Bitter Creek & Western
HO Layout in Nipomo, CA

Here are some pictures I took of a friends (Doug) layout in Nipomo California. I have spent many hours working and running on the layout for years.

 

Sweetwater

You enter the layout next to Sweetwater yard. This is a large stub end yard with a turn table, roundhouse, sand tower and more.


Click on Image to see a larger version		 A passenger train sits in the back of Sweetwater yard waiting to go o9ut onto the mainline.

Click on Image to see a larger version		 This is a view looking west from behind the roundhouse.

Horseshoe Curve and grade

As you leave the west end of Sweetwater you enter a tunnel. As you exit the tunnel you find yourself at the bottom of a long horseshoe curve and grade up the mountain. Above the grade is a mine and small HOn3 mining town.


Click on Image to see a larger version		 OHn3 Mining Town above the Horseshoe grade.

Click on Image to see a larger version		 HOn3 trestle above and behind the horseshoe curve. The mine is just to the left.
 

Abilene

The first town west of Sweetwater is Abilene. It is a  small community with a passenger station, Icing dock, a couple of fruit packing houses, a small down town, and some small industry.


Click on Image to see a larger version		 Looking west as you enter the industrial part of Abilene.

Brownwood

West of Abilene is Brownwood. Brownwood is the interchange with the HOn3. A new small Intermodal facility is under construction. Brownwood is also the home to the Big Machine Company and a Sugar processing facility.
   

Cherokee

West of Brownwood is Cherokee. The major industry in Cherokee is the La Dolce Vita Produce and Dry Goods Company and the associated icing dock. Cherokee is also the home to Lundin Linguica Works, Thorps Furniture and Schaefers Co LTD.

   

Dripping Springs

The next stop west is Dripping Springs. There is a small station, Railway Express Agency office, Dripping Springs Implement Co, a Feed Store and Jays Electrical Supply as well as a couple of other small shippers in Dripping Springs. From Dripping Springs you enter into Tunnel 7. Inside Tunnel 7 you have a choice of heading into Eagle Pass and ending your trip or heading past Sweetwater and on to the Horseshoe. 


Click on Image to see a larger version		  

Click on Image to see a larger version		  

Eagle Pass

Eagle Pass is a small yard that is designed as the west end of the layout. To the uneducated Eye it appears to be the east end of Sweetwater Yard.

   
   

Night on the Bitter Creek and Western

A number of the buildings have lighting in them. Years ago, before DCC, Mark Hornbeck designed and built a "constant lighting system". The basic idea is to send a high frequency low voltage signal down the tracks along with the regular analog DC to control the trains. The high frequency does not effect the motors. An RC filter is placed in the engine to filter out the DC and pass the high frequency AC to the lights.

Here are some pictures from our night runs.

PC203827-8X6.jpg (165774 bytes)
Click on Image to see a larger version		 Looking out of the town of Abilene at a freight entering town.
PC203828-8X6.jpg (149349 bytes)
Click on Image to see a larger version		 Turning to the left from the above shot to catch that same freight at the next block.
PC203830-8X6.jpg (164866 bytes)
Click on Image to see a larger version		 Sweetwater yard tower, you can see the roundhouse to the left of the tower.
PC203825-8X6.jpg (172045 bytes)
Click on Image to see a larger version

PC203822-8X6.jpg (167489 bytes)
Click on Image to see a larger version

 Dripping Springs in the evening.
PC203835-8X6.jpg (175649 bytes)
Click on Image to see a larger version		 View of the back of the Sweetwater roundhouse at night.