Hi all,
As many of you know this past week has been taken up by the 26th National Garden Railway Convention in Tacoma, WA. For me there were up as well as down sides to the convention as a whole. I will leave those discussions to others better versed in these matters to discuss. This thread is about the fun I had. The Convention was enjoyable but the highlight for me was the opportunity to bring rolling stock and run it on the Sierra Cascade and Pacific Railroad of Paul and Mary Burch in Gig Harbor. Paul had issued a blanket invitation to MLS members to "come by and bring something to run" I was just one of numerous people to enjoy his hospitality that day.
To explain the title of this thread. Paul lives in the lush green rainforest of the Pacific Northwest and models the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Mojave, Tehachapi loop area of Southern California. This is a dry and burnt desert like land that he depicts very well in his "garden" railroad. For me, personally, this was a bizarre twist as I live in a dry, burnt, desert like area of Northen California and try to model the lush green Coastal area of Northen California.
A few pictures of the day steam came to the SC&P Railroad. ( 1:20 steam on a 1:29 diesel railroad)
Consolidation #22, motive power and rolling stock from the visiting Shasta Pacific, drags a short consist of stock cars up the grade and into the Loop in these first three pictures.
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Paul making emergency repairs to a signal tower that was just a little bit too much 1:29 for the 1:20 equipment to clear. Either luckily or with good planning and forthought, i'm not really sure which
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, this was the only spot on the railroad that was any problem with clearance. Every other possible obstruction on the line was fine, tight but fine .
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Paul and Jonathan Bliese seem to be discussing something serious, perhaps the possibility of changing the SC&P to narrow gauge
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My favorite shot of the #22 as she reaches the top of the loop.
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The future passangers for the stock cars, perhaps wondering where the cars will take them. If they only knew!
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An overall shot of the inside leg, at least part of it, of Paul's huge railroad. Right in front of where Paul is standing is a wye that you can turn entire trains on. To the right is the top of the loop and the bridges that run the trains into the dedicated train room/storage facility. Just a wonderful railroad!
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I'm not sure it is necessary but I guess it is only fair to include a shot of some of the home roads motive power. I'm not really sure what it is/was but it was pulling a train so I guess it is motive power
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Paul,
Again thank you and Mary for being such gracious hosts and allowing us the privilege to enjoy your beautiful railroad.
Rick Marty
As many of you know this past week has been taken up by the 26th National Garden Railway Convention in Tacoma, WA. For me there were up as well as down sides to the convention as a whole. I will leave those discussions to others better versed in these matters to discuss. This thread is about the fun I had. The Convention was enjoyable but the highlight for me was the opportunity to bring rolling stock and run it on the Sierra Cascade and Pacific Railroad of Paul and Mary Burch in Gig Harbor. Paul had issued a blanket invitation to MLS members to "come by and bring something to run" I was just one of numerous people to enjoy his hospitality that day.
To explain the title of this thread. Paul lives in the lush green rainforest of the Pacific Northwest and models the Southern Pacific Railroad in the Mojave, Tehachapi loop area of Southern California. This is a dry and burnt desert like land that he depicts very well in his "garden" railroad. For me, personally, this was a bizarre twist as I live in a dry, burnt, desert like area of Northen California and try to model the lush green Coastal area of Northen California.
A few pictures of the day steam came to the SC&P Railroad. ( 1:20 steam on a 1:29 diesel railroad)
Consolidation #22, motive power and rolling stock from the visiting Shasta Pacific, drags a short consist of stock cars up the grade and into the Loop in these first three pictures.
Paul making emergency repairs to a signal tower that was just a little bit too much 1:29 for the 1:20 equipment to clear. Either luckily or with good planning and forthought, i'm not really sure which
Paul and Jonathan Bliese seem to be discussing something serious, perhaps the possibility of changing the SC&P to narrow gauge
My favorite shot of the #22 as she reaches the top of the loop.
The future passangers for the stock cars, perhaps wondering where the cars will take them. If they only knew!
An overall shot of the inside leg, at least part of it, of Paul's huge railroad. Right in front of where Paul is standing is a wye that you can turn entire trains on. To the right is the top of the loop and the bridges that run the trains into the dedicated train room/storage facility. Just a wonderful railroad!
I'm not sure it is necessary but I guess it is only fair to include a shot of some of the home roads motive power. I'm not really sure what it is/was but it was pulling a train so I guess it is motive power
Paul,
Again thank you and Mary for being such gracious hosts and allowing us the privilege to enjoy your beautiful railroad.
Rick Marty
