blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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 | | 02/19/2008 5:01 PM |
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Simpson's Esso Service:
This will be my Esso station, complete with the art-deco Esso figure out of the 1950s.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/19/2008 6:51 PM |
| The Esso Art-Deco Symbol:
This is one of the wonderful pieces of the Americana of Route 66 days that I will be proud to place into the model as an integrated part of the NX-Cicely display.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/20/2008 7:51 PM |
| And there he (and she) is. Now if I can only find a picture of one of these next to an Esso service station . . .
The "Esso Man"
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/20/2008 8:05 PM |
| For me and, I suspect, many other railroad modelers, part of the point of this endeavor/hobby is to attempt to re-capture a part of history--in this case Americana. There is something very appealing about the absolutely tasteless art-deco of the America of the 30s into the 60s.
It is irresistible for me. I simply have to use some of this type of advertising that we no longer see in the course of my railroad layout planning. NX-Cicely is a project which seems to be ready-made for employing old-style advertising. The Cicely period I have chosen is a modern mix that extends from the 90s back to the 20s. Only in the model train world does this seem to be possible ! Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure.
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ThinkerT
Alaska
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| | 02/20/2008 10:02 PM |
| Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure.
Hmmm...an alternate universe where the Cassiar mine project wasn't abandoned, and the rail line eventually built to that point and extended clear to Fairbanks...and where the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR, and the Kennecot mines remained open (maybe because of the cold war).
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/21/2008 2:17 AM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 02/20/2008 10:02 PM Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure.
Hmmm...an alternate universe where the Cassiar mine project wasn't abandoned, and the rail line eventually built to that point and extended clear to Fairbanks...and where the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR, and the Kennecot mines remained open (maybe because of the cold war).
Something like that . . . (more to follow on this)
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/21/2008 12:48 PM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 02/20/2008 10:02 PM Note: The real setting is the early 1990s, the same as the original television series Northern Exposure.
Hmmm...an alternate universe where the Cassiar mine project wasn't abandoned, and the rail line eventually built to that point and extended clear to Fairbanks...and where the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR, and the Kennecot mines remained open (maybe because of the cold war).
In fact, I have been saying this for the last three years: My CRNW Railway combined with the ALCANEX assumes that:
1) Although the Kennecott mines played out, the railroad survived into the modern era, continuing along the already surveyed route all the way to Fairbanks (this was an old proposal from the turn of the century that was rejected by the Wilson Administration which wanted nothing to do with the Guggenheims who had a major stake in the CRNW in those days).
2) The ALCAN extension, either through Ft. Nelson or via the Cassiar route or both, would eventually be completed. This remains an ongoing proposal, albeit an unlikely one, in conjunction with certain Alaska natural gas line proposals through the Yukon Territory, B.C. and Alberta to the mid-west. This extension does not necessarly require the existence of any historic mines into modern times but it would have worked well in conjunction with a huge proposed copper mine in northern B.C. which was not allowed to proceed due to environmental concerns. There is no doubt that the construction of a railroad infrastructure which connects the U.S. mainland to Alaska would also open up otherwise remote major mining possibilities in the same way that the CRNW did for Kennecott--mostly in northern B.C. and the Yukon Territories.
3) That the White Pass extended their own line through Whitehorse to the mining area of Keno and on to Dawson, as an extension of the KMR. Of course this one was doomed from the start due to the economics involved, as was the extension of the CRNW Railway.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/21/2008 1:08 PM |
| Posted By ThinkerT on 02/20/2008 10:02 PM
Hmmm...an alternate universe here the "million dollar bridge' never collapsed on the Copper River RR . . .
Of course, the bridge fell in because of the great earthquake of 1964 with a magnitude of 9.1. It was probably fortunate that the rest of the bridge remained standing.
The Million Dollar Bridge in the 1980s at mile 49 of the old CRNW
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/21/2008 1:13 PM |
| And this bridge has since been repaired . . .
Alaska has been made a political standing joke because of earmarks for a "bridge to nowhere." But this is now the ultimate bridge to nowhere. The Million Dollar Bridge now leads to nothing at all even though at one time it was an essential part of the CRNW Railway from Cordova to Kennecott. (click).
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/21/2008 1:22 PM |
| MDB in a colorized postcard from the 1930s:
The MDB is a big part of old Alaska. Although today it sits practically in the middle of nowhere and leads to nothing, at one time this was the major tourist destination in all of Alaska. (click).
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/21/2008 7:45 PM |
| The Wye at the MDB:
On the right is a rotary snowplow consist.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 11:31 AM |
| The MDB:
In the early part of the 20th Century the federal government was faced with a choice based on recommendations of their experts in the field: a) acquire the old Alaska Northern line out of Seward and build their own railroad as an extension from the end of that right of way all the way to Fairbanks or
b) acquire the main line of the CRNW, which would have included the Million Dollar Bridge, and build an extension from Chitina on to Fairbanks.
History would have been drastically different had they made the second choice. The MDB would not be in the middle of nowhere, Cordova would have been a major port, the Copper Valley would be far more developed than it is, and who knows what would have happened to what eventually became Anchorage.
click for larger image
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 11:40 AM |
| South Approach to the 1500-foot MDB shortly after construction:
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 11:51 AM |
| At one time this bridge was considered an engineering impossibility because of its proposed location between two opposing glaciers--the Miles and Childs Glaciers. The events which occured around the construction of this bridge were among the most dramatic in western railroading history because, indeed, it proved to be almost impossible to build at that time.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 12:01 PM |
| Early map showing the CRNW line from Cordova to Baird--beyond the MDB:
This map shows the entire Copper River dela, plus the railroad at neighboring Katalla. Click for larger image.
This is a small segment of a much larger map.
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 12:21 PM |
| Window View this Morning:
The more normal temperatures have returned to the valley. We had gone from a low of minus 55 to a high of plus 44. Now the range appears to be minus ten to about plus 20 with predictions of somewhat colder nights yet to come. But the severely frigid temperatures appear to be gone for good for the remainder of this winter. The long-term forecast shows temperatures dropping no lower than perhaps minus 30, although I doubt it will dip that low.
One thing about it, these are ideal conditions for some great shots of the mountains. It is clear and sunny out this morning. These are two shots I took from my window next to the computer.
Click these. Mt. Drum is spectacular and the larger image is quite large but in low resolution so it loads fast.
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San Juan
Anaheim CA Bayfield CO
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| | 02/23/2008 12:48 PM |
| This is a really informative thread. I like the ESSO station 
One structure really caught my eye. It's this one:
What is this building? Is it the Silverton City Hall that was manufactured in the 1990s? Forgot the name of the company, but I sure remember the small mention of it in Model Railroader. Wish we got one when they were made  | |
Matt
Snowshoe & San Juan Model Railroad | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 1:12 PM |
| Posted By San Juan on 02/23/2008 12:48 PM
This is a really informative thread. I like the ESSO station
One structure really caught my eye. It's this one:
What is this building? Is it the Silverton City Hall that was manufactured in the 1990s? Forgot the name of the company, but I sure remember the small mention of it in Model Railroader. Wish we got one when they were made
Very perceptive of you.That IS the Silverton City Hall.
This one came up on Ebay a few months ago. I decided I had to have it for my Phase II model. I bid very high for this one and barely made it. This will be the city hall and/or courthouse for my fictional model of Cicely. Not a bad choice, eh?
In the first photo below you will note a missing window. I almost lost that one transporting it over to the bar to photograph. It had popped out. I found it in the driveway.
It turns out to be a perfect 1:24 match next to the scratch-built Brick tavern model.
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San Juan
Anaheim CA Bayfield CO
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| | 02/23/2008 2:53 PM |
| Wow!!!!!!!! 
That is a great looking structure. Thanks so much for the close up pics.
I saw it on eBay and was very, very tempted to bid. My only concern was the 1:24 scale size. I was afraid it would be too small next to Piko and Pola structures. So I didn't want to spend the kind of money I was expecting it to fetch, if it wouldn't fit with our other structures. But it looks very good size wise above the (what appears to be) Pola church below it on your storage shelves.
Don't want to be a bother, but could you share the dimensions of the city hall (don't worry about the finial height). The door size is probably the best way to judge scale.
It's such a neat looking building and very unique. I don't think anything like it has been made by other manufactures in G scale. And it's not all that far off from the real Silverton City Hall.
I'm glad you found the window  | |
Matt
Snowshoe & San Juan Model Railroad | |
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blackburn49
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Copper Center, Alaska
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| | 02/23/2008 3:31 PM |
| Posted By San Juan on 02/23/2008 2:53 PM
Wow!!!!!!!!
That is a great looking structure. Thanks so much for the close up pics.
I saw it on eBay and was very, very tempted to bid. My only concern was the 1:24 scale size. I was afraid it would be too small next to Piko and Pola structures. So I didn't want to spend the kind of money I was expecting it to fetch, if it wouldn't fit with our other structures. But it looks very good size wise above the (what appears to be) Pola church below it on your storage shelves.
Don't want to be a bother, but could you share the dimensions of the city hall (don't worry about the finial height). The door size is probably the best way to judge scale.
It's such a neat looking building and very unique. I don't think anything like it has been made by other manufactures in G scale. And it's not all that far off from the real Silverton City Hall.
The door opening is 3 5/8, the window openings are all 2 5/8 inches, while the walls are only a surprising 12 inches by 12 inches with a height of 12 inches from the base to the bottom of the rafters. It does not sound like much, but the structure does look rather imposing and impressive nevertheless. In comparison the adjacent Brick model is 23 inches wide by 37 inches deep. | |
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