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Ken Larson models the Westside Lumber in On3 during the summer
of 1952. The layout occupies a 35' by 38' space. The
layout features outstanding craftsmanship starting with
beautifully crafted bench work, built from mahogany, to hundreds
of towering scratch built ponderosa pines with hand carved
trunks. All the track work is hand built with code 70 rail
and sugar pine ties. The maximum grade is 4.5%.
Toulumne is about 44" off the floor and the summit near Camp 24
is about 58" off the floor. Ken uses Digitrax DCC for
control. Ken's layout will be open during the 2012 Narrow
Gauge Convention.
Right - Westside 3-Truck Shay #12 is switching the small yard at
Camp 45. The empties will soon be exchanged for loads
bound for the mill at Toulumne. |
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Above -
Westside #8 at Mill Siding. #8 was built by Lima in 1922 and
is currently on display in Colorado. |
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Above - Here's
another shot of #8 mill bound at Mustang Curve.
Note the tight curve and the installation of a guard rail.
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The reload at Camp 45 is typical of Westside operations.
Logs were bought into the reload by truck and then transferred
to log cars at a central location. The practice of
combining the short hall by trucks and the long haul by rail
made for an efficient operation and actually prolonged the life
of the railroad.
Right - "Chokers", on the ground, carefully supervise the
loading of fresh cut timber. These logs will be
dumped into the log pond at Toulumne before the day is over. |
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Above - The
Westside Shays were oil burners and the railroad maintained a small
fleet of home built tank cars to re-supply fueling points
along on the line. The oil tank near Camp 45 can be seen just
above #15's tender. This tank was gravity fed from the spur in
the back-round. The #15 was built by Lima in 1913 for the
Sierra Nevada Wood & Lumber Co and is still in use hauling tourists
fpr the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad in California |
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Above -
Westside #12 is mill bound just outside Camp 45. #12 is
ex Swayne Lumber #5 built by Lima in 1977. |
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Ken hand painted his backdrops to match photographs. He
also made several trips to the Westside to study to topography
in order to make sure his modeling reflected the engineering
practices of the prototype. Most of the rolling stock on
the layout is kitbashed or scratch-built including about 40
skeleton log cars and seven cabooses. There are seven
three-truck Shays and a Heisler on the roster. All are
equipped with sound.
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