Rick Wright's CONUS Lines
CONUS
Lines is a
basement-located 24 x 35 ft. O Scale, Hi-Rail layout with two 7 ft. x
17 ft. peninsulas. For this visit, multiple trains
representing the Southern Pacific Railroad 1945-1995, from Cab-Forwards
and Daylights to Black Widows and Tunnel Motors, will traverse a
continuous-run 158 ft. double track mainline featuring 2.1% and 2.3%
grades cresting at the mountain hamlet of Armstrong.
Out-and-back and point-to-point operations are facilitated by an 81 ft.
long branchline climbing a nearly 3% grade from Ellison Yard to a coal
mine, oil terminal, and citrus warehouse at Summit. Based on
John Armstrong's 1970s-era layout plan "Big Trains You Can Live With,"
CONUS Lines reflects about 80% of John's original conception.
Motive power is MTH, with DCS-control permitting multiple walkaround
operations. All engines are sound equipped. O Scale rolling stock
is All Nation, Atheran, Atlas, Intermountain, Lionel, Loubaugh, K-Line,
MTH, Pecos River Brass, Quality-Craft, Scalecraft, scratchbuilt,
Walthers, Weaver, and Zimmer, all equipped with Kadee couplers. Scenery
is roughly 85% complete, with more than 700 hand painted figures
populating towns, stations, industries, and personal homes. Structures
are kits, kit-bashed, and scratchbuilt. The engine terminal features
steam and diesel fueling and watering facilities, a six-stall
roundhouse, and a 134 ft. turntable. Locations of several future
structures are indicated by ongoing framing atop foundations laid out
in 1/48th scale. You've watched the videos, and read the books. Now
come see what "The Friendly" looked like in the six decades during
which it was one of the America's greatest railroads.
Jalbum
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