Western Railroad Discussion > Below Tehachapi Loop

UP 6275 leads a long manifest through the green hills of Tehachapi a couple weeks ago!

---

Really nice.
JB

Whoa!

Beautiful photo!
 As an Easterner, and as a teen in the early Sixties, when I saw photos of model railroads from folks in western states I just thought they were "cheaping out" and just sprinkling a few trees and bushes (Lichen and green sawdust) around for affect. It was so fake looking. Back east when you have trees you have all trees! No spaces between, just trees as far as you can see. (True still today, think tre tunnels). Modelers here either avoided modeling forests (A fantastic exception was the Virginian & Ohio, IIRC, who's builder perfected deep forests throughout his railroad depicting an Appalachian coal road). Most modelers opted for generic scenes, industrial or yards and engine facilities with a few trees around their miniature towns or went with fall or winter scenery. The eastern forests were usually avoided except for the V&O exception.
 When Covid-19 reared its ugly head and I got serious about building a Z gauge "Alpine" railroad. I ran into the trees and forest challenge. I quickly realized the V&O method using Lichen wasn't an option (Lichen just doesn't work at 1:220, it is way too course.). Re-thinking set me to surfing the Interweb and ebay. An inexpensive solution was found for tons of dicideous trees. However bits and pieces continue to drop from this solution and derail trains! Otherwise all was well. I did enhance the scenes with rather expensive pine tree assortments who's larger varieties would better serve HO Scale!
Point here is I was so wrong about the western modelers and their so fake looking scenery. They had it so much easier with the widely scattered authentic Arboretums and much less need to spend money on foliage!
Your photo clearly depicts the loosely populated trees and even much more gren that I didn't believe as a teen, even existed!
Gonut

Awesome drone shot C.P. !!

Always great to see that RR marvel.  Thank you, very nice.
Blaine
American Fork

BlaineM Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Always great to see that RR marvel.  Thank you,
> very nice.
Just for clarification, the (great) shot is not actually of the Loop. This is a eb crossing Tehachapi creek, leading up to the Loop, and is about 1/4 mile or so from tunnel 9.

The foreground bridge is the Fifth Crossing
of Tehachapi Creek, at the red marker

https://mapper.acme.com/?ll=35.20252,-118.53115&z=15&t=U&marker0=35.20480%2C-118.53472

Curt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> BlaineM Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Always great to see that RR marvel.  Thank
> you,
> > very nice.
> Just for clarification, the (great) shot is not
> actually of the Loop. This is a eb crossing
> Tehachapi creek, leading up to the Loop, and is
> about 1/4 mile or so from tunnel 9.

Just for clarificaiton, please put on the reading glasses. No where did the OP say it was the Tehachapi Loop. He says "BELOW"

Jeez, relax.  I wasn't referring to the name on the OP.  In Blaine's post he referenced a "RR marvel".  I took that to mean he was referring to the Loop.   

@ longliveSP; notice Curt wrote his message to BlaineM as he stated "Always great to see that RR marvel.  Thank you, very nice.
Blaine" The only RR marvel up here in Keene is "Tehachapi Loop"!!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/24 19:32 by SD7D_ACe.

That is a beautiful shot, indeed.

And I know just how @Gonut1 feels about the "unrealistic" oak savanna landscape of Tehachapi. I've lived all my life in San Diego County, at the south end of California. I'd already seen a lot of the country at the time, but in my late 20s we went to the Oshkosh Experimental Aircraft Association airshow in Wisconsin. The group we were part of bussed us from some major airport up to Oshkosh, through rolling green hills. There were actual fields, farmhouses, red barns, and silos, just like in children's picture books. I was just stunned. It had never occurred to me that those storybook scenes were based on real places.  

Just for background, around here the climate allows for livestock to live outdoors (with shade and water provided) year round. There are a few classic old barns around, but they are uncommon, and not in active use. Agriculture is a huge, but it's row crops, citrus, avocados, and the nursery industry - no waving fields of amber grains - corn, wheat, oats, etc., so no silos. So it was really weird to see that - very different from what I was used to seeing.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/08/24 15:02 by RailFam.

Beautiful image, with great color!
GK

Great shot!

Very nice..!!