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Moderator 5,782 posts Neil Erickson NeilEr Moderator 5,782 posts
Neil Erickson NeilEr
I've attached a photo off my iPhone of my latest switch on this section - for now. It was starting to look like a railroad so I figured that the point of view should be from the boxcar roof. Without realizing a potential problem the roadway was graded in place using sparkling and over the rails, ties, and pc board tie! Looks ok for now but will short out my DCC system so some planking in this section will hide the future demolition. This section is part of the main yard through my junction town. The other sections will be brought out into the sun this weekend and joined to get all the track laid back to staging - er - points beyond. Revisiting my collection of books it has become clear that my rail line clearly connected to either the Kahaluai Line on Maui or was a private mill branch off the OR&L. Either would justify cattle, bagged sugar, beets, quarry rock, pineapples, and general freight and maybe a hotel. Sugar cane was pretty messy so it will be assumed to be sent the the mills via flume. I did some Gregg cane cars in HOn30 years ago but don't think I want to deal with loads/empties and link & pin couplers. Maybe a few to give the area some "history". The big island had narrow gage rail all over but never developed like Oahu. The main carrier was standard gage on the East side where we live and I'm tempted to add some fiction to the area but really started off without any broad gauge in mind. Have you priced O scale Alcos?? For now we are looking for the rails to connect with the port of Honolulu but the jury is still out.

Neil Erickson, Hawai’i 

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seustis13 Active Member 89 posts
seustis13

Looks Good

What turnouts are you using?  If ME, then let me warn you that the Bachmann shorter wheelbase locos will stall on the unpowered frog, and that you should install a frog juicer on that turnout before you add grade crossing planks. Please do NOT ask me how I know this.  Officially speaking, I didn't do it; nobody saw me do it; and you can't prove anything!

Curious about your RR name.  Umauma sounds very Hawaiian to me.  A real name, or the other end of the line from Upapa or Uauntiemae?
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Neil Erickson NeilEr Moderator 5,782 posts
Neil Erickson NeilEr

Turnouts and Names

The turnout in the picture is code 83 rail laid in place but I've been trying to salvage Walthers turnouts from a friend's dismantled HO layout. He must have used waterproof glue to put them down since the track and switches don't come up with any known method! Umauma is about 15 miles North of Hilo on the East Coast of the big island. It was part of the Hakalau plantation that operates until 1975. Rail service ended this way following a tidal wave in 1946. The little town of Ookala North of us started out as a two foot line and widened to 36" later but sported some great little Porter engines right out of the Bachmann catalogue. I like Upapa as our old highwas is/was the Mamalahoe (pronounce every vowel - no joke!). My turnouts will have powered frogs but I added the Caboose Industries throws so I could check operation and clearance. My friend Richard's layout had all Tortouis machine so I won't make the mistake of non-powered frogs again - er - this time. Ok. I've made this mistake before. Isn't this called experience or wisdom or something? p.s. I'm not sure how to include my photos in the text using the iPad. If anyone has suggestions.

Neil Erickson, Hawai’i 

My Blogs
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