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Actually, I thought of many old towns in Colorado that I've been to often when I lived there. Also looked at many aerial views on their websites. As a beginner and for a small N Scale Layout, figured I would not be able to replicate any of them so decided to do the best I could of a fictional old Colorado town that I named Stevensville from the late 1800's and early 1900's with some newer structures. With the help from a layout builder in Littleton, Colorado we figured out what dimensions and track layout would be best and most economical for me including shipping it tonight me in Texas where I live now. He (Bill Woods) laid and soldered the track and some rock formations and added a few trees and a little greenery. I took it from there and did the rest myself and nearly done except for a mountain mural background and a little more landscaping. I think Mr Woods did a fine job for me at a very reasonable cost. He builds some layouts for Cabose Hobbies in Denver. If I can figure out how to do it, I'll post a couple recent videos. The layout is only 42"x66".
patriothonor
Jack
830 613 0230
Now that the railroad is through the continental divide, it has to choose where to go.
Spending a "few" more hours studying the topography, I think the run to Delta and then north to Grand Junction is the ticket. Turning south and tackling the San Juans seems silly as that would just be more mountains and just be basically paralleling the Raton Pass line through a pretty desolate part of the country. Same thing after hitting Grand Junction, going south again would only put the line on the north side of the grand canyon and only pick up Las Vegas (which at the time wasn't a town at all but a wide spot in the trail watering hole).
Angling north to Salt Lake would run into the CP but also the UP. Attempts to connect with the CP would be rather silly as anyone shipping from California to the south east US would be using the lines that ran along the south anyway. Trying to compete head-to-head against the UPs low altitude Sherman Pass seems like a no win battle.
Soooo after Grand Junction the line is taking the most direct route straight west to San Francisco. Maybe even crossing the Sierra Mountains in the vicinity of Yosemite.
Any thoughts about that idea, and the most important part, what does this mean back on the eastern slope where my layout will be?
Once you get past Grand Junction, you run into a whole lot of nothing. The Sierras are one big obstacle. We have spent some time on road trips from Truckee, CA through to the bay area and there are not a lot of choices, and those have already been used by existing railroads. A jaunt down through Utah and Nevada to the LA area would put you right into competition with the SP and Santa Fe.
Better get your thinking cap on. I really like how you are using actual terrain and railroad history. Good luck. I WILL KEEP UP ON THIS POST. Well done.
Once you get past Grand Junction, you run into a whole lot of nothing. The Sierras are one big obstacle. We have spent some time on road trips from Truckee, CA through to the bay area and there are not a lot of choices, and those have already been used by existing railroads. A jaunt down through Utah and Nevada to the LA area would put you right into competition with the SP and Santa Fe.
Better get your thinking cap on. I really like how you are using actual terrain and railroad history. Good luck. I WILL KEEP UP ON THIS POST. Well done.
There is a reason the Central Pacific was so far behind the UP at the golden spike. They definitely had a tougher go of it.
And technically buy the time the RR got this far the Western Pacific may have been a Jay Gould wet dream but the Feather River would still be wide open. BUT I don't want to take that. First it is too far north, and in my "future" world I don't want to eliminate the WP and hence the California Zephyr, Keedie Wye, etc. That is too much change.
I have seen the Santa Fe engineering of a route they were going to take into the California basin had they not convinced the SP to share Tehapachi. I'm thinking (from west to east) similar engineering and a tunnel to cut through the Sierras at Groveland (just north of where highway 120 is today). Tunnel under North Peak Mts and come out near Mono City. Hook a little to the south and follow what is today US highway 6 back toward Grand Junction.
Tunneling in an earthquake zone is madness, but I don't think they knew that at the time.
Once in the valley at Modesto almost all options are open. I'd have to study the location of CP and local railroads to map that out, but I don't think I care at that point. For my purposes the important part is it made it to northern California.
I really enjoy your way of thinking and setting the foundations for your railroad, it is a meticulous and interesting step by step building trip! Unfortunately i am not knowledgeable with respect to the regions mentioned in order to provide any insight/opinion (studying only CA regions at the moment). Having said that i will follow this (your process) closely since it is so interesting (and plus, i got a similar process going on for my RR in CA). Many wishes for a great upcoming layout and i hope to be able to contribute to your threads at some point.
