Using aerial photos from terraserver, I pasted together a satellite image of the complete Cuesta Pass just north of San Luis Obispo, CA. Using my image editor's scale function I determined that to model the complete pass in N scale in a 1:2 ratio would require ~65 feet of length, measured from the edge of the Horse Shoe Curve to the entrance to the last tunnel. The radius of the tightest track would be 24" (around the horse shoe for instance) and I would need about 100 pieces of 30" flex track to model the main line from the large steel trestle at the base of the pass to the last tunnel entrance. I'm not going to actually model this, but have always wondered what it would take to reproduce this dramatic stretch of Southern Pacific main line in N scale. I have seen a few examples of the Tehachapi loop in varying "compression ratios" (amount of distortion from full scale proportionality) but never the Cuesta Horse Shoe Curve. Now I see why!
I can understand what you are saying. As with many other model railroaders, my space is limited. I tinkered for a long, long time, with plans for building my favorite section of Milwaukee Road main line. But the method necessary for my imagineering, selective compression, always gave me an unsatisfactory result. I envy those with huge basements that seem to be free of laundry rooms, etc. They are the only ones with a chance, and perhaps a budget available, to build a reasonable representation of a large geographical railroad landmark. Boxcab E50
As with any stretch of prototype you can model the feel of the whole thing by picking out the key points and landmarks to model and compress the rest. Yeah, it would be real cool to be able to model the real deal foot by foot but few have the means to do that. Our NTRAK club has hit a few of the local high spots and bridged them all together with generic modules to create something that can be recognized. I am now planning my own Nn3 interpretation of the D&RG between Durango and Silverton. (I know, probably one of the most modeled narrow gauge railroads on the planet but I have been wanting to do this since 1971) I have downloaded the whole line from the Teraserver site and made a mosaic. The final track plan is only a fraction of the real thing but I think I can have fun with it.
Such is the way in this hobby--- Espee's Coast Line has always been one of my model-able favorites, and someday I hope to maybe conquer it. It is sort of curious as to why it is so seldom modeled, the line traverses a diverse range of scenic highlights. Cuesta Pass, compared to many other notable passes, seems like it wouldn't be incredibly difficult to model in a simple off the wall shelf format, because the line is just hugging the mountainsides for the most part as it makes its ascent. Focal points would be the summit tunnels, the horseshoe curve and the Stenner creek trestle and picturesque San Luis Obispo at the bottom. Selective compression would take its toll of course, but it wouldn't be nearly as painful as, say, chopping up Tehachapi. I think without selective compression the whole hobby would be a little different...operating sessions would be days long and they're'd be tons of that mundane scenery that we compress with good purpose. Not to mention maintaining 100 scale miles of track...
Great points guys, thanks for the input. I actually do have a rough idea of what I would compress and how the model main line would look. If the image of the actual pass wasn't 5mb I would upload it. It is interesting how the line snakes through some picturesque curves, one after another. It would make a great helper operation as far as being an interesting main line to run. Then there are the various trains which must hold at the only double track at the top of the pass while another threads up the mountainside. This stretch of railroad made a permanent impression on me as a kid riding Amtrak's Coast Starlight on a few occasions.
I know we are talking about track and distances, but I agree with the compression idea. I am modeling San Antonio Espee downtown, and that is about 15-20 miles (I guess). Of course it is impossible to get it all, so I try to model several specific scenes in sequence through the town. The items between the scenes are just omitted. This allows visitors to say, "I know exactly where that is!" Still, they don't seem to mind that the Alamo is next to the East Yard and completely out of place. Russ Straw got me started on this with the Sugarland modules several years ago. I haven't been able to accomplish anything like that with most of the scene intact, but I make a bunch of four foot dioramas that are strung together. Maybe like NTrak, but the dioramas are all related. BTW, the San Antonio East Yard is two miles long. That is 66 feet in N scale. Reproducing that went away very quickly! I applaude Fluid Dynamics for scaling out the Cuesta Pass. Smart thing to do. It probably saved about 400-500 false starts!
The strange thing was, if I actually reproduced it 1:1 it would be more like 120 feet wide. The fine line with modeling it becomes choosing how far to shrink its proportionality before the Superliners start to look too sharply curved on the Horseshoe. On the actual line, a 10 car train with two F40PH locos gets 1/4 around the curve at most. On a compressed model it would nearly wrap 180* and look odd. Stuff like this keeps me awake at night. At least there are a lot more SP and SSW locos and rolling stock available now. Having the tunnel motors finally available is a miracle.
You're an engineering student? Why didn't you just stay in beautiful San Luis Obispo? The university here is top notch... I've ridden the Coast Starlight back home to Nor Cal a few times, and the train, this time of the year, ascends the pass just when the sun is setting. For such a short pass relative to say Cajon or Donner or Tehachapi, it is very majestic. I wish the line was more heavily used--its hard to get any good railfanning activity down here Try here to see the aerial photo of the pass Fluid Dynamics is talking about. Slow connections be wary... Does anybody know of a layout that was built exactly to scale? It'd be interesting to see. Imagine if you could get like half the model railroaders in the country together, buy a warehouse, and agree on a scale route to build. Hmmmm....
This I would love to see! Please post anything you come up with. Plans, etc. Boxcab E50 </font>[/QUOTE]This is a rough track plan. The grid is in one foot increments. The staging yard is in another room and would be for trains coming from Chama. The hidden loop would be under the mountain backdrop but emerge across the river from Durango as the Rio Grande Southern. There is no actual grade but the hills would form scenery breaks to kind of give the illusion that there could be. The curves would be 10 inch radius (not too bad for narrow gauge). Operation to Silverton and back would be point to point with short trains to fit in the sidings for passing.
I can definitely see how your scenery will help decompress scenes. It seems now that the same method would possibly help with designing for the original Cuesta Pass question. Boxcab E50
I may be crazy but I have started doodling mainline runs to fit in the little corner of space that I have available, and while none of the designs I came up with look like the Cuesta Pass, the latest almost captures its feel. It is a point to point semi-bi level (one level over the pass and two levels at the yards which it connects) design in a "G" shape. I would upload the drawing if I had the necessary equipment.
I kept doodling for a couple weeks and came up with a three / two level main line run for the Cuesta pass that actually duplicates some of its curves. The trestle, horse shoe, second horse shoe, both main passing sidings, and the SLO three track "yard" with helper track are all in the sketch. It is currently five pages of one vignette each, and the main line is about 110 feet from the SLO yard to the destination yard, which I haven't started doodling. I'll try to get the sketches on Railimages and post them. I am surprised that I was able to even fit the main elements of the pass into my space, because there are quite a few main characteristics of the pass which make it recognizable. The plan was designed to be built partially under a bunk bed, and I have about 8' x 7' plus a 4' extension possible over my computer to work with. The layout shape is kind of a G.
The entire grade is within about 3 miles of the Cal Poly campus, and a good hike can get you anywhere on the grade. I haven't gotten out to the horseshoe or the Stenner Creek trestle yet but on a hike up to Cuesta Ridge on MLK day some friends and I crossed the tracks so I shot some pictures of the more mundane middle section of the grade between the horseshoe and the summit tunnel. The grade isn't much to look at--especially because action was lacking that day but the view is incredible. The two trackside pictures are taken near the Serrano siding maybe a couple miles below the summit. You can kind of follow part of the grade in the other picture along the hillsides...the summit is behind the ridge I'm on, the horseshoe straight ahead but not visible, and San Luis Obispo to the left. One of these days I'll get out to the horseshoe and the trestle.
haha I guess I didn't think of it but that does look terribly smoggy doesn't it. It was an incredibly hazy day for some reason, usually its clear as could be. Most of that is ocean fogish stuff, on most days you'd be able to see the Pacific easily from that photo. San Luis Obispo is for all practical purposes in the middle of nowhere...air quality is perfect
Nice pics. Does your college do Mechanical Engineering? I will try to post the pics of my layout plan. Here we go. The main line is about 110 feet from the exit of the SLO yard to the entrance of the future yard after the track exits the hidden layover zone in the last pic. The layout space is 8' x 7' with the little extension (third pic) that would go over where my computer is now sitting. Three levels on the left, two on the right and all partially under my bunk bed. Considering that I am a mechanical engineer hopeful, I should be able to build it.
