Columbia, Mo. 1963


Thanks Alcomotive,
I painted it four times trying to get the aged concrete color right. I still think it is a bit too green but I called it good enough. I'm ready to move on to the next project.
 
I built myself a static grass applicator and used Woodland Scenics static grass. I am pleased with the results.
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Hey Joe! So far so good! It's been a fun read so far. The grass looks great!
Care to tell us about your applicator?
 
Nothng like that static grass for overgrown tracks. Looks very good. I'd be interested in how you made it too, since I don't want to spend $160 on one.
 
Hi Joe!
That is some of the nicest track work I've ever seen!
I hope mine ends up looking half that good!
Very nicely done! :cool:
 
I went looking for something totally different and found this thread. I'm not even a Midwest modeler, but I know good modeling when I see it. I'd like to see some how-to's on your gravel parking areas. I've never done those well, mine always looked like ballast on the ground; yours are very convincing.

Also, did my old eyes deceive me, or was there a turnout on that bridge from a higher angle?
 
This looks pretty cool. Would have been local to me had I been around way back then.
 
Planning phase 2

Here is my track plan as the layout is now.
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I'm working on the plan for phase two construction wich will double the layouts size, add a continues run conection, and eliminate the duck under. I will be posting my new track plan in the next few days.

I have also started a blog about the layout. It can be found here:

http://wabashcolumbiabranch.blogspot.com/
 
Updates?

Joe-
Great work so far on your railroad. I have enjoyed reading the thread and discovering your blog. I will have to study that as well. Any updates on the trackplan?

Thanks,
 
Thanks Scott. I'm still working a few ideas for the new plan. And thanks for checking out the blog. I like your layout too.
 
Nothing really new to report with the layout. I thought we were going to be moving to a new home so I stopped working on the layout thinking it would be coming down soon. But with the wild swings in the housing market as of late we have decided now is not the right time to be moving. I think it is about time I get started again.

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In the time I haven’t been working on the layout I have been working on my roster and have setup a programming station using decoderpro and using JMRI for turnout control and train detection in a planned hidden staging yard.

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Nice work. I live in Jefferson City and have considered (someday) modeling the Missouri Pacific Bagnell Branch between Jefferson City and Bagnell. That someday will be a while yet, at least until we move into a house that has the room!
 
Been watching your progress and I am very impressed. I love to see model railroads under construction. Looking forward to seeing more.
 
Time for a new project! This layout was always planned as a chainsaw sort of thing. I learned alot from building it and am planning it's replacement.
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Time for a new project! This layout was always planned as a chainsaw sort of thing. I learned alot from building it and am planning it's replacement.
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:eek: I just got sick to my stomach. A warning would have been nice. :(

I really liked the grass on the grain tracks. And the Wabash paint schemes are fantastic - those locos need a new set of tracks pronto!
 
Time for a new project!

Are you going to model the Wabash again?

I lived just down the street from that oil dealer for two years. One morning back about 1987, one of those storage tanks blew up. The blast knocked me out of bed. Scared the bejeezus out of me.

Steve S
 
The decision to dismantle the layout came about for a couple reasons:
We are moving to a new home with a finished basement. While the layout was planned and constructed to be moveable, the new space isn’t near the same size or shape.
From the very beginning this layout was planned as a chainsaw layout, it probably lasted longer than it should have. The only reason it lasted so long was because the track work ran flawlessly.

The good and the bad:
Bench work, track work and my DCC system all worked better than expected and where a great learning experience that I can carry on to the next layout. I’d use hardboard for the backdrop next time so I could curve the corners, other than that I’d give all of that a B+ grade.

From a design standpoint it was ok but the duck under proved to be a problem. Not so much for me but for older guest operators. The track plan met the goals of representing Columbia, Mo. In the mid ‘60’s but because I uncovered more accurate track charts after I had the track work done it always bothered me. I’d give the overall plan a C.

Atlas, Athearn, Proto200, Digitrax, Tsunami, and NCE. All of these companies products I give high marks too. My locomotives from these manufactures ran excellent with little to no tweaking and I was able to install decoders/sound decoders with no problems and once I started using JMRI to program them it was a snap to get them just how I liked them. I’d give the electronics side of the layout an A. The only product I was ever disappointed in was some MRC sound decoders. While MRC was more than happy to keep repairing or sending replacements I grew tired of it. The MRC’s are the only decoders I ever had fail. I can only assume that the newer ones are better.

Modeling Columbia, Mo. In the mid 1960’s. This ended up being more of a problem than I had thought it would be. My goal was to make a reasonable accurate representation. The problem with that was to do this right would have taken more scratch building than I really had the time to do. And representing a time period before I was born just didn’t work either. I felt like I was creating more of a caricature than an accurate model. While I was just getting started with the details, it would of ended up more generic mid-west in the 60-70’s than Columbia, Mo. In 1964. I’d give myself a C- on that.

Will I model the Wabash again? Not sure of that. Like many I currently have the more modern era bug. I have a pretty substantial investment Wabash motive power and 60’s time period rolling stock so we’ll have to see. I salvaged all the structures, details, and turnout from the layout. We’ll just have to get settled into the new place and see what’s next.

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Iron Horseman,
No, The Katy also had a branch to Columbia but the two lines didn’t connect. The big customer for the Katy was the power plant for the collage. As the Katy’s track condition fell into a state of disrepair the traffic was moved to the Wabash. The coal was unloaded from the Wabash and trucked across town to the collage power plant. As of my last research coal was still the number one traffic for the COLT, the current operator, to the Columbia power and light plant. Both the Wabash and Katy passanger stations have been preserved. The Wabash station is used as a bus station and the Katy station is current in good condition and used as a restaurant/bar.
 



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