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About four years ago we had a scratchbuild challenge on the old Gauge, and I chose to build one of my favorite and unique structures, the Chapel of the Holy Cross here in Sedona, about half-way between Phoenix and Flagstaff. The area is know for its stunning red rock formations, and I tried to capture that in my build. I thought it would be fun to go through that once again in light of a question I received after posting some photos of the current N scale tour car. Anyway, I'll do my best to go through the process I used. The front of the structure is 100' from bottom to top with the cross extending another 20' below that. I found that it would be a bit overwhelming, even when reduced to 1"160 scale, so I opted to go with a 1:220 scale. It is true in every respect to that scale.
Here are a few shots of the actual Chapel as it sits atop of and is surrounded by red rocks.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
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Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
The structure fits into the slots left by the cardboard.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
Posts: 11,849
Threads: 576
Joined: Nov 2008
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD
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looks fantastic..
well done!
Santa Fe all the way
Greetings from Germany!
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Don,
this is a real masterpiece!
Thanks for sharing.
Among the pics you have taken, this is clearly my favorite:
ezdays Wrote:
Jens
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Very nice work, well executed! And very nice night photography.
John
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Wow! That turned out very well... a great representation of the real thing. Nicely done, sir!
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That's a great recreation of a very unique building
. Very nicely done. Are there any rail lines near the prototype?
My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew
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Thanks everyone for these kind words, I enjoyed doing this and felt is was an honor to be able to try and recreate this magnificent work. It was built over 50 years ago and is an active church in the Roman Catholic diocese of Phoenix. It has been said to have been built on one of the spiritual vortexes that are found in the Sedona area. The views from the chapel are breathtaking, but like most things that were once out in the wilderness, civilization is knocking on its doorstep.
I'm guessing that the nearest railroad line is about 40 miles away in Clarkdale. The Verde Canyon Railroad usually makes two trips a day pulling tourists up and down the Verde Valley. If you even come near Sedona, don't miss coming up to the Chapel and take a ride on the Verde Canyon Railroad. Both are well worth the time.
Don (ezdays) Day
Board administrator and
founder of the CANYON STATE RAILROAD