blackburn49
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 | | 01/19/2008 12:49 PM |
| Possible location for the CP RR yard & depot:
The planned addition of the walkway on the rear of the Kennecott model housing structure affords an excellent opportunity to add additional yard space for the Phase II railroad, which will pass right by that point. It now seems likely that this will be the home for the CP system. A railyard is needed for all the passenger cars, but it is also possible that a depot will later be designed for this area. Thanks, Thinker T for the suggestion.
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blackburn49
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ThinkerT
Alaska
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| | 01/19/2008 3:06 PM |
| Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System":
No comments?
I hadn't heard anything in the news recently about a rail link to go along with the gas pipeline project. But with my work sced, I miss the news more often than not.
Last year (or was it the year before?) there was brief mention about a railway tunnel underneath the bering strait - though that was supposed to be a commercial operation. (might have been discussed here for a bit).
Some of the guys at the 'peak oil' board I visit are very much into having the US network of railways rebuilt, on the grounds that rail travel is vastly more energy efficient than hundreds of millions of private autos. However, they point out that such efforts tend to be viciously sabotagued by airlines and pro-car interests.
I would certainly like to see a rail line connecting Alaska with the lower 48. Wonder what it would cost for a ticket from here to VSmiths part of the world? | | | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/20/2008 10:48 AM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 01/19/2008 3:06 PM Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System":
Last year (or was it the year before?) there was brief mention about a railway tunnel underneath the bering strait - though that was supposed to be a commercial operation. (might have been discussed here for a bit).
Some of the guys at the 'peak oil' board I visit are very much into having the US network of railways rebuilt, on the grounds that rail travel is vastly more energy efficient than hundreds of millions of private autos. However, they point out that such efforts tend to be viciously sabotagued by airlines and pro-car interests.
I would certainly like to see a rail line connecting Alaska with the lower 48. Wonder what it would cost for a ticket from here to VSmiths part of the world?
In my humble opinion, railroads are definitely the way to go. I am not all the enthusiastic about the notion of connecting Alaska with Russia via a Bering Sea tunnel, but such a project necessarily would mean that Alaska would then be connected by rail to the states--something we could DEFINITELY use in Alaska. Meanwhile, where are all the comments on this Bering Sea tunnel proposal? Surely it isn't ALL about model track laying and ONLY model track laying (or purchasing, waiting forever and then and fixing damaged or poorly-built K-27s) in this forum? Or is it? Just asking. | |
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kormsen
in the middle of the westparaguayan semi desert
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| | 01/20/2008 6:13 PM |
| well....
a lot of trade routes could use railroads. specially in the third world.
but i don't believe in underseatunnels anymore.
everybody was so excited about the tunnel between france and england.
now it turns out, it can't compete with the ferryships.
korm
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 construction site - keep off! | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/21/2008 6:19 PM |
| Posted By kormsen on 01/20/2008 6:13 PM
well....
a lot of trade routes could use railroads. specially in the third world.
but i don't believe in underseatunnels anymore.
everybody was so excited about the tunnel between france and england.
now it turns out, it can't compete with the ferryships.
korm
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That, however, is beside the point. If the Russian government with all its new-found wealth as a major oil producer decides to back the Bering Sea tunnel project, that brings an old pipe dream that much closer to reality. Besides, there is no transportation competition in that area except cargo planes with the obvious limitation of size of cargo and expense in transporting it.
The fact that it is brought up at all in that context is in itself a very big deal. And it is important to keep in mind how quickly the world is changing. Is this proposal really all that far from what may be our future? Perhaps rails will once again resurface as a major world mode of transportation.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/22/2008 11:43 AM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 01/19/2008 3:06 PM
Alaska as part of the "Trans-Global Highway System":
No comments?
I hadn't heard anything in the news recently about a rail link to go along with the gas pipeline project. But with my work sced, I miss the news more often than not.
Last year (or was it the year before?) there was brief mention about a railway tunnel underneath the bering strait - though that was supposed to be a commercial operation. (might have been discussed here for a bit).
Some of the guys at the 'peak oil' board I visit are very much into having the US network of railways rebuilt, on the grounds that rail travel is vastly more energy efficient than hundreds of millions of private autos. However, they point out that such efforts tend to be viciously sabotagued by airlines and pro-car interests.
I would certainly like to see a rail line connecting Alaska with the lower 48. Wonder what it would cost for a ticket from here to VSmiths part of the world?
I see that this topic--the idea of world-wide railroads ultimately tied together-- is going to have no traction on this forum, but my point was that my ALCANEX line in a way represents the future possibilities for Alaska as part of an integrated North American railroad system.
Those of us living here in AK would definitely benefit in significantly lowered freight rates and new options for traveling south were such a connection to be made.
It is this possibility, no matter how apparently remote, which justifies my use of the multiple road names I selected for my Phase II line.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/22/2008 6:47 PM |
| Posted By blackburn49 on 01/19/2008 12:29 PM I pulled out my FA1 unit for this photo. It is quite the impressive engine. I don't see information on the year this one was produced, but my guess is that it is relatively recent. Anyone out there know?
Does anyone else out there have one of these models? I must say that the picture does not do it justice. This is a very impressive piece. Maybe an even better question would be "does anyone outside of Canada model Canadian railroads such as the CP? "
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Torby
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| | 01/23/2008 7:33 AM |
| the idea of world-wide railroads ultimately tied together--
Might be hard to get past the greenies. Hawaii would be hard to reach. Australia too | |
 "If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 11:53 AM |
| Posted By Torby on 01/23/2008 7:33 AM
Might be hard to get past the greenies
This is a major obstacle that any potential builder of larger projects would face--with enough potential weight to kill any major construction project--especially if they are to take place in the arctic environment which are actually, if anything, over-protected.
In this sense the world has changed enormously. The railroad builders of previous centuries faced nothing like the environmental activism and all the subsequent protective multi-layers of legislation and regulations that exist today. In a way, these industrialists in their zeal brought this on themselves, but now we all get to pay for the those excesses that are perhaps best represented by an enormous cosmic pendulum that has swung in the opposite direction. | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 6:03 PM |
| | Okay. I don't see anything more developing here on the subject of a world-wide rail system. But, then, this MLS forum IS about large-scale GARDEN trains, which apparently has at best only a tenuous connection with the real world of railroading or their future or past, so I will move on . . . | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 6:10 PM |
| As you all undoubtedly are aware, Aristocraft introduced a small line of brass models. Four are listed and already two of the four are no longer available. They may come back, but it is best to assume not, given the pattern demonstrated by Aristocraft.
One of them was this railbus:
Aristocraft describes this model as " 1:29 "#10 Railbus" Gray & Black 1:29 Railbus The “#10 Railbus” is a model of the Morristown & Erie #10 Railbus in the Whippany Railroad Museum in Whippany, NJ. A small Railbus like this one was typically used by a shortline railroad to move passengers along their route. Lacking the funds to buy new rail equipment, it was not uncommon for a shortline to convert highway buses to rail use like what was done with the #10."
One such railbus shows up in several historic photos of the CRNW Railway that ran until 1938 along the lower Copper River valley. It was actually operated by a private company who took advantage of the existing but abandoned rails between Chitina and McCarthy and on to Kennecott from 1939 until 1947.
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 6:22 PM |
| This was the "Chitina Auto-Railer" as it looked while in operation, parked in front of the company store in abandoned Kennecott sometime in the 1940s. In those days, this auto-railer was the primary means for people living in the McCarthy area to travel or bring in goods from Chitina--the point where there was a road link. The service was only discontinued when it became apparent that the trestles would not hold up much longer. (click)
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 6:27 PM |
| Fortunately for all of us, the Chitina Auto-Railer has survived into modern times and can now be found at the Museum of Transportation near Wasilla.
The museum has quite a collection of railroad-related artifacts, including this early Alaska Railroad diesel:
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 6:33 PM |
| Even though I had planned to not purchase this model until later, upon seeing that these Aristocraft brass models were beginning to dissappear, I went ahead and obtained this one:
This one will eventually sport the "Chitina Auto-railer" lettering, but I am considering placing it on the Cicely model along the Phase II line because I believe it will stand out more there.
You may click onto either photo for a larger version
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blackburn49
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| | 01/23/2008 11:01 PM |
| Posted By blackburn49 on 01/23/2008 6:33 PM Even though I had planned to not purchase this model until later, upon seeing that these Aristocraft brass models were beginning to dissappear, I went ahead and obtained this one:
You may click onto this photo for a larger version
Even though the Aristo model is not an exact match for the Chitina Autorailer, the suggestion of what it is just by the very similar shape would make it instantly recognizable to those who are familiar with the late history of the CRNW Railway.
It is not the same, yet how many observers would know that? In all probability, NO ONE would notice. I will not repaint this in the school bus color that one would see at the Transportation Museum, but it will have the right lettering.
As most any of us who are into modeling in this scale are aware, such minute details are lost on most everyone. Only a handful of "rivet counters" will notice. For the remainder--and that's almost everyone interested in history--they simply appreciate the effort we modelers take to bring the past back to life.
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flatracker
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Torby
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| | 01/24/2008 7:23 AM |
| | Those brass models are jewels, aren't they? I don't own one, just admire it from afar, or on the shelf. | |
"If Christianity was something we were making up, of course we could make it easier. But it is not. We cannot compete, in simplicity with people who are inventing religions. How could we? We are dealing with Fact. Of course anyone can be simple if he has no facts to bother about."-- C. S. Lewis | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 01/24/2008 1:07 PM |
| Posted By flatracker on 01/24/2008 6:00 AM
That's pretty neat Ron. The picture of the Kennecott buildings in the 1940's look like they are in pretty good shape, though I realize pictures can make things look better sometimes. That is a great picture, especially with the rail bus in it!
I sure wish we could travel back in time, and see some of these things first hand. That would really "make my day"!
It is indeed quite the shot! That IS how it once appeared. Kennecott remained essentially pristine until the late 1950s when the first scavengers began the process of wrecking it. It wasn't until the 80s that the effect of years of weathering began to show. And, yes, if there is one place I would love to have visited in this condition, Kennecott would be it! | |
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blackburn49
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| | 01/24/2008 1:10 PM |
| Posted By Torby on 01/24/2008 7:23 AM
Those brass models are jewels, aren't they? I don't own one, just admire it from afar, or on the shelf.
I couldn't believe it when this model first came out! Who would have guessed something this close to the Chitina Auto-Railer would actually be made available--and by Aristocraft, for crying out loud !
I knew the moment I saw this one advertised that it was only a matter of time and I would have it here for this model. I suspect it will be quite the eye-catcher, too. | |
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