This one is for Gary and Charlie

[nachoman]

I took a (long) bicycle ride today, and wound up at Scottsdale Arizona's train-themed park. They are building a new model railroad building. I thought you would like two photos of the new building, and one of the old building to compare to your endeavors.
   
   
   

[tomustang]

Train-themed park? Model railroad building? Why am I not living there??

[P5se Camelback]

Ditto! Plus next-to-no-humidity to play havoc with my breathing!

If it didn't cost so much to move ...

[nachoman]

The park also has other railroad exhibits, including a live-steam 15" gauge train and a 7.5" gauge train. It is home to Arizona's MERCI train car, a gift from france after WWI.

   

And Magma Arizona Railroad's 2-6-0 #6. It is probably the best kept static steam display I know of. Hardly a spot of rust or faded paint on the whole thing.

   

And a couple of old SP-cabooses guard the entrance. The park also uses another old SP caboose as a concession stand, and a few old boxcars and passenger cars for storage.

   

And speaking of the dry air - that was my primary motivation to get out today. The summer humidity is done for the year.

[P5se Camelback]

Oh ... you have humidity, too?

Never mind!

[Gary S]

Woah!

So are you going to be in on the layout? How big is the building going to be?

[nachoman]

I don't know how many square feet - but they do say it will be the home to all the major scales - including 7.5" live steamers!

[Gary S]

live steamers???? :o

[Charlie B]

Thanks for thinking of us Nachoman. It looks like they have a nice place, and the people must get along well to get so much done, and to keep everything looking so great.
Charlie

[nachoman]

Gary - the building replaces the old storage barn for the 7.5" gauge live steamers. I assume the new building will incorporate a storage area, and hopefully it will be a little more accessible for public viewing. The old building houses N, HO, and 3-rail O gauge trains. Those clubs will all relocate to the new building. The N-scale club is modular - and if they remain a modular club that means their layout may quickly move into the larger space. I am sure the HO and O scale clubs would much prefer to build something new rather than try to move what they have (probably impossible anyway). So, it may be a year or two before they relocate. The new building is supposed to be open in a month - I will try to get more photos then.

[nachoman]

Here are a few photos of the completed building. O, N, and HO layouts are under construction.

[nachoman]

A few more of the layout construction photos. I find it interesting that the three layouts are using different construction techniques. The HO layout is using plywood benchwork with poplar spline roadbed. The N scale layout has foam subroadbed, and the O-scale layout is using some kind of plastic spline roadbed. Oh, and check out the "lift bridge" for the O scale!

[nachoman]

The park had a few of its exhibits open this weekend, and admission was free.