No superlative can quite capture my enthusasiam for your modeling. It's beyond stellar. I love the concept, and it looks like if Fort Bragg, or Crescent Bay or another north-coast port is in full-bloom. Do you interchange with the NWP?

Gregg:

Your concept is marvelous and your construction is absolutly wonderful.

Will gladly follow this thread.

HO Henry

The History of the C&D Railroad – Pacific Division
The continued growth and development of northern California was not without it’s challenges. The annual flood damage to crops and industries had to be controlled. Water usage, that made the San Francisco Bay too salty and the water undrinkable, needed to be managed. Plus, inexpensive electric power was in high demand. To address these concerns, the 1921 California legislature took action and created a comprehensive water plan that became know as The Central Valley Project.

At this same time, the owners of the Redwood River Railroad were struggling to survive and looking for a better solution. That’s when they learned about a new dam to be built on the Redwood River and took their gamble of a lifetime. Since materials needed to be brought in to make the dam and they wanted to be the shipper of those goods, they locked up rail contracts for sand and crushed stone with customers near Diablo Falls and the dam building contractors in the new town of Damsyde. Since the needed steel would be shipped into the nearby harbor town of Grants Landing, they secured the rail contracts to make the upriver haul. Most importantly, they found low cost sources of gypsum and limestone out east a ways near Cimaron and formed a partnership with the Cimaron Railroad. This assured an unimpeded rail line to haul all needed materials to the dam, as well as an expanded customer base for their redwood materials on the return trip east. Thus was the beginning of the Cimaron and Damsyde Railroad, with its Pacific Division operating out of Diablo Falls.

Several years have past, the dam is built and the Central Valley Project is now expanding. All concerns of a declining business ended when the C&DRR signed rail contracts to support the next two dams. Their redwood operations are flourishing, plus they have many new customers in the towns of Diablo Falls and Grant’s Landing. These are good times for the C&DRR.

Gregg


Additional photos of the layout and various structure builds can also be found in the threads listed below.

Ludlow-Spencer Toy Company

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=25324



M.Cain & O.Bama Fish Oil & Fertilizer (FSM R. Saywer Kitbash): http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=23308



SRM Kendall's - After The Fire

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=22346



Lamson & Goodnow http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=20915



Wrisley Paper http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=17659



Houligan's Alley http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=19564



Thorndike Mills http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=16781



Martin Machine http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/t...TOPIC_ID=16704

Thanks Miles. Yes, this harbor town is definitely getting that foggy salt air feel. I'll be outlining the RR history and details in future posts.
Gregg

Thanks Henry. It has been satisfying watching my ideas come to life.
Gregg

Those trawlers sure are impressive. When did you find the time to build those too?

Also, your seaside town is shaping up nicely.

Gregg

The rocky coast line serving as a backdrop for the harbor scene is a classic and adds a wonderful perspective to an incredible modeling project.

Peter [:-kitty]

Art,
Thanks. I was lucky enough to have a friend build these scrachbuilt boats for me. I do not have the time, skill or patience to equal his work. Here is another shot showing a couple of the boats.

Gregg

Gregg, that is sure some fantastic modeling there! I do love the atmosphere you have created. Gorgeous boats as well. I too will be following along!

Hi Gregg,

All I can say is "Fantastic!" You have a beautiful layout.[^] For some reason, I've always loved water scenes with boats, older hard working boats. You've got it!!

Hi Peter. Thanks. One of my initial design concepts was that each layout section would also work as the backdrop for another section. From a photographic perspective this was a must and it seemed like it would be a very simple task. I later learned that this is much more difficult to do than it seems. As it turns out, to make this work the scenes must "flow" from a visual perspective (led to rejecting many layout designs), plus every foreground structure must also work as a background structure (reduced the number of structures I can use). You would be surprised at how many structures do not meet these criteria. The area you mentioned is the river outside the town of Diablo Falls, built to provide a visual buffer between the two towns of Grants landing and Diablo Falls. The river looks like a coastline from a distance providing the needed flow, while the Wrisley, L&G and Houligan's builds magically appear to be small and distant (many angled walls and small windows are a couple of the keys to making that work). I will post some pictures of that area later. For now, here is a shot looking at the harbor from the ocean (layout entrance) side. You cannot see it in the photo, but the railyard (center) and mountain/redwood forest (right side) are the backdrops in this scene.
Gregg

Thanks Mark. Here is a slightly different overview shot showing those boats. It is interesting how a few inch change in camera angle provides a completely different view, highlighting completely different scenes. In this photo you can see many built craftsman stucture kits. The harbor town list of kits includes:

- FSM Stuffy's Brewery

- FSM Jefferies Point

- SRM Prototype Currier & Sons main mill.

- FSM Bailey's Produce

- Kit-bashed SRM Whitney & Bent

- Modified FSM Emporium Seafood

- Crow River Products Saybrook Lighthouse

- Bar Mills Wicked Wandas

- FOS Varick Furniture

- FSM Station

- FSM Brick Watertower (from the John Allen Kit)

- FSM Chippy Hollow

- FSM Chester Rawlings

- many other small structures
Yes, quite a few structures in a fairly small space to give that busy harbor feel.

Gregg

Thanks Andy. Here are a few more harbor shots. These perspectives will look even better once the mountain, source river and dam are complete and in the background.
Gregg

Upper Grant's Landing not only provides the locals with wonderful views of trees and the distant hills, but is where you will find the train station, always a center of activity. I still have much work to do, but these pictures will give you an idea of what this area will look like.