Very Nice...

Looks like you are making some great progress on the layout. I have a soft spot for the WP as it is part of the Inside Gateway. I look forward to more progress pictures and best of luck with testing the new section of railroad.

Nice work

I have a few Questions for you as this looks like a large RR.

How large is this Model Railroad?

Is it located in your home or in a club house?

Are there many members or friends helping build this RR or are you the only builder?

It looks to be HO Scale or am I wrong?

Have you started on scenery or do you have plans to start soon?

What type Mill does the spur service, and if lumber is it a plywood mill or a Board mill as I remember reading the WP had or should I say serviced both.

Finally do you have a track plan you can post?

I noticed the engines your using were from the last couple years before the Union Pacific Bought them out in 1982.

At one time I started building a layout centered around the WP But I joined the military before I ever got more than a small yard and a dog-bone loop and a little more than a a dozen cars and a pair of F unit's from the Zephyr fame and an Alco S-4 switcher.

So when I saw your post It sparked an old flame. Good luck with your Railroad and keep the photos coming.

Dan

Interesting Track Layout

This is looking REALLY nice Rob. I like the track arrangement you have at the end of your branchline servicing the mill. Reminds me a lot of the old Spanaway Lumber Company near my home when they were still in business, as they had both facing and trailing moves with a runaround track. Looks like it would be fun to switch. Like Dan, I too am curious about your layout's proportions. Looking forward to seeing the layout take shape.

Questions

 "How large is this Model Railroad? Is it located in your home or in a club house?   

Are there many members or friends helping build this RR or are you the only builder?"

It's about 30 feet square, and located in my basement.  I get some help for a few things where extra hands are useful, but like to do most of the work myself.  One thing that gives me some time to work is that my 8-year old has to read aloud for 1/2 hour a day a few days a week for homework, so we do that in the layout room.  I can do a lot of repetetive tasks while listening to her.  She likes to see the progress and run trains too.

"It looks to be HO Scale or am I wrong?"

Yes it's HO.

"Have you started on scenery or do you have plans to start soon?"

I would really like to get started on that soon.  I'm tired of plain old benchwork to stare at.  Fortunately I have some other local layouts where I can work on scenery in the meantime (stay tuned to MRH for more on that *wink*).  Most of the layout is set in the Great Basin desert, which should give it a different feel from most model scenery.

"What type Mill does the spur service, and if lumber is it a plywood mill or a Board mill as I remember reading the WP had or should I say serviced both."

The mill is intended to be one that handles multiple product types, say studs and plywood.  My dad used to live across the road from the SP Siskiyou line, right by the big mill at Dillard, OR that ships various things from different buildings and I always liked watching the switching at that mill and others when we visited family in OR.  I also had an uncle who was a manager at a plywood mill in Roseburg, OR.  Lumber mills are an appropriate industry for the WP anyway, so adding one to the fictitious 8th sub was a given.  I wanted it on the end of a branch like the former mill at Burns/Hines, OR that the UP used to serve.

Re: Track Layout

The track layout on the branch is a composite of various mills, and the finished structures will be too.  I want the complex to look like it's been added to and rearranged several times over the years.

As for the track plan, I'm taking an approach that probably differs from the hobby norm these days.  I sketch out a general idea to scale with a pencil and paper, then finish the plan in full scale in the actual layout room.  The first thing we did once the room was done is to lay out the rough benchwork shape on the floor with masking tape, and mock up the towns with actual track, structures and equipment.  Once I see things in 3-D I have a better idea how to finish arranging the various elements.  Due to that process, the track plan as it currently exists isn't especially close to what's actually being built.  I doubt I'll have a final plan committed to paper before I'm through building.  I suppose Dan will have to be patient on that score. *GRIN*

WP's 8th Sub

Wow, nice update!  WP has always been my favorite RR.  Are there anymore  pictures of your layout prior to this update? 

More Photos?

"Are there anymore  pictures of your layout prior to this update?"

There are a few in one of my buddies' Facebook albums, but that's about it.  I have been truly lax in documenting the happenings in the train room.  I plan to keep more current on the photos now.

Looks like a winner!

Looks like a winner!

Where did you set the 8th sub

Where did you set the 8th sub of the WP, ie where does it tie into the real railroad? Curious as to where you routed through the Great Basin, looks like you have the beginning of great layout.

Paul

Re: Where did you set the 8th sub

The route runs around the north side of the Great Salt Lake and interchanges with the UP and D&RGW near Ogden, at the fictitious Junction City (named for a proposed location where the UP and Central Pacific would interchange, that was not used once such a place was established at Ogden - Junction City was also a nickname for Ogden).  The west end of the sub connects to the prototype 7th Sub somewhere in eastern Nevada.  The layout is essentially an excuse for me to model the general appearance and operations of the WP without modeling any specific locations. 

Rob for a home or club layout Your RR is Great!!"SeeTigerHere"

Thank you for answering my dozen questions and As I had said in my first Post. I started building a portion of the WP 40 years ago and find it to be a great RR to model. Mainly because of the many branches it had and it gives you so many different industries and scenic places to chose from.

I plan to follow your progress as you develop the scenery and will continue to enjoy your Blog. Great work and Happy Model Railroading

Dan