# Mini Railroad Project



## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

My friend and I have started this project outside of our small "Wooden Box Shop". The shop is done and we decided to give the visitors something to entertain them during there visit..... we're just getting started, but check out these pictures. We have started to mock up what the layout will be and also bored some tunnels through the sandstone. We are building everything with redwood and are going to hand lay and hand spike all the brass track. What you see there now isn't the actual track we will be using. We're going to hand make all the railroad ties with redwood and spike down some brass rail eventually. We are also going to make a miniature town next to his driveway.


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

More Pics....


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*Our Wooden Box Shop & Showroom*

Here is some pics of our hobby shop and box showroom. Some of the things like the stack-able hamburgers and the eagles on the boxes were made by my friends 6 and 9 year old daughters... they are great at scroll saw work already...


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

more box shop products......


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

More Boxes


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## bzbatl (Feb 10, 2009)

How fun! I'd love to be able to do something like that for my dad - he's always adored model trains but has never had the space to put up a set.

The scroll work is awesome - I can't believe that's done by children under 10.

Where is this shop located?


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

ya its awesome what they can do...Im trying to teach my three year old....but he just likes dirtbikes and race cars....maybe when hes older, he did help a little on his dresser though... Thanks... We are having fun doin it ...we could buy the track, but hey why when we have plenty of redwood.....we'll just have to buy the rail and spikes.

Im on the central coast of California


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

That is some cool looking stuff. I really like the garden railroad. Looks like the perfect place for it. For your setting you need to get a Shay steam engine and some log cars with logs on them and some flat cars and put some of your redwood timbers on them.


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Way cool.

Gerry


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Youngwood,
Really cool stuff. That's a lot of boxes. Are the trains lgb scale? I have one of their Christmas trains. I guess it doesn't hurt anything to have them outside in your neck of the woods. There is a local group that is nearby that builds train setups that are big enough to sit on and ride. The tracks seem like they are about 15-18" apart. They have them running all around their rural property. Nice shop you have there.
Mike Hawkins


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

Big Dave said:


> That is some cool looking stuff. I really like the garden railroad. Looks like the perfect place for it. For your setting you need to get a Shay steam engine and some log cars with logs on them and some flat cars and put some of your redwood timbers on them.


The train that will be running is G scale 45mm (2") on center rails, and yes it will have logs, etc. Its not going to be a full on steam engine, but it does have a working steam stack and speakers to make all the cool sounds trains make. The train is fully sealed and is weather proof ....so rain or shine it will be running. Thanks for the comments.. Ill post more pictures throughout our progress of this project.


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## Tom5151 (Nov 21, 2008)

totally cool......love it....i have always wanted to do something like that with the trains.........keep us posted on progress please


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

YouNGwOOd said:


> The train that will be running is G scale 45mm (2") on center rails, and yes it will have logs, etc. Its not going to be a full on steam engine, but it does have a working steam stack and speakers to make all the cool sounds trains make. The train is fully sealed and is weather proof ....so rain or shine it will be running. Thanks for the comments.. Ill post more pictures throughout our progress of this project.


 
The reason I brought up a shay engine is that is the type of engine used in the logging operations up in the mountainous regions. It has a different drive system than the normal type of steam engine that you see in most of the old train pics.

The drive system is a shaft drive that runs down the right side of the engine and drives every wheel even the tender wheels.

Here is a pic. I know it's going to be an electric train but with the steam look.


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## firehawkmph (Apr 26, 2008)

Big Dave,
I ate breakfast there. Didn't ride the Cass train. It was on a motorcycle trip. Youngwood, don't forget to post a link for a video of the train running if you can.
Mike Hawkins


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

firehawkmph said:


> Big Dave,
> I ate breakfast there. Didn't ride the Cass train. It was on a motorcycle trip. Youngwood, don't forget to post a link for a video of the train running if you can.
> Mike Hawkins


 
I haven't been to that railroad but want to. We rode the Royal Gorge train and the Durango and Silverton train a couple of years ago. I want to ride the Durango train again in a couple of years.


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

Big Dave said:


> The reason I brought up a shay engine is that is the type of engine used in the logging operations up in the mountainous regions. It has a different drive system than the normal type of steam engine that you see in most of the old train pics.
> 
> The drive system is a shaft drive that runs down the right side of the engine and drives every wheel even the tender wheels.
> 
> ...


Ok, ya. My buddy is actually the one that knows all about trains... He's in a railroad club and all that. He's built multiple tracks for friends threw houses and yards, this is actually my first time doing this, but I'm sure one day Ill make my own, especially after this. Its way cool. Ive been on about 4or5 train rides up in the Santa Cruz mountains at www.roaringcamp.com/ It was fun ... I will defiantly post some video some how. I ve already thought of strapping my digital on the front for that. Give us a couple months B4 it is done, but its gonna be slick.


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

That is simply awesome. What a great project.
Ken


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

Big Dave said:


> The reason I brought up a shay engine is that is the type of engine used in the logging operations up in the mountainous regions. It has a different drive system than the normal type of steam engine that you see in most of the old train pics.
> 
> The drive system is a shaft drive that runs down the right side of the engine and drives every wheel even the tender wheels.
> 
> ...


Big Dave, Ifound out today that we will be running a shay, he has one of those also. He's just worried that it might not make the 4' radius turns...he says they recommend 8', but he might be able to make some adjustments on the train to make it work...We'll see how it goes, eventually. We built two more bridges today after work also, we're pretty close to starting to be able to connect everything......kinda..lol


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

I'm not trying to steal anybody's thread, but does anyone have a good site with pictures of old steam logging trains? I am particularly interested in pictures showing trains in a forested setting. It is for a project I have in mind, to paint a scene on the side of my workshop.

Thanks all.

Gerry


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## Big Dave (Sep 16, 2006)

Try this. They have all types just sort or search to get what you want.


http://www.railpictures.net/


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

Gerry KIERNAN said:


> I'm not trying to steal anybody's thread, but does anyone have a good site with pictures of old steam logging trains? I am particularly interested in pictures showing trains in a forested setting. It is for a project I have in mind, to paint a scene on the side of my workshop.
> 
> Thanks all.
> 
> Gerry


Gerry, This would look nice as a scene on the side of your shop....??


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

Big Dave said:


> Try this. They have all types just sort or search to get what you want.
> 
> 
> http://www.railpictures.net/


Thanks Big Dave.

That's a great site. It looks like I could spend hours there.:thumbsup:

Gerry


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## Gerry KIERNAN (Apr 20, 2007)

YouNGwOOd said:


> Gerry, This would look nice as a scene on the side of your shop....??


Thanks Youngwood.
That is very much the kind of idea I am looking for. I was thinking of doing something in a sepia type of colouring. That kind of looks like a yellowed old black and white photo.

Gerry


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## redhookrob (Mar 31, 2009)

It looks like a really fun project!


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## dollis (Dec 28, 2008)

WOW, You have WAY to much free time.......:laughing::laughing::laughing:


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## dollis (Dec 28, 2008)

Showed my son the train stuff and he loved it. :thumbsup: I think a little too much :huh: . I may need to know where to get the rail and train stuff the way he was acting.:laughing:


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## jdixon (Nov 21, 2007)

All I'm gonna say is that IS FRIGGIN AWESOME! :thumbsup:

John


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*Thanks everyone*

I'll keep postin pics once we make some more progress for sure...I cant wait to see it go by the window while were in the little box shop, myself!!


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*Progress Pictures*

Well we've made some retaining walls, bridges and some buildings for this project now.


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*More New Pics.*

More Pics


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## Kenbo (Sep 16, 2008)

Looking great man!!!


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*First Run*

Well weve got the tracks just about complete....Ill post some better pictures later these were pics from my cell phone.


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

more pics....


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## dog_soldier (Aug 12, 2009)

wow that is so cool :thumbsup: i love the old trains like that
i live 11 miles from East Broadtop railroad, here is there site http://www.ebtrr.com/ i love to go there and watch the train.
cant wait to see the finished project


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## Peter Benders (May 31, 2009)

*the best project*

this is way too cool man. i have never seen anything like this. the completed tracks looks really awesome. very very good work man. very impressive:thumbsup:


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## hammerhead (Jan 10, 2007)

Looks fantastic. (understatement) The detail is excellent.

I'd imagine that must be a fun project. Would you do it again if the opportunity arose?


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

Peter Benders said:


> this is way too cool man. i have never seen anything like this. the completed tracks looks really awesome. very very good work man. very impressive:thumbsup:


Thanks, ya very fun and cool.....I wish I could take more credit for the project, but i only have about 3 hrs of help involved compared to Daniels 200+ hrs. Thanks I am posting a video now


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## hammerhead (Jan 10, 2007)

VIDEO! :thumbsup:

[waiting to watch]


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*Mini railroad on board video...first run*

Check out the video of the train running at you tube....click on this link or type in happyrails in the search at you tube...Thanks


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

hammerhead said:


> video! :thumbsup:
> 
> [waiting to watch]


cool hope you like it


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

hammerhead said:


> Looks fantastic. (understatement) The detail is excellent.
> 
> I'd imagine that must be a fun project. Would you do it again if the opportunity arose?


If someone wanted to pay like 30k Id do it HAHA Thanks for the comment


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## hammerhead (Jan 10, 2007)

Video did not disappoint. :thumbsup:
I enjoyed the perspective.

Fast forward!! :laughing:



YouNGwOOd said:


> If someone wanted to pay like 30k Id do it HAHA Thanks for the comment


The enjoyment that project will bring to others is priceless.


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## YouNGwOOd (Apr 21, 2008)

*Thanks*



hammerhead said:


> Video did not disappoint. :thumbsup:
> I enjoyed the perspective.
> 
> Fast forward!! :laughing:
> ...


Priceless is exactly right ........ the Kids love it!!!!!


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## Gene Howe (Feb 28, 2009)

Big Dave said:


> I haven't been to that railroad but want to. We rode the Royal Gorge train and the Durango and Silverton train a couple of years ago. I want to ride the Durango train again in a couple of years.


Try this one http://www.cumbrestoltec.com/
We liked it better than the Durango/Silverton ride.


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