1.5-Inch History

1.5-INCH - HISTORY

In 1996, the HO club invited three of us to build a 1.5" scale railroad on the property, using the remains of a 7-1/2 gauge layout started by the previous owner, Larry Baker, before he passed away.

In 1998, several of our members who are interested in the larger scale of 1.5” to the foot started to reactivate the large–scale layout, including several bridges, a turntable, and some track, that Larry Barker had started on the property.

The 1.5” group, part of ECMRRC, Inc., is called the Central Oregon Area Live Steamers (COALS). During the years 1999, 2000 and 2001, COALS has laid almost 900 feet of track in the yard area and on the main line. Five turnouts have been rebuilt and laid and both of the original trestles have been strengthened and now have track over them. A timber retaining wall has been built along the irrigation canal and a 60-foot bridge with concrete abutments has been constructed on the south loop.

Early in the year 2002, a 40-foot storage container was purchased and moved to the property so that materials and equipment can be stored out of the weather, leaving space in the other buildings for more day-to-day use. During the next six months the container was cleaned, painted and moved to its final position. The bridge and building gang poured the footings for the trestle and built, placed, treated and installed the wooden bents in final position. In July, all members who could attend, (with the promise of food), laid and ballasted almost 900 feet of track, which brought the main line within 10 feet of either side of the 60 foot bridge on the south loop. Almost 10 yards of ballast was moved and spread on the new track. Now it was up to the bridge gang to finish the bridge. In early September, after two days of hard work installing stringers, bracing, ties and placing the last few feet of connecting track on either side of the bridge, the first train rolled across under control of Tom Allinger, followed closely by Michael Lavrich with his steam engine. At 7:30 pm on September 7th 2002, the main line was complete. October of 2002 saw almost 2000 visitors come to the open house. In November, Pat Smith offered to sell the club Larry Barker's Alco FA. Former COALS President Tom Allinger, current COALS President Brian Benjamin, and ECMRRC President Bruce Blanford traveled to Baker City to bring the Alco back to Modoc Lane. The club now has its original motive power back, as well as one piece of rolling stock to call its own.

In 2003, the COALS gang piped the irrigation ditch behind the work shop, started grading for the extension to the container, planted over one hundred pine trees, and saw the arrival of Brian’s steam engine. In July, at another club picnic, a three-way switch was installed and tracks laid into the car storage building. The main line was adjusted and fresh ballast laid. COALS members Conrad Firkus and Brian Benjamin both received caboose kits for Christmas and they had them out for testing in September, along with Conrad’s new flat cars. Open house in 2003 was a cold weekend and not as many people visited - just under 600 for both days.

March of 2004 saw the first activity on the 1.5” railroad in almost two years. All of the rough tie material was cut to length and a good stack of ties was ready for the tie-treating tank. In June, Shirl Benjamin brought her school bus kids and families out for a day of train rides. Later that month, a work party trenched electrical power to the container, in preparation for building a transfer table for unloading and connecting to the container. In August, a new siding was built for loading and water for steam engines was put in next to it. After our October Open House that year, we continued to work outside by grading the right of way to the container.

2005 started out strong as well. In January, Conrad took the club’s Alco home to detail it with new handrails, exhaust stack and grabirons. February arrived, but the 1.5” gang didn’t slow down. We knew we needed to fix our North loop. Tamping the ballast and re-leveling the track every year wasn’t curing derailment problems on the loop. So we did some planning and graded a new loop at a 75’ radius as opposed to the 50’ radius it had been. The larger loop also allowed us to take some slope out of the track as well. March saw the Alco going to HO member RJ’s home for body work and painting. April saw the Alco retuning to Conrad’s for lettering and a cooling fan addition. Then Brain took the Alco home for hydraulic and electrical work. May brought new bridge abutments for the new loop as well as the track to the container. In September, Conrad built and installed two new steaming bays at the turntable. October saw the Open House, and the return of the Alco in Union Pacific paint, with new hydraulics and electrical. December saw the Root family acquire a Mountain Car Dash 9 and several cars. COALS members also got together earlier in the year and paid Conrad to build a new Southern Pacific flat car for Bruce. Conrad presented the new car to Bruce in a Snow Run in December. With almost a foot of snow, the tracks needed shoveling as the plow on the SD45 couldn’t push through it.

2006 started slower for the outside gang, as April saw the first activity for the year. We started to lay out the track for the new loop, and build across our new bridges. Conrad also built his first of many bulkhead flatcars. June brought our first parking lot sale. To attract people, the 1.5 and HO were operating. Late June and into the first week of July, COALS went to Train Mountain for their 2006 Triennial. Shirl bought a new Boxcab and flatcar there. Upon returning from Train Mountain, we got the new loop cut into the main line. In August, track was laid to the container. September came, and with it our loading track was re-connected to the mainline. A temporary ramp was built into the container to access the tracks inside. In December, it became apparent we needed more space in the container.

In April 2007, a double-decked shelf was built to hold another 40 feet of rolling stock as well as open house signage and various other stuff. In November, Max Sams, James Miller, Warren Root, and Conrad Firkus built and installed two more steaming bays at the turntable.

December saw Warren and Conrad lay down another 80 feet of storage tracks in our container. Also, late 2007 saw Heath Bourne and James running a compacter on the new grade for a “Y” track to our planned North Loop.

A new locomotive arrived at COALS in November. Member Max Sams took delivery of his new Rail Systems SW1500. He spent the better part of the winter painting and lettering the SW1500 into his home road, the Sage Valley Railway.

In April 2008, COALS bought a 20-foot container to use as a new engine house at a later date. The old engine house was in need of repair, and even though it was only used for the storage of miscellaneous supplies, its status as a structure was vulnerable to a strong wind. In April of 2009, the Tin Shed engine house came down, and preparation began for setting the new container in place for use as the engine house.

May saw more grading being done on the new “Y”, and Tom, Dave, Bruce, Conrad, and Warren, with Conrad and Dave in Bobcats, building retaining walls along the grading of the “Y” track. This new “Y” allows us to not only turn onto our new North Loop, but also allow us to turn our trains around and load our trains across the new transfer table the correct way in a trailer to be unloaded at other tracks like Train Mountain.

During June and July, trenches were dug for concrete to support the new transfer table. The trenches quickly became an area for an entire slab to be poured after Conrad, who was running the Bobcat, asked Dave, James and Warren if they wanted a slab instead of just 4” wide footings for the angle iron to rest on. With a yes vote from all, Conrad got busy grading for the slab.

Conrad was also helping James get our new transfer table built to aid in loading and unloading trains from trailers and the back of pickup trucks. Dave Workman found a load of concrete to pour for the transfer table slab, and once it set Conrad got some angle iron to use as rails for the transfer table. The transfer table also makes it easier to get the rolling stock off the two shelves in the container. After the transfer table was put in, we got busy on our North Loop project.

For the North Loop project, we made the switch to “Groovy Track” from aluminum profile rail. In doing so, we could weld the rails together into 80-foot-long sections and then attach the ties, essentially laying 80 feet of track at a time instead of 10 feet like we have to do with the aluminum rail. In fact, that is what James did. He welded the rails, which is one inch flat bar, into 80-foot long sections to be hauled to the roadbed. Conrad used a Bobcat to grade and ballast the new loop, and a neighbor came over and used a hydro-hammer on some rock for us.

During a work party in August, we joined the 80-foot-long track sections together for the loop, as well as attaching the ties to the rails. We also laid track down on the “Y” that was graded in late 2007, as well as made a new loading siding near the public parking lot. Conrad, James, and Brian spent a lot of their own time out at the club as well; making sure the new loop got done for Open House.

Once the new loop was done, a “golden tie” was placed to mark where the loop was joined together. The new loop was built with 75-foot-radius curves to allow Dave to bring out and run his Northern Pacific 2-8-8-4 Yellowstone steam engine, adding another train to our operation for our Open House. The North Loop was completed in time for our 2008 Open House, thanks to donations from our 2007 Open House visitors which allowed us to buy the flat bar and ballast we needed for the project.

2009 started strongly for COALS. April 4^th was the first work party, and many things got done. The irrigation ditch was worked on as it was starting to erode dirt within 3 feet of our tracks. The “Tin Shed” engine house came down to prepare for the container engine house.

In April, COALS purchased a 24-foot container to place next to the 20-foot container so both containers can be used as temporary members’ storage during operating weekends. One steaming bay had to be moved to the other side of the engine houses along the turntable to make room for the approach into the 24-foot container. Also, due to a virus going around in the pine trees, we had to remove three of our trackside pines that had been affected. Cutting the affected trees down is the only affordable way we have to keep the virus from spreading to other trees right now, but it is likely that the virus will eventually affect most of our pine trees.

Another loop around the HO clubhouse will follow sometime in the future, although it is unknown if we will use the “Groovy Track” or aluminum rail. Also, we will be adding another siding to our new station next to our public parking area at some point in the future.

COALS currently runs with mostly member owned equipment. In addition to the club’s Alco, we run with 12 other locomotives. The Alco and six of the member owned locomotives are gasoline burning diesel locomotive models, four member’s own live steam locomotives, and two member locomotives are electric. COALS operates with 56 member-owned cars. The club does not own any of the rolling stock seen during our Open House.

We may be small in number, but we have the land and time to get our railroad together......

The Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club and the Central Oregon Area Live Steamers have been formed to pursue the hobby of model railroading and related activities. We feel that we have one of the best facilities in the Central Oregon area, and as you get to know our group, we hope that you will agree with us. Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club/Central Oregon Area Live Steamers membership is open to individuals and families interested in the art of model railroading and to Railfans who have a fascination for this mode of transportation.

If you would like more information or are interested in joining the Eastern Cascades Model Railroad Club, contact a member for an application and the rules governing the club and membership. Also please visit us at the clubhouse. Lists of the COALS rules are on this site under the 1.5” tab.