The Finished Burbank Branch Photos
Part 8
by Bruce Petty
Its taken about a year to complete 16 feet of the Burbank Branch modules. That means the ballast and dirt are on the layout, but there will always be that little detailing work to do. I do need to build a small control panel, so to park a switch engine on any of the spur tracks with the off power. I'm having a lot of fun operating trains on the branch line and look forward to many years of enjoyment. Here are a few photos below, I will be adding more.
Heading westward from the Burbank Junction, the Packing House and Scrap Yard are seen in the distant. Small details such as the RR Street Crossing and Yard Limit signs have been added. All turnouts have Detail West, switch stands. At the left is one of the dozen cactus plants on the window crossing module. The article about live cactus plants on the layout can be seen in the April 2006 issue of Model Railroader magazine.
This is an overview of the Citrus Packing House and the Scrap Yard. Notice how the main track of the branch line is lightly ballasted. Dirt was brushed on the glued ballast and again glued making the track looking poorly ballasted. The siding, spur and yard tracks are just in the dirt.
Here is another overall view of the corner showing the Scrap Yard, Sunkist Packing, and the fuel distributor. I choose not to round the corners of the room for backdrop painting so I could have more industrial space on the layout.
The small Gasoline Distributor is on the Packing House spur tack gets a tank car of fuel about once a week. I didn't have a lot of room here for a large gasoline distributor complex, so only several holding tanks, a pump shed and unloading pipe work had to do.
Next to the Gas Plant are the MOW Structures, a Bunk House and a Motor Car Shed, Signal Maintainer's Shed and the Foreman's house. The Eucalyptus trees were made from manzanita branches and Petite Pines Northern tree matting material.
Between spur tracks, I added several MOW buildings and Jay's Auto Service. I built several Quonset Huts using Rix Products grain silo kits, one hut was used in the Scrap Yard.
Next to Jay's Auto Service is the Cyclone Fence Co. It receives wire and zink bars by box car.
To the right of the fence factory is the Strongheart Pet Food Co. and the Miller Beer Distributor.
At the end of the layout is the Sheller Feed Company, the prototype was located in San Fernando, CA. The construction article link for this and the other industries seen on this page are on the main model railroad page.
About once a week, Jay Polk operates his HO scale, MoPac power for a switching session on the layout. Jay's N-Scale layout was also featured in the 2006, Great Model Railroads issue. Jay is starting his new larger N-Scale layout where our Dunsmuir model railroad crew can have operating sessions, moving long trains over the road.
Jay built up this really cool MP, SW12, an Alco body with an EMD diesel engine. The exhaust stacks are the only external difference to this engine.
Burbank Local and crew working the branch.
The local has finished its days work and is about to begin the trip home.
Time to go work on your layout!