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NOTICE: As of July 20, 2002 the California Valley Lines will cease to exist as it is now modeled. We are moving and the CVL will be torn down. Will build another, smaller version, sometime in March 2004. Look for the start of the new one then.
BILL COLEMAN
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Click HERE for the new "California Valley Lines"
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Bill Coleman, Riverside, Ca.
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Welcome to the California Valley Lines (CVL) of the Burlington Northern, Santa Fe and all subsidiary lines.
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This N scale model railroad was started in July 1996. The first problem encountered was where to build it. There was no room in the house, but did have a 3 car garage, where the smaller side was not being used. So this is where the work on the layout started.
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Garage Improvements
The garage came with the ceiling and walls already finished and painted. A 16 ft long wall was built down the center, on the smaller side, of the garage and a 10 ft long wall along the front with a half door. This gave a 10 ft X 12 ft space for the layout and a 4 ft X 10 ft space in front for a work area. The floor was covered with vinyl tiles and the overhead lighting was done with 4, 4 ft, twin bulb fluorecent fixtures.
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The layout
The layout was constructed using the open grid method. The top of the grid was covered with 3/8" plywood. The layout is in the shape of an "E" with the front of the "E" closed. The center of the "E" is a penninsula which projects out from the back 80", is 50" wide, with a 22" wide aisle on either side. To the front of the layout was added a 30" X 30" section for the turntable and roundhouse. Although there are 4 legs holding up the penninsula, and one holding up the turntable section, the balance of the layout is self supporting. Height of the layout from floor to top of rail head is 42 1/4". The layout is completely flat all around. There is a trap door on the back panel for access to the tunnel. A 3" plexiglass shield was added along the complete front of the layout to keep locos and cars from being knocked over or from falling to the floor.
Track
The track is all Atlas flex and Atlas #4 and #6 turnouts. All turnouts, except for a few in the yard area, use Atlas under the table electric switch machines. The track is ballasted on cork roadbed which is glued to the sub plywood top.
Double Main Line - 86' (43' each line) (radii 18", 19 1/2" and 22")
Yard - 7 tracks
Sidings - 14 tracks
Roundhouse - 14 tracks
DCC program - 1 track
Power and Control
A Digitrax DCC Big Boy command control is being used to run the system along with a PH Hobbies 6 amp power supply. Although DCC is being used, the layout is also wired with block control. This was done so that idle analog (no decoder) locos could be turned off when not in use. Also it was done so that the entire system could be run on straight DC if need be. Four control panels control both the DCC or DC system.
Scenery
Mountains, river banks and other scenery was done using wadded up and stacked newspaper held down with masking tape and covered over with plaster cloth. There are some 38 structures/buildings on the layout.
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7 TRACK YARD
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YOURS TRULY AT THE CONTROLS
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TURNTABLE & ROUNDHOUSE
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LEFT SIDE
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RIGHT SIDE
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DCC SETUP & CONTROL PANELS
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CVL continued
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E mail me here
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