# Logan Valley RR



## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I am new to the forum. I ran across your forum on Taptalk and it looks like a nice group of modelers. 

Until I figure out the forum, I thought I would post a video of a caboose ride on my layout which is still under construction. The Logan Valley is a short line/branch line set in southwestern Montana in 1957. I grew up with relatives working on the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee road and as a kid was fortunate enough to have spent many hours riding in the cabs of steam, diesel and electric locomotives. Needless to say, I was hooked on train. 

The layout is a point to point layout with a yard and engine facility at each end with hidden staging tracks that can be used for continuous running. The video is in HD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiVKY_jl-w4


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## Greg903 (Dec 27, 2013)

Really near perspective. How do you film that,go pro? Great looking layout as well.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

I put a Cannon camcorder on a flat car. Unfortunately, the camera is too big to go through the hidden staging. It was also a bit of a balancing act because all of my flat cars have sprung Kadee trucks and with turns being super elevated, the weight of the camera wanted to cause the car to tip over if it wasn't positioned just right on the flat car.


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## Dirtytom (Jan 13, 2014)

Fantastic...great work

DT


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Sure is a lot of truly fine model work in your layout.

The yards are very impressive. I also like the
many industrial spurs. You have all kinds of switching
opportunities.

I know you said 'point to point' but are there loops to
enable continuous running?

Don


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

The layout was built as a switching layout, but there are hidden staging tracks which can allow for continuous running. In the video, as the train is leaving the yard, the NP switcher is coming out of a tunnel on the right, and that's where the train comes out of the hidden staging. As the video ends, is the beginning of the hidden staging. Unfortunately, the camera is a bit too large to fit into the staging area.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

Most of the diesel power on the Logan Valley are Alco. 










While in the planning stages and while code 70 track was being hand laid, I tried to come up with a simple "family" look. These were obtained when Atlas first came out with their line of Alco locomotives. Even after well over 20+ tears they are extremely smooth running locomotives even put up against anything new on the market. 

I am having problems downloading pictures as it seems that the file is too large for the forum. If I can figure out how to post them I will do so in the future.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Hi Chet, welcome to the site.
The picture you are showing looks fine?

You have a nice RR, looks great. :smilie_daumenpos:
The backdrop is nice too. As your rolling around the scenes look nice on the backdrop.
Nice RR.:thumbsup:

Did you paint all the Logan locomotives? Or did they sell them, I don't think I have ever seen them for sale. 

I googled the Logan Valley RR and came up with nothing.
You have a link on their old RR?
I love reading old RR history, especially of the fallen RR's.
I am drawing a blank on them.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

*Steam Power*

Little steam power is left on the Logan Valley, mostly consisting of Consolidations. There are a couple of Mikes and a Prairie, but nothing larger is run due to the 90 foot length of the turntables. 



















I do have some larger locomotives such a a brass Yellowstone custom painted for the NP and an NP Challenger but they are seldom run on the layout. I'll take them out of their boxes once and a while and run them to keep them lubricated. They have no problem getting around the layout with the 32" minimum radius.


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

The Logan Valley is a totally freelance model railroad. I grew up with the Milwaukee Road and the Northern Pacific, but with the available room I had I thought I couldn't do justice to even part of a subdivision of either railroad. 

The Logan Valley is set in southwestern Montana and the town are actual places and with some modelers license I worked out a history of what could have happened. The Logan Valley connects to the Northern Pacific at Logan, MT which was a busy town for the NP. It heads south to Gallatin Gateway, MT (which is where I happen to live) where it connects to the Milwaukee Road, and then heads south to West Yellowstone and Yellowstone Park. 

All of the LV equipment was custom painted by yours truly.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

That explains why I can't find an info on them.hwell:

A list that I found while searching, might be of interest to you.
Look to the left side, there are some cool old maps of the RR's that ran in your area.:smokin::thumbsup:

http://www.railroads-of-montana.com/Montana_Railroad_List.htm


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

Thanks for the info. I am well aware of most all of them. I am a bit of an amateur railroad historian, especially for my immediate area. Having spent many hours riding in the cabs of locomotives when I was a kid I wanted to learn more and with the help of my relatives who worked on the railroad was able to learn a lot first hand. 

The Milwaukee Road built this inn, the Gallatin Gateway Inn to promote travel to Yellowstone park which is ablot 50 miles south of here. Passengers would take the train from Three Forks, MT to the inn, spend the night and then take a motor coach south to the park. I live less than a mile from the Inn, which is now a national historic site. 










The Milwaukee Road had bought the Gallatin Valley Railroad years ago and it also ran to the town of Salesville, MT, which is now Galllatin Gateway. After the railroad built the inn, the town changed its name.


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Very very nice. Beautiful motive power, great scenery, wonderful track work.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Cool old limo's. :smilie_daumenpos:

Yes, as I was searching for the Logan RR I came across an article about the Milwaukee Road stating that, I never knew that.

History you got to love it.
The days long gone, like a different world.

Though some here (or used to be here) are not too fond of reading history.
I don't care, if I see something of interest I post it anyway, along with it's history.
I used to add, a History Caution, before I posted it so some don't have to "waste" their time reading it.:smokin:


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## morland (Sep 25, 2012)

I really liked the perspective video like that especially on a very nice looking layout. Also I like that you have a history and purpose of your own railroad. :smilie_daumenpos:

-Trever


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

Thanks for the replies. Here's a video going in the opposite direction. It starts coming out of the hidden staging area and going into the yard in the town of Logan. As the train starts entering the yard, the train coming out of the tunnel to the left is coming out of the hidden staging. I am trying fo find a way to post more pictures. It seems that the file size of my photos are too large for the forum. This is an older video taken with a bit less scenery than what it has now. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzhd5LBeqZA Enjoy the ride


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

Here is a link to photos of the layout.

http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=24746


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## powersteamguy1790 (Mar 26, 2012)

Great video Chet.:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: Very nicely done.


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