Excellent

Another great interview and review of a nice layout. Sounds to me Ted York would be a person I would like to know.  

Well done, thank you.

Tom

Excellent Article

I really enjoyed reading about Ted's layout.  The modeling is superb, and I'd really enjoy operating on his layout.  One layout I operate has pusher operations like Ted's and they are definitely a lot of fun.

One point I noticed, if I'm not mistaken, the Digitrax sales gentleman he referred to is Loy Spurlock, not Lloyd Spurlock.  Loy was a great guy and a great resource for me when I was first starting out.  His business was called Loy's Toys, and I still have his newsletters.  He did a lot to clarify and popularize DCC in its early days.

Ted York's Cajon Pass

I've been privileged twice to visit Ted's layout and its a dream to run trains over it. It's not every day when you know exactly where you are on his "Cajon Pass" once you are familiar with the actual area. It's not just the MR layout aspect that interests me but the historical re-creation of the Pass. Also having made a friend of the late Chard Walker and his books just adds another dimension to the mystique of Cajon Pass. Well done Ted, it's been a pleasure knowing you, your family and of course, the layout downstairs! John Parker, "Santa Fe all the way ... Downunder"

Ted Yorks Cajon Pass

What a superb layout. I’ve visited Cajon several times and he’s really captured the feel of the Pass. One question that Ted didn’t cover: on the real Cajon in steam days the caboose was coupled behind the helper as he shows. At Summit the helper and caboose would pull beyond a siding that had a steep up-grade. The helper would push the caboose to the top of the siding, the caboose would set it’s brakes, and the helper would uncouple and get out of the way, moving to the wye to prepare for its trip back down the Pass. When the helper was clear the rear end brakeman would release the caboose brakes and the caboose would roll down and couple as gently as possible to the rear of the train so the train could proceed eastbound. Modeling such an operation would be a challenge. A magnetic trolley under the ties pulling the caboose that had either a magnet or a steel plate under it to make the caboose move prototypically? If Ted modeled this feature it would be great to know how he did it.

"Gravity defying caboose

It wasn't for Ted York's layout, but Geoff Bunza created a powered caboose for Jon Harrison's Cajon Pass layout for exactly that issue:  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/sma33-working-single-axle-ho-traction-motors-success-at-cajon-pass-12214047

Cajon Pass

Interesting that this subject of Cajon Pass comes up just now.

Yesterday I wrote an email to a friend of mine telling him of my recent purchase of a couple of BNSF engines. A big fold out page in one of the model RR magazines of two of these BNSF trains climbing Cajon Pass was an inspiration in my becoming interested in these trains.

I also sent him a couple of videos of engines challenging Cajon Pass, including this one,..

These big container trains also woke me to the significant container train traffic that was playing out for Chinese goods being transferred across the USA rather than the too narrow Panama canal
 

NOTE: One of the reasons my new layout is attempting to carry goods in a transcontinental fashion from the west coast to the east coast.

the Continental / Trans-Continental Connector, Layout Theme

https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/the-continental-transcontinental-connector-layout-theme-12213408