have cars moving between them. Pioneer Meat Packing and P. Hew Rendering are two examples, and, yes, open gons of ren- derings and tankage do ply the rails. The industrial buildings are a mix of kit, kit- bashed, and scratchbuilt structures. About two-dozen steam locomotives are available, about half with sound, and 130 diesels, mostly Santa Fe, most sound-equipped, are on the roster. The time frame encompasses second-gener- ation power, and visitors will find that diesels are preferred on the layout for the same reason as on the prototype. They are better for switching, more re- liable, and need less maintenance than steam. However, Cliff and the Snake Canyon crew sometimes put together steam nights, modern diesel nights, and “run what you brung” sessions. Addi- tionally, although the layout is designed for freight operations, having 85 passen- ger cars on hand means Cliff can field everything from a busy timetable with Santa Fe’s finest stainless steel stream- liners behind Warbonnet F7s to a single locomotive and a few coaches ambling through the countryside.
Construction
Snake Canyon Railroad uses com- mon model railroad construction meth- ods: 1x4 grid framework and ¾-inch ply- wood sub-roadbed on risers. Homasote and cork roadbed provide sound dead- ening and a raised ballast cross section. The industrial areas and yards are flat. Flat is better for switching. The main line rises from 46 inches to 52 inches with a 2 percent maximum grade — heights comfortable for working on the layout and for operating crews. The track plan was developed using the CadRail program, and curves range from 24-inch to 72-inch radius. Most are between 30 inches and 36 inches. With a double-track main line of 180 running feet, plus the yards and 330 feet of sid- ings, the Snake Canyon Railroad has about 11,000 feet of track, all laid with Code 83 flexible track and No. 6 turn- outs except in some industrial areas, where there are a few No. 4 turnouts. In all, there are more than 200 switches on the layout.
An NCE Digital Command Control system is used with four boosters and plug-in walkaround throttles.
50 RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100