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Track Charts Dream and design
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Frequent poster 867 posts Cadmaster Frequent poster 867 posts
Cadmaster

I am in the early stages of planning and I was wondering if anyone out there would have copies of track charts that cover both the ATSF and SP routes from the Richmond CA area to the Pittsburg CA area. My model timeframe is 1969 in HO scale. This is a route that travels approx 35 miles. If I am wrong (and I am frequently), please feel free to alter my way of thinking. Below is the initial sketch (beer coaster if you will) of the routes. Sorry about the ATSF route, but on the screen the red showed up fairly well.

richmond.jpg 

I am working on a new layout design and this area really tickles my pickle. 

I plan to primarily model the ATSF yard in Richmond with it's connection to the Docks and (in my world) the still operational car float at Richmond Point. Moving East I would also like to model tunnels 4,3 and 2 and include a model of the Alhambra Trestle, but probably not as long!! Around Concord is a Naval Weapons storage and loading facility and a fantastic flyover at the Nichols CP. I would finish my model with a representation of the steel plant in Pittsburg prior to entering staging. As for the SP this would be a skinnier model, as there as best as I can see it no way to represent the lines that are so far apart in the same model. With that said I would still like to model the Standard Oil complex in Richmond and the complex at Crockett (can someone tell me what they do there). And also the large refinery around Avon. The SP lines depart the area in West Pittsburg but would occupy the same staging as the ATSF. 

So if anyone has some great info they can share or track charts that would be great. 

Neil.

Diamond River Valley Railway Company

http://www.dixierail.com
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KnuT Super User 386 posts
KnuT

Santa Fe Track Charts

I would start my search for Track Charts at The Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society:
https://sfrhms.org/resources/

http://old.atsfrr.org/Members/Track/index.htm

Qstation has also lot of links:
http://www.qstation.org/atsfresource.html

Have you googled "ATSF track chart Richmond CA"?
That might bring something up.

KnuT

The P&SF / My blog at MRH
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Louiex2 Frequent poster 560 posts
Louiex2

A Few Suggestions

You might want to contact the Carquinez Model Railroad Society; they have been around since the mid-1970s and have a huge layout in Crockett based on the SP from Oakland to Sparks.  I’m sure someone would be happy to help http://www.cmrstrainclub.org/index.html

 

One of my favorite places riding the Capitol Corridor trains from Sacramento to San Jose is going right through middle of the C&H Sugar Factory in Crockett so you might to add that.  Since you’re set in 1969, you might also consider the Hercules Powder Company plant in Hercules (between Pinole and Rodeo.)

 

Lou in Utah.
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Cadmaster Frequent poster 867 posts
Cadmaster

Thank you to Lou and Knut. I

Thank you to Lou and Knut. I did locate a good set of track charts from the ATSF Historical Society. Learning a lot about the area in particular the yard in Richmond. Lou thank you for the info on C&H Sugar. That is a must model with space permitting. 

Neil.

Diamond River Valley Railway Company

http://www.dixierail.com
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Louiex2 Frequent poster 560 posts
Louiex2

Capitol Corridor & C&H Sugar

Neil,

Your’re most welcome. I grew up in the Sacramento area a few blocks from the SP West Side Line and later often rode the Capitol Corridor trains from Davis to San Jose and back. If you get to the Bay Area, be sure to ride the Capitol Corridor trains from at least Emeryville to Martinez and back- that will cover a good chunk of the territory you want to model.  Most of the rest is visible from public roadways.  

If you’re pressed for space, the C&H facility could fit on a narrow shelf section. The main plant could be represented by flats with the enclosed conveyor structure crossing over the tracks to the south side receiving building and storage tanks along the aisle.  If you wanted to be real ambitious, you could include the south end of the Carquinez Bridge that is on the west end of the plant. 

Good luck with the project.

Lou in Utah
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KnuT Super User 386 posts
KnuT

An other source

Neil,  your welcome. Glad you found something useful.
I am living far, far away from the inspiration for my layout, set in Arizona, but found track charts and also a set of Santa Fe Clic book for my area helping me locating and naming industies.

An other comercial source is Railfan Depot. They have lots of stuff.
And of course ebay and train shows.

KnuT

The P&SF / My blog at MRH
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