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It's Just A Shed (IJAS) - 6/17/17 BarryB has built a test track, with under LED lighting under the storage shelf above. BarryB has installed LED lighting under another shelf. Photos by GaryM. |
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It's Just A Shed (IJAS) - 01/07/17 Interior work. The walls, subfloor and ceiling have been finished. We put in permanent work benches. The right side benches were higher for barstool height. The range hood and exhaust fan has been installed. Flooring to be added, and the benches to be painted. |
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It's Just A Shed (IJAS) - 12/01/16 Deck building. The ties were originally spaced as track ties, but the weeds had overgrown the ballast we had placed in between. The ballast was painstakenly dug out between the ties, and the dirt sifted out. This took several work sessions. After we got all the ties level, we lifted them out again and placed a weed barrier underneath (which we should have done originally). Finally the fun part, the ballast stones we had were placed between the building and deck, and the rest piled on the ground between the driveway and banked against the ties. The odd picnic table from the picnic area 'capped' the deck to give it justice!
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It's Just A Shed (IJAS) - 10/09/16 We have completed the major structural build. Photos by KentS. |
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It's Just A Shed (IJAS) - 9/12/16 BarryB is designer, procurement, superintendent and foreman. BarryB has got the base completed. Photos by GaryM. |
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It's Just A Shed (IJAS) - 6/17/16 BarryB has proposed a design for the Shed. Submitted to Lockheed Martin for re-approval. Photos by GaryM. |
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C&S Pitkin Branch - 4/27/13 The Branch has been renamed to the Pitkin Branch, per the D&RGW name convention. An extension is being added through the backdrop to "hide" the staging track, which now will run parallel under the Marshall Pass track. A temporary track pattern cut from masonite is shown. Photos by GaryM. |
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C&S Quartz Branch - 4/16/11 The subroadbed has been cutout and placed along temporary risers. The track will be partially enclosed by scenery behind Tank 7. The C&S line ran along the Quartz Creek, which will be modeled between the backdrop and the track. Photos by GaryM. |
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Gunnison - 3/19/11 The "drop-shelf"deck has been installed. A hinged pair of plates "snap" into place below against the fascia, which lock the shelf into place. Eventually, alignment pins will be added, which will also carry power for the rails. The hinged plates have a magnet on one side, which hold the drop shelf in the "down" position against the leg brace. Photos by GaryM. 
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Gunnison - 12/29/10 The "bridge" from Gunnison to Cimarron is this "drop-shelf", which will actually support about half of the Gunnison Freight House. The Freight House will be set aside to allow for the drop-shelf to be in the "down" position during non-operating sessions. Power for the rails will be connected through brass fittings which the drop-shelf will be locked while in the "up" position. The drop-shelf is supported by a pair of hinges. Photos by GaryM. |
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Cimarron - 11/27/10 Among the final construction projects, is the addition of the NG staging deck at Montrose. Fortunately, the addition of the deck also leaves room for the addition of another station stop at Cimarron. This station will allow for operations to include general freight service (LCL), stock, and much needed yard tracks.
The preliminary trackplan is shown at left. As can be seen, flipping the turnout from the Gunnison Frt House to the main
(tracks coming across the drop shelf) or track realignment, will be in order. We already noticed changing the switch on
the Cimarron center yard track will allow more room for the pens on the drop shelf. Cimarron had a 3 track yard with a
tail leg extension for the run-around. |
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Cleora - 11/27/10 Major construction projects on the layout are finally wrapping up. Probably the most significant construction visual change to the existing scenery has been the installation of a new track plan and stockpen area for Cleora. This will dramatically improve stock operations for Cleora, adding two sidings to load and unload stock and remove the current operation from the mainline. Dual gauge tracks will service the north and south side of the pens. Also, significant changes to the 3rd rail along the mains will be different, eventually allowing connections from the Barrel Transfer to the NG Yard in Salida. At left, the subroadbed for the new sidings and future relocated stockpens are shown. Photos by GaryM. |
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West Salida - 4/3/10 The switchpanels have been divided up into separate panels, one opposite each turnout. The diagram shows the color of track that matches the color of the LED. In general, the green is used to designate either the main or secondarily, straight through the turnout. Shelves have been added for carcard sorting and beverage holders. Wider carcard holders have been mounted on the fascia. In the bottom photo the switch panels are inset behind the fascia. This is because the operator has a short reach to the load tracks on the upper deck and will be rubbing against the fascia. At this location, the operator will also be standing on a 13" high platform, so the switch panels are facing up and are not tilted.Photos by GaryM. |
 
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"Dispatcher Station"- 12/26/09 Dispatcher panels, desk, cabinets, and scenery borders have been installed in the Marshall Pass inner loop area. Borders have been added to the scenery to allow for fascia mounting. The dispatcher panels below are magnetic, allowing the Dispatcher to visually track trains when they OS for holding and to clear to the next stop. A third dispatcher panel is to be added to the left. The left and middle panel will have a schematic of the narrow gauge, and Salida NG & SG, standard gauge, and staging tracks & helix will be on the right panel. Photos by GaryM. 
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Mears' Jct - 4/11/09 3-Way switch awaiting some additional tweaking and testing. Photo by Grant. |
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Crested Butte - 4/11/09 GaryM and Hal work to remove a broken Shinohara at Crested Butte. The seemingly over abundance of town structures includes temporary storage of Salida buildings. The caboose and stock cars are sitting on the lead to the CF&I Mine's feed tracks. The no longer used remains of the coke ovens will be placed between the two curved tracks at the bottom of the photo, to be used as storage tracks. The track dead ending at the caboose is the one that would have gone on to Anthracite, but the CF&I Mine track was wrapped all the way around cutting it short, and would have been perpendicular to the depot. Photo by Grant. |
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Poncha Jct - 1/17/09 Tom works on relaying the mainline through the east ladder at Poncha Jct. The whole wye structure has been rotated 180 degrees and installed on the benchwork. Tom intently removes the cork/trackwork to straighten out a "S" curve. Meanwhile, Barry and Hal discuss no doubt, important stuff! Photos by GaryM. |
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Poncha Jct - 9/13/08 The plywood with the roadbed base was made removable so track could be laid more easily, and then the whole structure re-installed back into the benchwork (because of restricted access). The wye switch, tail track, and one leg (pictured here on the left) has been caulked to the cork, using clear kitchen fastdrying caulk. The structure is temporarily clamped in a 180 degree position to allow for tracklaying and work. Photo by GaryM. |
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West Salida - 9/13/08 Despite some progress, some setbacks were made. The roadbed has been realigned and new subroadbed has been glued down. After studying George Beam's 1926 photos of Salida, the dual gauge tracks could be seen extending on the three tracks through West Salida, to dual gauge point turnouts. The prototype wye, basically our curve to the left, had standard gauge only rails, with the dual gauge extending along the tangent. We will curve the dual gauge around the curve enough for a Consolidation and two 40' cars, and then continue the narrow gauge around the curve to Poncha Junction. Photo by GaryM. |
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West Salida - 7/30/08 The "before" image. The track that runs along the building makes a jog right at the switch. Kent carefully cut the roadbed in two places about 6 inches apart. One cut 1/2 way from the top thought the top plywood, the other cut was 1/2 way from the bottom through the bottom plywood. Kent then pried the two plywood pieces apart. This means it can easily re-glue it back together. Kent repositioned the entire switch assembly (switch motor, wiring , everything) so the track now lines up correctly. This is all hand laid track. It moved about 1/8 inch closer to Salida so the existing rails can be touched up and re-laid. Photo by GaryM. |
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West Salida - 7/30/08 The straight track after the switch that goes toward the backdrop (and toward Poncha) is now at a different angle. If you extend the track straight, it would hit the backdrop over a foot from the tunnel cutout. Extending it hits the backdrop about 4 inches from the tunnel cutout. This then shifts the entire curve from W. Salida to Poncha. |
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Poncha Jct - 7/30/08 The cork is tacked down for the old track layout. The switches and flex track are positioned for the new track layout. The new track layout allows an inch or so of straight track before, between, and after the switches. It eliminated the hard "S" shape and makes it a reasonable curve. |
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Barrel - 4/01 The dual tracks around Barrel, outside main, inside DG, now complete. |
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Salida - 4/01 South ladder of Tom's totally handmade/scratchbuilt NG yard. |
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Salida - 4/01 The narrow gauge yard along side the mainline, with Salida NG Jct in the distance. |
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Staging - 4/01 The staging deck, about 18" below the Royal Gorge, provides storage and turn-around capability for our standard gauge trains. |
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Salida - 4/01 This aerial view of the transfer yard was accomplished with Kent up in a balloon, hanging from his ankles. |
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Salida - 4/01 Hal extended the roadbed on the ends of the stub ended transfer yard to allow the track to end "in" the backdrop, which will show the stockpens and the north end of the yard via the miracle of "paint". |
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Salida - 12/00 The copper ties here amidst the rest of these switch ties laid in the transfer yard ladder are made from PC board. These ties are used to solder the frog, stock and point rails to keep the switch in gauge. |
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Barrel - 12/00 The narrow gauge crossover (No. 4) with all the rails complete. |
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Salida - 12/00 Hal re-decaled the club's Consolidation, which was painted by Tom, and GaryR installed the decoder, shown here on Hal's Arkansas River Bridge. |
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Howard - 12/00 Hal's Truss Bridge and general handiwork between Red Hill Tunnel and Parkdale. |
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Barrel - 12/00 The switch ladder for the NG and SG sidings to the Mechanical Transfer. |
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Howard - 12/00 Hal's plate girder and deck bridges resemble prototype bridges between Salida & Parkdale. |
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Salida - 9/00 View from the Royal Gorge aisle way looking across Hal's Salida Thru-truss bridge to Tom, working on spiking a dual gauge switch on the yard mainline. |
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Barrel - 9/00 The switch ties for the narrow gauge crossover (No. 4) are laid and ready for sanding, staining, and rails. The purpose of this crossover is to bring the empty narrow gauge gondolas back from the rotary and into the narrow gauge yard. |
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Red Hill - 6/00 Another of GaryM's open deck trestles, along the line from Parkdale west towards Salida. Perspective is west to the left, view facing north. |
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Salida - 6/00 Alignment of dual gauge switches to the north end of the Salida narrow gauge yard (foreground). In the background lies the standard gauge transfer yard. |
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Salida - 6/00 Some of the tie work, entering the Salida yard. The narrow gauge yard is to the left. |
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Salida - 10/12/99 View from Salida transfer yard showing stained ties, with Mechanical Transfer in distance (top), about 30 feet away. |
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Barrel - 10/12/99 Double mainline roadbed installed around the Mechanical Transfer |
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Royal Gorge Route - 10/12/99 Front of layout (right), shows winding route to follow the Arkansas River. |
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Parkdale - 10/12/99 Trestles #1 and #3 temporarily in place, with rails not yet installed. Trestles #2 and #4 will be placed in the cut out areas of the forward roadbed. |
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Parkdale - 10/12/99 Detail of Trestle #1, note the "bumps" on the guard timbers and bents are nut-bolt-washers (NBWs). |
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Barrel - 10/6/99 Cardboard model of the Mechanical Transfer at Barrel, CO, used to transfer narrow gauge gondola loads to standard gauge. Model, built by Kent Hoilman, is being used temporarily to aid in roadbed grade installation and placement. |
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Royal Gorge Route - 10/6/99 The Code 70 rail along the gorge route (which the engine is on) has been all handlaid and spiked. Between the track and the upper level will be a high backdrop which will rise higher to the back corner, to form the Royal Gorge. Hanging Bridge will be just where the track appears to end just in front of the Paint Cabinet. The helix will be behind the backdrop and help support it. The track coming off the top of the helix will exit the east portal of Tennessee Pass, and the helix will be hidden by a mountain on this side. A passing track of ties awaiting its rail to be emplaced, was added to the line through the gorge, which doesn't exist in the real gorge, but will enable us more capability for operations. |
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Royal Gorge Route - 5/20/99 Roadbed on left: Standard Gauge mainline exiting uphill (northward) from Salida to Tennessee Pass (portal at top of helix). Roadbed on right: Standard Gauge mainline from Royal Gorge to Parkdale (Hanging Bridge is at helix exit). |
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Helix - 5/17/99 Helix roadbed completed. (17 May 1999) |
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Salida - 4/28/99 Platform for Salida turntables, transfer and narrow gauge yards. Barrel Transfer (at Mile Post 214), goes on inside of peninsula. The reverse loop on the staging deck (under peninsula) still under construction. (28 April 1999) |
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Salida - 5/99 A lefthand dual gauge turnout with 3rd rail on the "right". |
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Benchwork - 3/99 Gary Riffle cutting benchwork supports while Hal Zimbelman inspects the framing. |
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Benchwork - 3/99 Kent Hoilman and Robert Sampson reviewing the "blueprint". |
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Benchwork - 1/16/99 The inaugural benchwork frame, which will support the Rotary Transfer at Barrel, CO., and the Standard Gauge loop from Parkdale to Salida. Length is 31' 6". |
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Benchwork - 1/16/99 The other half of the Standard Gauge loop, ending in the helix (box)- Royal Gorge to Parkdale runs along the side next to the wall. The line running from Salida to Tennessee Pass (helix) runs opposite. The framework is 19' 9" from end to end. |
