Photos
from the
Layout
This scene is a
late
model BNSF freight using trackage rights on the West Central near
Pine
Haven, located in the Wyoming mountains.
A set of Northern
Pacific
F units emerge from one of the tunnels at St. John's
Pass (restroom).
(Crew
members
on trains through this region need to beware the dreaded "Pass
Gas",
sometimes reported to bring tears to the eyes.)
A BNSF freight
approaches
the water tower at Summit, the highest elevation on the
West Central railroad
system. Luckily, the water tower was not removed at the end
of
steam operation in 1960, and has become useful to resumed steam
excursion
service
in the 80s and 90s. The background scenery was
painted
by club member Dennis
Hamilton, using Bob Ross techniques.
The West Central
steam
switcher #1060 spots reefer cars for the Midland Meats packing
plant,
sometime
in the early 50s. It looks like the guys on the loading dock
might
be in
some trouble for dropping a carcass. Oh, well, it
was probably going for hamburger anyway!
Midland Meats was
kitbashed
from a Heljan models kit and given a new brick finish (tuckpoint).
Workers ice reefer
cars
near the Midland Meats packing plant just off of Woodman yard.
Loaded
cars
from the packing plant could be iced just before leaving the
area.
Cars
in transit could
be backed into the icing dock by a switcher and then cut back
into
their train. Union Ice building
and ice dock by Dennis Hamilton.
A West Central
Alco
RS-2 accelerates away from the reefers with a blast of signature Alco
smoke.
A few of these units were purchased in the late 40s as a
replacement
for worn out 2-6-0s and 4-4-0s
still being used on some unprofitable
branch
lines. The Alcos showed that one diesel could replace
four older
steamers
in branchline service and cut the labor needed to one third. This
saved
many
branch lines from abandonment for 20 years or more. These
1500hp road switchers ran very well
for the WCRR. They were seldom used
at
full power for sustained periods, thus the series 244
engines did
not develop
the
problems that they did on road engines.
The Plainview
Community
Church.
In
the early
1950s,
Plainview had a number of smaller wooden churches of various
denominations.
Each denomination looked at newer churches, but balked at the
costs.
Surprisingly, people got
together and found that by pooling resources
they
could have a much bigger and nicer church than
any single
congregation could
afford
alone. Sunday morning was divided up between Catholic,
Lutheran, Baptist, and Methodist services. Each denomination
maintained
a house for their own
clergyman. This Kibri kit
was modified and Americanized
by Dennis Hamilton. Note the working
clock in the tower. Stained glass
windows
were added by using transparency film in an inkjet color
printer.
The church
can be lighted at night.
A
West Central Consolidation on the branch
line between
Crawford and Summit.
The
passenger depot at Crawford,
A
Great Northern 4-8-2 uses the new turntable at the north end of Crawford
yard.
The area is the work of the late Wally Schuster and the late Ralph
Edwards.
Diesels on the WC
Steam on the WC
WC branch line to Summit
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