Rainbows in the Lehigh Valley Gorge

[TMo]

Yeah, I'm having trouble enough getting an SLR-sized camera in there for some good shots! Definitely a drawback of trees in general and the gorge in particular, but it was always known as a very remote location - hence very little railfanning where I model.

[Charlie B]

Yeah, I'm having trouble enough getting an SLR-sized camera in there for some good shots!  Definitely a drawback of trees in general and the gorge in particular, but it was always known as a very remote location - hence very little railfanning where I model.

I am using my android phone. The nice part being I can place it in odd positions and say OK Google, take this photo. 2 seconds delay and the photo is taken. 
Charlie

[TMo]

Cool idea, Charlie! I'll have to think about that....

[TMo]

Ready for mo' trees....   The slope was so extreme I ended up using a spray adhesive to secure the underbrush.  I'll add some around the rock face before installing the trees.

   

[hillyard999]

That cliff photo reminds me that I am afraid of standing too close to an edge.
My knees lock up and I can hardly move!

[TMo]

Yeah, I was considering adding a diver to the bridge scene, but you would certainly not like to try that in the Lehigh... It would certainly be a one-way trip.

[ngauger]

No diver..... Bungee jumper!!!

[TMo]

In 1976? Would have to be a time traveler....

[TMo]

Final tree (I believe) has been planted and glue is drying.  I have one foreground section to finish and I will be able to call this layout "complete".  However, that section is going to take a while - it's the business/industrial area of White Haven between the tracks and the river.  I will be glad to be modeling something other than mother nature for a while.

Until I get to that, here's some finished photos of the tree installation.

       

[ngauger]

Looks fantastic!
I agree.... take a break from all those trees and work on something different.

[TMo]

Thanks, Mikey!

So here's the home stretch - 10 linear feet of foreground, mostly business and industrial areas in the town of White Haven between the tracks and down to the river (which I will not model). 


       

[TMo]

I've been doing some light research this morning on White Haven and especially the Jersey Central's activities and facilities in the town.  So, here's a shot of the portion of White Haven nearest the river today via Google Maps (both roadways and satellite).  

       

The former LVRR mainline (former two track, now a single) runs right through town.  The former CNJ facilities were much larger, including a station and a small yard located closer to the river, but they were pulled up sometime between 1965 and 1967 as the CNJ and LVRR consolidated operations from Allentown up to Wilkes Barre.  Here's a map from 1950 showing the difference in trackage in White Haven.

   

So, quite a bit has changed, and I do not have any pictures from 1976.  I guess I can keep looking for some source material and find out when some stuff was built but that'll take some time.  It does appear that the water treatment facility would be cool to model, and the large industrial facilites to the north haven't changed since the 1950's.  The market and Antonio's Pizza look to be right where the old CNJ yard would have been.  The buildings on the west side of Main Street appear to have remained unchanged as well.  So, shops and a diner near Main Street, some industrial buildings on the north end and a water treatment plant at a minimum in the 10 feet of space I have available.

Speaking of space, I need to expand the area toward the aisle.  Right now I have only 10 inches between the track and the edge of the layout supports, and it drops about 10 inches from track level.  I'm thinking about another foot's worth of structure built out toward the aisle to allow me to add these structures.

[TMo]

It's time to get some new "track view" video after finishing some more of my foreground.  My last video was in a word.... shaky....  If you watch it long enough you're going to feel a bit of motion sickness.  The whole issue was how I mounted the camera - I'd hollowed out the guts of an old freight car deck and taped the camera in place.  Before running it again, I figured that I'd reinforce the sides of this car to eliminate the flex - a piece of Plastruk girder glued onto each side.  Still charging up the camera, but maybe by this evening I'll have something posted.

   

[TMo]

Funny thing I learned.... When the frame was bouncy, it also sagged and allowed the camera to fit under the most restrictive spot on my layout. When it doesn't sag? Stops her cold.... No finished video product tonight, but with some mods, seems doable at some point this week.

[TMo]

After a bit more hacking and grinding, the camera body fits lower on the frame of this sacrificial car and now proceeds under that low point on the layout.  Therefore, I ran it on the front end of the Apollo tonight and recorded a trip around the layout without stopping for derailments.

   

I've posted the video up to my home site:

morristhemoosetm.wixsite.com/rainbows/post/new-layout-video