The Barren Creek & Santa Fe Railway Story
HO by John Parker
My first electric train set was a Tri-ang passenger set back in 1955. In 1962-63 I joined the original NMRA Southern Cross Div. and quickly migrated to the US prototype scene. The Santa Fe beat the NYC, UP and SP by a whisker and ever since I've been besotted by red warbonnets and zebra geeps. I've been a member of the "Santa Fe Rwy. Historical & Modelling Soc." since the 1970s, and after a 35-year hiatus I rejoined the NMRA in 2000 since.
I started building the fictional HO-scale layout called the "Barren Creek & Santa Fe Railway" during the mid-1990s. However, initial construction moved very slowly up until my retirement in 2000. Since then it has steadily moved ahead to occupy three small rooms with an overall dimension of approximately 24x9 feet split over three levels. I initially installed CVP's EasyDCC system and operations are controlled the use of radio controlled hand throttles.
The DCC system is exclusively wired for the motive power with an auxiliary 13v DC system to support such things as alarms, interior lighting, switch motors, signal indicators etc.
Early days saw the use of Peco code 75 rail and turnouts, although there is now a preponderance of hand laid track and custom built turnouts. Most of the original Peco turnouts have been modified to make them DCC friendly and more reliable. Turnouts located in hard to reach places use "Tortoise" turnout motors, with electrically connected manual turnouts with being the norm.
AT&SF mainline track uses code 83 and 75 rail, with the BC&SF mainline using code 70 and 55 rail on its sidings. A small amount of code 100 Peco track is used in the hidden "Loco Pool" area and the two reversing loops in the rear room. Minimum radius curves of 18" can be found in a few tight places, but 24" is the preferred standard wherever possible.
The lower level occupies the two front rooms and the AT&SF mainline is a simple continuous loop around these rooms. The hub of activity is located at Bell Junction [in the front room], which serves as an interchange between the busy AT&SF and BC&SF lines.
The AT&SF mainline continues around the room until it reaches the Barstow [arrivals & departures] stub staging yards on the opposite wall where it passes between them to return to Bell Junction. The few heavy AT&SF steam locos are restricted to the lower level AT&SF mainline and are essentially "show ponies" due to the tight curves and clearances on the BC&SF line.
AT&SF first generation diesels are the dominant BC&SF motive power over this quasi New Mexico branch line set from 1945 until 1956.
The BC&SF mainline leaves Bell Junction and enters the middle room in and around Caldera Junction, where a "hollow" mountain hides the three overlapping reversing loops beneath it. All traffic through this area is protected by an electronically interlocked "signal box" and is easily accessible if on the very rare occasion it is required.
BC&SF operations from Bell Junction via the BC&SF mainline usually requires a helper, and climbs the steep 3% grade to the 2nd level via the infamous "Devil's Corkscrew" [helix] from Caldera Junction to Carbon Bend [in the middle room] where coal mining is the primary industry. The mining company operates two [Shay and Climax] geared steam locomotives for all switching within its yards.
Near Carbon Bend there is a branch line that serves as a mid-level reversing loop [in the rear room] and passes back through the notional town of Fort Dunmore to rejoin the BC&SF mainline at Swingate Junction.
The mainline continues up a 2% grade towards the front room to the whistle stop station at Isadore. The stiff climb towards the top level requires a helper to handle the 2.5% grade back into the middle room high above Pi?on Canon before sweeping back to arrive at San Miguel in the front room.
At the time of writing San Miguel is intended to be a busy industrial area generating traffic to the nearby Rowlands freight yards [spanning the front and centre rooms on the opposite wall]. Continuing along the top level all traffic arrives at the Summit train order station. At this point eastbound traffic can either enter or bypass the Rowlands [double ended] freight yard.
The east and west bound mainline skirts the Rowlands yard and loops back on itself inside the rear room. There is a long passing track on this loop where trains can be held over as well as there being a stub westbound staging yard located within the loop. Observation of this area is from the centre room via CCTV and all tracks are power routed to reduce the likelihood of derailments thereby forcing operators having to access this sometimes cluttered utility room.
Plans are in hand for a connecting track from the Rowlands freight yards to the San Miguel industrial area via the nearby Summit train order station.
John Parker
"Santa Fe, All the Way … Downunder"
