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01-19-2015, 04:38 PM
(This post was last modified: 02-05-2021, 12:36 AM by jwhitty.)
The Western Pacific had a branch line from Niles Junction to San Jose, in the California Bay Area. There was a terminal line from the Wilson St Yard in eastern San Jose that followed a fishhook type half-loop to a downtown terminal in west San Jose, near today's Caltrain Diridon station. This was a purely freight beltline within San Jose, although a gas power passenger car operated between Wilson St yard and Niles Junction in the 1920's.
Below is my proposed track plan for the last few thousand feet of the branch line in west San Jose. I have already built the bench work along one long side of the wall in my garage. I would appreciate any feedback you have before I "break ground" on the rail-road.
For those interested, there is information on the West San Jose branch line at the "Dome of Foam," a wonderful Southern Pacific themed site that has a lot of other railroad information too. Here is the link for West San San Jose portion of that site.
http://wx4.org/to/foam/big_rr/wp/sanjose.html
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Intertsing, it will be nice to follow along. They took the turntable out about 10-15 years ago, the water tower about 5-7 but the there is one Willow Glen bridge they are still trying to save.
There is a guy in Santa Crus who does roughly the same area- I know he serves the Dole plant, but I'm not sure what era he is.
I think this is it <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://bayrails.com/layouts2.php?m=bowdidge">http://bayrails.com/layouts2.php?m=bowdidge</a><!-- m -->
Keep us posted
ratled
Modleing the Jefferson Branch in HO on the Southern Pacific
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Robert Bowdidge's SP Vasona Branch, yes I am familiar with his website. He models the crossing with the WP, which if I had a little more space on my plan would be right where the staging extension is.
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Interesting concept that's one step above my beloved industrial switching..
I like that idea since it features two fruit packers and a icing platform and since that is unique it deserves two thumbs up..
Larry
Engineman
Summerset Ry
Make Safety your first thought, Not your last! Safety First!
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Hi Larry,
Yes part of the appeal to me is the fresh fruit and vegetable packing process. I like the different variety of operations I can have:
1) Fruit or vegetable special; I can have a train bring in refrigerator cars from staging, both empty and full. Full will go to ice dock, empty to the two packing houses. Pull full from the packing houses to spot at ice dock, pull full at ice dock to take back to staging, etc.
2) Merchandise train and other local industries; work the team tracks, freight house, lumber and feed dealers, as well as use the fruit packers as a dried fruit packing shipper. Dried fruit was shipped year round as needed.
The biggest appeal to me was these industries were all there in "real life." The track plan is fairly faithful too, although condensed.
Regards,
Joe
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Well, better late than never. Progress picks 13 years later. Pic
1 and
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Welcome back!
Looking good.
I know the feeling I took about an 11 or 12 year hiatus.
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Charge on! Looking forward to seeing your progress. Sharing on this website has really spurred me on, and I hope it can too for you.
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Looks to be a great setup. Can't wait to see the progress.
