Building the Railroad

Mendocino Model Railroad Construction

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Visitors to our layout are fascinated by how we built the layout. This blog is about the techniques, the materials and the sources of materials that have been used in its construction.
The blog is maintained by Tony Phillips - the club's historian.

If you have any comments or complaints about this blog please address them to me, Tony Phillips (philt95437@comcast.net). The responsibility for everything herein is mine.

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Building a MOW (Maintenance of Way) Consist

July 9, 2019

This gallery shows Chuck Whitlock creating a MOW consist [Double click on any pic to see gallery/photos full size]:

Posted in Detailing.

Converting a Galloping Goose to Battery Power

July 3, 2019

These two pics are from super duper electrical genius Jim Williams work bench where he is working on a Galloping Goose. When we got the Galloping Goose it derived its power from low grade strips brushing against the axles of the wheels. If one had a totally flat track with no switches it might, just … Continue reading →

Posted in Maintenanace.

A-Frame Bridge Installed on soon to be River Noyo

May 28, 2019

Most of the A-Frame bridges along the Redwood Coast were on the California Western’s (CWR) Skunk Line. There was one across Little River and there is one today outside Roots of Motive Power in Willits (although we are not sure why or what it does). Once there were 115 bridges on the 34 mile-long California … Continue reading →

Posted in NW Corner, Uncategorized.

Enhancing Three Chop Ridge – the Diorama in the NW inside corner of the layout

April 2, 2019

Archaeologists excavation of a Pomo Native American site on Three Chop Ridge set in motion a series of events which led to the discovery of the wreck of the sailing ship The frolic off  of Point Cabrillo. We have, for a long time, wanted to include a flume on the layout and the changes being … Continue reading →

Posted in NW Corner.

New backdrop for the outside west wall of the Barn

March 26, 2019

Nothing stands still at our layout. We have, and soon to be had, a niceish backdrop on the outside west wall of the layout. Then we – I use the collective we ‘cos I really can’t remember who came up with the idea – that it would be grand if visitors/members could plonk their phone/camera … Continue reading →

Posted in Outside West Wall.

Installing Joe Cooper’s immaculate cabinets in the Museum/Library

February 28, 2019

Our Museum/Library is located in a 40 foot container. Bill Shepherd installed all the wiring we will ever need. Next was the turn of our genius cabinet maker, Joe Cooper, to bring the abfab cabinets and desk top that he has constructed and install it. ANY housewife in Mendocino County would be over the moon … Continue reading →

Posted in Museum/Library.

Painting the hills in the NW Interior corner and installing the backdrop

February 27, 2019

These photos span a period of months largely because we can only access the interior walls of the barn when the CWR is not running. Here you can see the back wall with just sky: Progress but a ways to go – more painting and then installation of trees.

Posted in NW Corner.

Building the Museum/Library

February 23, 2019

We (me?) have been storing a lot of all rhubarb in our new 40 foot container. That fateful day came when we had to clear the rhubarb out to make way for the highly anticipated interior being built by our cabinet maker cum genius Joe Cooper. I thought if I posed Basil Casabona at the … Continue reading →

Posted in Museum/Library.

Building the Mendo Trolley O Scale Bump and Go

January 29, 2019

Waste not, want not. After we had rebuilt the Holiday Season diorama we were left with a very usable base. Frank Davis said it would be ideal for a Lionel O Scale “Bump and Go” trolley. Brilliant what? Scenery? No prob. Dame Stella Martin had let us have a whole bunch of houses. They are … Continue reading →

Posted in Mendo Trolley.

Hiding the pillar that supports the building at the inside north end of the layout with trees

January 18, 2019

After we had installed a 200 scale foot (seven foot in real life) on the inside north wall of the layout we stood back and admired our genius. We were trying to TOTALLY obscure the pillar which supports the roof. 100% failure. You can still see the pillar behind the lolie and the small tree. … Continue reading →

Posted in Detailing.

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Subjects

  • Detailing (7)
  • Hillside Construction (3)
  • Maintenanace (5)
  • Mendo Trolley (1)
  • Museum/Library (2)
  • North End Outside Wall (5)
  • NW Corner (6)
  • Outside East Wall (2)
  • Outside North Wall (1)
  • Outside West Wall (4)
  • Point cabrillo Diorama (1)
  • Roundhouse (4)
  • South Wall (1)
  • Trestle Construction (1)
  • Uncategorized (1)
  • West Wall (4)
  • Workshop (1)

Recent Posts

  • Building a MOW (Maintenance of Way) Consist
  • Converting a Galloping Goose to Battery Power
  • A-Frame Bridge Installed on soon to be River Noyo
  • Enhancing Three Chop Ridge – the Diorama in the NW inside corner of the layout
  • New backdrop for the outside west wall of the Barn

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