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!)
The Weekend's Show (Wills Point Bluebirds)
Moderators: 52D, Tom F, Rlangham, Atlantic 3279, Blink Bonny, Saint Johnstoun, richard
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richard
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The Weekend's Show (Wills Point Bluebirds)
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- wills_point_green.jpg
- The N&S has passed - green light for go!
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- wills_point_approaching_ns.jpg
- Although a mainline, the track is single track, with passing loops every so often. One of these passing loops is right through the middle of Wills Point. If a train has to stop to let one pass or overtake, then much of the town stops! I went to look arou
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- wills_point_up.jpg
- Passing trains were an attraction for both visitors and club members!
Here, a Union Pacific train passes eastwards on the passing loop. - (153.79 KiB) Downloaded 32 times
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- amtrak_tom_small.jpg
- This is what is outside the depot (on the right). The Amtrak train is Saturday midday/early afternoon into Dallas (Chicago to San Antonio).
He is doing about 60-70mph. And yes things do shake when they come through that fast - particularly the heavy fre - (158.35 KiB) Downloaded 34 times
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- wills_point_layout.jpg
- This is the interior of the depot. The actual layout is about half of the club's modules. Lighting is poor, but I tried my best with manual exposure.
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- wills_point_double_stack.jpg
- Here's the double stack containers behind the UP train in the passing loop. This should give some idea of the scale of US freight operations. Yes I really was that close - and I was still behind the crossing barrier.
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Richard Marsden
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richard
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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
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
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- Snippet from the Blue Bird News 2007.
- wills_point_paper.gif (190.52 KiB) Viewed 3294 times
Richard Marsden
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richard
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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
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
Richard Marsden
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x568wcn
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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!
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!