Thanx Phillip, and thanx Jerry;

I've run into a dilema      ....you're both correct ....it looks great and it's a keeper...     ...BUT        (here we go again         )....2 things....one of which is a biggie  ...I didn't realize the elevations were going to be quite the issue they have already become - in just the first phase of actual  construction      5 inches is about 1 inch too high for me... ...and I don't think I'm gonna dig the 'backing out of Grizzly to go to Blackrock... ...and if I'm being honest with myself...     ...I really do NEED and WANT ..       ..an 'out and back' (reversing loop) feature..     ......soooooo......

YOU GUESSED IT          a modification ....however..       besides no Arch Bridge...   ..it's still the same overall trackplan           ..... the only other changes are the elevations, and one added cutoff turnout to allow 'out-and-back' and/or continous running...                      

I've lowered Blackrock one inch to 4 inches..it doesn't seem like much, but it makes a huge difference....I also will not have the Arch Bridge involved in the layout...     ....a bit too much drama for such a small RR.....   ...instead        ... a secure high line at 4 inches elev. 2 feet across at Blackrock then dropping to 3 1/2 inches elev. and then 3 inches elev. (a two foot long 4% grade) and staying at that elevation all the way across to the corner and behind Dilapidated, then another 4% grade drop for three feet, down to one an 1/2 inches elev. across the front of the layout...once the turn in the center of the layout is reached (still at one and1/2 inches elev.) a cut-off for continous running goes to the right,...we don't take it ....after the turnout, the grade drops at 4% for three more feet reaching '0' elev. just outside Grizzly....             ....if you take the cut-off instead, you're at one and 1/2 inches elev. for two more feet and then begin the longest (5feet) 4% grade climb up to 4 inches elev. at Blackrock....         .....

Now the rest of the story,.....           ....

Starting out from Grizzly - just outside town, our train climbs the 4% grade for 3 feet to one and 1/2 inches elev. around the turn in the center of the layout all the way to the D&RGW interchange at Po-Dunk Jct. elev. one and 1/2 inches....then we begin another 4% climb for 3 feet up to three inches elev. and stay at that elev. till we reach the turnout where we go left to get to Dilapidated...we drop at 4% for 3 feet down to one and 1/2 inches elev. ...then back through the turnout (and to the right) that leads to Dilapidated up 4% for 2 feet and arrive at the depot, elev. two and 1/2 inches....we leave Dilapidated and head down 4% for 2 feet to the elev. of one and 1/2 inches...and continue on up at 4% for 5 feet to Blackrock at 4 inches elev.....then repeat the last part of the journey back to Grizzly as described earlier...                 ...I hope ya'll aren't too confused.....               ......

The map below will (should  ) explain it all.....just start out at Grizzly.......


Whadda ya think...yes...no...maybe...                 .....this'll make construction so much easier, no more falling off my '2 step'-step stool while trying to get down,...             ....I forgot to mention that part.........             ....oh well...all's well .......and thanx a bunch for stoppin' by....       ...ya'll stay tuned......all for now....see ya......            

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

 

Another absolutely beautiful job Larry C*.....      

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Here's a shot of the 'whole enchilada'........      .................
The layout height is 56"....all the new 'stuff' is a max of 5" higher......or 61"...............

Thanx Dave, thanx Michael, thanx Mike, and thanx Jerry;...and a big 'ol thanx to everybody that just grabbed a look-see        .....

Today (Sunday) I decided that the I Me Mine bldg was blocking too much of the scenery of 'Woods' Ridge behind it, and Scavenger Inc. was also too 'overbearing' and blocking a good view of 'The Arch' in the rock formation behind it....     ....so I took a nap and I figured out that all I really need for a 'mine theme' spot in that area is a loading structure - something simple....     .....the mine itself is 'off stage' in the viewers mind...         ....and so I found a piece of the curved 'trestle works' from the old mine scene I was gonna build last year and positioned it so that all the tailings are brought across the trestle and dumped into the waiting ore cars to be hauled away...the gold is transported under armed guard by truck from the mine to the mine office in Blackrock and then loaded into an REA boxcar and shipped to Grizzly for transfer to the std. gauge for shipping elsewhere ..    ...I also moved Scavenger Inc. from Blackrock over to Dilapidated and moved Phartz & Schmelling from Dilapidated across to Blackrock where its' 'personality'         isn't so 'obtrusive'....in Dilapidated the townsfolk were a bit less than enamored with the 'aroma' of the odorizers produced to add to natural gas so gas leaks can be detected...             .....pictures below........all for now ....thanx again for stoppin' by......see ya.......      

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

The new 'I Me Mine' transfer trestle at Blackrock................

Phartz & Schmelling at Blackrock.................................

A start on the 'scenery idea' for the branchline run up to Blackrock

A 'new look' Dilapidated.........................................




Hope the shots look OK................          

Thanx Curt, thanx Larry C*., and thanx Ron....

I finished working on the project for today (Saturday) ....   ...I have all but two sections of foam risers glued in place, and went ahead and mocked everything else up for fit and appearance....     ...

This week I'll work on getting the remaining risers and roadbed glued down, then I'll finish soldering the track sections together and attach feeders to them before gluing them down....     ....

I can already tell that this incarnation of the G&D is gonna be one that I really enjoy...       ....I'm getting the images in my head together regarding the scenery, and have decided what to do on the backdrop to enhance the whole 'picture'.....     ......here's some shots of todays' efforts......hope they look OK.....

Dilapidated.......



Blackrock.........



Po-Dunk Jct. .....



That about winds it up from this end, thanx again for stoppin' by .......see ya.....        

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Thanx Larry C*., thanx Phillip, thanx Mike, thanx Michael,and thanx Curt,....and thanx to all who dropped by for a quick look-see.....       ....

I stopped the construction        ....

I realized the project had become too complex,  .. tracks in concentric circles with one of them (the inside one) hidden inside a mountain...     ....can't get to it....and just too much trackage in this amount of space....       ....Tuesday night ...(not TUESDAY AFTERNOON...       ) ...I decided to sleep on it...and Wednesday morning I had an idea ..     ....just do a simple figure 8 over and under , with access trackage from Grizzly, and an interchange with the D&RGW at Dilapidated; and put Po-Dunk Jct. under the arch bridge where the access tracks to Grizzly are...             ......simple....clean....and much more 'do-able' at 72 ..   ...if I was in my 50's or 60's I'd build something a bit more "grandiose"...   ...

But it is what it is.... and as such - Today (Friday) I went about reconfiguring the layout according to the NEW TRACK PLAN...       ...(ya'll knew that was coming)....     ....it's actually pretty cool and concise, it'll give me continous running, and a built in - '2 trains a day' need in order to service both the "I Me Mine' gold mine and Scavenger Inc. at Blackrock, ...   and the depot, 2 industries, and the D&RGW interchange at Dilapidated.....plus.....

Trains headed to Blackrock MUST back out of Grizzly and down to Po. Dunk Jct.        then forward and take the branch line up to Blackrock... after working Blackrock- leave going forward, taking the main line all the way down to Grizzly   .... and trains going to Dilapidated leave going forward on the main line all the way to Dilapidated, work the D&RGW intchg. then the sidings-and then forward to take the branch line down to Po-Dunk Jct. to return to Grizzly- switching to the main line at Po-Dunk Jct. and backing the rest of the way into Grizzly....           both trains back into trailing switches to work the respective sidings....easy-peasie, one train to Blackrock in the morning, and one train to Dilapidated in the afternoon ........I love it......simple one man operations, and continous running for 'funzies'...       ......pictures below of the plan and the progress made today....    

Track plan...........................(sideways...sorry)  


Blackrock....so far.......


Po-Dunk Jct. ...so far......


Dilapidated and the D&RGW intchg......so far.....


That's all for now .....I'm tired .....   ..it's 12:24 AM CST (Sat. morning)    and I'm gonna grab a little 'shut-eye' before the dirt starts flying again tomorrow, er, uh, today Saturday......
thanx again for stoppin' by........see ya.........        
 
KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Hey fellas....     .....

Thanx Mike,... I'm gonna keep running my same old trustworthy rod engines...     I have a BLI C-16 2-8-0, a Bachmann C(whatever) 2-8-0 outside frame, a Bachmann 2-6-0, a Bachmann 2-4-4-2 that I did a 'John Allen' on and converted it to an 0-4-4-2...     that I use for the MOW train, I have a Bachmann 2-6-2 that will be for yard use....I have about a dozen locomotives total, including 2 Bachmann 4-6-0s, an extra Bachmann 2-8-0 OF, a Bachmann Forney 2-4-4 converted to a 'tender dragger', my scratch/bashed 2-6-0 cab forward, that I dropped,    my scratch built 2-8-0 that I also dropped,      .......and an MMI K27 that I'm selling  ....it's always been way too 'persnickitty' for me and I'm not doing a 22" radius      so I'm getting rid of it....... .....all of my locomotives handled the 4% grades in the past really well.... ....I only run 3 cars plus a caboose or combine on my consists, and my cars have no added weight.....   ........thanx for asking and thanks to everybody that stopped by......

OK - here's some shots of the 'progress'....I say it like that because I follow the great John Allen playbook and mock everything up full size to check fit and location before doing any 'real damage'.....       ...I'm really jazzed about this version of the G&D Ry. .....I can already 'see' the scenery and can't wait to bring it to life...     .......

Pay no attention to the pile of 'parts-n-stuff' in the lower right.....that'll be a mountain ......


I don't know if I'll make the 'blue into a mtn. lake ............



That's all for now....thanx for checkin' on the G&D Ry. fellas, and I sure do appreciate all the suggestions, comments and questions......they get me goin'.....       ......see ya.......        

I wish I could bring figures to life the way ya'll do ....those look absolutey fantastic Phillip....great scene...

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

You've got yerself a winner there pal ... so so excellent, I love it.........

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Just keep bringin' the good stuff...to the party 'cause we love it........nice work.......

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Here we go again..     another great example of the Larry C*. expertise....keep it up, it gets me goin'....

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Very nice piece, and welcome to the 'fold'.....yup, very nice indeed...........

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

Mike-sorry I've not checked in...after perusing your fine work; I'm once again amazed at your skill and patience.  You have a keen eye for what works, and it shows up beautifully.....very very nice work.....makes me see that I need to try harder.....

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.

P.S.   My mom always called my dad (much to his chagrin) 'Crumpton' when she was being affectionate or "goofing" on him.....(he loved it) ...his first name, my first name and my little brothers' first name are all COMPTON.........the last name of the M.D. that delivered all 7 of my fraternal grandmothers' children............a hundred years ago..... from 1922 thru 1944..............

Hi Larry C*.- just finding my way back over to this project, and I must say It is absolutely incredible.  The artistry involved and the care you put into the things you create make them truly wonderful.   Thanx for the inspiration......

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co. 

Back again...       ...

Thanx Ron;....I actually thought to myself last night..."this is the most 'rail-roady' yard I've ever done"..   ...I just like the way it looks, and 'feels like an old 'well used', but not completely 'worn-out' facility.... ...it still functions efficiently, and the RR has enough revenue from the industries it serves to keep it up to snuff; there's also the traffic revenue from the interchanges with the std. gauge Texas Pacific and Western, (my imaginary line - a sub of the T&P)....       and the D&RGW......     .....so here's the shots I mentioned earlier....           ......

First up are the "destructions" I drew to scale, so I wouldn't "F it up too bad".....when the dirt starts flying..   ...the green lines are the lower level, the orange ones are the upper level,.... ...the grades are in red (4%) and blue (3%) the elevations are in pencil...hope ya'll can make them out..   .....

'Dilapidated'..........there are no elevations on this one..the upper (orange) is at 6 1/4", the lower level is at -0-...also I didn't draw a 'dashed' line to designate when the lower line is in the tunnel - but you can just make out the entrances...     ...I hope.....


Now here's Blackrock... ......4% is red - 3% is blue.....bridge is at 6 1/4"....   ....the orange & green together denote the change elevation on the way up to 4"....otherwise the orange is upper level, green - lower level....   ..the grade begins right below the center of the bridge....and ends at the beginning of the bridge....  


Now for the rest of the shots....   these show the position of the 'repurposed' 'bumpout section' of the old loop in Grizzly..   ...it is at apprx. 3% grade.....   ...



This is the approx. location of the arch bridge I scratch built back in 2015 and have used over and over... ...it's an 'oldie but a goodie'...it sits at its exact 6 1/4" elevation......   ...       ...cool ....


OK... that about winds up tonights' presentation...                 ..thanx again for spendin a minute or 2 to check things out, I appreciate all the comments, suggestions and inquiries    ...it helps keep the tank full.........(the wife says I fart too much)         I guess that means I'm "full-a-shit"                                 ....thanx again......see ya....        

KYLE CREEL
G&D Ry. Co.