The Ash Fork Extension
You have read in the Prewar Layout page an update as to how it is no longer. The idea for its replacement was to give me the ability to build an extension of the high rail layout. So, here is a moving update of the construction. As Mary Jane said, "this should keep you busy for a few years". I think she was trying to make sure I didn't come up with some wilder train scheme!
The Concept
When planning for the extension, the first and principal limiting factor was the dimensions of the prewar layout tables. Although generous in size, eight feet wide and 16 and 20 feet long, minimum three foot radius curves did limit how I could design a track plan.
With that in mind, I needed to create a vision. Fortunately, that preceeding fall, we had taken the "narrow gauge circuit" of southern Colorado. Although we had done this previously, for some reason, a combination of the fall mountain air, beautiful Aspens in their fall yellows and a delightful ride on the Cumbres and Toltec gave me narrow gauge fever. So one portion of the new plan would have to incorporate a high mountain with a narrow gauge train clinging to the sides of the cliffs. Now to get up to the mountain the standard gauge line would have to climb and the only way was to loop up and over itself. Well, a six to seven foot diameter circle in no way was going to duplicate the Tehachapi Loop, but then it hit me. The town of Ash Fork, just north of us, lies at the beginning of the 2000 foot grade up to Williams on the old Santa Fe. Why not do a town on a hillside to justify the track climbing up and over itself?
That was all I needed, a few hours on the drafting board and I had a plan and a concept for a really big mountain, a narrow gauge railroad and a town on a hillside. A connection between the main table and the old prewar table was constructed and we were on our way.
So, here are some progress shots of the Ash Fork Extension.
This is the scene from the Cumbres and Toltec train that inspired the theme for the Ash Fork Extension
Here is the table construction with the new track in place, ready to begin scenery
Once track is in place and tested for a few months, scenery begins with lots of pink foam boards, carved and shaped
After the foam is shaped, a thick coating of texture paint is applied. It binds the foam, forms an even surface and base for the scenery phase
For Ash Fork, I used several Plasticville buildings, extended, modified and repainted for several stores and houses
Modular kits and more kitbashed Plasticville formed a couple of employers for Ash Fork
Homes ranged from a Lionel country house to those modified Plasticville ones. Being on a hill with every road on a grade, almost every building had to have angled foundations added to keep them vertical.
Downtown Ash Fork, a place to stop on Arizona Route 66 before heading up to the high country.
Or spend an evening before heading onward, you might even catch a train heading up the grade