Modeling Romely, Apline Tunnel, St Elmo

[Don Gustavson II]

For my own reference I overlaid the map from Jim onto Google Maps.
Hoping to start on road bed in this area of the layout soon.
Really glad we got to visit this area.

[Don Gustavson II]

Any idea what this building / structure  is ?
I believe this to be the Alpine Tunnel East Portal.


http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll22/id/40601/rec/757

[Robert McFarland]

There were some tunnel construction workers shacks near the east portal but the "thing" you have circled looks a bit too close to the seems to be unfinished grade to be one of them . There are a couple of chapters in Historic Alpine Tunnel including photos dealing with the construction camps

[Robert McFarland]

Could there be a ramp or something for constructing fill?

[Alex Hois]

Could it be a tent or 2, like those in Cripple Creek?
http://digital.denverlibrary.org/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15330coll21/id/10142/rec/15



Alex

[Don Gustavson II]

I like the tent idea.

[Rick Steele]

Remember Don,

The correct name for the pass where the Alpine Tunnel is constructed is named Altman Pass, not Alpine Pass, although the names have been used interchangeably over the years.

Rick

[Don Gustavson II]

Was there also an "Alpine Pass"? The picture I posted says Alpine Pass. I was guessing that is the  "Alpine Tunnel" in the photo.
Am I confusing to different locations?  

[Jeff Young]

Hi Don,

No, the names were mixed up back then as often as now. ;)

(The true name is Altman Pass, but a lot of folks called it Alpine Pass because of Alpine Tunnel.)

Cheers,
Jeff.

[Chris Walker]

So true Jeff....from a WHJackson picture no less.

[Don Gustavson II]

My first Dual Gauge (ish) hand built turnout.
Used a Fast Tracks Fixture.
Not showing off at all. Its a little ugly. Has not been cleaned in this picture.
Just posting some proof of progress.
This will be used where the Narrow gauge comes off the Dual gauge. After going the length of the walk way. The narrow gauge will head up to St. Elmo.
Tested it out last night. Needed a little bit of adjustment. But seems to work just fine now.
It will get installed later.


Now I just need to get some fine tip soldering tips. And more practice.
Need to build about 6 more full dual gauge turnouts for the other non C&S parts of this area.

[Jim Courtney]

Nice work, Don.

Fast Tracks jigs are great!
BTW a fiber-glass eraser does wonders cleaning up the finished switch after soldering is done . . .

[Don Gustavson II]

Progress. And another not so pretty picture.
Dug through old Hand laid bits and pieces of track from the original layout.
Trying to reuse as much as possible.  
In this picture I was just laying out stuff to see what I could make work. Elevations are not set.
Able to use two already built stub switches. Some hand laid track. And a little bit of wood road bed.
I will need to build more turnouts and still do some more hand laying, but not as much.

[Don Gustavson II]

First..
Any idea of the dimensions of the 1908 (Second Depot) at Romley ?

Progress.
Spent a long time on the duel gauge reverse loop, and the duel gauge that goes beyond this point.
Now I finally get to work on the C&S part of this section.
Got bench work in place enough to get my grade figured out between St Elmo and Romley. Just need to lock it down now.
I figured out for sure what the track plan is going to be at Romley. I was able to get it closer to Derrell's map then my last attempt.
Its one thing to try and figure it out on the computer and another thing in reality.
It is not in the picture, but I will have the turntable.



Not in the picture is the ROW headed up to St Elmo. I got the last turnout I needed in place before I could head up the hill to St Elmo. And was able to run a train that direction.

Does any one have the power to rename this thread and spell Romley right for me?

[Jeff Young]

That’s going to be a cool scene!

[Don Gustavson II]

Working on figuring out what buildings I can build for Romley. And where they may have been in relation to eachother.
So I put this together.


I am not saying it is accurate. Just something to give me an idea of what I should be trying to go for.
Not sure how much of it will actually fit on the train layout.

The rusted metal siding on the left side of the picture was on the tram house at Romley. Witch I did get to see.
Looks like the same stuff on some of the buildings. Maybe I can make it out of tin foil.
At the time of my visit I was not able to go down to the town site. Little to much rain and lightning to be hanging around to long.

[Don Gustavson II]

An update.
Working on building the mountain. It is a combination of the mountain above St. Elmo and the mountain the Alpine tunnel goes through. Not like they are that far away from each other.
Got in the basic support for the mountain. And most flat spots for buildings.
Re-purposing some mines we had around. One for the Mary Murphy at the top of the mountain, and one for the Flora Bell.
I need to put the ore shoot on the other side of the Flora Bell mine. But I think once I get it fixed up. It will look kind of close to the pictures.

The mill is going to be something that I just make up.
There is a track that goes inside of the Milll. This is going to be a hidden reverse loop to allow for continuous operation.


The building for the Depot and Box cars are just stand ins for now.

I will have a tram way going from the Mary Murphy mine to the Mill.
I may adjust some heights still.

[Don Gustavson II]

Got some mountain.
Manly just trying to have something new for the folks coming to our open house to see.
So I just slapped some paint on and some structures as place holders.
Also just set out some flex track. Some day I will hand lay it.

St Elmo.

The Mountains on this side are steeper then I wanted but, well space constants. A little less prototypical but it will still look fine.

Flora Bell Mine.

Using a mine I had laying around. (the plastic building is just a place holder)
I will have to put the mine trestle on the opposite side the ore bin of where I think it was on the prototype. It will be at the end of the spur.
Its going to turn out nice I think.
Added the tunnel to separate the scenes between St. Elmo and the mine.

Romley

Again reusing a mine I had laying around. I will build a tram house (not sure that is the right name) in place of where the ore bin was.
Using other structures I had as placeholders. The board where all the track work is, turnouts and all is at this point still removable.
This way I can take it home with me and do all the track work. And bring it back and  "Plug" it back into the layout.

[Don Gustavson II]

Our open house went well.
But I have to say the highlight for me was the fact that Ken Martin (Of this forum) came over the mountains to visit our layout.
Wish I got a picture of the two of us.
Had a nice time talking to him all things C&S and showing him around.
He brought his book on Passengers cars he has put together. If I get more into building Passenger cars I will for sure get this book from him. I got to thumb through it and I would recommend it.
He also brought along other material to share with me..
It was really cool for me to talk to someone in person from this forum and show him what I was doing in person.

Thanks again Ken for coming by!

[Don Gustavson II]

An update on Romley.
I finally am getting back to this area of the layout. I had to wait until we knew for sure where the standard gauge main line was going to end up.

With that in mind. Please pretend that the standard gauge track is in fact the creek at the bottom of Romley.

My Dad and I made flat spots for placing the buildings. And added in support for the road. We studied the Picture/map I posted earlier in the thread.
And made some guesses as to the size and location of the buildings. I can fit all seen in the picture/map except for one.

I have drown outlines of the buildings on paper so I can start scratch building the structures back at my house.
The buildings in this photo are just place holders for now. Except one. The bottom right one was log cabin looking. So I am going to use that but extend the back. (I have another building like it to do that with).

Have windows and doors on the way. Along with some balsa wood. I experimented with making stamped brick metal siding with aluminum foil, I think that is going to work well.