Layout Railfanning: Grain Trains on Marias Pass
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- There's no rhyme, reason, or narrative to this video. Sometimes it's fun to just record videos of trains operating across the layout with no intention of content-making. But rather than let those recordings waste away on my computer, I thought it would be appreciated if I shared them with you. Specifically, I thought you might enjoy compilations of railfanning-style clips that highlight specific trains, so in this video, you'll see grain trains running through numerous scenes and in various power configurations. The dates listed in the video are the actual recording dates.
The grain train I model for operations is intended to represent a real train that gets handed off from the CPKC to BNSF at Sweetgrass, MT and heads to Modesto, CA. These Sweetgrass grain trains are often solid consists of light gray Cargill (CGOX) and other leased cars, and while my representation has significantly more BNSF equipment mixed in, I enjoy the precedent that the prototypical routing provides for including CP and KCS power in the consist.
One thing you might notice in this video is how "operating convention" has varied over the span of a few short months. Behind closed doors, I'm often experimenting with operating practices, particularly surrounding the helper ops. This operational evolution is evidenced by the manned helpers being used both on empty trains climbing the grade and loaded trains descending the grade.
Hope you enjoy!
This has to be one of the best layouts on TH-cam right now. Every thumbnail, my first thought is that it's railfanning full-size operations.
Thanks! Really glad you enjoyed it!
-Cam
Hi Cam, I have watched all of your video about train modeling from the very first one that you posted on TH-cam, the two 4 x 8 foot " L " shape layout, the dismental of that and then was the huge layout that is the " Marias Pass" as see it today. I write you this comment to give you all my appreciation and the passion you put on this achivement (it's a never ending project) and all the hard work you made on planning, building, trial and error along the way, plus you had time to to make video/update on how the project was going (that I love), to ends up with this "magnifique" (sorry for the french word) layout.
I appreciated all your little video that you made on "How I made..." backdrop, trees. rocks and scenery base, you gave me a lot of tricks to do my own layout. It's a free lance base on the Canadian National, but tell me wy you chaged the layout from the " Plain division" to " Marias Pass". Anyway I can sure go for hours writhig on your layout, just can wait to the next episode of the Marias Pass!
Jocelyn (Josh), from Montreal,
Your layout is beyond extraordinary!
Thanks for the kind words! I appreciate it, and I'm glad you're enjoying the layout.
-Cam
Absolutely fantastic. I could watch that all day. Nice to see a little Canadian content in there.🤣👍
Well done, Cam! Scenery, equipment weathering, operating speed and overall layout are all spectacular. Mike
Mike, I'm honored! Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment.
-Cam
Excellent video. I am a big fan of your snow sheds. I originally thought your real long concrete retaining wall was not prototypical, and was merely a scenery compromise for such a narrow segment of your layout. But I have since seen a video and there is a long section of wall left bare, due to a snow shed fire. So kudos to you for including.
Thanks! I still need to get around to build the wooden structures for 2 of the 3 remaining shed walls, but as you point out, the one is bare concrete just like the prototype. It's certainly an interesting history.
-Cam
Very cool. Great action.
Hi Railfan220 & it's is Randy and i like yours video is cool & Thanks Railfan220 & Friends Randy
I love your vids. I take so much inspiration from you for my N-Scale layout. In fact, it was your backdrop technique that I copied that really made my layout take off. I love your shed and wall weathering - it's amazing. When I look at your videos one word comes to mind - Crisp. I think because you don't over scenic it. Good job.
Thanks for the kind words, Paul! I'm glad that the layout could provide a bit of inspiration. Hearing your experience really makes sharing these videos worth it for me.
-Cam
Great video and runbys. I love the MRL SD-70ace, I just ordered it in N scale for my layout. Hopefully BNSF won’t paint them all. - Steve
This reminds me of the club up in New Mexico. They were using 2 45ft. Shipping containers(I think the containers were bigger than that). They were lined up longways. It was 4 levels. The 2 deck was a 2 track straightaway with a long siding for the 3 track on that level. I asked them how much they brought the containers for and he said $2000.00. It left an impression on me that I'll never forget. I liked the video.
Beautiful layout..
a great video and nice landscap
Great video, Cam!!
Thanks, Brian! Glad you enjoyed it. More on the way.
-Cam
"NICE"...ENOUGH SAID....😊
Man this is nice
Hey mate, I am in Australia and wanting to build a layout featuring concrete ties, it has been massively inspired by your layout, so thank you. I do have a quick question, I am looking at Peco code 83 flexi track, however it turns out they do not make code 83 concrete tie switches, but they do code 75 concrete tie switches, so I am wondering what you've done for track and switches on yours. I need to keep costs down as I have a family to raise so funds can't extend to micro-engineering track etc.
Would you see code 83 track with code 75 switches as being ok to use?
🚂🇧🇷👏🏻👏🏻
I appreciate your videos!!
Please, what do you use on your mountains to make them look like the real ones?
I wish I could give you all of the details, but I plan to have a complete video series on the topic. I already have videos on painting the backdrop and building the physical structure of the mountains. In the future, I will post videos on doing dirt, rocks, grass, and trees.
Stay tuned, and thanks for the comment!
-Cam
@@railfan220 Thanks your comment!
😊
signals not working.
How big is this layout dimension wise?
The layout is 12' x 28'. You can find the trackplan at the top of the page here: facebook.com/railfan220/
-Cam
@@railfan220 I have been following your stuff for awhile and as a fan of anything BNSF & BN and anything upper midwest I love what your doing.