Model Railroading > Western Pacific Feather River Layout - photos

Earlier this year, Jim Pendley hosted a group from Olympia, WA over to his Western Pacific Feather River HO layout - as featured in last years Great Model Railroads. Here are a few photos from our photo day there;

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This layout is a dramatic and scenic gem!

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Nice pictures of a nice layout.

Now that is some great modeling. The sky looks incredibly realistic. Would like to see more photos of this layout. Does Mr. Pendley have a website for his layout?

Kent in Carmel Valley

He has also captured the terrain and vegetation well. I have spent much time fishing the feather river, and the surroundings are rather odd. Plenty of tall pines and Douglas fir, but the ground's surface is very desert like. Doesn't look so real if you haven't seen it first hand.

Steve

smallplanet2 Wrote:
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> He has also captured the terrain and vegetation
> well. I have spent much time fishing the feather
> river, and the surroundings are rather odd. Plenty
> of tall pines and Douglas fir, but the ground's
> surface is very desert like. Doesn't look so real
> if you haven't seen it first hand.
>
> Steve

I don't mean to contradict you but I didn't think there is Douglas Fir in the FRC. Lots of Pines though - are you getting mixed up with them. Doug Fir is more of a PNW tree where there is a wet climate. Any locals to call me wrong?

Rick

I'm not familiar with the Feather River Canyon, but my western tree field guide shows the range of doug fir extending into the northern Sierra, including FRC. It's a pretty adaptable species. Incidentally, we have a relative, the big-cone douglas fir, here in the mountains of southern California, including Palomar Mountain in San Diego County.

I agree that a model of FRC ideally should be heavy on pines, but pine trees are harder to model than fir trees. The narrow, steeple-like conifers like firs and spruces are characteristic of the higher elevations and northern latitudes with heavy snowfall (the shape encourages the snow to fall off). Anyone out there have some convincing pine tree models?

Winston Hill

Who cares about the trees, look at that great rock work in the tunnel picture. WOW!!

His scenery is just plain out great to me. I don't have anything that looks 1/100th that good.

Hi Guys

I'm looking for the tv film crew and the axemen 'stars'!

Amazing scenery!

Cheers

CC

Incredible! 'Would love to see [many] more pics of this layout.

Nice photography too.

Cheers! MARK

Wonderful looking layout. I have been a fan of this since it was featured in MR Great Layouts. Ok, Doug Firs? I mean look at the workmanship! And they look like pines to me. Wish I could make scratch trees that well. I give it a thumbs up. If anyone is interested I found a video of this layout on You Tube

I was in Cle Elem for the "Rails to Ales Brewfest" this year and had a chance to see Jim"s layout in person. WOW! I have many photos but am not posting at his request pending an article in a model magazine. His scenery is unmatched. If a finished scene just doesn't look right or good enough for him it is riped out and re done. Not only is Jim a great modeler but he is also a great Guy. We had a great time at the Brewfest and I would recommend a trip to the PNW to take it and the sights in.

Jerry

http://www.railstoalesbrewfest.com/rtab/

Post it Jarrod, anyways great layout thanks for posting it FoamersNW.

jmj3293 Wrote:
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> Wonderful looking layout. I have been a fan of
> this since it was featured in MR Great Layouts.
> Ok, Doug Firs? I mean look at the workmanship! And
> they look like pines to me. Wish I could make
> scratch trees that well. I give it a thumbs up. If
> anyone is interested I found a video of this
> layout on You Tube

Here are a few more photos from an open house he had last year. If you have seen the GMR issue there is alot of coverage of the Keddie Wye bridge that he has on the layout and is in one of the photos here - I enjoy the other more rugged and scenic parts of the layout. He is truly a master at his craft. Jim is a BNSF engineer out of Seattle.

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Rick, the pines saturate the hills, the Douglas fir are along the river. They are far less numerous, but they are there, in the upper elevations between Quincy and Portola.
Steve

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-817fMfKleo&feature=related

That is easily one of the nicest HO layouts I have ever seen,
excellent work.