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A Beginner's Site in Southern AZ

141K views 724 replies 39 participants last post by  fyrekop 
#1 ·
Since it was suggested by SD90WLMT AKA Dirk that there would be interest in another Southern AZ site I'm giving this a shot. In the past I've had HO and N gauge trains but since moving to AZ from CA I finally have room for G scale. Thanks to the guys at the Train Stop in Tucson I received a Aristocraft Live Steam Mikado for Christmas several years ago and that really started this project. As I'm a total newbie to the scale, MLS members have been a great help and inspiration. My site is about 70' x 35' and wraps around a mesquite tree that has some of the wife's roses planted around it. I'm not into kneeling on gravel all the time so two walls were required to raise the site about 20" above grade and separate the tree and roses from my "toys". Track planning has been done with 2 of the commercial software packages available and track spacing is based upon suggestions from MLS members to questions posted in the Beginner's Forum. I'm planning on staying with 1:29 and 1:24 scale, but again at suggestions from MLS folks I'm going to build big enough to handle 1:20.3 in case there are visitors that want to run their own equipment.
The project has gone from "When I win the lottery" size to "Darn that's a lot of bricks to carry."
200 bricks for around the tree and roses then 1600 (10+ pallets) for that 20" wall. Add 14 dump truck loads of dirt, trench in 2 power drops (1 20 amp the other 15 amp) and a water supply. That's were I'm at so far. As soon as I figure out how to add photos to this site I'll do so. I'm sure I'll get plenty of feedback, along with chuckles, guffaws, and shaking heads from members. Alll suggestions are appreciated, although some will be taken with a grain of salt, I'm sure.
 
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#594 ·
Cruise wasn't all sandy beaches and ladies in bikini's. There were trains. And train history. When was the first Transcontinental RR finished?

About a one hour ride from the East side to the West side



Not sure about mosquitoes in the engine but cars were nice.

And for a better view
This narrow gauge train also hauls freight after the tourists leave
And for cog RR fans:

These are electric and run off hydroelectric power generated along the Canal. The cog system is needed to climb or descend the 20'+ height changes between the locks.

The cog system doesn't go from one side of the locks to the other, only on the grades. And since there are several ships in the locks at the same time they need to turn around.

And have MOW equipment

The ships are under power but the mules are needed to keep them in the center of the canal.

According to the announcer at the lock control office this ship had less than 18" on either side of the hull.

Further up the coast in Costa Rica we took a ride on a train used to ship bananas to the port. The passenger cars were from 1932.





No windows but we lucked out and no mosquitoes. Did see some wild life, howler monkeys and a 2 toed sloth.

So now back to our trains.
 
#600 ·
Most of extended trips are over so back to work on the site. After doing a separate post regarding access to track and trains inside tunnels I've started building the mountain located at the entrance to the Hole-In-The-Wall aka mine entrance. I'm using the method that MJMtrains (screen name) did a U-Tube video of. Sort of like paper-mache but using burlap, chicken wire, re-bar and concrete.

This is the west end of the double track tunnel and the chicken wire and re-bar are still visible. After the first layer was in place I found that added height was enough to support a section of track that transitions from the trestle to the ladder system. I'll add more concrete under the 2 pieces of metal that the track now rests on for a good solid base. Before putting on the concrete soaked burlap the frame was a bit shaky but now is fairly solid. The wire will be covered with about 1/2 inch of concrete / mortar mix.

South side where track transitions from trestle to "mountain". Wire in place to form the sides and top of the tunnel 12" back from the entrance.
Track into mine area will travel through a tunnel to the right. Once tunnels are in place, the rest of the mountain can be built. Hope to blend the mountain into the large rock that initially formed the entrance to the canyon leading to the mine.

The first two base sections for the large mountain in the northwest corner of the site are in place, with 3 more to go. Based on input from members on my other thread, each section will be 6' with a 36" opening between sections for access to both levels. The width of the opening was calculated by laying on the wall and reaching for a car I placed on the upper level track. The base of the concrete mountain will be built on top of the blocks forming the outer wall and those separating the tracks on the right side of the photo. The small piece of track on the right is part of the loop that circles the top of the mine area and will be "cut" into the side of the mountain rather than tunneled.
Off and on again monsoon rain is slowing construction but helping the concrete to cure better.
 
#602 ·
Thanks Cliffy. The puttering continues. Working in AM,s before the thunder, lightning and rain starts in the afternoon. Typical southeastern Arizona weather except this is wet heat in stead of dry heat. As the mountain takes shape, not always as planned, the structure is stiffening as additional strips of burlap/concrete are in place and drying.
The following photos are of the 3/4 finished base coat of the lower half of the mountain.

I'm trying to blend the real rocks at the west end of the mountain into the structure by forming chicken wire behind them and pushing the burlap/concrete against the back of the rock to dry.

South side with the tunnel mouth meeting the trestle. Some of the burlap is showing to the right of the tunnel mouth but this is the base coat. The two pieces of steel that supports the track from the trestle to the wooden extension of the ladder system is now part of the roof of the lower tunnel.

East end of the lower tunnel and framework of tunnel to/from the mine area. West side of inner tunnel wall is in place. The mountain will blend into the concrete wall to the right once I have the east side of the tunnel coated. This unfinished area will also be blended into the wall at about a 45 degree angle to form the east wall of the mountain.

North side of the mountain with the lower tunnel framed. The wooden stack in the center of the tunnel wall will come out once everything is dry. Wire mesh to the left side is part of the wall that opens onto the plateau.
 
#603 ·
More chicken wire, burlap and concrete in place. Getting more done in the mornings before it gets to warm.
I tied in the south wall of the plateau to the mountain. That wall was the first place I tried this method to build mountains. Looks like the new pieces are blending in well.

The line where the two joined shows what a couple of months in our sun will do. Once base is in place I'll try and get the top coat on over a couple of days rather than months.
East side of the mountain sloping down to the top of the plateau. The are a couple of grade stakes behind the short "cliff" that will have "strata" carved in. Similar to many of the mountains in this area. Exposed wire forms the slope that frames the upper north portal.

West side of mountain is tied into the portal frame and butts up to the plateau wall. Re-bar shows the slope that frames the upper portal.

East and west slopes of the north side of the mountain frame the upper portal. Concrete mix will fill in to the edge of the ladder system before and 10 inches past the portal. Dirt that was there has eroded over the past few monsoons. Guessing that it will take a dozen or so large strips of burlap and 3 or 4 buckets of concrete mix to finish the lower half of the mountains base coat.
 
#605 ·
Bottom half of base coat in place at north end of the mountain.

East side upper and lower entrances. Chicken wire and concrete walls will continue around the mine area until meeting the stacked rocks that make up the southwest corner of the plateau to hide all the concrete blocks.

Northwest side of entrance. Exposed chicken wire will be covered with top coat concrete to blend it into the rest of the mountain. A couple of pieces of scrape burlap to cover the small an area at the bottom and not structural in nature so it will be covered when I do the top of the mountain. Going to put top coat along the inside of the tunnel entrances and practice cutting in strata and coloring before the top goes in place.
 
#607 ·
Thanks Dennis. Slow but sure. Tried my hand at putting on top coat around double track tunnel entrances. Finding out that getting the proper consistency so it stays in place along vertical walls is more art than science. Used your concept of "finishing" 10 inches inside the entrance. Made sure chicken wire and re-bar is covered from most viewing angles. Hope no one decides to stick head in tunnels to look up at the ceilings
 
#612 ·
Dennis. I'm using a mixture of mortar and topping mix, about 50% each with the burlap. The mortar mix results in a smoother finish than plain topping mix. Will take a look at S type for the top coat since sticky is a good thing on shear cliffs
 
#614 ·
I'm sort of copying the type of mountains we have in this area. Lots of smooth slopes with cliffs in the middle. Also strata lines are often at 30 to 45 degree angles. The is one mountain near us (along 83 outside of Whetstone for those that know the area) that my wife wants to copy. It looks like a cartoon octopus with sloped rounded head that drops off at the back. For my mountain there are sharp deep cliffs along the south side and sloped areas to the north.
 
#616 ·
A one to two inch thick are my most of my molds then another 1/2"-1" added to back of the casting, on yours where you have a good amount of vertical walls. There is an additive that can be added to cement to stick 1-2" on a vertical wall in the amount you have, it also provides you more time for texturing.
Also pouring your mix on a plastic sheeting and then you can texturing it in the horizontal mode, then mud the back of it and stick to you mountain walls.
And you may have a better idea, and I am really enjoying your post, and excited to see your progress.
Thanks for sharing
Dennis
 
#617 ·
A couple of days ago I did some work on the tunnel entrances, rounding and making them thicker to look more like cuts into the mountain. Before I finished up the bucket I put a wood "support" in place under the end of the trestle. 4 screws in the back of the support for the concrete to fasten to then used two wooden grade stakes to hold it in place until the concrete dried. We had heavy winds, rain and hail 2 nights ago and it is still there so that is a good sign. Will look at casting shear walls and holding them to the base in a similar manner. Lots less scraping up conrete that drops off the walls and putting it back in place that way.
 
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