwaukee Road Atlantic Class A to be historically-interesting. 








I won't be using this model of locomotive on my LS in any case.


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## pfdx (Jan 2, 2008)

The Milwaukee Road Class A is more than historically intersting it is technologically interesting as well. 

It was designed for one thing: speed. With 84" drivers and a 275psi boiler it could keep up or out pace anything on the US rails in 1934. It is also a front connected main rod, meaning the mainrod is attached to the first driver giving the engine a longer wheelbase and greater stability at speed. A charistic of a true racehorse. They were also built by alco with the streamlining. 

It's intended competition was the CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr and C&NW 400 between Chicago and Minneapolis. The 400 was so named because is traveled the 400 mile between the cities in 400 minutes, and that included station stops. 

One of the classic analogies of the Hiawatha service is there is a curve west of Chicago where the Milwaukee turned north and the timetable listed the speed restriction as "90mph brakes released" 

They remained in service until close to the end of steam alongside the Milwaukee's Baltic class (4-6-4) that would give the NYC's Hudson's and run for their money. 

And having extolled their virtues yes they are rather ugly but along with the N&W J's they are probabily the cleanest looking US streamlined steam and the A's were spared the uglyness of most superpower engines that followed. 

So you may flame away at will... 

we now return you to your regularly scheduled discussions.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By pfdx on 05/06/2008 5:48 PM

The Milwaukee Road Class A is more than historically intersting it is technologically interesting as well. It was designed for one thing: speed. With 84" drivers and a 275psi boiler it could keep up or out pace anything on the US rails in 1934. It is also a front connected main rod, meaning the mainrod is attached to the first driver giving the engine a longer wheelbase and greater stability at speed. A charistic of a true racehorse. They were also built by alco with the streamlining. It's intended competition was the CB&Q Pioneer Zephyr and C&NW 400 between Chicago and Minneapolis. The 400 was so named because is traveled the 400 mile between the cities in 400 minutes, and that included station stops. One of the classic analogies of the Hiawatha service is there is a curve west of Chicago where the Milwaukee turned north and the timetable listed the speed restriction as "90mph brakes released" They remained in service until close to the end of steam alongside the Milwaukee's Baltic class (4-6-4) that would give the NYC's Hudson's and run for their money. And having extolled their virtues yes they are rather ugly but along with the N&W J's they are probabily the cleanest looking US streamlined steam[/b] and the A's were spared the uglyness of most superpower engines that followed. So you may flame away at will... we now return you to your regularly scheduled discussions.





There you go !  _Thank you_ for that wonderful contribution.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Yer jus' eggin' me on, ain't cha?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 05/06/2008 8:47 PM

Yer jus' eggin' me on, ain't cha?


So what you're saying is the Atlantic Class A would _not_ be your _first_ modeling choice for your large-scale railroad?


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

(Sigh!)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

All the posts for the final 96-foot segment which will complete the western loop are now in place. Additionally, I have advanced the railbed over those posts for most of that distance in the last two days. The remaining railbed, if not the rails themselves, could possibly be in place by late today.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

CONGRATULATIONS! I know you will be glad to finish that and be able to get something running on all of it in the near future! I hope to see some machinery chuggig along through all your hard work in the near future! Then you can sit back for a bit and enjoy all your accomplishments, with a little refreshment of your choice I'm sure./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/hehe.gif


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 05/08/2008 5:31 AM

! I know you will be glad to finish that and be able to get something running on all of it in the near future! I hope to see some machinery chuggig along through all your hard work . . .


All the railbed and supports were finally in place by last night. I am now in a position to add the track, then the guardrails. This IS a very big deal, finally making the Phase II line fully operational. I do look forward to finally operating this line.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I am still working on the decking. I have had to do some re-leveling and am still debating where to widen the top for sidings I need to park the additional consists.

Once the leveling and surfacing is completed, I can lay the track and install the guard rails to prevent the trains from taking a fatal plunge. 


  
A tentative deck has been laid but not permanently attached. At some point all of the surface will have to be painted even though almost everything here is heavily-treated lumber. (click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Weather-wise the trend is looking good for completing this segment in time for Memorial Weekend:










Copper Center Accu-weather forecast for the 15 days begining Friday, May 9, 2008


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## Guest (May 9, 2008)

one thing for sure: 
if i ever happen to come north again, i'll take a day or two to get a drink at your bar. 
how many foot of track did you lay down in total?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 05/09/2008 2:18 PM

one thing for sure: if i ever happen to come north again, i'll take a day or two to get a drink at your bar. how many foot of track did you lay down in total?


I don't really know. The amount is not all that important to me.  The Phase II line does span an area in excess of 300 feet with wide loops on each end. The east end is approximately 24 feet across.  The west loop is much larger because it has to bend around a large building.  I once estimated that the original Phase I line included about 450 feet of track, but I have simplified the run somewhat and reduced that amount in the process. The extra track is going into the Phase II line, which is considerably larger.



I can say this, every hundred feet of new track is one heck of an effort !  This latest segment will about do it for me for the season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Placing the decking has taken longer than I anticipated. I had to redo the curve because I realized the bed was not level at the turn. That required me to tear out the supports and almost start over. Now all the bed for the new section is in place and awaiting guard rails, paint and the track itself--finally.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I found the deck paint I was using last year and went ahead with it. The (roughly) 100-foot-long new rail is now ready for the track. Here are the east-end views (click): 


  



  
I made the deck wider on the east end to accommodate a couple of short sidings. Below you see the point where a right-hand switch will be installed to head off down the new west loop.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

West end of west loop: 

Today I am installing the track and possibly the guard rails. Then I have to inspect the connecting track on either end to ensure that it is ready to accept the first (late) train of the season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I *have* to get to Alaska someday.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Very slow going today. As I install the track I keep finding places that require time-consuming customization. In more than one case I have also had to adjust the track bed slightly because I found it to be out of kilter in a couple of spots.  I expect to have the new main line connected today, but then I have to go back, check and adjust other track that leads toward the NX-Cicely model before I can run any consists over it. The winds are gusting today, which has also created a problem. Overall, though progress is still being made and I am still slightly ahead of schedule with the track-laying process.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 05/11/2008 4:53 PM

I *have* to get to Alaska someday.


Regrettably, the days of relatively cheap travel to Alaska or elsewhere via any mode of transportation appear to be coming to a rapid end.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Travel across town is getting to be a strain on the budget.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

While I was able to connect up the new west loop main line, which is a 90+ foot tangent, I found that on the NX-Cicely model town end, I am going to have to rearrange the track connections. 


I could have stuck with the original plan and had the track all in place by now, but I determined that I needed two long sidings in order to move two of the consists to the side to enable free flow through the model. My original plan for one of those sidings was not practical and there was no provision at all for that second siding. So today I am working on a _revised plan_. 


I don't suppose this sort of thing (last minute alteration to an apparently well-conceived track plan) ever happens to the rest of you . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Due to frequent high wind gusts I have been unable to put in the hours I want to in order to complete this segment of my ALCANEX Railway. It has been frustratingly slow going and not exactly inexpensive since everything has to be supported seven feet off the ground. Today I picked up another load of treated wood and an additional can of paint. It looks like I have just enough track remaining to finish the revisions. Then I still need to go back and install guard rails along the new tangent before I can finally run the trains. As it turns out, with all this wind, I could not have safely operated the trains in any case.


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## Guest (May 13, 2008)

I don't suppose this sort of thing (last minute alteration to an apparently well-conceived track plan) ever happens to the rest of you . . .

i don't know about all the rest of us, but to me that happens allways.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't suppose this sort of thing (last minute alteration to an apparently well-conceived track plan) ever happens to the rest of you . . . 

Only all the time. Even now, with the track supposedly 'down' for the lower level, I find myself contemplating two minor alterations (exact locations of sidings) and one major one (a mainline extension).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Aside from the high-wind warning which raises our fire-danger status, this is playing havoc with my outdoor model railway project. It has been going on for days now. Yesterday was the worst so far.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 05/13/2008 2:07 AM

I don't suppose this sort of thing (last minute alteration to an apparently well-conceived track plan) ever happens to the rest of you . . .

Only all the time. Even now, with the track supposedly 'down' for the lower level, I find myself contemplating two minor alterations (exact locations of sidings) and one major one (a mainline extension).


My problem was the realization that I had not allowed enough trackage for parking the various consists that will exist for this project. They have to go somewhere ! Because the entire track system is built well above the ground, any revisions to the track plan often mean considerable re-building of the superstructure, which is occurring now. Every time I look at the project I am still a week away from running the trains. That is still the case.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The west loop segment, minus the guardrails, is nearly completed.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The disconnected rail to the left was a mainline leading into the NX-Cicely town model.  The west loop now serves this purpose.  This disconnected line will now become another siding. I have several passenger consists to park, including a GN passenger, GN freight, NP passenger (on hand but not for this year), Amtrak passenger (also OH, but not this year), Santa Fe Passenger,  CP Aristo heavyweight passenger (the only heavyweight consist on this list), and AKRR/Milwaukee Road combined passenger consist. 

The loop on the left is a passenger siding. The dead-end siding on the right will be eventually be connected on this end. It is for a maintenance-of-way / bridge repair / rotary consist. 


  
As you can see I have both brass and aluminum track. The brass segments are salvaged from the Phase I project. I am using every spare piece of track I have to complete this layout.  The Phase II project is consuming a _lot_ of track and large amounts of building material as well. BUT the track is _nearly _complete for Phase II.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

...any revisions to the track plan often mean considerable re-building of the superstructure, which is occurring now. Every time I look at the project I am still a week away from running the trains. 

Been there, done that...rebuilt my benchwork several times to accomodate new and revised ideas. But, the lower level at least is only three foot high. 

BUT the track is nearly complete for Phase II. 

I see you tell yourself that too.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 05/13/2008 3:06 PM

...any revisions to the track plan often mean considerable re-building of the superstructure, which is occurring now. Every time I look at the project I am still a week away from running the trains.

Been there, done that...rebuilt my benchwork several times to accomodate new and revised ideas. But, the lower level at least is only three foot high. 
BUT the track is nearly complete for Phase II.

I see you tell yourself that too.


I _have _to tell myself that--_every_ time.


Today I tore up the remaining deck approach, west end, pulling out all the track to start that section over. Now I have a new painted deck and I can begin re-installing track when conditions permit. The deck will be dry tomorrow. It was not possible to work out there until mid-afternoon due to high winds and unusually cold temperatures. Yesterday the winds nearly blew me off the deck/platform.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

All the track is now secured in place. It was completed with almost nothing to spare, but it is done as of late yesterday afternoon. Now I am ready to add the guardrails and do a final check of the track in preparation for running the new line.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Have the feline track/roadbed inspectors given their 'meow' of approval yet?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 05/14/2008 2:26 PM

Have the feline track/roadbed inspectors given their 'meow' of approval yet?


Are you kidding? They love all that extra elevated track. I can't keep them off it.


I don't anticipated accomplishing much out there today. Thanks to _global warming_ it is now all of 38 degrees out there and it _feels_ miserable ! I still have not been able to bring out the seasonal plants for my garden railway. They are all in pots or baskets _inside._ Last night it was well below freezing out there.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 05/13/2008 12:32 AM

I don't suppose this sort of thing (last minute alteration to an apparently well-conceived track plan) ever happens to the rest of you . . .

i don't know about all the rest of us, but to me that happens allways.


(Please refer to above)

I re-did a section of my track again today.

Then I added the longest of the two guard rail sections--approximately 100 feet.  I was able to accomplish this once the sun came out, bringing temperatures up to 49 degrees from 38.


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, 

Wow,/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif you seem so close to running trains. I think I can hear them already. 

I anxiously await to see pictures of trains running on the new expansion. 

Tommy 
Rio Gracie


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tmejia on 05/14/2008 8:17 PM

Ron, Wow, you seem so close to running trains. I think I can hear them already. I anxiously await to see pictures of trains running on the new expansion.    --Tommy Rio Gracie


I have cleared the first 60 feet of the new segment as now being ready for train travel. The section closest to us still needs some guard rails set on the left side. Most of the rest of it is now ready.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The flags have been waving furiously since late afternoon. Wind gusts have remained strong for the last several days. I don't know how you guys do it who have town layouts exposed to the elements. If it were not for this building, I would not have much of a model town left. 

The shades remain down to protect the model from UV rays until I am ready to begin operation. Even then, when the trains are not in use, these shades will probably be rolled down.The  afteroon summer sun here is very intense.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The weather is finally where it needs to be for good outdoor train operation here in the Copper Valley. As you can see from the screenshot, Roslyn is basking in relatively hot weather at 74 this morning, but even Cicely at 46, Sleetmute at 41, Cantwell at 43, Chickaloon at 42, Juneau at 52 and Sourdough at 45 are finally coming out of the frost zone. NYC, by the way, shows 63 this am. All of these are NX-related locations. _Sourdough_ is the closest location to this layout. 










Here is the webcam this morning for Fairbanks: 










and for Anchorage, taken at the same time: As you can see the weather in this part of the world is looking good. 










And the outlook is even better. This chart is for the Copper Valley as of today. Thus, it is now time to actually run the trains. Today I will do my first test runs.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The early part of May has been characterized by very cold mornings, sometimes dipping below freezing. Today I am finally going ahead and placing my four hanging plants out in the railroad beer-garden. These were fuschias that were wintered-over in a green house in Anchorage.  I am doing this based on the weather projections. Also, the buds are just now coming out in the trees with the first real signs of buds just showing up yesterday. It _has_ been another long and cold winter. 



Progress on the Phase II outdoor line has been somewhat slow since I have limited my work to the afternoons when the temperatures have been more reasonable. The five cat-doors I  need to block the cats out of the NX-Cicely model structure were placed yesterday, as was the last piece of guard rail I required to ensure that the trains would not take a plunge to the ground--seven feet below. 



Yesterday I begn charging the  batteries for some of the locomotives and the first test engines and consists should be running soon . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have finally run a full consist through the new line. It works, but adjustments to the equipment will be required. Also, that new curve is not quite right yet. No pictures yet, but they will be coming soon enough. I had a lot of cleanup in the work area before I could even run any trains. That has been accomplished. Now I have to do some considerable tweaking . . .


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Was 41 here this morning. Must be global warming


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 05/19/2008 7:20 AM

Was 41 here this morning. Must be global warming


We had a real summer-like day yesterday. I finally got a lot of annuals planted out there in the yard. Then I got up at 2AM only to discover it was already 26 and dropping! Yikes ! I was out there pulling in all the hanging plants and covering all the rest. I sure hope I got to them all in time. I can't believe it could drop so low this late in the year. When I turned in it was still above forty.



It has remained persistently cold for months, but this is getting ridiculous. Yeah. Global warming. That must be it.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

We had one last shot in May down here last year of 17 and then 19, after all the trees, etc. had budded out. I lost several, because the running sap froze and popped all the bark loose and killed the trees. The mountains looked like winter had come again with all the dead budded leaves, but mother nature finally recovered and things got back to somewhat normal in about a month. 

I'm glad it is getting warmer so you can start enjoying all your hard work from this winter, and I look forward to seeing some pictures! It seems like there are always several things that need attention, no matter how careful you are, and I'm sure it will be well wort the trouble when you can sit back and enjoy the seeing consists rolling along. GOOD LUCK!!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The walkway to connect to two structures which house Kennecott (on the left) and NX-Cicely (on the right)

is now under construction. It roughly parallels the new west loop track extension. This is the proposal I drew up earlier this winter. 


  
Two 36-foot long TGIs serve as the base:


  
Additionally, we have installed two 4X6 16-foot treated posts to better support the center area:


  
These posts will then be cut to the appropriate length in order to support a canopy above the new walkway. 


  
Once the walkway is in place the handrails will be installed.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The headline for today's local paper, the _Anchorage Daily News_, reads: *

Alaska mystique may trump runaway fuel prices *



_ "With runaway fuel prices, it's somehow fitting that Jim and Wilma Fowler's Airstream Safari travel trailer sports a green sign, "Alaska or Bust," on its back window. 



"After driving 3,800 miles to Alaska from Oak Park, Calif., for a three-month trek in their son's adopted state, the Fowlers have put in 5,000 miles and paid $2,300 for the diesel fueling their Ford F20 so far. 



"They're not bust yet and they feel lucky they could shell out for the trip, said Jim Fowler, 70, a retired aerospace worker. 



"Alaska's tourism leaders said growth in their industry, the state's second largest, likely will be flat or be down somewhat this year due to burgeoning oil prices and a national recession. That would interrupt several years of tourism expansion: Last year's record season, for example, brought 1.7 million-plus visitors who spent more than $1.5 billion in the state, according to the Alaska Travel Industry Association. 



"Plenty of tourism businesses are banking on the state's mystique to keep Alaska from joining a national trend that has folks staying closer to home. A random sampling of hotels and B&Bs suggests a solid summer, although the Bed and Breakfast Association of Alaska estimates that bookings among its members are down by as much as 20 percent. "_ 


rest of this article from Anchorage Daily News  
The good news for me is that last night, Friday, the first day of the Memorial Weekend, was a record night for the first day of this start of summer here at the CRD. Now, if that trend would only hold . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Dr Joel & Holling at The Brick: 










The leaves are mostly out now. Probably _it will_  be summer _by Tuesday_ !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For the second night of the weekend, business was good. The CRD had returning "snow birds" from a variety of places, plus other visitors from within the state. This is surprising considering that the local low price for gasoline is now $4.39.9. Keep in mind that this is a business in a relatively isolated area, definitely "off the beaten path." Meanwhile the carpenter I brought in from Anchorage has begun his second day of work on the walkway complex that will connect the two outdoor rail lines. This should be completed by some time tomorrow.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new walkway that roughly parallels the new west loop is now connected. By tomorrow the rest of the handrails will be in place and much ofthe overhead canopy. 


  
Although a front and back deck have existed on this building since 2001, the two were never connected until yesterday. This new feature immensely improves the outdoor model railroad viewing experience. Seen in front is the structure which supports the new west loop track. 


  
This building has been in place since 2000. This is the first time it has had handrails on the second level where the Kennecott model is located. Until now only that single handrail along the existing stairway was in place.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

What really amazed me was how substantially this new walkway altered the view of the Phase II model railroad. 


  
From the ground one has to look up to the see the model railroad, which is at the seven-foot level. It seems like quite a distance up. But from the new walkway, one has a birds-eye view--and it is great. 


  
In fact one can see almost the entire layout from various points along this one new platform. 


  
As with almost all my posts, it is only necessary to click almost any photo to view a much larger version of the image (click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new stairway under construction: Two sets of seven steps plus the landing work their way around the 35-foot flag pole base. The handrails went up later (click). The person at the base of the stairs is the carpenter.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

A "real" Northern Exposure moose crosses the Klutina River a few days ago:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The moose arrives with her yearling on the north bank (my side)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

What amazed me about these photos (I was not the one who took these, but they are on my property along the north bank of the Klutina) is how low the river is that a moose could literally walk across what is usually a raging river. Usually all the round rocks you see here are underwater. The Klutina is a glacier-fed river, 26 miles in length. It meets the Copper River just a half mile downstream from this point. (Click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The moose is, of course, an endearing symbol of the television show on which my last model is based, mythical Cicely, Alaska from_ Northern Exposure_. 










The model itself includes an abundance of moose--all models, of course. The big ones are just a little out of scale and somewhat destructive to boot.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Very nice to see all is going so well on your layout expansion, and I sincerely hope that the trend started at the beginning of your tourist season continues for the remainder.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

You've come a long, long way Ron, and I'm proud of you and what you have accomplished! The views you have shown look great! 

Like Steve, I hope your season is a great one! You certainly deserve it! 

That moose with calf sure looks like she will be happy to see some new growth to feed off of!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have some very moving pictures to post of a Native-American ceremony and funeral for an Indian fallen soldier. These were taken in Colorado and published a few years ago. The American Native people have been among those who have paid the highest price for freedom on the battlefield, being represented in the most recent wars in disproportionate numbers because we have always understood the true cost of freedom and what it really means to love one's country.  We have always served our nation without question when called upon, myself included. 










Remember that Native people lost their own wars a century and more ago. Yet when it comes to the call of arms, by the nature of our own various traditions there has been  no one  more prepared to die for  his  country . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

THE NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL

located in Neillsville, Wisconsin 
"The Highground is honored to have been chosen as the home of The National Native American Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Unanimous approval for this decision was given at the annual conference of the National Congress of American Indians held in Denver, CO in 1994. 



Dedicated in 1995, The National Native American Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the first national memorial to come to The Highground. Harry Whitehorse, Madison sculptor and WW 11 veteran, created this bronze sculpture. Mounted on a red granite base, the sculpture depicts an American Indian soldier 'in jungle fatigues, holding a rifle in one hand and an Eagle Feather Staff in the other. The names of all American Indians who died as a result of the Vietnam war are etched into two of the four black granite panels which skirt the base of the entire statuary. 



The other two black granite panels are inscribed with the following words: 

NATIONAL NATIVE AMERICAN VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL 

"THE FORGOTTEN WARRIOR" 


from:  genealogy trails


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Mission Accomplished:

The new west-walkway is completed.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the pictures Ron. Too sad for words. May they ALL rest in peace.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I had to go back to my post of January 13 to find where I had first proposed this alteration to the Phase II model railroad system. It sure was cold back then !  
Posted By blackburn49 on 01/13/2008 4:24 PM

Rear of the Kennecott Model Housing Structure facing East


  
This structure was built in 2000. The Cicely structure beyond it was built in 2007. Neither one has any north-facing windows or access. However, with my decision to add a track loop back to the Cicely model, I will alter this situation somewhat.  This photo was taken from the deck.  The plan now is to connect this deck with the one you see on the far end of the red building. 







You can use these pictures from back then to see how much change has taken place in just the last few weeks. The only part of the plan that remains undone is the second access door into the Kennecott model area that was to be built about halfway down the new walkway. That will come later.  I have quite a lot of work to do within the Kennecott model area before I can proceed with that step.  What I had not forseen, as I mentioned in a previous post, is just how much this new walkway would enhance the viewing of the new Phase II line. The effect is remarkable and quite a bonus not just for me but for anyone viewing this model railroad.  
Posted By blackburn49 on 01/13/2008 4:33 PM

For years I have used this deck for access to Kennecott models area. It has not been publicly-accessible. There are no handrails and the inside is not properly setup for foot traffic. However, I have decided to extend the walkway along the north side of this building and add an exit door about halfway down this new walkway. What that will do is allow flow-through for vistors who will for the first time be able to view this model from INSIDE the building. 


  
The new four-foot wide deck will have both handrails and an extension of the overhead canopy to protect the walkway and visitors using it.  The handrails will extend all the way around and a new canopy will be built over the front (west) end of this structure as well.  



This is also allow for the attachment of the new Phase II extension rail. 



These latest photos were taken today. *It was minus 25 F out there.*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 05/27/2008 5:34 AM

Thanks for the pictures Ron. Too sad for words. May they ALL rest in peace.


The whole series of shots is incredibly moving.  I don't think too many realize or appreciate the true  and deep sense of patriotism that exists within many of the the Native communities.  It is not a matter of "understanding" or "appreciating" the_ rights_ contained within the U.S. Constitution.  It is the practical matter of actually stepping up and choosing to physically defend one's own country.  That often means placing one's own life at risk in some far-away battlefield because it is understood that sometimes this is necessary.    It is a basic concept of action over words that is well understood by almost all Native people. There is a potentially high cost which goes along with such a decision which is aptly documented with these few striking images. This too is well understood and ingrained within the various Native cultures.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

(bump)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I ran two of the passenger consists today. Both of these were Aristo passenger coaches headed by USA diesel units. Tomorrow I will run a USA passenger consist headed by an Aristo engine. No pictures yet. Too busy concentrating on working out various small problems that arise.


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 05/27/2008 11:30 PM
Posted By flatracker on 05/27/2008 5:34 AM

Thanks for the pictures Ron. Too sad for words. May they ALL rest in peace.


The whole series of shots is incredibly moving.  I don't think too many realize or appreciate the true  and deep sense of patriotism that exists within many of the the Native communities.  It is not a matter of "understanding" or "appreciating" the_ rights_ contained within the U.S. Constitution.  It is the practical matter of actually stepping up and choosing to physically defend one's own country.  That often means placing one's own life at risk in some far-away battlefield because it is understood that sometimes this is necessary.    It is a basic concept of action over words that is well understood by almost all Native people. There is a potentially high cost which goes along with such a decision which is aptly documented with these few striking images. This too is well understood and ingrained within the various Native cultures. 





Thank you for sharing these photos with us. May these fallen warriors never be forgotten.


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## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

-25F???? BRR! It's almost into triple digits here in the desert, and I'm already shivering just considering how cold that has to be....


I can't wait to see your photos when the Kennecott area is done!!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Your funeral photos are very moving.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Now that the east deck of the Kennecott model structure is finally accessible due to the new west loop walkway, one can find an excellent view of Mt. Wrangell to the east: 


  
  
click either photo for a much larger image


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## bryanj (Jan 2, 2008)

Are you Native American Ron ?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By bryanj on 05/28/2008 8:18 PM

Are you Native American Ron ?


My father is Athabascan. His roots are right here in the Copper River Valley. When I wrote my historic novel back in 2000, it was based on an ancestor, Nicolai of Taral, which was on the lower Copper River on the east bank, just downriver from present-day Chitina on the west bank.  Our closest Athabascan relations are Navajo (Dine') and Apache. 



Mom is Norske.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

When I first started assembling my new Llagas track for my Phase II railroad two seasons ago, I laid out an entire line with a loop on one end and a wye on the other. The track is flexible, so it is difficult to determine with any certainty the radius of the curves when they are seven feet in the air. This year I concluded that many of those original curves were too sharp. I am now going back along the entire loop end--the part east of the NX-Cicely model--and widening almost every curve. This requires adding additional roadbed.  I am also rechecking the grades as I go. There were problems with grades at the curves which have had to be resolved. Once I have completed the east loop section , which includes painting almost all of the railbed, the line should finally be ready to run.


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## Guest (May 31, 2008)

I am now going back along the entire loop end...and widening almost every curve.


how many hours of daylight have you got up there? 
about 20? all your projects sound like taking a lot of time.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

how many hours of daylight have you got up there? 
about 20? all your projects sound like taking a lot of time. 



This time of year...it is still light out at 11 pm....and the sun is up very early.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 05/31/2008 4:47 PM

I am now going back along the entire loop end...and widening almost every curve.

how many hours of daylight have you got up there? about 20? all your projects sound like taking a lot of time.


The daylight lasts a long time here in Copper Center this time of year: 








Yes, these projects are very time-consuming. They also consume a large amount of raw material. I am using up almost all the scrap wood and hardware as well trying to finish up this Phase II project.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It took all day yesterday to work my way through the east loop, widening almost all the railbed and curves. I still have another day to complete that part of the line. Then it will be ready for testing. Then I have to go back, unscrew the track section by section and paint the entire east end of the railbed.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Of course, a large part of the problem is that this outdoor railway cannot be extensively worked for all except roughly five months of the year due to the nature of the climate.  Contrary to popular misconception, it is not getting warmer up here, folks. If anything, the trend has been in the other direction. By the time summer _finally_ arrives there are _always_ repairs to be made to the railway substructure as well as to some of the scale model structures.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

All of the remaining rail bed is now completed. I have almost completely rebuilt the east loop. All but one section of guard rail has been re-installed. It has been too gusty here in the last few days to run trains, but I can hardly wait to try out the reworked Phase II line.



While I was working on the loop an older guy walked up from the nearby Copper Center Lodge. He was visiting from Portland, Oregon. He, too, is a large-scale model railroader. I took the time to show him most of the set-up. He said he had never seen anything like it and would like to see it in Model Railroader Magazine. What a compliment.


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## Guest (Jun 2, 2008)

are you going to make some videos to put in youtube?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 06/02/2008 2:04 AM

are you going to make some videos to put in youtube?


Possibly later in the season.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

It does sound like business is picking up for you anyhow... 

...as to the wind, maybe you should look into a windmill.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 06/02/2008 2:54 PM

It does sound like business is picking up for you anyhow... ...as to the wind, maybe you should look into a windmill.



Business has picked up somewhat but it is hardly impressive. 


The track bed is ready and the guard rails are all up. Unfortunately, we are still experiencing some heavy gusts. It is not worth it to place the trains out there until it is somewhat safer.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like today is finally the day I will be able to test the old section of the Phase II line now that I have re-aligned and widened most of it. The weather has not been conducive to running model trains lately due to an ongoing series of storms that seem to keep moving in. Keep your fingers crossed.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Today was not the day. Regrettably, during the mid-afternoon when the weather was at its best, I had to perform some unplanned maintenance. Then it began raining. So much for running trains on Wednesday.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I conducted my first successful run-around of the entire track with a USA Great Northern passenger consist. Unfortunately, although I have an F3a-b hookup, only the a unit is powered. That turned out to be insufficient for the long return grade. With the two SD70 Macs that operate in tandem, I was able to complete the run up the grade to the midpoint at NX-Cicely where that consist now rests. The F3 b will be refitted with motor blocks so that I can obtain power from the b-unit before using the GN F3a-b again. No problem. The Macs and a Dash 9 will fill in fine for now. I also have a 40-2 which also operated satisfactorily.



I had the 40-2 pulling some Aristo heavyweights, but they have so much drag that I am taking them out of service for now (and probably for the season) until I can work on the individual trucks. These are now back in storage. 



The USA corrugated aluminum passenger cars are the smoothest working.  The Aristocraft streamliners were not quite up to the performance of their USA counterparts, but they still worked adequately on my greatly-improved Phase II track. 



No pictures yet. I found other problems that have to be resolved before I pull out the camera.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

These coaches are represented in two of the consists in use on the Phase II line. Both are USA Ultimate Series coaches. Anyone ever notice the marked difference in the two dome cars? I had never even given it a thought until early this summer when it finally hit me that these are not the same cars.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

View of the eastern end of the Phase II line taken from the end of the NX-Cicely model structure (looking downhill):

This is an 80-foot slope. It turns out that a single USA engine has insufficient power to pull my heavy passenger consists up this grade in this direction. About the time the engine reaches the ladder, it comes to a complete stop. 

The curves are wide, but the grade it long. 

At the switches seen in the foreground I send the consists to the left into the NX-Cicely model structure. This also serves as a good place to quickly move these long consists when the wind suddenly picks up. Lately that has been happening all too frequently. 


  
Here you see my Aristocraft streamliner passenger consist where I parked it last night, entering the model town from the second of the two switches you see above. I had to pull out this Aristocraft Mikado to rescue the passenger consist because the 40-2 stalled out on the grade. The Mikado, as it turned out, was more than adequate for that task. In the future I will have to double-head any USA diesel units I use to pull passenger consists. 


  
This particular one includes just six coaches: two Alaska RR and four Milwaukee Road coaches--all customized from Aristo streamliners. This is my only Aristo streamliner train in the system.  The train is parked in the center track. There is one to the north and to the south (window side) that parallels this track.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

View of the north track: USA GN streamliner consist headed by two AKRR Mac SD70s: 


  
I estimate that the GN consist weighs something in excess of 100 pounds. It is no wonder that a single USA engine cannot pull it up the grade shown in the previous post. But two USAs working in tandem are up to the task. These Mac 70s are excellent, smooth-operating units. As with most all of my images, you may click onto the picture to get a much-larger one.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good Ron! Sorry about the wind. We are having quite a bit here too, though no tornados thank god!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Facing the forward Mac SD70 is my GN mallet. I pulled it out for testing but have not yet determined what its role will be on this model this year. So far it seems to like my new and improved trackage.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 06/06/2008 1:00 PM

Looking good Ron! Sorry about the wind. We are having quite a bit here too, though no tornadoes thank god!


Thanks, Bob. We have had an unusually gusty month. Normally by now there is almost no wind. In the above picture, the reason that mallet is parked inside facing the Mac was to get it out of harm's way from heavy winds that were blasting around it. As it turned out the location of this large NX-Cicely structure works out quite conveniently for purposes of getting these long train consists out of the wind and rain.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 01/07/2008 12:04 PM



The outdoor portion of the work on the Phase II project (the 1:29 modern trains) ended in October, same as the year before, at the point when temperatures stayed below freezing at mid day. This forced all remaining work indoors. All the rail lines have been connected and the line will be fully operational in May. One new connecting segment will be added next season to enable an easier turn-around of trains without bringing them back inside the bar itself.



At present the fleet for the Phase II segment includes one F3-A NP with a passenger consist of NP USA aluminum coaches; an F3 A-B GN with a set of GN USA set of coaches; a GN mallet with a mixed assortment of freight cars, mostly coal hoppers; an Alaska Railroad 40-2 (custom paint) plus two AKRR SD-70 Macs (stock) and a set of FA-1-FB-1 AKRR engines along with two custom AKRR passenger cars and an assortment of freight cars; a Canadian Pacific FA-1 and FB-1 unit with a limited edition set of CP Aristocraft heavyweights plus a CP Aristocraft Pacific; a large Santa Fe USA passenger consist with an SF E-8 and an SF Dash 9; and a custom painted set of Milwaukee Road modern coaches plus the FA-B-A Aristo stock locomotive units in that paint scheme. Additionally, in the Milwaukee paint scheme, we will be converting several heavyweights into the same stock Milwaukee colors later in the year.

*The operational model trains in 2008 will be the two Great Northern ones; one of the AKRR consists; the BNSF passenger consist; and one Milwaukee Road passenger consist.*




I am quoting my initial post in this thread. The line was _almost_ fully operational in May. It_ is now_. The new connecting segment was the west loop, which was successfully completed. 


The F3-a-b GN will be out of service, possibly all season, since it will be sent to TOC's shop for revision so it can operate as a full tandem. Right now only the a-unit is powered. As I have already indicated, that proved inadequate. 


The referenced CP heavyweights will not be in service this year. In fact, CP will not be represented at all this season. Also, only two Milwaukee Road heavyweights will be in service, but probably not this year. There will be no additional conversions. That plan is cancelled. 


Consists: One GN passenger, probably headed by the two AKRR SD70 Macs; One ATSF headed by an Aristo Dash-9; the mixed Milwaukee/AKRR Aristo streamliner consist, headed by engines yet to be determined and some kind of freight consist headed by either the mallet or the mikado.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

A closer look at the mixed Milwaukee Road  / AKRR passenger consist: 


  
Somewhere in the states is my Milwaukee Road FA-FB-FA unit waiting to be converted to remote battery control for this unit. At that time I might add more coaches. Maybe.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Once I have the track situation operation to my satisfaction I will resume work on the town itself. This hill, for instance, needs a lot of attention. 


  
At present the focal point is the mansion. It has a new resident these days: Vlad and his wife Bludhilda


  
This will definitely be a fun project. The hill will be expanded and detailed. More residential structures will undoubtedly be addeded, but Vlad will continue to occupy the high ground overlooking his victims neighbors.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The south track line:  The Santa Fe line is also parked at NX-Cicely (Cicely for short).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This consist has not yet been tested on the long return grade to the east. It remains to be seen of an Aristo model diesel can outperform a USA diesel. I had to park it due to the change in the weather so here it sits for now. 


  
Here we have a good view of Cicely as we look west. All three parallel passenger consists can be seen in this photo. As with most of my others, you may click this picture to obtain a much-larger one.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Stop On In . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For an Alaskan Brew . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Check out those trains . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

They're here . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For you . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_ Copper Rail Depot   _(Burma Shave)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

You came . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

To experience . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Last Frontier . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Visit us . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

You'll find it here


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_ Copper Rail Depot_ / (Burma Shave)


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Excellent use of the BurmaShave script... real nice!


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2008)

nice advertising system. 
and i really like your town! the diversity of styles the buildings display makes it real.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 06/06/2008 11:38 PM

nice advertising system. and i really like your town! the diversity of styles the buildings display makes it real.


Parts of the town have yet to be constructed. You can see a wide open space right down the middle along the north side. That space is dedicated to an entire block of buildings that await construction. These ones will enhance the diverse appearance even more whenever they finally come out of the shop.  I still have to allow a clear  path for me to walk over the model to access various parts of the tracks. There won't be much space left over once the plan is fully implemented.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 06/06/2008 10:30 PM

Excellent use of the BurmaShave script... real nice!










This project has been planned for several years. The signs you see just went up today. They are to be permanent fixtures.  They are spaced roughly 80-100 feet apart--all the space I had available to me on my frontage section of Loop Road.  








Below: The REAL McCoy !


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW Ron, it would take a person at least 2 hrs. looking at the town, to be able to take in all the detail, if it could be done at all. Just superb! You are probably the only one who knows all the hours, research, and work that has been done to get the town together, as well as the rest of the R/R you have. Very, very nice!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 06/07/2008 5:06 AM

WOW Ron, it would take a person at least 2 hrs. looking at the town, to be able to take in all the detail, if it could be done at all. Just superb!You are probably the only one who knows all the hours, research, and work that has been done to get the town together, as well as the rest of the R/R you have. Very, very nice!


I never kept track of my time. I just chip away at this project like most of the rest of you do with yours. However, I do have times that I can devote more energy to it. And I am always thinking of ways I can improve on some aspect of it. In fact, I spend far more time working out details in my mind then I do actually putting physical labor into it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have spent the weekend in Anchorage visiting with Dad who came up for a meeting. Thus, nothing got done on the Phase II project. However, the weather has definitely remained well below normal and I have even seen new snow along the tops of the mountains while driving into Anchorage. I return this afternoon and, hopefully, resume work on the final stages of the project tomorrow. Except for the inclusion of some remaining model structures and painting of about half of the railbed, and a few places I have identified where additional guard rails need to be installed, this project appears to be done.  At least the main track lines will be fully operational. 



I did find one problem I will probably bring up in the track section to solicit advice on what needs to be done. All this means that the whole works should be wholly functional. My most recent track tests are all positive, so it is definitely looking good.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

After months of neglect I finally began updating my website, copperraildepot dot com today. There were numerous bad links and the information was outdated. The site also needed some editing to eliminate redundancy. 
  
I have always had my own website, learning the html code right off the computer. Over the years my site has evolved considerably. At one time it primarily revolved around the history of Kennecott and its Copper River & Northwestern Railway. More recently, I dropped the historic aspect completely, replacing part of that with complete chapters from my book. Now I am about to include a new historic section on the CRNW Railway.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

The 'new & improved' web site is looking good, nice job.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 06/14/2008 12:55 AM

Ron

The 'new & improved' web site is looking good, nice job.


New, improved and in the process of being vastly expanded.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Papa Ruby had a book of Burma Shave jingles, or whatever they were called, and some stories related to them. I could spend a whole evening laughing.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Train wrecks few 
Reason clear 
Fireman 
Never hugs 
Engineer 
Burma-Shave 

(I googled)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

With almost all the emphasis in recent months being placed on the Great Northern Phase II operation (aka ALCANEX), the orginal rail line, the Copper River & Northwestern Phase I has been largely neglected. I went through the track switches overhead in the bar yesterday when I discovered that several of them did not work. Two had broken or cut lines and one needed adjustment. Once I restored the use of these remotely-activated overhead switches, I was able to start up the double-header I use every year for this Phase I line. 

The newer Phase II line has no remote-activated switches. It has two sidings inside the bar above the back bar that serve as parking areas. The trains parked there simply exit out through a couple of manually-operated switches whereas the Phase I line runs above the bar through a series of switches that MUST work remotely. 

The cars I am presently using on the original track make up a beer-liquor consist that I set up for bar display last year. These include two Aristocraft Jack Daniels passenger cars, an LGB JD car, a Harley car, two different Alaska brewing cars and a Budweiser reefer, plus my Budweiser caboose. 

The LGB engines at the head of the consist have always performed very well, as was the case with this initial run. 

click any photo for a larger view.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I have been looking for a workable path that will allow me to connect the Phase I and Phase II systems. The two are separated in elevation by two or more feet outdoors. Althoug they are somewhat closer together within the bar, there is no room to make a connection in there. It appears that the best place to make the junction from the Phase I side will be at this spot. From here I can run a line over the the wye--the highest point in the Phase II line. That should mean I only have to drop 1 1/2 feet. Now the only question is how long a run will be required to make a workable connection.  Probably won't happen this year.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## Guest (Jun 17, 2008)

That should mean I only have to drop 1 1/2 feet. Now the only question is how long a run will be required to make a workable connection.

by generally accepted estimations you would need at least 30 foot, better more. 
on straights you should not grade steeper than 0.4(2/5) inches per foot. on curves two thirds of that. 0.25 (1/4) inch per foot. 
(that is talking LGB engines. for Bachmann go with even less grade)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

On July 4th I completed the connection between the Phase I and Phase II lines--the Copper River & Northwestern to the Alaska-Canadian Northern Expo (ALCANEX) using five foot sections of brass track I purchased from a local garden railway enthusiast who no longer operates an outdoor railroad. The curves are Aristo 10-foot segments. Since this is the old line that primarily uses 8-foot curves it will only be used for the shorter, older rolling stock that originally operated on the 2001-era line. The newer equipment will not be running on this segment. I wanted to be able to bring the CRNW equipment into the town of Cicely. That has now been accomplished. 

The new connection required approximately seventy feet of line and follows the route I had considered most desirable*. It took three days to complete, including installation of guard rails, and now only requires painting. 

The new segment begins at a point I have named "Chitina Junction," near the Phase II (CRNW Railway) exit from the bar and terminates at a point somewhat less than 1 1/2 feet lower at "Kennecott Junction." 
  
_ * most desirable_: least amount of track required but relatively easy access to the switch that allows the train to leave the Phase I line and the switch on the other end which enables the train to enter the existing Phase II line.  Other routes considered would have required considerable more track and track supports. Additionally, those routes required crossing the Phase II line overhead at too many points.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Most of the drop in the line occurs in the last 40 feet where the elevation difference is approximately one foot. The overhead clearance of the bridge over the wye is ten inches.  I will be setting up a CRNW consist to give this new line its first test today.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile I am continuing to update my website from time to time, mostly converting two of my existing threads here on MLS for use on my website: The KMR and the Kennecott Mines threads. 
  
These threads have proved to be particularly useful and will soon become a permanent part of my website in their slightly-altered form.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good Ron, both the layout changes and the revised web site.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Right up to the end of June business has been slow and the weather has been cold with temperatures sometimes dropping to freezing at night. With the July 4th weekend, real summer weather finally moved in and business has picked up along with the warmer weather. 


Progress has been slower on the model then I had hoped, but by now most of the benchmarks I had set for this year have been met. I did not originally plan on tying to two separate models together, but by late June I realized it made some sense to do so. That has now been done. 


I am still working out minor problems with the track, but they are becoming less common since I began reworking entire sections from the east to the west end. 



It has become too expensive for me to continue with my program of adding remote battery power to new locomotives, so many of those have been shelved. However, the existing ones now out on the line work well. I am especially pleased with the Aristocraft Dash-9 which has proved to be a very strong puller and highly reliable. I am not quite so happy with the USA 40-2 and the FA's, but the SD-70 double-header works well.


One of the reasons for tying the two lines together was the construction of the covered walkway along the rear of the Kennecott model structure. This has the effect of physically tying the two model towns together--Kennecott and Cicely. I have also added a new door behind the Kennecott model which enables an easy flow-through for visitors. Inside I have just added rails to make it safer for the public to view the model with far less danger of falling into it (that was a potential problem before). 


Outside on the wye I have also just added rails to make it safer for _me_ to work up there since that has now become a busy area. Until yesterday the possibility of my falling off the seven-foot high platform was always a worry. With the new safety rails I have largely eliminated that concern.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It was long in coming. Finally on July 10th weather conditions permitted the running of the first train from the original Phase I Copper River & Northwestern Railway line to the new Phase II Great Northern line--now renamed the Alaska-Canadian Northen Expo Consolidated Railways System (ALCANEX).  



Originally I had no intention of connecting the two lines together. After all, the original line is not suitable for the larger rolling stock that operates on the Phase II line. However, the model town on that line includes the Alaskan Brewery. I realized I needed a way to smoothly transport the beer cars on the old line over to the new one with the brewery being the obvious destination.  These older cars belong on the old line and are most suitably pulled by my double-header moguls seen here parked at Kennecott yesterday (Wednesday, July 9, 2008). This particular consist is made up of two Aristo Jack Daniels passenger cars, a rare LGB JD car, an LGB Harley car (fits the local scene) and a short assortment of beer reefers followed up by my custom LGB Budweiser/K&L Distributors caboose. As you see below, the consist is now ready to roll out of Kennecott. 


  
The route goes past old McCarthy, then leaves the old line at the new Chitina Junction just beyond the Copper River steel bridge.  It then meets the new line at Kennecott Junction. The consist will then approach Cicely where it will enter a special siding that bypasses the mainline and the turntable to the west of the town, ending up on the rails on the north end of the town--the NP-CP North Coal Line. 


  
All pictures in the following posts can be enlarged by clicking them. The larger size in most cases is 1600 pixels wide, but they are low enough resolution to load very quickly.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here the consist passes through the new Chitina Junction.  The old main line at this point enters the bar though the closed entry way seen behind the locomotives. The switch has to be made manually, requiring a step ladder as you see here. I prefer manual operation on all of the outdoor switches because I want to ensure that each switch is in its proper position prior to the train passing over them.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The train passes under the roof of the bar,  then emerges on an overpass that carries it over the southwest corner of the Phase II wye. Above is a new hand rail I installed for my own safety since I have to be up on the wye to ensure the switches are all in their proper positions. The wye is seven feet above the ground. 


  
I put the same map back up for reference.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Two views of the CRNW beer consist as it approaches the Kennecott Junction:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The CRNW beer consist has successfully entered the new Phase II line and is proceeding down a long tangent to Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The train approaches Cicely, passing by and then under the new rear walkway that enables better access to the Kennecott model as well as an efficient means to travel between the two model towns that are each contained within their own protective structures. 


  
  
The CRNW beer consist has now entered its own siding just prior to arriving at Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The double header engines pull in behind a large Great Northern passenger consist parked on the north approach line. This will have to be moved forward in order to accommodate the beer train.   To the left you can see the Cicely Alaskan Brewery.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In the background is the GN passenger consist which had to be moved off the track on the far right, then backed into place on the long siding along the south side of Cicely, just outside the structure which houses the model town. In the middle is a short CP passenger consist headed by a GN mallet. It also had to be moved to accommodate the beer train. 


  
Close-up of the GN passenger consist headed by the two AKRR Macs.  This area strongly resembles the frost heaves that are common throughout Alaska, but the various consists that pass through this area and/or park on this siding handle the heaves without difficulty. At some point this section of track bed will have to be replaced, but not this year.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The beer train, with its track now clear, turns around at Cicely for the continuation of the trip back to the wye where it will then be backed into the bar at the  lower Phase II level.  Because this is a test run, it will not be parking at the Cicely Alaskan Brewery today.  Also in view is part of the GN passenger consist parked immediately south of the town.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The CRNW consist leaves Cicely, heading west toward the CRD bar. 


  
Ahead, parked under the Kennecott model housing structure is yet another consist parked on the line. This one will have to be moved forward in order to clear the line for the CNRW beer consist.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile the short CP heavyweight passenger consist is brought out for a test run around the east loop: 
  
The train had to be stopped at this point in order to cut off a fast-growing branch that was threatening the rail line. 


  
  
  
The short consist successfully passes through the loop and heads back to Cicely.


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

Glad to hear that the problems needing to be addressed are getting fewer and that choices of modification are working out as you wished.

Now that the weather has seemingly decided to get with the program, I hope that the humans are able to take advantage of it and come see what you've accomplished.


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## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

Great shots Ron, hey I was wondering in the pic where the Kenworth semi is parked, the Coca Cola sign on building, did you make that yourself? Or did you get that done by someone. Or is it a sign? 

Tom H 

I like coke products, our basement has a lot of that stuff, dont drink it, just like the the history of it, good thing Dr Pepper is around then also, thats what I like


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Success at last! 

(I also note that the local feline population also appeared to be either slightly interested or slightly annoyed by the mechanical intrusion into their domain).


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I'll hop in the TARDIS and be right over!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tom h on 07/10/2008 5:36 PM

Great shots Ron, hey I was wondering in the pic where the Kenworth semi is parked, the Coca Cola sign on building, did you make that yourself? Or did you get that done by someone. Or is it a sign? Tom H I like coke products, our basement has a lot of that stuff, dont drink it, just like the the history of it, good thing Dr Pepper is around then also, thats what I like


This is an old design that was re-created on a Franklin Mint Coke truck some years ago. I had my designer reproduce it to the appropriate size and then add it to the Brick Tavern model. A Coke sign nearly  identical to this was once  painted on a building in the town where I grew up back in the 1950s.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 07/10/2008 9:08 PM

Success at last! (I also note that the local feline population also appeared to be either slightly interested or slightly annoyed by the mechanical intrusion into their domain).


No way around those darn cats. I run the trains and they're right there !


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## Guest (Jul 12, 2008)

at last i begin to understand the meaning of the word "catwalk"....


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

When I was a kid, Mom and Dad had houseplants everywhere. But the little tables and stands you set them on were called, "Catstands."


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

A second stairway has been added to the east end of the NX-Cicely model housing structure.

This allows visitors to pass through one door and exit through the other without backing up. This is particularly useful with larger viewing groups and makes it possible for people viewing the model from inside to see it from all along the inside viewing stand even though they might be the last ones to enter the strucure.  I had included this feature in the orginal plans. It became obvious when I began bringing in small groups that this feature was necessary for proper flow of traffic.


  
  
  
Here you see the two traffic patterns for viewing the model. The original pathway involved exiting the bar through the north door at "A," then going up the steps to the viewing platform along the front of the Kennecott model at "B." A catwalk allows a closer view of McCarthy at "C." The visitors then leave the observation deck by means of the ramp at "D," returning to the bar through the entry at "E."




The revised setup begins at the same point, the north bar door. The visitors leave the bar at point "1," heading up the stairs to the new rampways that now allow access into the model housing structure for the Kennecott model. This enables photos of the model from inside the structure rather than through the glass. Point "2" reveals the first view of the new Phase II line at the west wye. This is also where visitors enter the Kennecott model housing structure so they can take pictures at point "3" and "4," which is also the exit. Viewpoint "5" is another good view of both the Kennecott model and an overall view of the new Phase II line. The visitors then exit the upper ramp via the stairs at point "6." They enter the NX-Cicely model at point "7" and exit through the new door at "8."  They then follow a pathway the leads under the Phase II line to the front of the model housing structure for the south view of the Cicely model before they exit at the ramp at point "10." 


  
All pictures can be viewed in a larger size by clicking the image.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This is one of three new rails I have added for my own safety while up on the seven foot high platform. This rail spans a 28-foot gap that always made me nervous whenever I was working on it. Now it is not a problem. 


  
On the left you can see the end of the one of the Kennecott models. A raised platform will be added there to enable photographing the model through the open window above. That offers a particularly magnificent viewpoint of the Kennecott model.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

hehe. Was sailing my R/C sailboat Monday and stepped off the back side of the dam. Still a little stiff from that


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the advantages of having this model completely enclosed is that it allows me to add features such as this impressive LGB balloon (to scale, of course): 


  
  
This rare promotional LGB  item is much heavier than it appears. It is quite heavy and was expensive to ship to Alaska--but well worth it. You can also see a couple of other planes in the foreground. As usual, all of these photos can be clicked to a larger size.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The model housing unit also enables me to add considerable detail to my models that would be very difficult to achieve outdoors: 


  
  
  
Adding details is a long, probably never-ending process. But at least since I have an almost-indoor layout here, I can go to great lengths to achieve a very striking effect that is definitely appreciated by the visitors. Most of those cars are 1:24 Franklin and Danbury Mint models that I have collected over quite a number of years. They are quite pricey.  I would never consider using many of them outdoors. In here, though, they definitely add a lot to the detail.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The mallet CP passenger consist is lined up behind a modern Santa Fe passenger train at Cicely.


  
  
The center track contains the beer/liquor consist for K & L Distributors of Alaska. It is headed by an Alaskan RR 40-2. The consist originally operated on the Phase I track. This group of freight cars was left here by the double-header CR & NW Railway moguls that have returned to the Phase I tracks to pick up more Kennecott ore.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I am almost ready to begin work on the  residential hill which also contains an underground coal mine and tipple. The NP-CP North Coal Line passes by this point. It appears that I need to extend the tracks on the siding which passes under the tipple beyond the wall so that the coal cars can be cleared from the north track.  I am now considering the possibilities. 


  
  
The hill will be expanded to accommodate additional residences that currently sit along the north track. They will need to be moved once the buildings intended for that area are completed.

In the prototype town of Roslyn Washington where the outdoor NX scenes were filmed the hill looks like this as seen from Pennsylvania Avenue looking east:  
  
You can see the houses mostly to the left. Straight ahead was a coal mine tipple, now long-gone.  It will be represented in my Cicely model in the same approximate location as the original. Some of the buildings seen here will eventually appear on the model.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking down this historic photo of the same area along Pennsylvania Avenue, the coal mine was up that gulch.  










It looked something like this (click): 


  
Because I have chosen to keep elements of the NP Ry for my Cicely model, I wanted to include a facsimile of one of the NP coal mines that actually gave Roslyn its reason for existence.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Aerial showing existing track layout 

_***does not show all sidings***

_I have taken this 2004 Google image (the most recent one available) to make a new drawing of the existing track. The greatest distance from one end to the other is roughly 220 feet (west wye to east loop).  While not an exceptionally large layout, this outdoor/indoor layout is sufficiently spacious to give the illusion of distance that I wanted to create for the visiting public. 










The general public is confined to the area drawn in light-red. This is the CRD Saloon and beer garden. It enables a frontal view of the Kennecott model (through glass) and a somewhat distant view of the newer layout that extends beyond the original one. The bulk of the new Phase II line is closed off and available only for special tours. This tour includes the walk-through of the inside of the Kennecott model area, the special viewing area between the two major models and, of course, the walk-through of the Cicely model.  No one is allowed in the special tour area without a guide for safety and security reasons. The general public pays a fee for this tour and an additional fee if I actually run one or more of the trains. Mostly that is simply to compensate for my time. It is not a money-maker, but there is certainly some satisfaction in being able to run a tour such as this. It is only within the last few days that I am finally set up to accomplish all this properly.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Fascinating changes over the years of the prototype town of Roslyn:

In the process of going over images of my prototype for Cicely from the 1990s television series _Northern Exposure, _I came across this one which vividly demonstrates how much the appearance of a town can change over time. Three of the  buildings shown here have survived: Buildings 1 (combined with 2 which _has_ changed), 6 and 10.  

The Brick has survived almost wholly intact from its original configuration. That same building also housed what appears to be some kind of market. Today that section (#2) resembles a movie house, but even that has now been altered to become  the kitchen and dining area for the Brick Tavern. 

Buildings 3 & 4 are now a vacant lot. Building 5 greatly resembles my own model which is the Rexal Drug Store. It too is gone, but another structure sits in its place--presently a vacated restaurant. In the NX days that was the location of the snow machine shop.  Building 6 is the North West Mining Company building--Dr. Joel's office, which remains intact (amazing considering that the other buildings probably burned down around it). Buildings 7, 8 & 9 are now a vacant lot. 

Building 10 is the old Masonic Lodge, now the post office. I have my K & L Distributors office on that spot. 










My model will include Dr. Joel's office. The two other structures are not there but are replaced with other buildings--the Rexal Drug building and the K & L office--both of brick construction. The Brick is in place on the model wholly intact, just as the prototype survived all these years.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Ever so-slowly it is coming along . . . 


  
Lots to go yet, but it is definitely taking shape.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I am now in the process of adding a needed extesnsion: the east coal line continuation.

That line ended at the wall, terminating at the coal mine tipple. However, it turns out that the NP-CP North Coal Line is now a busy flow-through.  I need to be able to move the coal train beyond this line so the large passenger consists can merge into the Cicely Metro Line without those coal cars getting in the way. 

This required a 16-foot bridge to meet the gap. I have accomplished this. Fortunately, the north line is brass. I have just enough extra brass track and the requisite switch in order to complete this extension successfully. 

Most likely this continuation line will eventually become a snowshed since these cars will often be out there on this line, well above the ground and subject to the weather.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Speaking of the general public, given the way things are going, Blackburn might want to consider putting up 'Detour' signs out on the main highway to get more tourist busses in. This next winter is already starting to look nasty.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 07/19/2008 1:04 AM

Speaking of the general public, given the way things are going, Blackburn might want to consider putting up 'Detour' signs out on the main highway to get more tourist busses in. This next winter is already starting to look nasty.


It's going to be an unusually-expensive one, most likely with very little business for as much as half a year.  I don't look forward to it.  Business this season has been spotty, but not as bad as I would have thought, considering very high gas prices. Yesterday the pump price in Glennallen where I filled up was 4.89.9.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 07/18/2008 8:06 PM

I am now in the process of adding a needed extesnsion: the east coal line continuation.

That line ended at the wall, terminating at the coal mine tipple. However, it turns out that the NP-CP North Coal Line is now a busy flow-through. I need to be able to move the coal train beyond this line so the large passenger consists can merge into the Cicely Metro Line without those coal cars getting in the way. . . 












I completed this job last night. The line extension will not require a snowshed as I had thought. I have made provisions to protect the line of coal cars from the wind, which is necessary to keep the cars from being blown off the tracks and sent plummeting to the ground--seven feet down. The new line works very smoothly and greatly enhances operations.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Even with the coal cars out of the way, the north line tends to get filled to capacity. I imagine that several of you have run into a similar circumstance. That is, you make the best of plans, lay the track, then discover that you _still_  need more room than you had anticipated.  Of course, over time we LSers inevitably tend to add more rolling stock.  That in turn ultimately changes the dynamics of our individual model railroad operations. 

I have never considered myself much of a model railroad operations man. My specialty has always been in the structural layout. But eventually the trains must roll.  I guess there is never quite enough planningto cover even the _likely_ possibilities, is there?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The far left track leads to the new exit, passing under the coal tipple on the way out.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The east railway exit with the new north coal line:


  
This is northing more than a freight siding which finally enables me to have a complete coal consist parked on the model.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I see you have some economy class passengers on the coal train...unless Vlad has been dumping unwanted 'guests' into the coal mine again... 

Also looks like the felines don't care much for Cicely...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 07/19/2008 11:57 PM

I see you have some economy class passengers on the coal train...unless Vlad has been dumping unwanted 'guests' into the coal mine again... Also looks like the felines don't care much for Cicely...


Vlad and Bludhilda? Almost forgot about them !  They still watch over the Cicely, of course, but only at night. 

As for the cats, if I don't keep all the access doors closed, they're in Cicely too. Found one of them sleeping next to Vlad's mansion yesterday.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Very, very nice Ron. I really like those two shots at street level. They make you feel like you are there and could walk down the street, and maybe stop in at the "Brick" for a cold one! I'm glad you were able to solve your coal consist problem without having to add more building, though a snow shed would have probably looked neat (and maybe helped with weather problems?). 

Gas prices have put a lot of people out of business and caused reduction (read people laid off) in others, as well as some near bankrupsy. I hope all those who have perpetrated this problem are happy with their new gained riches. Personally, I wouldn' state what I would really like to see happen to them. And the extreme environmentalists are the blame for a lot of it, along with our do nothing congress. I sure hope you make it through this winter intact, and are able to make the modifications you have in mind. 

All in all, you have provided a great history lesson, combined with a unique railroad modeling adventure, in a difficult place and environment. My hat is off to you!!!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 07/20/2008 5:27 AM

Very, very nice Ron. I really like those two shots at street level. They make you feel like you are there and could walk down the street, and maybe stop in at the "Brick" for a cold one! I'm glad you were able to solve your coal consist problem without having to add more building, though a snow shed would have probably looked neat (and maybe helped with weather problems?).


I may very well go ahead with a snowshed for that section of track and one or two other segments once I have developed a design. 
Gas prices have put a lot of people out of business and caused reduction (read people laid off) in others, as well as some near bankrupsy. I hope all those who have perpetrated this problem are happy with their new gained riches. Personally, I wouldn' state what I would really like to see happen to them. And the extreme environmentalists are the blame for a lot of it, along with our do nothing congress. I sure hope you make it through this winter intact, and are able to make the modifications you have in mind. All in all, you have provided a great history lesson, combined with a unique railroad modeling adventure, in a difficult place and environment. My hat is off to you!!!


Coincidentally, from todays Anchorage Daily News, we have this: 

. . . as gas prices continue to climb, polls have shown that people who once refused to consider drilling offshore or in ANWR have begun to change their minds. For the first time, 50 percent of those polled by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press last month said they supported drilling in ANWR. It's a steep climb from February, when just 42 percent of those surveyed said they could support opening the wildlife refuge to exploration. 

Yet politically, ANWR -- considered the nation's best onshore prospect for a major oil discovery -- remains off limits. 

"Drilling is a red herring," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, said firmly and unequivocally last week. "And that is not where we need to go." 

The unmovable opposition has been an exercise in frustration for the Alaskans, who hope ANWR could spark the state's next big oil boom and want to persuade Congress that ANWR can be tapped in a safe, environmentally sound manner. 
Another wards, they're not hearing us up there in the lofty levels of Congress. I guess our opinions don't count. If the American people re-elect those same congressmen who oppose drilling in ANWR and elsewhere, as far as I am concerned they have spoken and we will get the recession we deserve. Of course, more than a few of us up here in any of the northern (especially the sub-arctic climate) regions are probably going to have to abandon our homes and businesses and migrate south where heating bills are a little less expensive.  I don't plan on being one of them, but if these energy prices don't stop climbing soon, the picture will definitely  change.  My main concern  at this point is  that I  may have no customers at all by the time January arrives. We will see.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Incidentally, as you see, I love to take shots of the model. This practice turns out to be quite helpful in spotting problems that need to be corrected, including unevenness of the track bed and places where the track needs to be straightened. I have also noted problems with some of the structures that I might not otherwise have picked up, at least not so quickly.



In one of the photos you might have noticed boxes of old liquor bottles. Those have been stashed for a project in connection with this railroad. Haven't decided quite how I will approach it yet, but those bottles at some point will likely be glued together to  form a surreal landscape in some area not yet constructed--maybe. 



I have also noted a problem with shadowing on my lens. The camera will soon be replaced.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

We have had an unusually cold and somewhat wetter-than-normal summer so far. This has adversely affected development and operations of my model railroads. In fact, for the first time in my memory, we have forecasts of possible snowfall in July coming to parts of northwest Alaska.



I have also seen an unusual number of days of windy conditions that have made it hazardous to operate the trains on many days this summer.  Often it has come down to a choice of either running trains or work on the layout. Usually it is the work on the layout that wins the time slot, but it still has been slower going than I had anticipated.  And no work has been done on model structures in months. However, all-in-all it is still progressing.


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## Guest (Jul 20, 2008)

for the first time in my memory, we have forecasts of possible snowfall in July coming to parts of northwest Alaska.


you really mean business up there, fighting global warming. aren't you?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 07/20/2008 5:42 PM

for the first time in my memory, we have forecasts of possible snowfall in July coming to parts of northwest Alaska.

you really mean business up there, fighting global warming. aren't you?



I wish it were so. Anthropomorphic global warming is a hoax perpetrated on the western world, but mostly aimed at the American public. It is a wholly political creation of the Left. There is no such animal--not in the way that THEY intend it to be understood. In any case, were I to have a say in it, I would DEFINITELY opt for a little global warming up here. Believe me, there are a lot of us here in AK and probably Canada and Siberia as well who would most decidedly welcome a true warming trend--even if it were caused by humans. Sadly, it is all an illusion, albeit a vicious and underhanded one. Oh well, back to my trains. . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Somehow some good weather snuck in on us Sunday afternoon. I took the opportunity to pull out my longest passenger consist--the Great Northern headed by the AKRR Mac70s--for a run through the east loop and back to the bar. The Macs were in need of recharging so I needed to get them back to base. 


  
Here the consist pulls onto the GN Mainline from the east end of Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The passenger consist heads east . . .


  



  
Here it crosses the final switch  . . . 


  
The consist has reached the far-eastern end of the line and will now begin the turn on the loop . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The twin AKRR locomotives pull through the top of the eastern loop:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The train is now approaching the switch at the head of the loop as it begins its return west:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The train now doubles back on itself as it approaches Cicely: 


  
  
The consist has seemlessly gone through the eastern end of the GN Phase II line as it now approaches the switches that lead back to Cicely:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

AKRR 4001 passes a long siding along the south side of Cicely as it proceeds toward the bar:


  
Just a reminder: All of these pictures are clickable to a larger size. You are looking at a 600 pixel-wide image. The ones to which these are linked are 1600 pixels wide. These are low-resolution images, so they will load quickly.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

AKRR 4001 has run out of sufficient power to continue pulling the heavy coaches. It will leave the GN passenger consist safely and securely parked under the Kennecott overhang while it proceeds to its charging station.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

End of the line: the AKRR consist has arrived under its own power to begin the battery recharge process:


  
  
The lead locomotive is now being charged . . .


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Neat shots of the consist! It seems like your switches are working good, so kudos on that. Do the diesels not have enough battery power to complete your run, or were they just low when you started out, which would be my guess? 

When you get some extra rain, you could send it down our way. It seems like we are in a drought condition again, or at least on the way to one. I guess it's like the old saying, feast or famine. I am surprsed to hear you might get snow! That's rather unusual isn't it? 

I dont know where the 51% or so positive on drilling came from, but the last time I saw it, it was higher than that. EVERYONE I have talked to or overheard is for it, and mad as H that congress isn't doing anything about our energy problems. The liberals and environmentalists will bring this country to it's knees, so I sure hope they loose their jobs and have to put up with brownouts, etc., etc. like the rest of the people. Really, I just wish it would happen only to those who are causing the problem. What has happened to common sense? 

Oh well, I guess an old so-and-so like me doesn't know anything anyway./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 07/21/2008 5:23 AM

Neat shots of the consist! It seems like your switches are working good, so kudos on that. Do the diesels not have enough battery power to complete your run, or were they just low when you started out, which would be my guess?


The batteries on that consist were already run down when I pulled it out for that last trip. Those switches all are working exactly as intended, much to my relief. 
When you get some extra rain, you could send it down our way. It seems like we are in a drought condition again, or at least on the way to one. I guess it's like the old saying, feast or famine. I am surprised to hear you might get snow! That's rather unusual isn't it?


That would be along the NW coast. It did hit freezing up there last night, but I have not heard if it snowed. It IS unusual for this time of year. Usually we don't start tracking snow up that way until late September or even later.  Today it is starting out as a sunny day as I head off to Anchorage for a long-delayed purchasing trip (you know: cost of gas ). 


I dont know where the 51% or so positive on drilling came from, but the last time I saw it, it was higher than that. EVERYONE I have talked to or overheard is for it, and mad as H that congress isn't doing anything about our energy problems. The liberals and environmentalists will bring this country to it's knees, so I sure hope they loose their jobs and have to put up with brownouts, etc., etc. like the rest of the people. Really, I just wish it would happen only to those who are causing the problem. What has happened to common sense? Oh well, I guess an old so-and-so like me doesn't know anything anyway.


I have to agree that those numbers don't look right--not even close. However, we also have a media that is heavily weighted in favor of AGW. They routinely treat anthropomorphic global warming as if it was a reality, blaming all kinds of extreme weather phenomena on it (as if these things have no other explanations). It's not so much common sense as ideology that is getting in the way when it comes to drilling.  We have the technologies and the commitment to do it right, do it cleanly, and do it much faster than seven to ten years. Try THREE years ! I heard a talk by one of our local oil execs (president of BP in Alaska) who stated that up to _200 billion barrels_ of _domestic crude _is unavailable due to politics alone.  I would think that a whole lot of people would be hopping mad by now at the obvious disconnect from reality when it comes to their congressmen.  But we will see when the November elections come along how the American public really feels about all this.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Railfanning in the beer garden!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 07/21/2008 11:00 AM

Railfanning in the beer garden!


Indeed !


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

HEY, that's a neat shot! When was that? It looked wet. 

Voting won't do the job if you don't have anyone who is running that thinks along the lines of what we consider common sense. I wonder when or if the silent majority will ever scream loud enough to encourage anyone like that to run for office. There would have to be a lot of them to overthrow the "loud squeeking wheels" that seem to be in charge now./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 07/21/2008 12:26 PM

HEY, that's a neat shot! When was that? It looked wet.


That shot was taken last year when a certain tourist bus line was still running through here. The deck is not wet. That's the surface characteristic.  It has largely worn off and is due for resurfacing this season. 


Voting won't do the job if you don't have anyone who is running that thinks along the lines of what we consider common sense. I wonder when or if the silent majority will ever scream loud enough to encourage anyone like that to run for office. There would have to be a lot of them to overthrow the "loud squeaking wheels" that seem to be in charge now.


That's a real weakness in the system as we have seen vividly demonstrated in the most recent elections. I see that the general public Congressional approval rating is lower than 20 percent, which says a lot.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I noted in a previous post that this is only a moderately-sized (and modestly-built) layout that, I believe succeeds in giving the illusion of size. The better word is "expansiveness." Every time I fool myself into thinking I have a "large" layout all I have to do is try to park several of my consists out there and then run another train through the line without having to move a  bunch of cars elsewhere on the track. 



Can't be easily done.  Perhaps that's not such a bad thing. I am sure that with only a very few exceptions, you all run into that same problem of where to park all that rolling stock you have accumulated while still leaving room to run a respectable operation. Tough isn't it?  Probably a lot of rolling stock will remain parked out of sight in boxes or on shelves indefinitely.  There is only so much space and so much track. It's a little discouraging to realize just how much track is required to indulge our ongoing craving for more and better rolling stock. Maybe it's a large collection of beer reefers, of which I have a few of those. Or possibly it's several dozen identical gondolas requiring individual numbers, special steel wheels and custom couplers.  This large string of cars needs lots of  locomotive power--probably several large ones in tandem. And finally we come to the carefully laid-out characteristics of the track and track beds that will enable five or six dozen of these cars to operate as one long consist.   In the end  it all comes down to this: do we have enough space for enough track on sufficiently level ground to run all this great stuff without undo mechanical headaches?  No. not really. Not ever.  The railroad empire is _never_ finished or complete,  is it? 



I have had to reflect long and hard on this.  Being something of an obsessive person, I have managed to spend well beyond anything reasonable. I strongly suspect I am not the only one in this predicament.  In my case, the layout will expand one more time--eventually. After all, I seem to need something like this to keep my creative self occupied--and I am fortunate enough to actually have the space for it--I think. It won't be the biggest or the best, but it will be _my _creation.  Like every other layout out there, it will be unique in its own way. It will definitely have my creative stamp firmly imprinted upon it. It is that pride of accomplishment and ownership that really seems to matter. I hope it is the same for all of you. This truly is a great hobby--whether we can really afford it or not.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

On the other hand, I am doing my best to establish the Copper Rail Depot as a _known_ historic model railroad theme bar. It does take some _impressive_-appearing equipment to pull this off. Most everyone who comes here has never seen this scale before. The general reaction has been very positive. This year in particular I have heard an unusual number of positive comments. This could not be pulled off using a "miniature train" as some people have called the model without actually seeing it. The term "miniature" does not cut it. The equipment _has_ to look impressive.  So does the entire layout on which this equipment must operate. 



Once again, it is the _illusion_ of size that matters here, not just a few (hopefully) impressive model structures of a large locomotive or two pulling a long string of cars. But it is not just the appearance of a large set-up.  The details have to be there and they _have _to be seen.   I have heard at least as many comments about the large number of details in these models as I have heard remarks about the scope of the project. 














Details, details, details. It's in the details. 


  
Or maybe it's just the setting . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The ceiling is too low to give you mountain shots today, but it is now official: Snow has moved down the mountains, including the Chugach Range behind Anchorage. That event was so unusual that it made the news. In all my years in the interior, I have never seen this happen in July.  I believe this to be the coldest summer since I first moved into this area in 1976.



The view below is a test shot with my new Canon camera. Indeed it does take better, clearer shots. It should.  It was too cold for me to be motivated to work on the model railroad today. The taking of this one picture is as close as I got. 


  
Note the flags blowing. It has been windy and somewhat wet most of the day.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

You're absolutely right! It's in the details. Any layout I've been to, I am ALWAYS imprssed with the details more than anything else. The engines and what they are pulling are very interesting and some have added very impressive weathering and modifications BUT, once you have seen several dozens of each, it becomes the details of structures and areas of towns, etc. that interest me. 

Of course one enjoys flawless running trains, which everyone works hard to ensure, and the different types of consists are neat as heck, but maybe I'm more of a modeler than anything else, so pay more attention to all the hard work to make it look realistic. 

Those last shots you posted are just what I mean! VERY nice! The last one of the dome car late in the evening is IMPRESSIVE! Thanks for the neat shots.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You posted a pic of a Tourbus group. Where do most of your patrons come from? Local Gentry? Or Tourbuses? What are they Touring other than your fine establishment? 

Do our run the place all by your self or do you have help?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 07/24/2008 5:32 AM

You're absolutely right! It's in the details. Any layout I've been to, I am ALWAYS imprssed with the details more than anything else. The engines and what they are pulling are very interesting and some have added very impressive weathering and modifications BUT, once you have seen several dozens of each, it becomes the details of structures and areas of towns, etc. that interest me. Of course one enjoys flawless running trains, which everyone works hard to ensure, and the different types of consists are neat as heck, but maybe I'm more of a modeler than anything else, so pay more attention to all the hard work to make it look realistic. Those last shots you posted are just what I mean! VERY nice! The last one of the dome car late in the evening is IMPRESSIVE! Thanks for the neat shots.


I started the original layout in 1998 when I laid the first track in the bar intending to display historic structures that no longer existed using a long-defunct railroad as the means of tying it all together. My emphasis has usually been with the structures first. The last two years have seen more effort placed on the operation of the railroad lines themselves. That is a necessary element of the overall scheme. It has also taken a lot more time than I would have thought. 



I went into this hobby thinking I could just put some pre-formed track together, set a locomotive and some cars on it and it would work. Well, it did for a short time. Then I built more complex lines and began planning an outdoor expansion. It has taken hundreds of hours to make all that work right--most of the time ! 



Now I am going back where I started: to the structures and their details, which, I guess, makes me as well more of a modeler than a railroader.  That in itself is every bit as time consuming, if not more so, than operation and maintenance of the track and the locomotives and cars. The Kennecott model, for example,  now requires some major work in some areas. I will be doing some re-engineering on some of the structures based on years of experience with extreme temperature changes. We have a temperature differential here of approximately 150 degrees, although this year the range has only been 120 degrees. Nevertheless, that can place a lot of stress on the structures, especially the larger ones. 



Meanwhile I continue to add details to the new model, which is an absolute delight to work on.  It can never be complete in the way that some of the notable smaller scale models have been developed, but nevertheless, because of its large scale, those details I add are even more impressive. Meanwhile I continue to peruse MLS for new ideas. It has been enormously helpful.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And in today's news . . . 

The coldest summer ever? You might be looking at it, weather folks say.

Right now the so-called summer of '08 is on pace to produce the fewest days ever recorded in which the temperature in Anchorage managed to reach 65 degrees. 

That unhappy record was set in 1970, when we only made it to the 65-degree mark, which many Alaskans consider a nice temperature, 16 days out of 365. 

This year, however -- with the summer more than half over -- there have been only seven 65-degree days so far. And that's with just a month of potential "balmy" days remaining and the forecast looking gloomy. 

National Weather Service meteorologist Sam Albanese, a storm warning coordinator for Alaska, says the outlook is for Anchorage to remain cool and cloudy through the rest of July. . . 










enlargement of above picture: 








The high temp yesterday was in the mid-40s. This is still July ! Today's forecast calls for the same, although it might rise into the low fifties !  Above: "termination dust" July 24th on the Chugach Range as seen from Anchorage.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

You are going to ruin Gore's reputation!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif Of course he has made millions off his doom and gloom global warming speaches, and lives in a different world of luxury you and I will never know. He drives huge SUVs and lives in a mansion that uses 20 times or more energy, than must average people. The old "Do as I say, NOT as I do" must be his motto. 

It looks like congress is still at their old tricks of doing nothing about the energy problems./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/sad.gif Just talking it to death.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile I have heard that the snow reached the tree line at nearby Kennecott-dropping down to 4,000 feet. It was 34 at McCarthy in the late afternoon.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Well...Kennecott is right next to a lingering remnant of the ice sheet that once covered much of western north america...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 07/25/2008 6:44 PM

Well...Kennecott is right next to a lingering remnant of the ice sheet that once covered much of western north america...


Sure it is. The Kennicott Glacier is five miles wide at that point BUT . . . It is rare for snow to even start coming down those mountains--the Bonanza Ridge--until about mid-September. Even then the snow rarely reaches the tree line until later.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Well...I do remember a year or two where the snow was down for good in the last week or so of September. If it happens this year though, those cats are going to be steamed....


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 07/26/2008 5:08 PM

Well...I do remember a year or two where the snow was down for good in the last week or so of September. If it happens this year though, those cats are going to be steamed....


The way the weather has been lately, it's beginning to look as if the only thing that will end the cold rain will be the cold snow.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_Three Views of the East Loop: _

Today is the first day in about a week that it has been worthwhile to go outside and use a camera. We have had so much rain that the upper valley has had flood warnings. But today I finally got to make use of my new Canon Rebel. It is of a much higher resolution than my earlier one and takes shots without noticeable delay. I am quite pleased with the results, although carrying it around is much more of an issue due to its size and the fact that I am now carrying two and sometimes three lenses. 

In any case, I shot these views of my east loop from the roof of my van. This section of track now operates almost flawlessly.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

These shots show the fireweed that appears everywhere in interior Alaska this time of year, as seen in front of the Cicely model structure. As with most of my posts, these pictures and the ones in the previous post can be enlarged by clicking onto the picture.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Kennecott and the water fountain: I don't really have a _garden railroad,_ but I _do_ have some great plants,  mostly in the fountain area near the Kennecott model. Given the climate zone, it is not practical, in my opinion, to attempt to build a garden railway as you know them _stateside._


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is my first view of Mt Drum, taken from the east end of my property. As the clouds finally begin to clear it is obvious that the snow level has dropped considerably.  


  
I have a much more powerful lens for this new camera, but the adapter has not yet arrived. I can hardly wait. (click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Shortly after I took these pictures of Mt Drum, the clouds moved back in. 


  
This one was taken from my porch.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Phase II railroad yard:

No such yard exists on my new line. After running several relatively long consists along the line seen here, it became increasingly apparent that the sidings I built into the layout are insufficient to handle the rolling stock I have accumulated for this line. 



After looking at Marty's new covered parking area, I realized I should consider something along the same lines--a large structure that will cover several parallel lines intended to park long consists. Except that I will not be building any kind of structure at all. Instead my plan is to use the existing Cicely model structure and construct a lower parking level. 



This proposed rail yard can best be accessed by inserting a junction somewhere near the east loop. With a new switch I can then run a parallel line that drops in elevation while the mainline above it is gaining elevation as it heads west toward Cicely and the CRD on the west end. 










Here you can see a compressed profile showing how the new line would extend from a point near the east loop--probably just west of the loop switch--following the mainline at a lower level, then entering the loco yard immediately below the model town of Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new proposed rail yard would have to be at 2 1/2 to 3 feet below the model town in order to clear the TGI supports while still allowing sufficient working room. However, the length of the proposed access line should be sufficient to enable such a drop, considering that it is already about half the way there by the time the rail line had reached its end. 










One possible yard configuration would be this one consisting of four parallel lines the merge into a loop that would return the consists to the east loop and thus back to the mainline.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I believe the inclusion of this proposed railroad yard in 2009 or 2010 will qualify my layout as operations-friendly.  It is amazing the amount of track that is required to achieve that.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Don't build something that will give you a concussion...especially trying to reach that loco that derailed or stalled for no apparent reason in the section you can't reach without getting on bended knee. (like we hav'nt had that happen). Not recommending against it, just saying to remember Murphy's law when laying down the track. (that said, the cats will be exstatic). 

At times this has gotten me so irked I've been tempted to rip out all the tables over two or three feet wide (I have a couple that are better than six foot across where they hit the wall) and just go with a shelf type deal. I still might. And yes, I have access hatches.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 07/31/2008 7:23 PM

Don't build something that will give you a concussion...especially trying to reach that loco that derailed or stalled for no apparent reason in the section you can't reach without getting on bended knee. (like we hav'nt had that happen). Not recommending against it, just saying to remember Murphy's law when laying down the track. (that said, the cats will be exstatic). At times this has gotten me so irked I've been tempted to rip out all the tables over two or three feet wide (I have a couple that are better than six foot across where they hit the wall) and just go with a shelf type deal. I still might. And yes, I have access hatches.


The proposed railroad yard will indeed be designed for ease of access by the operator (me). The floor will be about three feet above the ground and will probably be accessible from both sides (two parallel aisles).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Update on the weather situation: It has _not_ been a good year for garden railroading in interior Alaska. This has been the rainiest and coldest summer season at least since the early 1970s. For me it has been the worst in my memory since I arrived in this area during pipeline construction days. 


In the last week the interior saw so much rain that significant flooding has occurred in areas north of here--especially near Fairbanks-- with sections of road in some places submerged or washed out. Even the Alaska Railroad ceased passenger operations between Denali Park and Fairbanks. It was transporting its passengers by bus between those two locations. I have been unable to do anything with the layout for more than a week while I have waited for rains and cold weather to abate. We have come tantalizingly close in recent days only to see more heavy rains move in.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

News shots showing the AKRR tracks at Nenana, July 31 and Aug 1: 


































Meanwhile, at Fairbanks, the flood nearly reached the downtown street level: The Chena River has overflowed its banks.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I wasn't aware the flooding had gotten that bad up in the interior. 

However, we have had a couple of nasty floods on the Kenai River hereabouts over the past six or eight years. (we had one wintertime 'flood' which was actually a huge 'ice jam' (glacier to all intents and purposes) that simply mosied on down the river wreaking havioc) and there was another deal where an 'ice damn' broke up in the mountains and caused some serious grief. 

Given Blackburns location - next to a glacier (?) fed stream, I gotta wonder if his place is succeptable to such. IF there should be some really big glacier damn that gave way up Kennecot way...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

There is no danger of that type of flooding here. No hidden lake at Klutina Glacier, unlike those adjacent the Kennicott Glacier or Tazlina Glacier, both of which are subject to regular flooding intervals. However, the Klutina has had water backup from the Copper, causing massive winter time flooding in 1965. Speaking of dams, I have just obtained some interesting photos. Story to follow. . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Also, speaking of operations (reference to another post in the RR ops section), I conducted some interesting ops of my own today since the weather has been good since yesterday afternoon. I have pictures to upload for that session . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Finally had a decent day weather-wise to run some consists.  Here is the beer train headed by AKRR 3015 set to run the east loop:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Lined up to follow the SD-40 is an Aristocraft mikado pulling an Aristocraft streamliner consist. 


  
I am having on-going battery problems with the SD-40. Before the trip was complete I had to switch to another set of engines. As for the mike, it is only on temporary duty since it has developed sound issues.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The GN passenger consist headed by the twin AKRR Mac 70s awaits its turn to run the loop. Those dual Macs are among the best-operating of all of my engines. On the left, the Santa Fe passenger consist had already made the run and awaits its return to the bar. It is headed by an Aristo Dash-9--probably my single best performer.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The beer train works its way around the east loop:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The flood waters are finally subsiding up north. AKRR begins repairs on the tracks around Nenana tomorrow. It will take a couple of days to resume normal ops.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 07/31/2008 3:47 PM

I believe the inclusion of this proposed railroad yard in 2009 or 2010 will qualify my layout as operations-friendly. It is amazing the amount of track that is required to achieve that. 


Okay. No one commented on that. From the standpoint of the true operators here, this line will probably _never_ be a considered an operations line in the sense that it is almost exclusively passenger. I am not going to be coupling and uncoupling a lot of cars. However, the nature of the layout _does_ require a lot of switching around to keep the traffic flowing. It's definitely not as easy as I would have at first thought.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Beer train now in position and on hold at the long siding, south Cicely:


  
  
The Dash-9 is in position for the return to the CRD while the twin Macs await the run around the east loop. Behind the Dash-9 is the beer train.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Santa Fe USA passenger coaches were the first new ones I purchased specifically for the Phase II line at least a year before the line was originally laid in 2006.  At that time the idea was to repaint these in AKRR colors. I couldn't quite bring myself to do that. Santa Fe became the first of a line of different major road names to become part of the ALCANEX--_Alcan-Northern Expo Consolidated Railway System_.  


  
As with most of my posts, you can click onto the image to view a larger one. Most of the larger images are 1600 pixels wide unless they are taken length-wise. Then they are approximately 1600 px high and 1200 pixels wide. All are in a low resolution so they will load quickly.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The beginnings of the ALCANEX Consolidated Railways System assumed that the construction of a natural gas line from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska to Calgary Canada (where that new gas line would meet existing gas lines that head toward the American mid-west) would spur construction of a railroad extension that would connect the Alaskan railroad system to the mainland through British Columbia.



Shown here are the two existing road systems into Alaska. The one on the right was the original Alcan Highway. On the left is the Cassiar route. It was on the latter that a rail line was built in the early 70s as far as Dease Lake. The bed ended there and the rails were never laid past Terrace, which is on the highway system from Prince George to Prince Rupert. 



A proposal for an Alaskan connection reconsiders the Cassiar Route but also looks at following the original Alcan since that is the path the gas line would follow. 









Last Friday the Alaskan state legislature approved a license for Trans-Canada pipeline company to proceed with plans to construct the Alaskan part of the line. Governor Sara Palin will sign that license and turn it over to the company probably this week. Thus we are one step closer to fantasy becoming reality.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And so we come back to this . . . 










With the long-awaited approval of a license granting Trans-Canada the right to build a gas line through Alaska, I can now continue the development of my own story behind ALCANEX Consolidated Railways.



Finally I will be able to tie together the three rail systems into one comprehensive story.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile, back to my operations . . . 

A short CP heavyweight passenger consist headed by a GN mallet awaits clearance for the run through the east loop . . . 


  
  
Canadian Pacific, of course, is the necessary _Canadian _component of Alaska-Canadian Northern Expo Consolidated Railways System.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The GN mallet with its small CP passenger consist is next:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Aristocraft heavyweights are somewhat tricky to manuever through most layouts compared to USA stream line coaches. Thus, for now I am just running three coaches. I hope to successfully run more of these in one consist later.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The GN mallet with its short Canadian Pacific passenger consist moves onto the long siding.  It is starting to get crowded on this end. The trains in front will have to be moved forward to get the mallet consist completely off the mainline. 


  
  
The Santa Fe consist moves off the siding, then backs into place just west of the AKRR-GN consist.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

The amount of track you have is impressive, but then to think you have enough locos and rolling stock to have a congestion problem... ))


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Santa Fe backs toward the rear of the AKRR GN consist:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 08/04/2008 6:00 PM

The amount of track you have is impressive, but then to think you have enough locos and rolling stock to have a congestion problem... ))


Soon the congestion problem will become apparent. I have two more consists to line up . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The AKRR-GN passenger consist is the next one to negotiate the east loop: 


  
  
  
  
This one is the longest of the consists with eight passenger cars. It now pulls in place directly behind the Santa Fe, facing west.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The final consist to leave Cicely for the east loop is an AKRR-Milwaukee Road passenger group--Aristo streamliners--headed by an Aristocraft Mikado.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 08/04/2008 6:00 PM

The amount of track you have is impressive, but then to think you have enough locos and rolling stock to have a congestion problem... ))


Although this operation is modest in size, it _does_ give the _illusion_ of expaniveness, possibly because it is all well above ground level.  The most impressive view of it is from the deck in the special tour area just east of the Kennecott model.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

From my perspective, your layout is vast!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

With the return of the Mikado consist to South Cicely, the grouping of passenger trains was complete. All of them, with a little maneuvering were now in position lined up on the GN Mainline facing west. 


  
Two of these trains would head for the parking area in the bar. The rest would be returned to Cicely.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Before moving this long group of trains--four passenger consists on the right and the beer train on the left . . . 


  
  
I decided to run a measuring tape to determine just how long this group really was.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I haven't showed you the sideview shot yet. Care to guess as to the length of the combined passenger consists?


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Care to guess as to the length of the combined passenger consists? 



Based on what I remember of the length of the building...between forty and forty five feet. If I could remember the length of the passenger cars, I could narrow it down a bit. 

Note 1) You have a lot of passenger cars. Good luck finding lots of affordable passengers to stick into them (that was one of last winters projects for me). 

Note 2) No felines visible in the last few sets of photo's...have the trains scared them off the walkways?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 08/06/2008 1:58 AM

Care to guess as to the length of the combined passenger consists?

Based on what I remember of the length of the building...between forty and forty five feet. If I could remember the length of the passenger cars, I could narrow it down a bit. Note 1) You have a lot of passenger cars. Good luck finding lots of affordable passengers to stick into them (that was one of last winters projects for me). Note 2) No felines visible in the last few sets of photo's...have the trains scared them off the walkways?

a) Won't be adding passengers to these coaches. b)One of the cats _did_ knock several cars from one of the train consists off its tracks after I took these shots. c)Your guess was just a little shy of the mark. Here is another picture.


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

I have just one word to say about all of it. AWESOME!!!! That is really one heck of a job you've done, and I'm impressed with the outcome! Of course the fun of it is to continue improving what you have. Now that the bulk of it is done, you will have more time to spend on the details. BUT, now you can enjoy running you trains in between doing other projects. WONDERFUL JOB!!


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

UMMM...I don't know how much you think of the cats, but under the circumstances, I think I would find them another home!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/unsure.gif 
I'm allergic to cats anyway, so I've never had the problem. To me, dogs are a lot more loving and useful.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/05/2008 11:15 PM

I haven't showed you the sideview shot yet. Care to guess as to the length of the combined passenger consists?


  
Any other guesses?


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Too long to fit in either of my loopbacks The engine would easily t-bone the second or third to last car.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 08/06/2008 5:31 AM

I have just one word to say about all of it. AWESOME!!!! That is really one heck of a job you've done, and I'm impressed with the outcome! Of course the fun of it is to continue improving what you have. Now that the bulk of it is done, you will have more time to spend on the details. BUT, now you can enjoy running you trains in between doing other projects. WONDERFUL JOB!!


It _is_ nice that I finally have a workable layout. Until recently the Phase II segment has been only marginally operational because I had so many details to work on. Now most of it functions almost flawlessly (he said _optimistically_).


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

So Ron, My daughter and I were watching Globe Trekker the other night and now she wants to go to Alsaka...(All in all not a bad idea). Specifically, she wants to got to Chicken, Alaska.. Just how far are you from Chicken? 

http://www.chickenalaska.com/chicken/index.html


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

226 miles.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 08/06/2008 3:43 PM

So Ron, My daughter and I were watching Globe Trekker the other night and now she wants to go to Alaska...(All in all not a bad idea). Specifically, she wants to got to Chicken, Alaska.. Just how far are you from Chicken? (click pix) 





If you approach Chicken by flying to Anchorage and then renting a car or a motorhome, I am just 14 miles out of your way once you reach the Richardson Highway junction east of Glennallen.  If you head south (in the direction of Valdez) I'm 16 minutes away. When you head north, it is 15 miles to the junction with the Tok CutOff highway. Then it is 123 miles to Tok, 12 more miles to the Taylor Highway, then 66 miles up the Taylor to Chicken.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/05/2008 11:15 PM

I haven't showed you the sideview shot yet. Care to guess as to the length of the combined passenger consists?










Bueller? Anyone? . . . 
Anyone?


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Sixty feet...assuming the passenger cars are two feet long each and I didn't botch the count too badly in the earlier pics. 

Out of curiosity, was the cat just being clumsy...or trying to see if the trains were 'killable'?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The four passenger consists as seen in this lineup measured 79 feet end-to-end. 


  
It appears the cat was clumsy when jumping over one of the Mac locomotives, knocking over four of the beer cars and derailing an engine in the process.


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## sbaxters4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron, your layout gets more and more impressive everytime you post. The amount of time and track you have is astounding. I can only imagine the number of hours you have put into such a great layout. Wish I had that kind of space to work with too.... Keep going!!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The strange summer weather continues. Mostly we are seeing almost non-stop rain and very cold mornings. Over to the west in Anchorage they say lightning strikes yesterday--very unusual for Anchorage, especially this late in the summer. It has been mostly too wet to run the trains. I have now come up with the two-day rule. If we have a second good day in a row I run the trains (that first day where sun might appear typically only lasts a few hours before the rain moves back in).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sbaxters4 on 08/07/2008 7:04 AM

Ron, your layout gets more and more impressive everytime you post. The amount of time and track you have is astounding. I can only imagine the number of hours you have put into such a great layout. Wish I had that kind of space to work with too.... Keep going!!


I expect to continue with the Phase II development _next year_ since the need for some type of protected outdoor railroad yard has now been established.  That part of the project will bring the railroad even closer to the ground. Maybe by the time I finally reach ground level in a year or two I can begin the final phase. Fortunately it does not appear that I will be running out of space any time soon.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

We had a hard frost last night AND the Northern Lights are already beginning to make their appearance. That COULD mean that the clear weather is finally returning, but it also is an earlier-than-usual harbinger of winter. Some of the elders are saying we are in for a long, cold one. I also note that yesterday I saw the first of the leaves that have turned colors . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Iti s the first day in many where I finally have a good view of the mountains to the east. What is obvious to me as I take these shots is that some branch pruning will be in order for next year. The view of the mountains has become obstructed at the east loop--the best angle for obtaining a background mountain shot. 


  
Here I have taken it from a higher point just off the Kennecott model structure:


  
And here you can see it in relation to the tracks.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In May 1996 I purchased the Copper Center Bar. It was a plain structure that was only seven years old at the time. Very little had been done to the interior. I had plenty of room for the overhead railroad I intended to install there. 

What I did not have was a shop. I was leaving that behind when I vacated my  home in Fairbanks.  At the time I purchased this, I thought I was done with model-building except for a few remaining items that I had farmed out to a shop in Fairbanks. There a carpenter would cut the pieces I had drawn out. I then assembled them in his shop and moved them elsewhere for the painting and detailing. 

But I did not forsee the need for a new shop. After all, I was done building structures--I thought. 










The old Copper Center Bar, looking east, winter of 1995.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Along with the Copper Center Bar, which included a full beverage-dispensary license, I had acquired the remnants of an old trailer court--Twin Spruce Trailer Park. About half the spaces were already vacated. But I had tenants in four spaces, one vacant trailer that had possiblities for a shop or other uses, one trailer I had set aside for my own residence and one wrecked unit that would eventually have to be removed. There was also a small laundromat on the property.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The first order of the day was to paint the bar.  The seven-year old structure had no paint on it at all. This barn red-with-white  is the color scheme that would ultimately set the tone for the rest of the property. The laundromat building was also repainted to these colors at the same time. 

It is, of course, based on the historic Kennecott Copper Company colors used in their original mine at Alaska.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I also added a new sign below the original CCB sign that would enable me to advertise my new overhead railroad. Although I had picked up the CCB in '96, I did not begin installing track overhead until two years later. There were simply too many other projects that took priority as I began the long process of cleaning up and transforming the property. 










It says "Copper River & NW Railway" I was very proud to be able to actually advertise that model name--a referenc to a piece of local history which had all but vanished. Few knew much of the CRNW Railway in those days.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is an aerial of south Copper Center taken in 1996 showing the location and some of the features of the property as it was back then. The trailer park is now largely gone.  In those days there was no easy access to river. Three acres of the property were on the south side of a dike installed by the Corps of Engineers in 1965 as a flood control measure. Eventually I would have a road built over that dike and some of that land cleared. This would become a camping site along the river oriented toward those who wanted to take advantage of the railroad-themed bar while staying nearby in something resembling wild conditions. In 1996 it _was_ wild over there (with the occasional bear, moose and all the rest).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

By 1998 I had begun adding fences that extended from the bar. This one looks down the front driveway toward the CRD in a westerly direction. By 2000 this driveway would cease to exist. 










The original intent was to fence in a beer-garden. Who would have guessed that eventually much of this fencing would serve as supports for an extensive outdoor model railway? 










The beer garden would become the basis for my first outdoor model railroad. But when I first built it, I had no such plans.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In this 1996 aerial you can see the CRD building (the red arrow points right to it) in relationship to the old Twin Spruce Trailer Court.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The 1998 view includes most of the area  now occupied by my outdoor model railroad. The tree in the foreground is the one around which the east turn-around loop for the Phase II line was built. To its left is where I would place the historic CRNW lineshack in 1999.  As you can see the area was just a flat weed field. I had no idea I would be building _anything_ out here !

You can see the east window of the CRD bar. That would be replaced by double doors once I had built the beer garden fence. To the left is the previously-mentioned laundromat building which was painted in the same manner as the old CCB--now the CRD Saloon.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The beer garden fence was quite attractive. Unfortunately only a year later much of it would be displaced by the upcoming outdoor model railroad. Here you see the new double doors installed now that a beer garden area had been built. 










Looking east along the new fence in 1999: This was the last year that this driveway in the front of the CRD would be used. The fence in the distance eventually became the location for the Cicely model structure. The solid fence in the front became the south edge of the Kennecott model structure.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Cicely model structure would ultimately be located in this area: about three posts from the solid fence in the distance.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In that same year (1999) I had one of the very last surviving CRNW lineshacks moved from Chitina to this location.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In 2000 we buillt the 20 X 26 foot Kennecott model housing structure over the old driveway:


























The model was to be placed on the second level. The ground level would serve as a shop for a brief time a few years later.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The building sits on parallel footings, but the ground floor was never installed. I intended this structure to be reminiscent of those historic Kennecott buildings.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thus the first new building on the old Twin Spruce Trailer Park grounds (I dropped the name when I took over the property) was a structure built specifically to house a historic model railroad layout.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile I had a lot of work ahead of me in the old trailer park itself. The trailer in the middle would have to be moved out. One to the left of it had already been demolished and burned in place. The unit on the right would remain but would require substantial alterations. The one on the far left is my temporary residence.  I anticipate that this one will remain in place after I vacate it for reasons that will become more obvious later. 

My intention is to build a new cabin for myself on the south side of the dike that separates this part of the property from the river. On this side is the seven acres that comprise the old trailer park. On the other side are three more acres that are undeveloped, although I selectively cleared most of it a few years ago. It includes 600 feet of frontage along the Klutina River--a famous king salmon fishing stream.

But that is getting beyond the scope of where I am going with this . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The year after the Kennecott model structure was completed, the trailer ground had been cleared out to make way for other structures.  It would not be long before I would be contemplating ways to bring the model railroad track across the driveway to the area you see here. 

The three ways to be considered: 

_overhead:_ probably too  high. Requires 15 feet of clearance since large trucks have to drive through here.

_protected track on the surface of the drive_: possible, but would have to be very carefully constructed to protect the tracks from tire damage.

_tunnel under the driveway_: I am intrigued by this possibility. The tunnel would have to be close to twenty feet in length to fully allow for large truck traffic, but it is a definitel possibility. 




  
(this one can be enlarged by clicking the picture)

But, I am not there yet. Nevertheless, I am definitely considering the long term possibilities of sending the outdoor model railroad across the driveway.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm... 

1) used to live in a trailer myself. Ah, the joy of crawling around underneath the dang thing in the winter trying to thaw out the water line without burning it down. 

2) I am a bit uncertain about the exact geography here. Would a elevated route that bypassed the driveway altogether be feasible? If it is, your feline survey crew would probably vote 'yes'.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 08/22/2008 7:01 PM

Hmmm... 1) used to live in a trailer myself. Ah, the joy of crawling around underneath the dang thing in the winter trying to thaw out the water line without burning it down. 2) I am a bit uncertain about the exact geography here. Would a elevated route that bypassed the driveway altogether be feasible? If it is, your feline survey crew would probably vote 'yes'.


No way to get around the driveway and no way to span it less than 15 feet above the ground. I'd need a_ huge_ run of track to make that !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Then, of course, I almost forgot what happens here in the springtime that probably effectively prohibits the use of a tunnel across the driveway (click):


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Ok... 

1) 15 feet is a bit high. 

2) Breakup does kinda rule out going under the driveway...as does getting to the trains that Murphy's law says *will* derail in the middle of the tunnel. 

3) I also doubt the track would be tough enough to hold up being driven over all the time, plus there is still the flood problem. 

This leaves: 

1) Either making a giant detour around all this (expensive, but letting you run really long consists and making for happy felines); or 

2) putting in an automatic gate across the driveway, with the top cleverly disguised as the famed Million dollar bridge.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 08/23/2008 12:55 AM

Ok... 1) 15 feet is a bit high. 2) Breakup does kinda rule out going under the driveway...as does getting to the trains that Murphy's law says *will* derail in the middle of the tunnel. 3) I also doubt the track would be tough enough to hold up being driven over all the time, plus there is still the flood problem. This leaves: 1) Either making a giant detour around all this (expensive, but letting you run really long consists and making for happy felines); or 2) putting in an automatic gate across the driveway, with the top cleverly disguised as the famed Million dollar bridge.


It appears to be a practical near-impossibility, doesn't it? Not one option is feasible. Not even remotely so. Oh well. Nice thought.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2008)

3) I also doubt the track would be tough enough to hold up being driven over all the time, plus there is still the flood problem. 


for durability one could use "L"shaped iron profiles instead of brassrails at the crossing. 
against the flood-problem one could raise the driveway at the railroadcrossing a couple of inches.. 

the main danger from a level-crossing might be distracted drivers. 
using automated 1:1 red signals/trafficlights, triggered by the trains or even automated raiway-gates might be the solution to that.


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/21/2008 4:51 PM
In that same year (1999) I had one of the very last surviving CRNW lineshacks moved from Chitina to this location. 



















isn't that the shack i slept in when i visited you in 2004 ?


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Stan Ceaderleaf made tracks that he could drive across in his driveway a few years back. Contact him and see if he has any pictures of how he did it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 08/23/2008 5:45 AM

Stan Ceaderleaf made tracks that he could drive across in his driveway a few years back. Contact him and see if he has any pictures of how he did it.


Were I to decide to run track across the driveway, I would pour a concrete base and embed stainless steel track. There is a narrow point where it could be done , but it would have to cross at two points. 
Here is one potential scheme for the _very_ long-term: 


  
click image for larger view


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Map showing possible Phase IV (yellow) as an extension 

of Phase II (red)


  
(click)

A Phase II extension to Phase IV would ultimately bring the model railroad to the banks of the Klutina River and in the process make this layout one of the larger model railroads in North America. On a longer-term basis, this is no longer out of the realm of possibility.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/22/2008 12:24 PM



The three ways to be considered: 

_overhead:_ probably too high. Requires 15 feet of clearance since large trucks have to drive through here.

* âœ"âœ"âœ" protected track on the surface of the drive[/i]**:* possible, but would have to be very carefully constructed to protect the tracks from tire damage.

_tunnel under the driveway_: I am intrigued by this possibility. The tunnel would have to be close to twenty feet in length to fully allow for large truck traffic, but it is a definite possibility. 




I am now thinking that this option _can_ be accomplished using a very hard track, which means stainless steel laid in concrete perhaps?


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## SteveC (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron

As JJ suggested you may find what Stan Cedarleaf did to cross his driveway on his first layout of help. And since you run battery power the same as Stan does, it may give you some ideas and modify the design to your needs.

*Stan's Driveway Crossing*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Ultimate Northern Layout:

Thus, the final layout could eventually very well resemble something like this:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 08/23/2008 3:23 PM

Ron

As JJ suggested you may find what Stan Cedarleaf did to cross his driveway on his first layout of help. And since you run battery power the same as Stan does, it may give you some ideas and modify the design to your needs.

*Stan's Driveway Crossing*


Thanks for that link. I will check it out.



My regards,

--Ron


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

There are many considerations before I can even realistically contemplate a Phase IV or Phase V model railroad line. What MLS allows me to do is develop a kind of scatchpad. I can place the possibilities out where all can see them. Then I have a basis for realistic planning.  



I will go ahead with a segment of the Phase IV plan in the next year or two simply because that is the phase where I begin bringing the track down to ground level. The three possiblities for the crossing of the driveway are still out there and I will carefully consider all of them. 



Now, where was I when I diverted myself in this direction ?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By SteveC on 08/23/2008 3:23 PM

Ron

As JJ suggested you may find what Stan Cedarleaf did to cross his driveway on his first layout of help. And since you run battery power the same as Stan does, it may give you some ideas and modify the design to your needs.

*Stan's Driveway Crossing*





Thanks for the suggestion. Now that I've spent a little time contemplating it, the method makes sense.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sschaer on 08/23/2008 5:27 AM

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/21/2008 4:51 PM In that same year (1999) I had one of the very last surviving CRNW lineshacks moved from Chitina to this location. 














isn't that the shack i slept in when i visited you in 2004 ?


That's the one.  Still haven't replaced that roof, either.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Another thought on crossing the driveway. Maybe go half under and half on top. IE If you going to build a 10 inch tall tunnel Put fine under and five on top. Also you could put a steel plate or grate for the roof. That way you could easlily retireve de railments and clean out unwanted guest or debirs/excessive moisture .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 08/24/2008 5:24 AM
Another thought on crossing the driveway. Maybe go half under and half on top. IE If you going to build a 10 inch tall tunnel Put fine under and five on top. Also you could put a steel plate or grate for the roof. That way you could easlily retireve de railments and clean out unwanted guest or debirs/excessive moisture . 
Another possibility. This is a project that could be put into action as soon as the next two years (assuming the economy up here does not drop off the earth).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is the ideal finalized layout, showing all six phases:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

These lines represent the long-term possiblities, should I ever choose to expand the line that far. As you can see, those possibilities, for all intents and purposes, are almost unlimited. 


  
Some elements of the above will undoubtedly be built in the next two years since I look at the idea of crossing my driveway as a challenge worthy of the taking.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Before / After: 
2001: 

The land had been cleared of old trailers


  
2008: 

And replaced with overnight accommodations resembling a mining camp / small western frontier town (still in progress).


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Given the cost of track these days - not to mention the cost of the supporting structure - you might be looking at taking out a second mortgage to finish phase VI. (1000+ feet of track?!?) 

Also, if I'm reading the maps right, some of your future expansion would put the track literally right next to what I assume are tenant occupied dwellings. 

------ 

Given the space you have available, you might want to look into a 'larger' option - something along the lines of a 7.5 or 12 inch guage deal. Remember the old ride on train at the Palmer fairgrounds? It ended up down here on the Kenai Peninsula.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 08/24/2008 5:54 PM

if I'm reading the maps right, some of your future expansion would put the track literally right next to what I assume are tenant occupied dwellings.


Correct. The track closely hugs the front of the buildings, going under a ramp and two sets of stairs. Mostly it will be out of the way or otherwise almost unnoticeable. You can see the path below. Remember, all of this is quite some time off. As for the cost of track by then, I don't really want to know.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The track will pass under this porch as well as the stair and ramp in the distance, carefully hugging the periphery of the building fronts. Since access to each of these structures is by means of one of these three points, this arrangement presents no particular difficulty.


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

just out of curiousity... your overnight accommodations... guess with the current fuel prices they stay empty most of the time.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The dike strongly resembles an abandoned railroad bed. It is the roughly the same width and very level except where the elements have conspired against it. Over the years, much like any unused railway right-of-way, it has become overgrown. Before it can be used for running garden track I will have to do some considerable clearing of brush.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

*Check this out: 

Historic locomotive back in Juneau *

MINING: It was used in Alaska nearly a century ago, then sold. 

By ERIC MORRISON _Juneau Empire_ 
Published: August 25th, 2008 01:10 AM Anchorage Daily News Last Modified: August 25th, 2008 01:38 AM 


JUNEAU -- A rare electric locomotive used to extract ore from the Alaska-Gastineau mine in the early 20th century has been acquired by the Alaska State Museum. Mining historian David Stone said it is rare to have a piece of Alaska's mining history still intact after all these years. 


"That fact that they weren't scrapped, thrown away or for that matter really modified where it would have taken away the historical significance of them, is just an amazing thing," he said. 


"For the most part, Alaska's mining history, the equipment was scrapped and salvaged. So it's just amazing." 

The locomotive was an innovative piece of technology when it was built, Stone said. "It was part of an operation that changed the course of mining history," he said. 


Stone noted that the Alaska-Gastineau mine was known for its innovation in the industry and was one of the largest gold mining operations of its era. The low-cost and efficient locomotives helped the mine become a model for the industry, he said. 


The locomotive hauled the ore from the mine's 13 underground levels to its processing facilities in Thane. The 18-ton locomotive built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in 1914 was donated by the California State Railroad Museum and arrived back in Juneau this week. 


"One of the things that was very exciting about it, the locomotives that were used here are no longer in Juneau so it was a wonderful opportunity to bring back a piece of mining history," said Bruce Kato, chief curator for the Alaska State Museum. 

The acquired locomotive was one of two that the Alaska-Gastineau mine sold to the Santa Cruz Portland Cement Co. in California in 1924 after a decade of use at the mine in the Sheep Creek valley south of Juneau. 


They remained in operation in California until the 1970s, when they were donated to the railroad museum. "It was an innovative new locomotive in its day," he said. "It ran off electricity. It's a trolley locomotive and it pulled 40 10-ton ore cars. So it was the big ore train." 


Also amazing is the amount of documentation on the electric locomotives that remains today, Stone said. Blueprints, photographs, maintenance records and other information has been preserved and will likely be on display with the locomotive at some point in the future, he said. 


"They are the most well documented locomotives in the history of the state in terms of mining locomotives," Stone said. 

The locomotive will be put in storage until it is decided where to display it, possibly in a planned expansion of the state museum, Kato said. The Division of Libraries, Archives and Museums recently received $7.5 million for planning and design of a new facility where the train may end up on display, he said. 


"The first thing we needed to do is take the opportunity to acquire the artifact," he said. 

Getting the locomotive to Alaska was no easy task, Kato and Stone each said. Lynden Transportation and Alaska Marine Lines donated shipping costs of getting the 18-ton train back to Alaska. 


"We're very fortunate to have it back in Alaska," Stone said.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I _would think_ that the above would be of _some_ interest to somebody--enough to make a comment or several. The Gastineau was quite a mine--one of four major gold mines in the Juneau-Douglas area. This is quite a development. A few years ago, when a new operation took over the Kensington Mine--not all that far from Juneau, a locomotive was found intact underground. This, too, was shipped off to Juneau.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't know much about mines or mining locomotives, but I fear that if somebody facing east sneezes, that loco will just be some rusty colored dust all over Canada. 

At any rate, I am glad that some historical fabric is still intact and will be preserved for future generations to learn from.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 08/25/2008 5:19 PM

I don't know much about mines or mining locomotives, but I fear that if somebody facing east sneezes, that loco will just be some rusty colored dust all over Canada. At any rate, I am glad that some historical fabric is still intact and will be preserved for future generations to learn from.


Now _there's_ a scary thought. It is an unusual-looking beast, isn't it? Anyone know anything about these electric locos?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sschaer on 08/25/2008 12:00 AM

just out of curiousity... your overnight accommodations... guess with the current fuel prices they stay empty most of the time.


First of all, my location is _off_ the beaten path. I have seven rooms plus the cabin, but mostly they sit empty--especially once king salmon fishing season ends. I expect the high price of gas to negatively influence tourist business _even more_ next year because there is usually a lag time (most the trips for this last tourist season had already been planned in advance of the big jump in gasoline prices).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Now, where was I? Oh yes. I was discussing my ongoing need for a shop, mainly for scale model (structure) construction.  This one would have been ideal except it was too expensive to insulate, build a floor and add a heating system. I tried working out a deal with someone else as a joint venture on this potential shop, but to no avail. In the end the space below the Kennecott model to this day remains a 16 X 36 foot cold storage.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

During 2002 I used unit #6 for the shop. That year there were no buildings between it and unit #1 in the distance where I live.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

That was the year we built a large number of structures, some for the Chitina model, some for the McCarthy model and the entire layout for the Mother Lode mine. 


























Regrettably, this room was needed for other purposes. By 2003 it was no longer available. Although the space under the Kennecott model was temporarily used to do some model assembly, effectively as of 2003 I had no shop on the grounds at all.  However, by that time I was tired of building models and had moved on to other things. . . 

Until recently . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile, I should probably bump this topic back up to the top: 










Has anyone any knowledge of this electric Baldwin? Any comments on the story related to it (above)?


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

scary little engine. this would be a real challenge to become operating again. 


http://www.museums.state.ak.us/documents/press_releases/07_08_locomotive.pdf (contact info !) 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/slvreagle/2128632055/


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

1917 view of that same engine running between the Perseverence and the Thane Mines


  
(click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)




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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Gastineau Mine

showing the Sheep Creek Railway to the Thane Mill


  
(click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

"According to mine historian David Stone, the electric locomotive was one of two built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for the Alaska Gastineau mine in 1914. “It is amazing that this 94-year old locomotive is intact and returning to Juneau. It is a physical example of an innovative world-class mining operation that changed mining history.” The mine eventually sold the locomotives to the Santa Cruz Portland Cement Company in California, where they operated for many years. 



"The Alaska-Gastineau mine, located in the Sheep Creek valley just south of Juneau, used them to haul ore from 13 underground levels of the mine to the processing facilities located at Thane. The mine was one of the world’s largest gold mines, and the use of electric locomotives was innovative at the time and helped the mine become an industry model of efficiency and low-cost operation. The locomotives had a low-profile design to allow use underground, and were powered by two 90-horsepower electric Westinghouse motors with electricity supplied through a cable system." 

Highlighting the four major gold mines in the Juneau-Douglass area: Alaska-Juneau Mine, Treadwell, Perseverance and Thane Mines:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Showing the end-of-the-line for the Sheep Creek Railroad at the Thane Mill on Gastineau Channel (click)


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## sschaer (Jan 2, 2008)

somewhere i read that this little engine was able to haul 40 cars.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sschaer on 08/26/2008 9:40 AM

somewhere i read that this little engine was able to haul 40 cars.


from the press release: "It ran off electricity. It's a trolley locomotive and it pulled _4__0_  10-ton ore cars. So it was the big ore train."


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Sheep Creek Adit, which was the route of the Sheep Creek Railroad, was the longest tunnel in Alaska at the time.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Interesting to see the photo of the old engine.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Gastineau milling process consisted of four stages:

course crushing

fine crushing

concentration

retreatment

The mill produced one ton of concentrates for each 50 to 60 tons of ore.  

Milling capacity was 6000 tons daily. 


  
The mill went into operation by November of 1915. 

The mining system used the shrinkage system of stoping--similar to that employed at Kennecott. Ore drawn from a stope was hauled to one of two oreways in four-ton cars. Each oreway had four underswing ore gates for loading into 10-ton cars. A train of 40 cars was loaded and hauled to the mill site by the 18-ton Westinghouse Baldwin locomotive. 

Upon arriving at the course crushing plant tthe cars were separated into groups of four. These were led into a revolving tipple and then dumped. Undersize ore fell through a  2 1/2 inch screen into a storage bin. The oversized ore went through of one two Buchanan Jaw Crushers (these were also used at Kennecott). Beyond this were four gyratory crushers that broke the ore down to two inches. Then the product entered an 8000 ton storage bin.

This ore then was delivered to the fine crushing department via a 42-inch conveyor belt that was 1216 feet long (see drawing above). 

The ore was discharged onto one-inch opening impact screens. The oversized ore continued to a 2500-ton bin which fed 72-inch rolls. These crushed the ore down to one inch size. This product was then elevated and dropped over the impact screens. Anything oversized was returned to the rolls. All undersized was distributed to bins in the concentration department.

Here the ore was fed to Garfield tables for rough concentration. Water was introduced to give consistency to the feed. The roughing concentration was cleaned on Wilfley tables (also used at Kennecott). These are shaking tables with riffleds that separate minerals by their specific gravity. Tailings went to Janney classifiers (again, also employed at Kennecott). 

The classifers rejected the low or no-value slime. Course ore went to the tube mills to be reground. These were cylindrical, seven feet in diameter by ten feet long that contained Danish flint pebbles as a grinding medium.  This created a pulp that was sent through the Garfield tables a second time. Water went to the tailings. The concentrate was re-run over the Wilfley tables before going to the retreatment plant. 

At this plant the concentrates were elevated to the top floor. The ore ran over another set of Wilfley tables to remove a rough lead concentrate which carried the free course gold. This lead concentrate was retabled to remove the free gold--gold that does not require chemical treatment. The free gold was then heated in an open hearth furnace and formed into gold bricks.

The result was a high grade lead bullion consisting of half lead but with $800.00 in gold per ton (remember that this was in 1915 prices, which were very low). The bricks were stored in bins before being shipped south to a smelter. The tailings were sampled and sent to the beach.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sschaer on 08/26/2008 4:12 AM

scary little engine. [/b]_this would be a real challenge to become operating again_.


I understand that at one time a _rail tour_ was offered through a part of one of the Juneau mines--probably this one--the Gastineau.  As I recall, it was soon discontinued due to insurance considerations. I would sure like to know more about that venture--particularly what type of engine they used--_if _this was true. It really would be something to see this electric engine restored to full use.


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

We used them same locos when I worked underground mine back in the seventies in Colorado.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ron Senek on 08/26/2008 9:13 PM

We used them same locos when I worked underground mine back in the seventies in Colorado.










You did ? Great !  What can you tell us about them ?


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

The mine used two sizes for hauling ore, a twenty ton which haul twenty ten ton cars and a center cab thirty ton which haul 30 cars. They used these way before I started working there and until it shut down in 1987. They also had smaller ones for hauling supplies 8 ton 10 ton and 12 ton.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Part of the operations of the Gastineau Mine included the construction of the Salmon Creek dam for hydroelectric power. Gastineau purchased this Shay--the only one ever to enter Alaska--from the Coal Creek rail line near Dawson City (and the Klondike Mines Railway) for this project. 

It was eventually scrapped in Washington (bottom photo--both are clickable to a larger size).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ron Senek on 08/27/2008 7:48 AM

The mine used two sizes for hauling ore, a twenty ton which haul twenty ten ton cars and a center cab thirty ton which haul 30 cars. They used these way before I started working there and until it shut down in 1987. They also had smaller ones for hauling supplies 8 ton 10 ton and 12 ton.


That's interesting because this is an 18-ton Westinghouse-Baldwin that routinely pulled 40 ten-ton ore cars.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Overly ambitious? Perhaps. But nothing ever happens without a vision.I believe that the more ambitious and apparently unattainable the better. The CRD layout may never extend beyond its present boundaries, but it is _guaranteed_ that it won't if the plans are not laid out for future expansion.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

And so it begins: the early beginnings of the construction of the trans-Canada gas line which could ultimately bring about the expansion of a true transcontinental railroad through Canada into Alaska:

*dateline 27 August 2008:  TransCanada begins work on gas pipeline project * 
adn.com

TransCanada Corp. doesn't yet have the state natural gas pipeline license legislators approved, but an executive with the Calgary-based energy firm says it has already started working on the huge project. 



"There's some critical work we need to get done before the snow flies," said Tony Palmer, TransCanada's Alaska point man. At the top of the to-do list, he said, is snapping aerial photos of the Alaska pipeline route. The total length of the proposed gas line is 1,715 miles - about 750 within the state and 965 in Canada. 



TransCanada has hired Aero-Metric Inc., a Wisconsin firm with an Anchorage office, to take the photos, and the contractor is trying to get the job done in between bouts of bad weather, Palmer said. 



Next on the list for TransCanada is finding office space this fall, likely in Anchorage or Fairbanks, he said. 



The company is proceeding with the work in anticipation of receiving an exclusive state license from the administration of Gov. Sarah Palin, who today signed the bill the Legislature passed this month authorizing state officials to award the license to TransCanada. 



Palin inked the legislation, House Bill 3001, at an AFL-CIO convention at the Hotel Captain Cook in downtown Anchorage. 



She wore an aqua business suit that made her stand out like a candle in the darkened ballroom filled with Teamsters, Laborers, electricians, nurses and other unionized workers. 



With her gas team, TransCanada people and three Democratic state senators gathered around - Johnny Ellis, Bill Wielechowski and Hollis French - the Republican governor signed the bill in what she called "one of the most historic and exciting events to happen since statehood."



(more)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It may be years before we see this sight here in AK, but it is coming, rest assured.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One of my goals for my large-scale model was to include a small pipeline construction camp. I have already been looking at the pipe-crawlers that are available in 1:25 scale for such a layout. So, somewhere down the line . . . 


  
Pump Station 6 on the Yukon River, 1977. 


The above is a completed pump station. My camp will not quite look like that, but it will include a section of pipeline like you see here, naturally--once I figure out how to build it, that is.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is an example of pipeline construction-era barracks--stacked as doubles. These were at Pump Station 6 where I was stationed as a treatment plant operator in 1976.  These are called ATCO structures. They were everywhere up and down the line until well after construction had ended.  It is something like this which will be created for my pipeline construction camp layout sometime in the future within the existing Phase II-III area.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is the pipeline construction camp across the Yukon River from Pump Six at a place called "Five Mile." 


  
This is closer to how any future layout I may build of such a camp would look. I lived in one of these style constructs, too. Except it was much larger.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here are two vintage shots of the 48 inch pipe being laid using sidebooms.  Any pipeline construction camp diorama I ultimately build will include such a scene, complete with the crew bus, if those ever become available in this scale. 

For my layouts I always build in 1:24. Thus 1:24 and 1:25 are the two acceptable sizes of cars, trucks and related equipment I can include in my layouts.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The 1:25 diecast sidebooms are remarkably similar to the ones actually used in great numbers during construction of the Alyeska Pipeline. I will be acquiring a few of these when the time comes, assuming they are still available then.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

In any case, this idea is nothing all that new. Ever since I contemplated building my Phase II model railroad line about three years ago, I have wanted to include elements of the oil pipeline.  Originally I just wanted to build a segment of the oil line itself. But with the gas line being in our local news for the last several years and even more so in the last few months, it is time to seriously look at putting a model pipeline construction camp together.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/27/2008 11:45 PM

And so it begins: the early beginnings of the construction of the trans-Canada gas line which could ultimately bring about the expansion of a true transcontinental railroad through Canada into Alaska:

*dateline 27 August 2008: TransCanada begins work on gas pipeline project * 
adn.com

TransCanada Corp. doesn't yet have the state natural gas pipeline license legislators approved, but an executive with the Calgary-based energy firm says it has already started working on the huge project. . .






"The economic viability of the proposed Alaska-Canada railway connector could be substantially enhanced in the short term, because of the considerable freight traffic generated for equipment and material transport by the construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline between 2010 and 2017. The construction of the Alaska natural gas pipeline, simultaneously with or immediately following the completion of the Alaska-Canada railroad connector, will substantially increase the freight traffic on the railroad by 10 to 30 million tons per year in the short term, following startup after 2010. 



"These increased freight traffic volumes will be especially great for the Fort Nelson route option, which substantially parallels the pipeline over most of its route distance in the early years, where freight traffic volumes of up to 120 million tons per year can result over the Alaska-Canada railway, without the Bering Strait tunnel being built. With the Bering Strait tunnel, freight traffic volumes of up to 300 million tons per year become possible over the entire route or greater. The cost savings to the natural gas pipeline project from reduced material transport costs with the prior construction of the Alaska-Canada railroad could nearly equal the cost of the railroad between Alaska and British Columbia." 
Check this out: An actual artist's conception of the ALCAN Railway connection at Kluane Lake, Yukon Territory: 


  
(click image for larger one)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

My own model railroad presumes the existence of the Alaska-Canada Rail Connector

Using the supplied map, you can see the rail routes included in my model in its full proposed form as the

Alaska-Canada Northern Expo Consolidated Railway System:


  
(click image to view a larger map)

Incidentally, this is a very new map, only recently published.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

That this Alaska-Canadian rail line extension keeps re-appearing, lately more in the context of the larger world-wide railroad linked at the Bering Straits, is fascinating. Will it happen? The numbers are beginning to work in favor of what would become the largest construction project ever. 


  
(click)

As the possiblities of this becoming reality over time increase--or so it appears--so also will my ALCANEX model continue to expand to reflect what one day may very well be the future. And this will mark a true resurrection of the railroads--a new Golden Age of Rails.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

A pipe dream? Maybe. But the prospects are _not_ unrealistic--no longer out of the realm of possiblity-- and they certainly are exciting. And Russia remains a potential partner in financing this world-wide endeavor. 


  
A Southern Terminal of the Proposed Alaska-Canada Rail Link


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

"The main rail corridor extension of the Alaska-Canada rail connector would be along the eastern end from Edmonton, Alberta to Portal, North Dakota along the existing routes, in parallel to a new natural gas pipeline. A new rail line along the proposed Central North America Trade Corridor would then need to be built from Portal, North Dakota to Del Rio, Texas for hauling coal, oil, gas, farm products, and other commodities. This new rail line could then be extended from Mexico to Columbia through Central America to South America. This rail-line corridor could then be extended through South America, in parallel to a proposed new natural gas pipeline from Venezuela to Argentina. This new Latin American railroad corridor could then serve as the focus for economic development and peaceful relations, so that the present need for immigration to the United States could be reduced if not eliminated."


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

_ "It has been determined that the technical feasibility of the Alaska-Canada railroad connector is basically independent of the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline, because it can be built independently and in advance of or simultaneously in conjunction with the proposed Alaska natural gas pipeline.. . "_


  

(click above for larger image)

The Alaska connection opens up the possibilities for a complete revitalization of America's railroads, including new high-speed lines. 
     _"The expected freight traffic volumes on the other connecting railroad lines in North America will generally increase from the range of 5 to 10 million tons per year in the first 3 to 5 years, between 40 and 50 million tons per year over a 20 to 30 year period. In addition, it is expected that the proportion of the freight traffic hauled over the Alaska-Canada rail connector will be between Alaska and the Upper Midwest and Eastern States, with an expected 65 to 75% of the total. A relatively small proportion of 25 to 35% of the expected freight traffic will originate or terminate in the Pacific Northwest, as at present. In fact, it is likely that there may be substantial political opposition to the proposed Alaska-Canada rail connector project from the maritime interests in the Puget Sound area, whose businesses would be adversely affected as Alaska's trade center shifts to the east from Seattle to Minneapolis."_


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thus, as you can no doubt tell, I am working out the storyline behind my Phase I & II combined railroads. Just about have it down, too.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Although the proposal I have seen calls for a tunnel, there is also the possibility of a 50-mile bridge which includes provisions for a high-speed rail lines along with vehicular traffic, pipelines, power and communication lines. I find the bridge to be particularly appealing.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Hmmm... 

Most of the pictorial descriptions seem to cenvision an *electrified* railway. This jives with the proposal that was percolating on one of the oil boards not that long ago calling for double tracking and electrifying most of the US railway network. Guess Blackburn will have to update his locomotive fleet...once he figures out just what sort of electric loco's they'll be running. And stringing up all that overhead wire could be a pain...


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Bering Strait bridge concept definitely recognizes what I believe to be the future in ground transportation: 

High-speed trains (finally) in North America. Let us hope so.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 08/28/2008 9:54 PM

Hmmm... Most of the pictorial descriptions seem to cenvision an *electrified* railway. This jives with the proposal that was percolating on one of the oil boards not that long ago calling for double tracking and electrifying most of the US railway network. Guess Blackburn will have to update his locomotive fleet...once he figures out just what sort of electric loco's they'll be running. And stringing up all that overhead wire could be a pain...




Electric locomotives? That's what ran through Cle Elum--the railroad town adjacent Roslyn, prototype to my mythical town of Cicely, AK. If I could come up with one of these Milwaukee Road  "Little Joes" I would happily add an electrical system to go with it. After all, Milwaukee Road will be one of the featured railroads. So the possiblity remains.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I have been watching Ice Road Truckers on the HISTORY CHANEL. According to the program they found large natural gas deposits up in the North West Territories near the town of Inuvic. So they will probable be building a pipe line to it too.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, our enormously popular Alaskan governor, as his VP running mate. This does have a relationship to my on-going post in an odd sort of way. Commentary to follow.

The Anchorage Daily News breaks the story:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 08/29/2008 9:48 AM

John McCain has picked Sarah Palin, our enormously popular Alaskan governor, as his VP running mate. This does have a relationship to my on-going post in an odd sort of way. Commentary to follow.

The Anchorage Daily News breaks the story: 















Recall that I have maintained all along that a rail link to Alaska would be closely bound to construction of a gas line--something which WILL occur. But NOW we are likely to have a VP in office who can influence the President on a choice to open up the 1002 area of ANWR to drilling. NOW we are talking about opening up the flood gates of the vast energy potential powerhouse that IS Alaska. And with it is our single BEST chance of FINALLY achieving that long-sought rail connection. Today we advanced one step close to that possibility. 
Hmmmm. How odd. Plenty of readers. No responses. What am I to make of that?


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## flatracker (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, I think it is an interesting proposition and would like to see it done, but with the present conditions with Georgia and Russia vs us, it would seem a long way off. It seems like there will always be tremendous mistrust between America and Russia and doubt that it will ever end with the likes of Putin in power. Now the pipeline R/R would seem like a lot more viable project, and would make more sense from an economic standpoint. However, where would enough traffic come from once the pipeline was completed, and all the construction equipment shipped out? 
About the political business, I am not happy with any of the candidates, but think your governor is a fine lady and a plus to anyone's team. This time I will vote for what I consider IMHO, the "lesser of the two evils", so to speak. I might also add I am a STRONG supporter of Second Amendment Rights. I live in a rural area, and response times of local authories would find me dead, if an intruder was to assult me with that intent. I don't EVER intend for that to happen." border=0>" border=0>


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## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

The bridge idea sounds good. It would be neat to hop on a bike or get in a car and drive to Asia!


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

That would be a long bike ride, and the wind could very well blow you off into the Bering Sea. You would never be heard from again. Russia would claim you never showed up, the U.S. would argue that you left, an international incident would ensue and WW-III, IV and V would result in a useless bridge with several holes blown in it to keep the invading hords from going either way on it.


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## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

I think I'll stay home.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I don't see the bridge across the Bering Straight happening any time soon...as in my probable lifetime. 

I figure we have about one chance in three of actually getting Alaska properly connected into the rest of the north american railway network in the next decade or two. Partly because of the pipeline, and oddly partly because of the collapse of globalism due to ever increasing shipping costs, might make it cheaper to tap into some of the mineral resources here in the frequently frozen north. 

As to Ms Palin...dang, I see that wasn't some sort of weird hallucination brought on by too many hours at the pizza joint yesterday. I do have a thought and a question that goes with it for Blackburn, though: 

Up until she began her campaign for governor, I had only barely heard of Ms Palin. I don't really remember hearing anything about her even say...five years ago. Does Blackburn?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It was frosty this morning. When I took this picture--and the ones that follow--it was 26 degrees (about 9 am). The low this morning was 23--about the same as yesterday. Snow has steadily moved down the mountainsides and we have reports of snow on the roads at Eureka and Paxson. Due to the unusually heavy volume of precipitation this summer and relatively-low temperatures, I anticipate an early snow. I am hoping to see an early snowfall to be able to take one last set of pictures with the trains still in operation before I shut them down for the season. Due to ongoing heavy rains, the train has not been operated in most of August or any of September. 


 
Frosted windows on the Cicely model structure this morning-Sept 23 2008


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

For the first time in weeks I was able to take a picture of a sunrise looking east toward the Wrangell Range from my new shop annex. 











Mt Drum (click for larger image) taken at 6am. Temp was 23 F.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The new annex is actually an extension of my old arctic entryway. The windows face east. This will be my model-building shop over the course of what will be a very long winter. 

The extension begins just to the left of the new chimney. The annex has its own heat source.  
















Some additional insulating remains to be done under the annex to the arctic entryway before winter fully sets in. The construction material will then be removed. 
Click for larger image.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

After I took that first photo of Mt Drum from my new office/shop earlier this morning, the fog rapidly moved in. Only by 10 am had it cleared, as seen here: 











Mt Drum at 10 am, 23 Sept 08 from an open window in my new annex (click).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The model railroad in context: On the left is the new office/shop annex. On the right is the Cicely model structure with the Kennecott model structure behind it. The ground is covered in frost. As you can see the trees are now barren of leaves. Although it was officially fall two days ago, in reality winter is set to arrive at any time here in the Copper Valley of Alaska. 













The model railroad will eventually cross the driveway at a point on the right side of this image, then head south (left) close to the place where I shot this picture. Click for larger image.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the advantages of my running this thread is that I have a readily-available log of my progress on the models and my thoughts for future development. When I went back through this thread earlier today I was amazed at how much had occurred since I started this thread. Here, for instance, is a structure that has long since moved to another location within the Cicely model. As I add more structures it has proved necessary to shift some of these around to fit the scheme.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

An arctic entryway is nothing more than an enclosed porch to trap some of the heat from the house and otherwise keep the frigid cold air from directly entering the building. My original entry was only five feet wide. The expanded version is closer to 24 feet, allowing sufficient room for me to draw up and build my models this winter.  Hopefully conditions will be favorable and I will have the opportunity to construct several models over the course of the winter. 











Visible on the right is the propane heating unit which will keep this area warm and also provide a back-up heat source, particularly in event of a power outage.  On the left are a DeWalt 10 inch table saw and a DeWalt 12 inch miter saw.  The new entry is on the far left.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The DeWalt tools are probably overkill for building 1:24 models, but I also need them for full-scale building projects anticipated for next summer. It's going to be a busy year next year even with an expected down-turn in tourism.  I got them both in a hock shop (lots of tools available that way these days).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By flatracker on 08/30/2008 6:14 AM

. . . the pipeline R/R would seem like a lot more viable project, and would make more sense from an economic standpoint. However, where would enough traffic come from once the pipeline was completed, and all the construction equipment shipped out? 


You might be surprised at the huge volume of items shipped to Alaska, mostly bound for the North Slope. We are now assuming that major activity will continue in that area for the next _three decades_. By that time, who knows, maybe the Bering Straits bridge or tunnel will have come closer to reality.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Last week we cut back the Fushcias in preparation for winter. I had eight of them hanging in the beer garden this year. These are now stored over the winter at Bell's Nursery in Anchorage. They took their 205-mile annual trip where they will remain in nursery care until about mid-May.  These hanging plants are a significant part of my "garden" railway. Only the fushcias are saved. The others are seasonal ones that die off with the frost and must be replaced. 











(click)


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## Kevin Miller (Jan 5, 2008)

I don't think the Dewalt table saw is overkill for large scale. I use an old Craftsman 10" table saw to cut all my stripwood. I just change to a 7 1/4" narrow kerf skill saw blade and use a zero clearance insert. Very seldom do I have to sand it to get a smoother finish. 

17,756 views on this topic Ron, it must be a record.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 09/23/2008 9:45 PM
An arctic entryway is nothing more than an enclosed porch to trap some of the heat from the house and otherwise keep the frigid cold air from directly entering the building. My original entry was only five feet wide. The expanded version is closer to 24 feet, allowing sufficient room for me to draw up and build my models this winter.  Hopefully conditions will be favorable and I will have the opportunity to construct several models over the course of the winter. 











Visible on the right is the propane heating unit which will keep this area warm and also provide a back-up heat source, particularly in event of a power outage.  On the left are a DeWalt 10 inch table saw and a DeWalt 12 inch miter saw.  The new entry is on the far left.  






Isn't that now, technically, a "room"? Do you not now need to build an Arctic Entryway to trap heat from this 'room' and otheriwse keep the frigid cold air from directly entering the building? 

I wanted to build a gable end cover over a 3'x5' precast concrete stoop once and was denied a building permit because if they let me build that substantial of a roof then someone in the future might want to add side walls to cut down on crosswinds and then someone might want to put a front wall on it and a door to keep the snow off the porch and that would then constitute a "room" and the side walls would not be long enough to have a proper window to meet fire code regulations as an exit in case the door was blocked.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 09/24/2008 10:55 AM

Posted By blackburn49 on 09/23/2008 9:45 PM 
An arctic entryway is nothing more than an enclosed porch to trap some of the heat from the house and otherwise keep the frigid cold air from directly entering the building. My original entry was only five feet wide. The expanded version is closer to 24 feet, allowing sufficient room for me to draw up and build my models this winter. Hopefully conditions will be favorable and I will have the opportunity to construct several models over the course of the winter. 















Isn't that now, technically, a "room"? Do you not now need to build an Arctic Entryway to trap heat from this 'room' and otheriwse keep the frigid cold air from directly entering the building? 
I wanted to build a gable end cover over a 3'x5' precast concrete stoop once and was denied a building permit because if they let me build that substantial of a roof then someone in the future might want to add side walls to cut down on crosswinds and then someone might want to put a front wall on it and a door to keep the snow off the porch and that would then constitute a "room" and the side walls would not be long enough to have a proper window to meet fire code regulations as an exit in case the door was blocked. 


* 

It is. Fortunately, I am not meeting any codes here. I will not be adding a new arctic entry. This new area does not have to be heated when I am not using it, although I will keep it on minimal heat. 
*


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The view from the new room is great--when it is clear out. That hasn't happened more than a  few days this last summer. In fact, I don't recall seeing more than two good days in a row all summer. And mostly those mountains were not in view even then.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Although the view above is great (when it is not foggy as is the case here), below is the typical rural Alaskan neighbor yard: a bunch of long-parked cars, some on blocks (as in the hill billy red-neck jokes and assorted other junk. Thus I have a fence to mask that level.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Maybe one of you out there has some idea as to where I can go for log siding for one of my 1:24 structures. As it now looks, I may be having to make my own. Now that would be a very time-consuming project.   Maurice Minnifield's log house, Cicely, Alaska


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The exterior shots of Maurice's home were done at Roslyn, Washington. The interior shots were taken at the production studio in Redmond, Washington. Looking at these, I could almost use doweling strips because these "logs" (obviously these ones are fake) are so even. 







Maurice in his "home" in Cicely: One of the models that will eventually appear on my layout. I plan on working on this one this winter. 
In any case, I would appreciate any suggestions for the use of logs from any of the MLS members.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The logs and everything else about the place were fake (and some of it was decidedly tacky) , but those Northern Exposure episodes sure were entertaining. 
Check out_ these_ "logs:"


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## Guest (Sep 25, 2008)

when i need "logs", i cut twigs of the right diameter and treat them with a cheese slicer or a potatoe peeler. 
that is quick and easy. 
for rough, more or less square beams i use a sandpaper belt.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The actual film site for the exterior of Maurice Minnifield's home is on the hillside to the east of downtown Roslyn. When I was gathering internet photos for my Cicely model, I found these ones, among a very few. They were insufficient for me to build a credible model--or at least one that would be satisfactory to me. So this was one of the structures that eventually led me to visit Roslyn last year. It is one of a small handful of log structures used in the filming of _Northern Exposure_.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One of the problems with Maurice's residence is that the inside appears much larger than the outside. That, of course, is because the studio was in Redmond whereas the only residential structure that came close was the medium-sized log one on the hill to the east of Rosllyn. 

Here is the structure that appears in the pilot scene where Dr. Joel Fleishman first meets Maurice Minnifield. It is not the structure that was later used for exterior shots. In fact, it is much smaller. 








The dining area alone was huge:







So now I have the problem of reconciling the model I will build so that it is more believable with the interior studio shots while at that same time making it resemble the Roslyn filming prototype:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

All of this is interesting. Here I have a fictional town that was a movie set. Part of it was shot in a studio while the remainder was shot in a town that was supposed to be in Alaska, but actually was in central Washington. The interiors for The Brick, Holling's and Shelly's upstairs apartment and Maurice's house do not match the exteriors. 

So the challenges are rather fascinating. I am attempting to put together a believable layout based on a fiction that has become part of recent pop culture. But the layout _does_ have real prototypes. On top of all of that, because this is a railroad model, I had to integrate in elements that never appeared in the original television series from the early 1990s. And, of course, all those railroad lines are themselves a part of the past and none of them had any relationship to Alaska--not the Northern Pacific or the Milwaukee Road or the successor BNSF. I do use elements of all three plus others, but that meant creating my own elaborate storyline so it all makes some kind of sense.









The historic Milwaukee Road railroad yard in nearby South Cle Elum (south of Roslyn, WA) I have to come up with something that makes sense in a few sound bites because I will be hosting tour groups from the nearby Princess Hotel for the first time next season. Most everyone has seen Northern Exposure, but few know much about its filming. I suspect, though, that most have figured out that it did not happen in Alaska.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 09/25/2008 3:09 AM
when i need "logs", i cut twigs of the right diameter and treat them with a cheese slicer or a potatoe peeler. 
that is quick and easy. 
for rough, more or less square beams i use a sandpaper belt.
I have considered using "logs" from the many willows of the area. That would be very time-consuming, but it would probably work.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

End of the Season ?
_10 day and 14 day forecast for Copper Center, Alaska_


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Mt Drum today (9/25/08) at noon from my new office/shop: A rare sight this year ! Two hours later the clouds had moved in. 
  (click)


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

As I found when I visited the site personally, I could not obtain many good angles to shoot this house without trespassing on the property. However, I do have a few more details now than I did before.
  Two of my own shots taken in May 2007   I will say this: it certainly was worthwhile to come here to Roslyn just to get the sense of the place where six years of the filming of NX occurred.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

It was a great view up there on that hill just above the cabin used for the Maurice residence shots.
None of these scenes ever appeared on NX the television series. After all, the real town of Roslyn and its surrounding community is much larger than the fictional town of Cicely, Alaska that it was supposed to represent. 

The Minnifield house would be to the left in this first picture. In the second you can even see snow on the upper mountain slopes. Amazing. 
I keep all of these images in mind as I continue to plan details in my model even though there is little hope that I can succeed in duplicating much of it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The whole point of bringing these pictures back up was so I could come up with a drawing that works for me--a plan for a model structure of the Maurice Minnifield log home.
Although I still don't know how I am going to do the logs, the tentative drawing is ready.


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Methinks you will need TARDIS technology to get that built. In TV and Movies the interior of buildings is often larger than what the exterior shots show there is room for. 

Remember the main house on the Ponderosa (Bonanza)? How did they get that living room and stairway/balcony in that house? 

How about the FBI Director's office on the "FBI" show? The exterior show zoomed in on the corner of the building and then the scene changed to a spacious office. The building is the real FBI office building, but the window they zoomed in on is a landing in a stairwell.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Semper Vaporo on 09/26/2008 10:02 AM
Methinks you will need TARDIS technology to get that built. In TV and Movies the interior of buildings is often larger than what the exterior shots show there is room for. 

Remember the main house on the Ponderosa (Bonanza)? How did they get that living room and stairway/balcony in that house? 

How about the FBI Director's office on the "FBI" show? The exterior show zoomed in on the corner of the building and then the scene changed to a spacious office. The building is the real FBI office building, but the window they zoomed in on is a landing in a stairwell.
Ah yes, the stairs in the Ponderosa ranch house that went to nowhere. Of course all the interior scenes were studio shots, same as in NX. It made for a great show, though. The magic of television strikes again !





























Ponderosa _Studio_ floor plan?







I don't recall any railroads associated with this series, either, darn it!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

So I came up with a modification on the Roslyn prototype:
The high area now has windows, which makes more sense for this kind of lodge. Thus that upper area becomes skylights--a luxury in the north that only the well-to-do are likely to have as a feature in their home.

The main part of the structure is wider and the perpendicular rear area is longer on the south-facing (right) side. 




But I did cut off the left side because there is only so much room for this model. Since that part is not particularly noticable through the trees--and it appears that there are no windows on that side--it hardly matters.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I also centered the door and added a window on the left on the second level. Those features are necessary because I have expanded the size of the walls. Otherwise there would be too much blank space along what appears to be the main wall--the west face.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Thus we have _this_ roof outline. The west face (front) is on top.


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## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

Lincoln Logs? Maybe milled down on two sides and then taken to a wire wheel on a grinder to give them a rough look?


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

So have you figured out how you are going to cram the dining room, living room, study, ect into your model? And have you lined up an assortment of tacky things to hang on the walls? Or are you going to bother with interior detailing? 

Also....seems like you'll need the appropriate recognizable figures for this one.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By KYYADA on 09/26/2008 9:18 PM
Lincoln Logs? Maybe milled down on two sides and then taken to a wire wheel on a grinder to give them a rough look? 
I thought of that. But can they be obtained as generic logs instead of as part of a kit for a specific structure?


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## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

The ones I use to have growing up was just a collection in a container in which you could build different structures. My log house was built by my grandfather he was born in 1863 and sawed some of the logs in 1880's by hand with the help of his brother.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By KYYADA on 09/26/2008 11:42 PM
The ones I use to have growing up was just a collection in a container in which you could build different structures. My log house was built by my grandfather he was born in 1863 and sawed some of the logs in 1880's by hand with the help of his brother. 
That's what I seem to remember as well. Mine must have been from the mid-1950s. I don't know if that type can still be found.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By ThinkerT on 09/26/2008 9:31 PM
So have you figured out how you are going to cram the dining room, living room, study, ect into your model? And have you lined up an assortment of tacky things to hang on the walls? Or are you going to bother with interior detailing? 

Also....seems like you'll need the appropriate recognizable figures for this one.
I can only wish someone would jump up and say, "hey, Ron, I can make those figures for you !" As for the furniture: even if I could find something suitable, it would be far too expensive. Thus, it won't happen. Nice sentiment, though.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

I can only wish someone would jump up and say, "hey, Ron, I can make those figures for you !" As for the furniture: even if I could find something suitable, it would be far too expensive. Thus, it won't happen. Nice sentiment, though. 



Maybe not. When you get into Anchorage near the holidaze season, check out some of the el-cheapo doll houses and the like the supermarkets put out. I found one a couple years ago (that long ago already!) that had some very passable 1/24th -1/25th furniture in it. The chairs, at least, looked like the ones in the dining room. 

As to the figures...maybe Torby would be willing to jump in.


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2008)

for furniture, have a look here: 
http://store.playmobilusa.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-US-Site/en_US/Search-Show?cgid=Puppenhaus 
there are some things, that could be of use. 

as to the logs, these Lincoln logs (sold in brazil under another name) are standard lengths. 
if you want special lengths, you would have to cut them from broomsticks. 
and, once cutting, one could use real twigs, to get a more real look. 
if it were not for the high postage cost, i almost would be willing to have them made here for you. 
but a hundred $ or more transport just for a couple of sticks... 

why don't you buy a set of lincoln logs and give them together with a plan to a retired carpenter?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 09/27/2008 11:39 PM
for furniture, have a look here: 
http://store.playmobilusa.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-US-Site/en_US/Search-Show?cgid=Puppenhaus 
there are some things, that could be of use. 

as to the logs, these Lincoln logs (sold in brazil under another name) are standard lengths. 
if you want special lengths, you would have to cut them from broomsticks. 
and, once cutting, one could use real twigs, to get a more real look. 
if it were not for the high postage cost, i almost would be willing to have them made here for you. 
but a hundred $ or more transport just for a couple of sticks... 

why don't you buy a set of lincoln logs and give them together with a plan to a retired carpenter?
After finding a site for Lincoln Log parts, I determined that these were unsuitable for this project.







So I am looking at other construction options. I will probably facilitate this project by using 3/8 or 1/2 inch doweling, having seen what  others have done: This guy used 3/8 inch doweling for this project--a scale model of his own log home (click pictures for his web page regarding this project).


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## Guest (Sep 28, 2008)

the pics above made me remember something. 
while unpacking after the move i found the remnants of a stillborne business idea, i had about ten years ago. 
with the help of a local carpenter i developed a blockhouse-building system for "G-scale". 
then plastic toys were so cheap, that i could not produce cheap enough for the german market. 

but you could let a carpenter make something similar to your measurements. 
the pins, that hold the "logs" together are simple shashlik pins.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

My former bartender sent me this one to my email account last night. Thought I would share it with the many of you unknowns out there who read my thread (there are a LOT of you) without ever commenting. Many of you can appreciate this one: 




*Why Parents Drink*




*
A Mother passing by her son's bedroom was astonished to see that his bed was nicely made and everything was picked up. 

Then she saw an envelope, propped up prominently on the pillow that was addressed to 'Mom' With the worst premonition she opened the envelope with trembling hands and read the letter. 


Dear Mom: 

It is with great regret and sorrow that I'm writing you. I had to elope with my new girlfriend because I wanted to avoid a scene with Dad and you. I have been finding real passion with Stacy and she is so nice. But I knew you would not approve of her because of all her piercings, tattoos, tight motorcycle clothes and the fact that she is much older than I am. But it's not only the passion... Mom she's pregnant. Stacy said that we will be very happy. She owns a trailer in the woods and has a stack of firewood for the whole winter. We share a dream of having many more children. 

Stacy has opened my eyes to the fact that marijuana doesn't really hurt anyone. We'll be growing it for ourselves and trading it with the other people that live nearby for cocaine and ecstasy. In the meantime we will pray that science will find a cure for AIDS so Stacy can get better. She deserves it. Don't worry Mom. I'm 15 and I know how to take care of myself. Someday I'm sure that we will be back to visit so that you can get to know your grandchildren. 

Love, 
Your Son Paul


P.S. Mom, none of the above is true. I'm over at Dustin's house. I just wanted to remind you that there are worse things in life than the report card that's in my center desk drawer. 

I love you.
Call me when it's safe to come home.*


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

Hope Dustin's parents have room for a permanent guest.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

One hour before sunset, 9/28--it's getting colder: High 42, predicted low tonight: 16.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

With the temperatures dropping almost by the day, it was time to pump out the waterfall/pond system in the beergarden. I accomplished that this afternoon. As you can see, the garden around the pond is already mostly gone. All of the bulbs have already been removed (you can see the upper parts still on the ground in front of the pond). I have been in the process of winterizing various parts of this property since mid-August when I drained the public restrooms on the property. Within a week all the remaining preparations for winter should be completed, including the closing and winterization of most of the remaining open guest rooms.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 09/28/2008 7:13 PM
the pics above made me remember something. 
while unpacking after the move i found the remnants of a stillborne business idea, i had about ten years ago. 
with the help of a local carpenter i developed a blockhouse-building system for "G-scale". 
then plastic toys were so cheap, that i could not produce cheap enough for the german market. 

but you could let a carpenter make something similar to your measurements. 
the pins, that hold the "logs" together are simple shashlik pins. 





















Thanks for showing that. That is getting close to what I wanted.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The first snow of the season hit the valley yesterday, dumping up to nine inches in some parts of the Copper Basin:
  I anticipate that most of that first snow will melt off enough to enable operations one final time before shutting down for the season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Here is the pond in the beer garden. I had emptied it out just two days prior to this snow. As you can see, it is buried.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

This was the water fall and pond last month:


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I had to go back into the MLS archives to find this image and the related posts: 
At that time the plan was to add a dining facility (Depot Caboose Kitchen and Bonanza Dining Hall) to the existing structure and continue with the Phase III KMR Railway. For a number of reasons that did not work out and none of that was ever built. 

But now something _much larger_ looms in sight directly related to anticipated massive construction activity in the area. Although it is too early to give any details, it now appears that I will have to place any planned extensions of the model railroad on hold because of the likelihood that large parts of the property are going to see significant alterations to accommodate this construction activity starting this spring. If that turns out to be the case, I will be waiting to see just where everything fits together before expanding anything on that layout. If all goes well, within a couple of years, _if not sooner,_ I will be able to continue the planned extension of the large-scale railroad to include other model towns beyond the area seen in this plan and along the lines of the extensions to the Klutina River I have recently discussed. Meanwhile plans for Phase III & IV are on indefinite hold. 








The 2006 proposal: Even the Phase II extensions ended up far different than planned. Those early plans did not anticipate the Cicely model which became the focal point instead of the Healy Coal Mine shown here. Whether that part of the model will ever come into being is now somewhat doubtful. The space originally set aside for it is no longer available. 

KMR line: Will there be space for it? That too is now in doubt.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

On the other hand, the referenced development-in-progress will not prevent me from working on my structure models. It has been five or six years since I have been geared up to do this. Can't believe it's been that long (I believe my last work was in the winter of 2002-2003). Aren't we about to go into 2009?


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## sheepdog (Jan 2, 2008)

I got them both in a hock shop (lots of tools available that way these days).

That really got my attention. With all the unemployment and lack of new construction projects here in the rust belt, now would be a good time to upgrade a few power tools.

Craig


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Yet another storm winter storm warning for the Copper Valley probably means that my outdoor railway operations are over for the season: The National Weather Service in Anchorage has issued a Winter
Weather Advisory for snow... which is in effect until midnight
akdt tonight.

Low pressure in the eastern Gulf of Alaska is sending moisture
north into the Copper River basin. Snow is developing from south
to north this morning and will be over the whole area by midday.
The snow will mix with or turn to rain southeast of Glennallen in
the afternoon and evening... but elsewhere the precipitation
should remain as snow through the whole event. There is also a
possibility of localized light freezing rain in valleys south and
east of Glennallen. By the time the snow tapers off late
tonight... 5 to 11 inches of snow are expected to have fallen. I continue to hold out hope for one last run before completely shutting down. This is the earliest this situation has occurred since I built the outdoor rail line.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By sheepdog on 10/02/2008 6:05 AM
I got them both in a hock shop (lots of tools available that way these days).

That really got my attention. With all the unemployment and lack of new construction projects here in the rust belt, now would be a good time to upgrade a few power tools.

Craig


I don't think anything will get new construction of homes going anytime soon. Even if money loosens up, I suspect that most everyone will be very reluctant to commit any resources to building a new home with the economy as uncertain as it appears to be now. Thus, plenty of tools will eventually appear in the hock shops. Also, I would expect plenty of good deals quite often in the hardware stores.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Sure enough, two hours later the snow started falling in earnest. Now it has picked up. Not much of a chance the tracks will be visible again until it is so cold it doesn't matter. Time to start pulling in the engines that are parked out in Cicely, it appears (or at least pull the batteries). There are several passenger consists parked out there. Chances are there is where they will remain.


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## Guest (Oct 2, 2008)

how many weeks have you been snow-free this year? 
i think, it was well after our last rainfall, that you wrote about snow melting. was it late march, or early april?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 10/02/2008 1:42 PM
how many weeks have you been snow-free this year? 
i think, it was well after our last rainfall, that you wrote about snow melting. was it late march, or early april?
We've been snow-free here about five months. It has been snowing all day today. I removed the remaining engines from the Cicely model area today, as well as a the Milwaukee Road passenger coaches. The Santa Fe and the Great Northern coaches are all lined up in there where they will probably remain over the winter. That means until about the end of April. I needed to clear some of those out so I have room to add additional structures over the course of the winter, assuming I build any more of them.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Is the Bar Closed for the Winter months or do you open for the local people?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 10/03/2008 5:40 AM


Is the Bar Closed for the Winter months or do you open for the local people? 

I may very well be one of the few such places open in the entire Copper Valley this winter. It is rumored that the two original roadhouse lodges--Gakona and Copper Center-are closing for the first time in several years. I will continue to operate through the winter as usual.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks like winter might be here to stay. The day following the snow storm that brought in an accumulation of a foot in some parts of the valley, much of the snow remains on the ground. 
As of this morning the tracks are still iced-in. That is well ahead of conditions in recent years. By the middle of October any snow remaining on the ground stays there until spring (barring one of those rare warm spells called a "Chinook--none in the last two winters). In a few days I will insulate the two openings in the bar which enable the trains to leave the building, thus officially ending the garden railway season. As to the gardens--everything remaining out there has been crushed to the ground from the heavy snowfall.


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## llynrice (Jan 2, 2008)

I tend to view the winters here in Vermont as being longer than I'd like; but, you've got us beat by about a month. I think I'll not move to Alaska.

Llyn


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I just can't help saying this... 


Global Warming.


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## Guest (Oct 4, 2008)

As of this morning the tracks are still iced-in. That is well ahead of conditions in recent years. 


Global Warming.


seems to be the only valid explanation. 
if the alaskans would stop to emit this nasty CO² from their chimneys, they would be able to notice the descending temperature.


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron,

Thanks for the great pictures. It was wonderful reading about your summer train running.

OT: I am always hearing about the Polar Bear. I know nothing about Polar Bears except that they always make the news. So as for your weather _As of this morning the tracks are still iced-in. That is well ahead of conditions in recent years._ Is the cold weather early for all parts of Alaska? Is the early cold weather good or bad for the polar bears?

Just curious,

Tommy








Rio Gracie 
The above question is based on the misconception that everyone knows everything about the state (province, country...)they live in.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By tmejia on 10/05/2008 8:54 AM
Ron,

Thanks for the great pictures. It was wonderful reading about your summer train running.

OT: I am always hearing about the Polar Bear. I know nothing about Polar Bears except that they always make the news. So as for your weather _As of this morning the tracks are still iced-in. That is well ahead of conditions in recent years._ Is the cold weather early for all parts of Alaska? Is the early cold weather good or bad for the polar bears?

Just curious,

Tommy








Rio Gracie 
The above question is based on the misconception that everyone knows everything about the state (province, country...)they live in.


I operated the trains only rarely this summer due to unusually bad weather. In the last month I did not run them at all. The winter of 2007-08 and the summer of 2008 show a persistent cold trend. 2008 was the third coldest summer on record, even while the ice mass on the arctic is apparently diminishing. It amuses me that some would blame this on the activities of man. It ignores a much larger climatic trend that goes counter to the AGW theory. Polar bears are at their height in population for much of the polar region even as the ice is said to diminish. However, these animals have dealt with much higher temperatures with the corresponding melting of ice within their own 100,000 year existence as a species separate from grizzly bears within the arctic.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Is the cold weather early for all parts of Alaska? 
No snow yet in my corner of Alaska (western Kenai Peninsula) - but it has been trying. (I'm also on the coast which has some temperature benefits). Usually, hereabouts, we get a snowfall that doesn't last along about the middle of October, and another one that does at the end of October or the first week or two into Novermber. From that point, it is down until April. 

Is the early cold weather good or bad for the polar bears?
Pretty much what Blackburn said. THere was a bit on the news last spring though about how some of the folks in the far north native villages were speculating that the polar bears (active year round) would come ashore and mate with the local grizzleys (who do hibernate for the winter) producing a new breed of bear that would be active year round. 

Time for Blackburn to dig up his 1/24 scale snowplows and snowblower attachments for his locomotives.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Time for Blackburn to dig up his 1/24 scale snowplows and snowblower attachments for his locomotives. 




I think he just goes into hybernation.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I take my hat off to all you guys that can stand the cold for 6 months. I was born and riased in chicago and always hated the cold and the winter months.
The worst thing being the gray skies.

I was so glad when I moved to where I could spend more time outside. The last ten years here in AZ with so much sun have been great. Even in the 117 degree heat I am much happier. 

They say it is snowing in Flagstaff already.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Some have noticed that Alaskans tend to retire to warm places


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

I headed up to Fairbanks (264 road miles north of here) on Thursday. The roads on this end were mostly packed with hard snow. But on the return trip a Chinook had moved in, melting away most of the snow and ice from the last two snow storms. The roads as of last night were largely free of ice and temperatures had warmed up considerably. I found my model railroad was also free of ice and snow--something I did not expect. I have already sealed off the indoor part of the model from the outdoor sector and have removed most of the locomotives and rolling stock for the season. However, if this unseasonably warm weather continues, I may go ahead and run a consist one more time before winter permanently sets in.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I thought a Polar Bear was a Albino grizzly









Shows you how much I know about animal husbantry.


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

Snowed here yesterday but only added up to a skiff. Guess it is time to get the snow plows out and ready and the snow blower charged up. How do you see the polar bears as they are white unless you wait till they smile or open their eyes.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Ron Senek on 10/12/2008 11:18 AM
Snowed here yesterday but only added up to a skiff. Guess it is time to get the snow plows out and ready and the snow blower charged up. How do you see the polar bears as they are white unless you wait till they smile or open their eyes.
By the time you see their smile it's a little too late for YOU !


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 10/04/2008 12:27 PM



Looks like winter might be here to stay. The day following the snow storm that brought in an accumulation of a foot in some parts of the valley, much of the snow remains on the ground. 
As of this morning the tracks are still iced-in. That is well ahead of conditions in recent years. By the middle of October any snow remaining on the ground stays there until spring (barring one of those rare warm spells called a "Chinook--none in the last two winters). In a few days I will insulate the two openings in the bar which enable the trains to leave the building, thus officially ending the garden railway season. As to the gardens--everything remaining out there has been crushed to the ground from the heavy snowfall. 

  










Compare the above picture taken a few days ago with the lower one taken today. That's the Chinook effect. It is currently in the high 40s.


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## ThinkerT (Jan 2, 2008)

Time to run a train or three before the snow is down for the duration.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Cicely model layout awaits winter: No more trains are expected through, although it is always possible that ALCANEX Consolidated could make one extra run if pre-winter conditions permit. Here we have views of the latest addition to the model, the three Roslyn prototype buildings I refer to as the "Village Pizza group:" *The Roslyn prototype on Pennsylvania Avenue: *








          As is the case with the Roslyn prototype, residences line the street behind these business structures.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

With so much indoors, will you be railroading in the winter this year?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Torby on 10/19/2008 7:34 AM
With so much indoors, will you be railroading in the winter this year?

Almost all of the track is outdoor except for the loop inside the bar. Last winter I did not run trains on any of the track. I have not decided whether that will be the case this year. The model town pictured here is seventy feet from the bar in an unheated area. It will remain closed at least until April unless I run one special last train (conditions permitting).


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Cicely layout is not the last model town I will ever construct, but it will probably be the most detailed. I spent many years collecting appropriately-scaled cars, trucks, RVs and other pieces that will eventually fill this model. This one even includes a rare LGB hot air balloon and three planes in flight, all of them seen in the shot below. View looking west along the main drag of Cicely:   Included here are two very rare 1:24 scale Airstream trailers complete with Ford pickups that have trailer hitches designed to match up to the trailers. At the end of the street are three structures that fall into the category of "whimsical." We will take a closer look at those.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The Whimsical Buildings: I have the Roadkill Cafe, Betty Boop's Salon and Clifton's Butcher Shop:   All three are on the north end of the main drag (still unnamed street in the Cicely, Alaska model). Like most of my posts, clicking onto the picture will bring you a much-larger image. I do wish more MLS posters would employ this method so that the images could be examined in greater detail.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Detail photos of the whimsical structures: 
The butcher shop came with the art-deco-style figure. Some of the other buildings, including the two gas stations, also utilize an art-deco figure reminiscent of the 1930-early 60s era. 




    Each of these has just enough realism built in to justify fitting them into the model. Yet at the same time the television series on which the model is based was itself highly whimsical. Thus, grouping a few of these together, as well as my use of the circus (never seen one of those in Alaska except at one of the two state fair grounds) animals and other props seems to fit in well.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Even the LGB balloon adds a whimsical element to the layout although these hot-air balloons can still be seen from time to time over the countryside.   This prop is very heavy, unlike the real thing. It was quite expensive to s hip this to Alaska--but well worth it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

The circus grounds occupy a small area to the south of the brewery: 
The grounds are dominated by the ferris wheel, but more features are planned even though the area is relatively small. 


  Over the last year I have also put together a circus train consist, including the engine--the Bachmann one. Now I just need to find a place for it!


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

View looking west, showing several of the other art deco advertising pieces, notably Esso Man and Union Oil Man. One of the other featured advertising pieces is the Wells Fargo stage coach on the roof of the local WF Bank. This kind of advertising utilizing over-sized deco-style figures began disappearing in the 1970s and is now largely absent today. Fortunately, there are the model railroads like this one, among many, many others, which help to keep memories of that era alive.


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## Guest (Oct 20, 2008)

Ron, 

could you give more info about the fronts of your pzza-buildings? 
material? tecnic? 

thanks


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

I think your kewpie is going to get cold


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 10/19/2008 8:03 PM
Ron, 

could you give more info about the fronts of your pzza-buildings? 
material? technique? 

thanks
The siding on the front consists of roughly 3/8-wide strips of balsa wood glued onto a 1/4 inch plywood base.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By blackburn49 on 10/20/2008 7:01 PM
Posted By kormsen on 10/19/2008 8:03 PM

*Ron, 

could you give more info about the fronts of your pzza-buildings? 
material? technique? 

thanks*

*The siding on the front consists of roughly 3/8-wide strips of balsa wood glued onto a 1/4 inch plywood base.*









Since you're the _only_ person to even make _one _comment on this latest addition to my Cicely layout, I should add that I did not build this one, although I did the design work on it based on the prototype photos. From this point forward I will build any future structures for this model. I hope to be able to resume construction of my own scale model buildings sometime this winter, conditions permitting. The last time I built any of my own model structures was five years ago. This was largely due to lack of conducive facilities. Remember, it is winter here the _majority_ of the year, so the facilities have to be well heated, which means well-built. Even my latest "shop" quickly morphed into my office. I ended up moving all those tools once again to yet another location.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Comments? 

Just too boggled to think of anything intelligent to say.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2008)

Remember, it is winter here the majority of the year, so the facilities have to be well heated, which means well-built. Even my latest "shop" quickly morphed into my office. I ended up moving all those tools once again to yet another location. 

i understand that problem perfectly. every room, i outfit with an air condition, will soon be occupied by wife and daughters. 

about "not commenting": i think, the forum is too big. there are just too many good things shown dayly. 
to comment on them all costs time, that not all have. 

korm


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I was Struck mute in aww









My fingers were incapable of typeing.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Too late now. After one more winter snow storm, it is _minus 12 F_ this morning.
I plugged in the truck head bolt heater for the first time this season. 


Fortunately both track tunnels leading outside the bar are closed and insulated already. Wherever the remaining rolling stock was left, it will probably now remain for the duration. I will go out there from time to time to take a picture, but that is about it.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Sub-zero sunrise at Copper Center, this morning at daybreak, minus 12, looking east toward the Wrangell Range.
  This shot taken through one of the windows in my new study (the one originally intended to be my workshop). Mt. Drum on the left is approximately 25 miles to the east from here. Click for larger image.


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

hehe I wore sandals today.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Posted By Torby on 10/25/2008 4:07 PM
hehe I wore sandals today.

I wore cut off jeans and went shirtless


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile I am wearing long johns, lined boots and parkas on some days already. I have just winterized yet another building, having now emptied four hot water heaters and blown out numerous water lines for the duration of the winter. Much of the compound is already blown in with snow and has a ghost-town look to it. In fact, much of the garden railways area is now practically inaccessible.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

You have buildings for people to stay, like a motel or resorte? Do they stay for a week or so?


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By John J on 10/28/2008 6:04 AM
You have buildings for people to stay, like a motel or  resorte?   Do they stay for a week or so? 
I don't believe I'd call it either a resort or a motel, but I do have seven rooms available during the tourist season with the lowest rates in the valley that I built to complement the bar. The only time I have had extended stays there is when I have had work crews present. There is a very strong likelihood this will happen again in the upcoming season.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Look at the photo above. Here is the same spot as of today. As you can see we have a way to go before spring. Nevertheless I have already restored minimal heat to all the rooms and begun the process of getting them ready for occupancy. In another week I should have the water back on.  The Uncle Nics shop contains most all the rolling stock that is to be placed on the outdoor model this year. I have already started moving some of the pieces into position inside the bar.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile most of the snow  has finally melted off of the elevated tracks. View looking east from the Cicely model structure (click for larger image): 
    View from Cicely model strucure looking west toward Kennecott model structure (click). Not too long ago a foot and a half of snow and ice covered these tracks.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

As you can see from those views of my tracks, the time is coming quickly when I will be able to run the first train out of the bar. I have already begun charging up selected engines. It looks like we are only days away now . . .


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Meanwhile I am testing one of the first consists that will run the outdoor line. The AmTrak now has three coaches in tow, which is about the maximum workable load for the indoor overhead track with its 8-foot curves.  This one includes two LGB coaches followed by an Aristocraft dome car. There are many more coaches to be added, but they will have to wait until the outside sector is reopened for the year. I will be running two AmTrak consists. One of the LGB locomotives is still in the battery shop awaiting conversion.  
  

I have run this consist around the tight  curves several times. This is the first time this overhead track has hosted such large passenger cars. This is the original Kennecott track (Copper River & Northwestern Railway) with about 450 feet of track with 8-foot brass curves. The newer Phase II track features 12 foot-plus curves and wide-angle switches, of couse. Most of that run is Llagas aluminum, although some of it has older brass track integrated into it. Nearly 500 feet of additional track will be added to this newer section early this year to enable parking for several consists set to run on this track in the coming years. Click for larger image.


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## Terl (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the post. You certainly have a large, unique and interesting railroad. I like how you have incorporated so much historical stuff into it witha all the buildings and such. 
I would certainly like to see it if I ever got up that way. 

Terl


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Terl on 04/26/2009 11:56 AM
Thanks for the post. You certainly have a large, unique and interesting railroad. I like how you have incorporated so much historical stuff into it witha all the buildings and such. 
I would certainly like to see it if I ever got up that way. 

Terl

Thank you. But the Copper Rail Depot is far more than just the large-scale model trains. It has all kinds of train-related items not just in the bar but outside around the lineshack and over in Uncle Nics. In another post, for instance, I told about a piece of wall art I had recently obtained. This piece was originally available from the Schrader's Railroad catalog, but probably not in the last 15 years or so:
  I knew of this piece because one of them hung on the back bar of the Angel Creek Lodge which is near the end of the Chena Hot Springs Road about 60 miles NE of Fairbanks:







I found their website and guess what? THERE is STILL is along with the original owner from those days when I was last there about 15 years ago ! 







Except I ALSO have complete conductor, trainman and brakeman uniforms on display over at Uncle Nicolais, along with various conductor hats, lanterns, train dining silver and plates from the last century and much, much more. Plus that line shack is available as an overnight accommodation in the summertime. And it is VERY original, having been built in 1914.


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