The LNER Encyclopedia

Here are some pictures from the weekend's show. This time it was the Bluebird Festival in Wills Point, Texas (about 50 miles east of Dallas). Wills Point is the "bluebird capital" of Texas, and has an annual festival to mark this. The last couple of years we've set up in the old Texas & Pacific depot as one of the attractions. We're the only railroad event there - so very different from the normal shows, and a different clientele. All good stuff, but as we're in the T&P depot, it means we're right on the Union Pacific mainline! So technically the show has two scales - N and 12" to the foot. Most of the pictures below are from the latter scale.


Richard
(I forgot that the forums add pictures in reverse order - the captions probably make the most sense if read from the bottom up to the top!)

Fame at last
The picture is of my "Wyoming" module with my Tomix Thomas. Perhaps "Wyoming inspired" would be a better description, as I don't know of anywhere in Wyoming with bridges so close to a tunnel like this.

Richard

Some excellent photos there, what a massive scale. Are there no bridges over there?
To give perspective, here's a typical container train heading South from the Iron Bridge through Holgate on 31st march.

Grade crossings are much more common in the US - there are no bridges in Wills Point, for example.

However there are bridges. The UP main line (in the above pictures) passes through the middle of a major junction between Interstate 30 and 12, which is a few miles south of where I live:

Interstate 30 Junction

It goes above 12 (north-south), but under I-30. The whole thing is currently being rebuilt - I-30 is being widened, and it was originally a tollway so the on/off ramps have a weird arrangement that needs sorting out.

The old Frisco line (now operated by BNSF) near where I live ducks under 183 (well, 183 has a big arch over the Frisco):

183 Bridge over the old Frisco

In the above picture, there's a small yard to the south. To the north is a crew office - you'll see some BNSF diesels stabled there alongside the (unrelated Exxon) fuel depot. You can date the pictures. The bridge over the road further north has only been open 2 years, and a new water tank/pump has yet to appear on the pictures (near the substation, south of the bridge).

Richard

No roundabouts over there.....oh sorry, they confuse Americans!

Some impressive road layouts there, and I like the layout of American housing estates, they put some parts of York to shame!

Yes, the views came be a bit, or a lot out of date, I suppose it's a continuous job going round the world.
Our estate at work is recond to be 7 years old
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... &encType=1

My car is the little State Blue Ford Ka, parked next to the light blue Peugeot 306 behind the red Citroen Ax, and I've not worked there since August 2003, and got rid of the car in January 2004. Good place that was, notice the ECML?
http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2& ... &encType=1

might have to copy the links out, they are linking to America!

The lack of roundabouts might be because there's plenty of space and lots of traffic...

I do know of at least one in the Metroplex (in Addison), although technically it is a gyratory.


Richard