# Evolution of Swig's Layout - update



## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Hey all, I've been diligently working on the layout - I am VERY pleased with results to date:thumbsup:

PLEASE CHECK PICS / VIDS

from beginning till now, and some extra pics thrown in. 
1st vid - update
2nd vid - Santa Fe 144 tribute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dmqe4O5kiDA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zt7xDGUuzI


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Swig,

Great Stuff strikes again! And it looks great, too! Nice to see some ATV's checking out the new dirt-road territory.

Thanks for sharing,

TJ


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks tj, I have since added pine trees, road lines, fences, and some ballast:smilie_daumenneg: i don't like the ballast part

Next Vid - Three running with a freight pick up:thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Don't wait too long on adding the creek water ... those fly fishing guys are getting itchy just waiting ... 

(Excellent detail!!!)

TJ


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Spring runoff has just begun here in Colorado (just slightly late), so the guys (fishermen) are just drinkin beers for now. I would say they will start in two weeks or so............hint

new video coming today:thumbsup:


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Excellent work Swig! Man your getting good, looks so real.:thumbsup:


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## Bman (Aug 24, 2010)

Great Stuff!! Your progress is amazing, I'm pretty jealous right now :thumbsup:


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks All..........big ed, that was one of the extra photos - a train that runs potash owned by DRGW/UP? I just missed it this camping trip - we were headed towards Moab and I saw a UP AC4400 pulling cars to fill at the mine.

if we waited another 20 minutes we would have seen it going through this


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

swiggy said:


> if we waited another 20 minutes we would have seen it going through this


Swig,

That's a BEAUTIFUL photo! I'm embedding it, here, for all to see ...










TJ


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## haphall (Feb 1, 2011)

The layout update video is impressive. Makes me want to work faster to get there.


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks so much everyone - I AM HAVING A BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!

Special thanks to tj :thumbsup:- I am a professional photographer (landscape mainly) and do have a photo web site. I don't feel right soliciting on this site, but hope everyone asks:laugh:

New Video will be uploaded tonight - sorry for the delay - 30 cars around the big loop

P.S. my brother was scared you-know-what-less on the hike in the pic


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I know Swig,

A great shot of the cut.:thumbsup:

I wonder what year they carved that out?

Can you imagine the dynamite and labor it took to do something like that back in the 1800's?


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## BrooklynBound718 (Dec 23, 2010)

Great progress Swig. You are real workhorse!!


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

Thanks Brooklyn, the wife was born and raised in Manhattan, I myself am from Harrisburg, transplanted to Colorado.

Big Ed, sorry, here's an article on the mine. http://www.intrepidpotash.com/loc/moab.html


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Looking at that cut through the rock I'm wondering how they bent the rails when they got to laying them down on the curv? I've never seen a bent railroad rail anywhere so how did they bend them? 
Swiggy thats a super looking layout. Like the mountains too. I can see how you can be inspired by those pictures. Pete


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## swiggy (Jan 25, 2010)

thanks Pete. yeah, the Moab area is surreal. and the drive there from denver.....surreal. two mountain passes, glenwood canyon, the colorado river, and then................... canyons with a 12k foot mountain range (La Sal Mountains) amidst the canyons. stunning and beautiful.


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## Komodo (Jun 28, 2010)

It looks really good


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

norgale said:


> Looking at that cut through the rock I'm wondering how they bent the rails when they got to laying them down on the curv? I've never seen a bent railroad rail anywhere ...


Really?!?

I say this naively, but I thought bent rails were used all over the place in curves? I'm not talking 90-deg bends or anything, but a gentle curve held in place with the rail dogs ... right ???

TJ


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Yes there are all manner of curves on any railroad track but the rails that I've always seen are straight rails. They appear to be hauled to the construction site as straight rails but to make the curves they had to be bent. How was that accomplished?
I think that the mainline rails used all across the country weigh about 100 pounds per FOOT. Now I don't care how many men you have out there,you can't just spike one end and push the other end around and spike it to make a curved rail. That rail has to be bent by some means and the opposite rail has to be bent in the exact same radius to match the first rail. There has to be some machine that bends these rails ON SITE. Pete


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Found this and it shows howrails were bent many years ago. So how do they do it now? Pete

http://www.brooklynrail.net/proj-railbending.html
I take back what I said about the opposite rail being the same radius. It can't be. One rail has to be a smaller radius that the other rail depending on which way the curve turns.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

swiggy said:


> Thanks Brooklyn, the wife was born and raised in Manhattan, I myself am from Harrisburg, transplanted to Colorado.
> 
> Big Ed, sorry, here's an article on the mine. http://www.intrepidpotash.com/loc/moab.html



http://www.goldenstatephoto.com/travel/usa/moab

Check out this site ...just beeeeutifull.

Almost looks like your picture.


What RR ran those rails? Do you know?











A wiki on Moad,

n 1883 the Denver and Rio Grande Western *Railroad* main line was constructed across eastern *Utah*. The rail line did not pass through *Moab*, instead passing 40 miles away *.

Read the whole article,


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moab,_Utah



*


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

I double posted the above post and since we are restricted in editing I can't delete this.

So...this one is now gone.

I just hate to bother a mod.hwell:


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Looks like the railroad knew what it was doing when it bypassed that place. Talk about prehistoric. I can't understand fighting the indians and dieing for such a remote place even if there was a place to cross the Colorado.
Very good pictures though and the arches are interesting. Also gives some ideas about making rock features on our layouts. And mild in the winter? That must mean 5 feet of snow instead of 10. Pete


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