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Engineer
1st Class Member
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 Posted - 22 Aug 2006 : 15:48:59
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We've already met Kermit Paul in the Crystal Springs "Ops" thread, where he was the dispatcher. Saturday, we got to tour his HO scale Lone Pine & Tonopah railroad. At 27' X 44' , it's one of those massively detailed small-scale layouts, with tons of bells & whistles, that make us G-Scalers grind our teeth and mutter "Dang! Why can't we do that?!"
At least we have a consolation -- we don't have to move our houses for our layouts! Which is what Kermit did when he decided his basement wasn't large enough for the layout he wanted -- he had the house raised and dug a larger basement!
The layout goes through a full 'day-night-morning' lighting program during your visit; at night time, hundreds of interior details pop up into visibility.
Here's another example of daytime detail -- I loved the nuns!
And the layout is not without a sense of humor!
Okay, now we come to a part of the show where I really, truly NEED YOUR HELP! We need to identify an UNKNOWN MYSTERY HOST!
(EDITORIAL NOTE -- Just hours after I posted this, Russ Miller came through with the mystery man's name -- FRANK LUCAS-- so thanks, Frank, for your hospitality; and thanks, Russ, for your help!)
Here's what happened. Just partway down the block from Kermit Paul's, there were another pair of crossbucks and an 'open house' sign by a driveway. This turned out to be a small, but charming, G-Scale layout run by a friend of Kermit's. We know that the host is a BAGRS member who helped out at the registration desk/ store when the convention opened, but this layout was NOT on the official layout program!
And of course, we didn't catch his name! 
We know that the layout is called the CHUG!
Like many of the layouts at this convention, there was a lot of red, white and blue bunting to celebrate Independence Day.
As you can see, a large part of the railroad is built up on a 'post and ladder' system. But if the ground beneath it settles and slips, the owner designed and built this 'adjustment system' of nuts and washers to raise or lower the grade as necessary.
Where it's not on posts, the trackwork is bedded behind this neat rock wall. There's a rock overhang built out into a short tunnel, with a dripping waterfall. The whole area has a sort of 'bonsai' sensibility to it.
The railroad was designed to be a 'working railroad', according to our mystery host. It's primary mission is to deliver drinks out to the patio. When it's not doing that, it delivers peanuts out to the squirrels. Thus, he told us somberly, CHUG! is...
wait for it....
... a feeder line.
Moving on...
Sunday, the last day of the convention, Carla & I hitched a ride with Todd & Linda Brody up to the North Bay. One of the layouts we visited was Sid and Joyce Emison's Emison's Mill Railroad. The layout adjoins a wonderful looking garden, but it's actually built five feet high along the back wall of the house.
The Emisons describe the layout as "grandchild friendly and gopher proof." Foam was used for landscaping the built-up layout, and these succulents have a natural look.
I like this shot! It has a sort of "giants playing with the world' quality :-)
I think that the bridge is manufactured from plastic or styrene.
And this 1830's style engine and carriage were a surprising bit of original modelling!
Bob and Pat Guinan say that their Deer Island Railroad is a "Western High Mountain" pike, and it sure has that Rocky Mountain feel to it.
The layout has a wonderful creek running down the middle, which necessitates several narrow gauge looking bridges...
And the opportunity for some atmospheric detail.
And I like this ad hoc, 'get-it-done' cribbing .
At the depot, we can see both passenger & logging operations.
And we can see a thriving local goods market. Chickens, flour, and milk cans kept in the shade.
One more coming.. |
Edited by - on 22 Aug 2006 18:47:34
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Engineer
USA
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Posted - 22 Aug 2006 : 19:52:39
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| Again, wonderful photos! Thank you for taking all the time to post them! |
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Brakeman
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 22 Aug 2006 : 21:48:24
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| Your series has highlighted the work of a lot of creative people in this hobby. I only hope my layout ends up looking half as good. Thank you for sharing. |
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Brakeman
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Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 00:49:45
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| Thanks for the wonderful pics! Anybody know what plant they used for all those trees? |
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Passenger
USA
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Posted - 23 Aug 2006 : 11:04:25
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Gary and I looked through our convention notes and notes from Alan Wright, president of the Santa Clarita Garden Railroad Society, to see if we had any info on the trees Jack Verducci (who helped with the Guinan layout) recommends for forest plantings. We think the forest is primarily Dwarf Atlantic Cedar "Ericoides." For variety of look, Dwarf Alberta Spruce "Conica" seem to complement the "Ericoides;" this combination was seen at the Crystal Springs layout and several others in the Bay Area. In our hot summer valley weather, the Alberta Spruce does not survive very well, but it seems to thrive in a coastal climate.
While we were touring, we overheard several hosts discuss the trimming required before the Convention to get all those little trees looking like their prototypes. No stories of lightning strikes starting fires, but some dead trees did become the setting for fire scenes with judicious application of a little black and grey paint.
BTW, the Guinan layout also had a little snake bobbing its head between the rocks occasionally, much to the delight of the visitors.
Carla, the Garden Hobo Photographer |
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Brakeman
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Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 02:46:17
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Thanks for the info Carla. I live in the hot San Ramon Valley so I'm not so sure it will survive in that climate. Oh well, perhaps I'll buy a couple to try out over a full season.
Lawrence |
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Engineer
1st Class Member
USA
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Posted - 24 Aug 2006 : 04:29:48
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| Dward Alberta Sprice need a LOT of full sunshine. Here in Atlanta, I have ha several fail with the needles falling off any part that does not receive at least 3 hours of full sunlight each day. |
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Carla's NGRC Pix Pt. 19 -- Four Layouts
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