Building the Pinnacle Creek Mining & Timber Co. RR


The good old Muddler Minnow was my favorite for almost any fish. Tied up many of those.
Thanks for the tips on the grass tufts Jim. I need to order more scenery supplies so those will be on the list.
 
waltr, The tufts come in different colors. On the PCM&T I used late fall and early fall. I think they have early spring, and late spring. I mixed two colors together. ie. late spring/early fall. As far a fly fishing, I'm old school. Royal Coachman for me. Jim :)
 
Inspiring Jim. I think I'll start building things for my On30 layout. I'm trying to decide on my trucks now. Years ago I made narrow gauge trucks for an old friend out of HO archbar trucks with wheelsets from old Athearn dummy trucks to replace the smaller stock wheels. They looked pretty good to us at the time but I'm not sure about that now. Bachman has some nice trucks available but I'm not happy about the price. I guess that I'll have to try all of them and see which ones I like the best.
I also have been looking at my little Bachman T boiler Shay and thinking about making it into standard gauge. I have some O scale rolling stock including a set of brass disconnects. Maybe I'll have to work in some dual gauge on the layout. Hmmmm

Steve
 
Thanks to you guys I have discovered Shay locomotives. Now I have a reason to be interested in steam.....but I wonder how much trouble happened with rocks and debris getting into the exposed bevel gears on the shay drivelines back in the day?


mike
 
railfan said:
Thanks to you guys I have discovered Shay locomotives. Now I have a reason to be interested in steam.....but I wonder how much trouble happened with rocks and debris getting into the exposed bevel gears on the shay drivelines back in the day?


mike
Click to expand...

Back in the day the bean counters were not in the loop to the extent they are now. "Things" were built to work and not to satisfy some pencil neck.
Overkill was built in. Timber in the works was expected and became "bark dust". Rocks & nails are a bit tougher but now days both go thru commercial chippers (but they try to avoid that.....don't try it at home) with minimal complications. Watch a D10 Cat work some time.:D
 
Last edited by a moderator:
You have to love logging/mining locomotives. Rod and geared. Remember that both were common and had specific advantages. I love geared locos myself. Shay's, Climax"s, Heislers, Dunkirks, Davenports, and even Baldwins. They could start large loads, tolerate bad track and tight curves, and climb steep grades. They came in all sizes and complexity. OOPS! Almost forgot the Willametes. Here in Washington, geared loco's were as common as loggers.

Steve
 
Mike, I'm sure folks other than just myself are happy you to have given you some insite and appreciation of steam locos and that bygone era.

At 67 years old I can remember back to 1951, high above the railroad tracks in Spokane, WA. I think I lived on 9th St. just a couple of blocks from the tracks. I remember many days sitting there watching the steamers come round the bend and roll on by, whistle blowing. If the wind was right a face full of steam was a possibility. One summer day sitting there in anticipating another show a new low rumbling sound was heard. Around the bend came I sight I'd never seen, or heard. Gone was the chuff and accompanying sounds and vapors. Instead a different sound and something unable to instill wonder in a 6 year old's eyes. The engineer and fireman always waved as did the conductor if he saw us. No wave from this new loco. The next day the same, no steam.:( You know? I never went back. In fact my next train adventure happened 55 years later when I discovered model railroading.

Jim:)
 
HOexplorer said:
Mike, I'm sure folks other than just myself are happy you to have given you some insite and appreciation of steam locos and that bygone era.

At 67 years old I can remember back to 1951, high above the railroad tracks in Spokane, WA. I think I lived on 9th St. just a couple of blocks from the tracks. I remember many days sitting there watching the steamers come round the bend and roll on by, whistle blowing. If the wind was right a face full of steam was a possibility. One summer day sitting there in anticipating another show a new low rumbling sound was heard. Around the bend came I sight I'd never seen, or heard. Gone was the chuff and accompanying sounds and vapors. Instead a different sound and something unable to instill wonder in a 6 year old's eyes. The engineer and fireman always waved as did the conductor if he saw us. No wave from this new loco. The next day the same, no steam.:( You know? I never went back. In fact my next train adventure happened 55 years later when I discovered model railroading.

Jim:)
Click to expand...
Thanks for those insights Jim. It's fun to read about the steam trains running in deep snow in the colorado mountains at 11,000 feet in the 1890's. What they had to do to keep going....and how passenger trains were sometimes stranded in snowdrifts.

Mike
 
I too remember those old steam trains. Back in 1952 my father purchased a house, Norfolk,Va., and just outside the front door about 50', it was a corner lot, across a small two lane road called Cape Henry Ave., was the Belt Line railroad, if any of you get the Model Rail Roader mag. there was an article about it where some body has built a model rail road of it. I don't agree with what he says about the Belt Line tho. Anyway you could watch the trains go by and at time it was all steam. You could stand on the street and yell "chalk" and the conductor would throw out those large pieces of chalk. The house was bought where it was for one purpose, my dads' stepfather retired from N&W as a welder and he wanted to be able to set on the front porch with us grandkids, at the time there were only 3 of us, my brother and my sister and myself I being the oldest. This lasted only a few months as in Oct. 1952 he died. Well as a kid of 5 yrs. old I thought I had a dumb question, what happened to the black engines, and did not ever ask it. They were replaced with diesels. As an after thought, living here in the SW part of Va. most of us into model rail roading like the N&W 611J steam engine. Unlike some here who have only seen her when they ran the excursion trains I got to get an upclose look when she brought the Powahtan Arrow in from Cinncinnati and then back out again, my dad would take us to see it.
 
JPIII, Very good responce concerning 'backwoods' mantainance. Even on my out of the way layout location it was the work of the mechanics and the miners themselves that had to keep things in working order.

Those men were a breed we don't see much these days, what with better tools, and specialization. For the most part waiting for the next barge to visit the PCM&T Company was not feasable and those on site had to definately be Jacks of All Trades. Jim:)
 
Steve, Good points on greared steam. Those locos solved a problem in lumber and mining. Great minds were behind these innovations. Wouldn't if be a great evening to have Ephram Shay over some night for a couple of beers and some conversation?

Geared steam is a great help for us HO scalers with limited space. Much more can be done on the ubiquitous 4x8 sheet of plywood using geared steam. It is obvious what I've been able to accomplish in 90 sq. ft. The new addition will make the layout about 100 sq. ft. Work starts in two weeks.

I understand the attraction of passenger cars and a Mikado pulling them. Modern era the same. Luckly there is room for all in this great hobby. Room? Or is there? Jim:)
 
I'm really enjoying the discussion here and appreciate everyones perspectives and stories so much. I was born in december 1955 so I don't remember seeing working steam engines. I went on a tour of the shop and yard of a mostly defunct shortline....now museum RR in Ely, Nevada in about 1993. This RR (name ??) ran from Ely to and between two open pit copper mines if I remember correctly. They still had a nice conventional steam engine saved from destruction by the crew, and hidden out on the line somewhere after the bosses ordered it sold for scrap many years ago. After some years it was brought out of hiding. Then they called it "the ghost train of old Ely"....and put it to use hauling a tourist train. When I was there, they were in process of aquiring funds to restore the old shop that was still full of old tools and machines used to maintain steam engines. The roof had partially caved in...and beautiful old tools and equipment was beginning to be damaged by the elements. I hope they got it saved. (Did I mention the old stuff was old? :p )

EDIT: It's called The Nevada Northern RR.....and looks like they restored a bunch of buildings and some engines since I was there 19 years ago.

Here is an atlas N scale Shay I have on my waiting to buy list for later this year....after I move to a new residence. Please keep the great stories and thoughts coming!


Mike
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Kevin, Thanks for the reminder. I'm counting too.

Mike, Yes, I think this is good fill in stuff. Back to basics soon. Jim:)
 
Thanks

Jim,
Let me use this lull to thank you for taking the time to inform/teach us lurkers in how to fully enjoy this great hobby. Your photos and descriptions are amazing and an inspiration. I've stated a similar layout, a HOn3 logging line in Pacific NW, got 3.5x14.5 done to the first basic hills and small yard. It's been placed on hold for summer and I was a bit disappointed with what I've done. Every one's thier own worse critic.
BUT, I haven't given up, and will be getting into it in the fall, and thanks to your efforts, it should improve! Looking forward to next week and the Loop! Thanks again.
Steve
 
Gotta love those logging railroads Steve. 3foot would be very unusual here in the N.W. but run what ya brung! As far as being dissapointed with your results, I think most of us grow as we go. Don't be afraid of a few mistakes. You can always start again. If you do a good job on the trackwork it's not too hard to change the scenery. It's also fun to see your improvement as you go.

Steve
 
Steve, Welcome and thank you. This whole thread is about 'taking' one's work to the next level at least. Some folks just enjoy the pics, and that's ok. It is those that need some guidance and encouragement that I hope can find it here.

Week from today things will start happening. Cheers, Jim:)
 
While waiting for my open house this weekend to be over I've come up with another project to keep me busy for awhile. Thanks to Steve (skillman) lending me this HOn model he has made me want to attempt building one to simply HO standards. I'm giving it a try. Here is his brassie.

IMG_3839.JPG

Here is my first steps:

IMG_3851.JPG

I found a small caboose on the LHS junk table. I shortened it to 26 feet. I cut the underframe in half and took out a piece from it and the deck for the engine. You see the shortened and rejoined deck and the cutouts.

I will try my best to make an acceptable, to me, copy of the brassie.

Let me say that I have some skills, but nothing like many of you when it comes to scratch building and re-engineering. I've done my share and this should be a climax to those projects through the years as I yield to arthritis. Also, I don't have sophisticated tools. I have a file, rail snippers, various glues, a Dremel machine and a soldering tool. Beyond these nothing expensive or dramatic like mini-drillpresses and stuff. If I need a hole I use my Mikita drill nothing more. I'm challenging myself to this project to improve my skills and to make a model I can't seem to find for sale. Should be fun. ie. something to do during time things are drying on the layout make over. Jim :)
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3874.JPG
    IMG_3874.JPG
    604.1 KB · Views: 165
Last edited by a moderator:
You must log in or register to reply here.



Back
Top