A special thanks to friends Rob and Rick for opening up their layouts for all of us to enjoy and of course Lowell and Pete for organizing. Special thanks to Pete for the use of his guest room and wheeling me around for the weekend as well as the smooth ride down the Gorge. Thanks so much guys... had an absolute blast! -grant
Did I ever enjoy this post, my daughter lives in Portland and I've ridden the Empire Builder, well back to modeling here in Wisconsin...Thx for this fun post !
Your friends Rob and Rick have stellar layouts. Looks like a great trip...train...the only way to travel! I've been off the net for about 6 months during a move across the country back home in Spokane. I've really been enjoying catching up on you vids. Your layout and the changes you've made, just keep making your railroad better and better. Cheers Grant.
Yes they do David. The trip was a good time... Can't go wrong on the train as you say. Back to Spokane huh? Cool city. Been through there many times both on the Builder and rubber tires chasing trains through Marshall Canyon and east through the Funnel. Welcome back! -grant
Man I absolutely love your layout, your skills are unreal in that everything looks so life like. I also loooooved your friends layouts they also are master craftsmen, the terrain you and they model is my absolute favorite, lonely picturesque landscapes. Keep up the fantastic work my friend. tones1957 (New Zealand)
Hi Grant, Crowsnest is really coming on, the backdrop looks superb, i really like the way you paint them, I may even have a go myself one of these days! The other thing I was really interested in was the way you made your road, specifically the road markings. I’ve been pondering over this recently as it won’t be to long before roads are going in on my layout. Modelling in N Gauge/scale getting that right is important to me and you’ve showed me the way, thanks. Great trip to Grant, a friend and myself have been planning a trip coast to coast, from New York to either Seattle or San Francisco for a while now sadly curtailed by Covid, and looking at that has really got juices flowing to get that planning up and running again. Really enjoyed the update, hope you’re all well, cheers for now, John
Hi John good to hear from you. Thanks for the comment on the layout and glad you found some useful info. Sounds like a great trip you had in the works, definitely worth getting back on the books. You can't go wrong from west from Chicago. The California Zephyr fantastic and really gets spectacular from Denver on and The Empire Builder is fantastic. The Chief is pretty cool as well. All three I=offer different experiences... You might have to get to the west coast and take a different route back to Chicago!! Cheers! -grant
Grant I also agree the Issak Walton is a great location and special Have done the hotel and a caboose. Staff is great ! Would REALLY love to see a Lazer Kit of the the beautiful & unique hotel !
Glad you liked it Dave! Normally I like to use styrene but the hardboard gave me a uniques opportunity to avoid any joints and simply drop the road in place. All the best. -grant
Funny that you showed the Sounder in your video, as a number of those cars came through Alyth this past week; I was surprised to see them in the class yard on Wednesday :)
Cool. I've seen West Coast Express cars a few times but don't remember seeing Sounder cars. Wonder if they were new cars for delivery or being sent back east for work? Thanks for the input. -grant
The scene looks great!! The trip down to Portland and back looked awesome! I will admit.... at the beginning of the video, I was hoping the screen saver would hit the corner. 😁
Yah I was hoping for the corner boing as well!! The trip was pile of fun with great people. We're lucky that modelling can bring so many people together. Cheers. -grant
Thanks Erik. Yah it's a neat detail that proved very advantageous. After all my years trucking through the area I never noticed the difference in guardrails! Street view for the win! -grant
Thanks Mark. Yah I've got to run on Rob's and Rick's layouts a few times now. Always a good time. Trying to get the NW clan together to come up here one of these days...
Fantastic video. That’s a lot work you still doing. I’m freaking out by just replacing a small section of track. Always wanted to take a long train trip somewhere but Via rail doesn’t run through Calgary anymore. Would have to drive to Edmonton, and I would love to see a Norfolk southern in person. Sorry for rambling,again great stuff your doing. Can’t wait see more. Cheers.
Thanks Garry! The train definitely is a fun way to travel providing you don't care when you get there! In my opinion the Canadian is the best trip in North America. I like to fly into Winnipeg and take it to Vancouver. I've done the whole route several times and while Ontario is cool in it's own way all the really neat stuff happens west of Edmonton. Cheers. -grant
Beautiful job, Grant! Your scenery work is spectacular!! I was wondering if your friend that models Tennessee Pass does videos?? What little you showed looked spot on. I would love to see more!!! That run from the Royal Gorge up to the pass and down into Minturn is my favorite chunk of railroad when the DRGW had it. Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful layout as you progress!
Thanks Brian. There are two videos that I know of that feature Rob's layout. If you search TH-cam for Rob Carey's Tennessee Pass they should pop up. I agree that the Royal Gorge is a spectacular piece of railroad. Unbelievable how it was squeezed in beside the Arkansas. The climb from Minturn to the Summit is just as mind blowing. Wish there were still trains crossing over the top. -grant
Great vid again. Your backdrop design reminds me of Bob Ross's paintings. I am also currently building a large N scale layout. My system theme is also BC again. Many thanks
Wow, It’s hard for me to describe in words how amazing your layout is and this update, you have such a beautiful layout and I almost list my mind with excitement when I seen your Western Pacific F3s, my favorite railroad! even the Rio Grande was cool 😎 all your trains, you run, are just amazing and perfect keep up your amazing work! Thanks for sharing 👍👊
Thank you so much! The WP units belong to my friend Rick and that is his layout they are running on. The D&RGW layout belongs to another friend of mine, Rob Carey. You can search "Rob Carey's Tennessee Pass" on TH-cam to find a few videos of his layout. Cheers!
@@SouthernAlbertaRail awesome I will, and i also forgot to mention, I like how you added some real life stuff also that’s always great to see those Trains as well as your friends Trains on your channel
Thank you very much! Not as much snow on the pass as a few years back. I was in Essex a few years ago and you couldn't see the bottom row of windows on the Izaac Walton because of all the snow that had fallen off the roof! It does look nice when you're in a warm observation car. -grant
Absolutely captivating from beginning to end, your pursuit of accuracy is admirable and very entertaining to see play out. I loved seeing the little google street view you used as a reference, since I instantly recognized a fishing spot my grandpa would take me to. Also holy moses, that train trip, man I'd kill to see those sights at least once in my life, especially a snowy Montana. Looking forward to the next video!
Hey thanks for the kind words! The Empire Builder across Montana is certainly a great ride! The snow adds a touch of rugged beauty to the whole experience. Glad I could stir the memory of fishing with your Grand-dad! Cheers. -grant
Another stellar update video Grant! Your highway tutorial is great. I often thought many layouts drop the ball when it comes to highway or road detail (shoulders especially) and it often becomes the most toy-like feature of an otherwise impressive layout. The erosion detail is spot on! And the work train (Jordan spreader) nice touch!
@@SouthernAlbertaRail I appreciate their tireless hard work and dedication to the cause.:) I just realized you are also in Calgary. I'm in the West Springs area. Just sent you an email.
Another awesome video. I always feel sad when I see someone rip out their great work but then when it is redone, it looks great and when someone has the skill as you have, wow, awesome backdrops and detail work. Loved the trip on the train and the operating on the layout. Stay safe and great work!
Hey Grant ! Love the way you've redone the Crowsnest facia, the way the flat terrain merge with the lake shore ! Btw after what you said I took a quick tour of the place on google and found the turntable and roundhouse foundations just south of Summit Lake ! Would have been a nice addition if you had enough space in the foreground scenery. And... you gave me a very good reason to think about a trip to Montana one day ! Sleeping in that F45 would sure be neat 😊 Thanks for the updates. Very good stuff, as usual !
Thanks Seb. I too wish there was more room to include the foundations. I might cheat a little and include some concrete footings of some sort just for interest. Montana is an awesome place to railfan. Not just Essex but the whole pass... and of course the MRL a few hours south.
The Rob Carey Tenessee Pass layout is amazing and I wish there was more coverage of it. I railroad out of denver and it's a great regret that Tenessee pass is closed
Different methods depending on how grungy it gets. Extra fine sanding sponge for the worst of it after construction and an old sock with a small block of 3/4 inch plywood in it if it just needs a quick polish. Thanks for stopping by for a peek. -grant
It's an Overland brass model I found on eBay a bunch of years ago. Started life as a D&RGW spreader. I masked and airbrushed on the fangs and lettered it for Southern Alberta Rail. Cheers. -grant
A special thanks to friends Rob and Rick for opening up their layouts for all of us to enjoy and of course Lowell and Pete for organizing. Special thanks to Pete for the use of his guest room and wheeling me around for the weekend as well as the smooth ride down the Gorge. Thanks so much guys... had an absolute blast! -grant
WOW Great work thx for the update awesome 😊😊👍👍👍
My pleasure 😊
Did I ever enjoy this post, my daughter lives in Portland and I've ridden the Empire Builder, well back to modeling here in Wisconsin...Thx for this fun post !
Glad you enjoyed it Ken. The Builder is definitely a great ride! Have fun. -grant
Your friends Rob and Rick have stellar layouts. Looks like a great trip...train...the only way to travel! I've been off the net for about 6 months during a move across the country back home in Spokane. I've really been enjoying catching up on you vids. Your layout and the changes you've made, just keep making your railroad better and better. Cheers Grant.
Yes they do David. The trip was a good time... Can't go wrong on the train as you say. Back to Spokane huh? Cool city. Been through there many times both on the Builder and rubber tires chasing trains through Marshall Canyon and east through the Funnel. Welcome back! -grant
What wonderful content and what beautiful scenery you build. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video. -grant
I love the scene. Vehicles are a very realistic looking so are your back drops and trees . Love it great job happy model railroading.
Thank you very much Todd! Cheers.
That was a most wholesome 12 minutes of my day. I will say that!
Hey thanks for taking the time to check things out! -grant
Outstanding modelling and a superb video, thank you 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers. -grant
Man I absolutely love your layout, your skills are unreal in that everything looks so life like.
I also loooooved your friends layouts they also are master craftsmen, the terrain you and they model is my absolute favorite, lonely picturesque landscapes.
Keep up the fantastic work my friend.
tones1957 (New Zealand)
Thanks so much Tony. I do think that N scale shines when modelling vast open space. Cheers! -grant
Hi Grant, Crowsnest is really coming on, the backdrop looks superb, i really like the way you paint them, I may even have a go myself one of these days! The other thing I was really interested in was the way you made your road, specifically the road markings. I’ve been pondering over this recently as it won’t be to long before roads are going in on my layout. Modelling in N Gauge/scale getting that right is important to me and you’ve showed me the way, thanks.
Great trip to Grant, a friend and myself have been planning a trip coast to coast, from New York to either Seattle or San Francisco for a while now sadly curtailed by Covid, and looking at that has really got juices flowing to get that planning up and running again.
Really enjoyed the update, hope you’re all well, cheers for now, John
Hi John good to hear from you. Thanks for the comment on the layout and glad you found some useful info.
Sounds like a great trip you had in the works, definitely worth getting back on the books. You can't go wrong from west from Chicago. The California Zephyr fantastic and really gets spectacular from Denver on and The Empire Builder is fantastic. The Chief is pretty cool as well. All three I=offer different experiences... You might have to get to the west coast and take a different route back to Chicago!! Cheers! -grant
great mix of content Grant. Thank you for the rail fanning and your layout progress overview.
Thanks John. I'm already looking forward to the next train trip. Thinking another trip on the Canadian is in order!! -grant
A fantastic layout and excellent work. Many greetings from Germany
Thank you very much Wolfgang! Greetings from Canada! -grant
Grant
I also agree the Issak Walton is a great location and special
Have done the hotel and a caboose. Staff is great !
Would REALLY love to see a Lazer Kit of the the beautiful & unique hotel !
Have you seen this Brad. Not sure if it ever became anything but worth a look...
www.pwrs.ca/view_product.php?ProductID=258939
Fantastic as always. Great to see all the techniques you use. Thx for the update
Glad you enjoyed it David. Thanks for watching. -grant
Just beautiful!
Pete 🇬🇧
Cheers Pete! I really appreciate the comment. -grant
Outstanding layout and video. Using hardboard for roads is a good idea. Thanks for sharing. Dave
Glad you liked it Dave! Normally I like to use styrene but the hardboard gave me a uniques opportunity to avoid any joints and simply drop the road in place. All the best. -grant
Great update, nice to see some s
Of the real stuff....The white stuff sure looks pretty. As always your attention to detail is outstanding
Hey thanks Tim. Got my fill of the white stuff the day after I got home!! Cheers. -grant
Funny that you showed the Sounder in your video, as a number of those cars came through Alyth this past week; I was surprised to see them in the class yard on Wednesday :)
Cool. I've seen West Coast Express cars a few times but don't remember seeing Sounder cars. Wonder if they were new cars for delivery or being sent back east for work? Thanks for the input. -grant
The scene looks great!! The trip down to Portland and back looked awesome!
I will admit.... at the beginning of the video, I was hoping the screen saver would hit the corner. 😁
Yah I was hoping for the corner boing as well!! The trip was pile of fun with great people. We're lucky that modelling can bring so many people together. Cheers. -grant
Very nice update. Really enjoyed it. Thanks for showing
Glad you enjoyed it Doug. Thanks for watching.
Wow what a great trip!! Must have been a blast. Layout is lookin great, very cool detail with the AB/BC border!
Thanks Erik. Yah it's a neat detail that proved very advantageous. After all my years trucking through the area I never noticed the difference in guardrails! Street view for the win! -grant
What a beautiful video again I am always amazed at how beautiful your layout is
Thank you very much!
Looking good. Glad you got to run on Rob's layout, a great one for sure! Cheers!
Thanks Mark. Yah I've got to run on Rob's and Rick's layouts a few times now. Always a good time. Trying to get the NW clan together to come up here one of these days...
Outstanding! Thank you for sharing!
My pleasure! Thanks for tuning in! -grant
Great update and interesting variety in the video. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching! Cheers. -grant
Thanks so much for the video. Great trip. Wonderful job on the layout.
Glad you enjoyed it! Cheers. -grant
Fantastic video. That’s a lot work you still doing. I’m freaking out by just replacing a small section of track. Always wanted to take a long train trip somewhere but Via rail doesn’t run through Calgary anymore. Would have to drive to Edmonton, and I would love to see a Norfolk southern in person. Sorry for rambling,again great stuff your doing. Can’t wait see more. Cheers.
Thanks Garry! The train definitely is a fun way to travel providing you don't care when you get there! In my opinion the Canadian is the best trip in North America. I like to fly into Winnipeg and take it to Vancouver. I've done the whole route several times and while Ontario is cool in it's own way all the really neat stuff happens west of Edmonton. Cheers. -grant
It is always a pleaseur to see the changes and progress on your layout
Thanks. Having fun sharing with all of you. -grant
That was a interesting trip. thank you. great work on the layout.
Many thanks! Glad you enjoyed the ride. -grant
Beautiful job, Grant! Your scenery work is spectacular!!
I was wondering if your friend that models Tennessee Pass does videos?? What little you showed looked spot on. I would love to see more!!! That run from the Royal Gorge up to the pass and down into Minturn is my favorite chunk of railroad when the DRGW had it.
Looking forward to seeing more of your beautiful layout as you progress!
Thanks Brian. There are two videos that I know of that feature Rob's layout. If you search TH-cam for Rob Carey's Tennessee Pass they should pop up.
I agree that the Royal Gorge is a spectacular piece of railroad. Unbelievable how it was squeezed in beside the Arkansas. The climb from Minturn to the Summit is just as mind blowing. Wish there were still trains crossing over the top. -grant
Amazing work, very well done
Thank you! Cheers!
Your layoat is oat of control cool!!
Thanks!
Wow awesome 🚂🚃🚃🚃🚃
Thanks Tom! Cheers. -grant
Another great video and real nice scenery work.
Thanks Bob. -grant
Great vid again. Your backdrop design reminds me of Bob Ross's paintings. I am also currently building a large N scale layout. My system theme is also BC again. Many thanks
Thanks so much, I really appreciate the input. BC has so much to offer. Such a spectacular area to model. Cheers. -grant
@@SouthernAlbertaRail Oh yeah. We are often in BC. What can I say...BC , what else??!
Wow, It’s hard for me to describe in words how amazing your layout is and this update, you have such a beautiful layout and I almost list my mind with excitement when I seen your Western Pacific F3s, my favorite railroad! even the Rio Grande was cool 😎 all your trains, you run, are just amazing and perfect keep up your amazing work! Thanks for sharing 👍👊
Thank you so much! The WP units belong to my friend Rick and that is his layout they are running on. The D&RGW layout belongs to another friend of mine, Rob Carey. You can search "Rob Carey's Tennessee Pass" on TH-cam to find a few videos of his layout. Cheers!
@@SouthernAlbertaRail awesome I will, and i also forgot to mention, I like how you added some real life stuff also that’s always great to see those Trains as well as your friends Trains on your channel
Outstanding progress Grant, thanks for the update!
Thanks much Ian, glad you could stop by for a visit! -grant
Great update with real and awesome layout scenery, the snowy mountains were awesome on the train ride
Thank you very much! Not as much snow on the pass as a few years back. I was in Essex a few years ago and you couldn't see the bottom row of windows on the Izaac Walton because of all the snow that had fallen off the roof! It does look nice when you're in a warm observation car. -grant
Absolutely captivating from beginning to end, your pursuit of accuracy is admirable and very entertaining to see play out. I loved seeing the little google street view you used as a reference, since I instantly recognized a fishing spot my grandpa would take me to. Also holy moses, that train trip, man I'd kill to see those sights at least once in my life, especially a snowy Montana. Looking forward to the next video!
Hey thanks for the kind words! The Empire Builder across Montana is certainly a great ride! The snow adds a touch of rugged beauty to the whole experience. Glad I could stir the memory of fishing with your Grand-dad! Cheers. -grant
Dude your layout is absolutely insane!!!
Thanks a bunch! Appreciate that. -grant
Another stellar update video Grant! Your highway tutorial is great. I often thought many layouts drop the ball when it comes to highway or road detail (shoulders especially) and it often becomes the most toy-like feature of an otherwise impressive layout. The erosion detail is spot on! And the work train (Jordan spreader) nice touch!
Thanks Dwayne! The 40-2's seem to earning their keep lately on all the different moves they are in charge of!
@@SouthernAlbertaRail I appreciate their tireless hard work and dedication to the cause.:) I just realized you are also in Calgary. I'm in the West Springs area. Just sent you an email.
Another awesome video. I always feel sad when I see someone rip out their great work but then when it is redone, it looks great and when someone has the skill as you have, wow, awesome backdrops and detail work. Loved the trip on the train and the operating on the layout. Stay safe and great work!
Thanks Rob, I really appreciate the comments. Cheers. -grant
Hey Grant !
Love the way you've redone the Crowsnest facia, the way the flat terrain merge with the lake shore !
Btw after what you said I took a quick tour of the place on google and found the turntable and roundhouse foundations just south of Summit Lake ! Would have been a nice addition if you had enough space in the foreground scenery.
And... you gave me a very good reason to think about a trip to Montana one day ! Sleeping in that F45 would sure be neat 😊
Thanks for the updates. Very good stuff, as usual !
Thanks Seb. I too wish there was more room to include the foundations. I might cheat a little and include some concrete footings of some sort just for interest.
Montana is an awesome place to railfan. Not just Essex but the whole pass... and of course the MRL a few hours south.
The Rob Carey Tenessee Pass layout is amazing and I wish there was more coverage of it. I railroad out of denver and it's a great regret that Tenessee pass is closed
Yah Rob's layout is pretty nice and well designed. A pile of fun to operate on. Cheers. -grant
top job 👍
Thank you Harald! Cheers! -grant
Absolutely wonderful work!!
Thank you Kraig! Cheers!
great job as always !
Hey thanks! I appreciate the visit. Cheers! -grant
@@SouthernAlbertaRail did you check out my vids as well ? search for custom-nscale
I've watched a few Sandro. Liking the SD40-2 vibe on the coal train.
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching Guss, I appreciate that! Cheers. -grant
Awesome layout my friend
Thanks a bunch Chris! -grant
great job
Thank you.
Go Chiefs!! Make It happen!!
KC all the way!! Or are we talking Santa Fe all the Way???
Great video edit!
Thanks! certainly spent some time staring at the screen on this vid!!
Awesome.
Thanks Kiwi! Cheers. -grant
I have to ask at 5:40 showing the eastern side of the Tennessee pass tunnel, what is the story behind the abandoned tunnel on the right?
That was the original standard gauge tunnel, replaced in 1945 with the one on the left.
Unbelievable work! What do you use to clean your track?
Different methods depending on how grungy it gets. Extra fine sanding sponge for the worst of it after construction and an old sock with a small block of 3/4 inch plywood in it if it just needs a quick polish. Thanks for stopping by for a peek. -grant
Where did you get the Jordan Spreader?
It's an Overland brass model I found on eBay a bunch of years ago. Started life as a D&RGW spreader. I masked and airbrushed on the fangs and lettered it for Southern Alberta Rail. Cheers. -grant
🇧🇷🚂👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Thanks!
Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet
Thaaaanks!! -grant