Joe Fugate's HO Siskiyou Line Model Railroad

The first thing you do when you get a train assignment is grab a throttle, go to where your train is located (in this case, Coos Bay) and dial up your loco number. That's all there is to it!

I used a Lenz DCC system for 7 years (since 1993), but in 2000 I converted to the wireless EasyDCC system. You dial up your engine number by using the last two digits on the cab of the lead engine. In this case, we dial up 22 because our lead engine is 4422. If you press F0, the lower headlight on the SP headlight set comes on, and if you press F1, the upper gyralight headlight comes on, complete with a simulated gyration action. And this lashup has sound: F2 is the horn, F3 is the bell, and F4 is the dynamic brakes.

Contact the dispatcher to get a track warrant, and once he has given you clearance to proceed, you are ready to go!

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The Coos Bay Hauler is my favorite train on the Siskiyou Line. It is one of the few trains that traverses almost the entire length of the layout (some 350 feet of "mainline"). It travels the complete length of the branch, then travels most of the length of the Siskiyou Line main from Roseburg to Goshen and then enters staging (which represents Eugene).

Here we see the train sitting in Coos Bay yard. Four first generation diesels power our train of 20 cars (19 cars plus the caboose). From the front, our power is SD9 4422, SD9 4394, GP9 3842, and SD9 4317.

Not much has changed in this photo from the 1999 "follow my train" photo, although that photo had some interesting constuction details -- click here to read.

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Here's a nice closeup shot of SD9 4422 as it rumbles across Coalbank Slough trestle, just east of Coos Bay. The water here is painted wallboard, with acrylic gloss medium added to get the ripples and the shine to make it look like water.

These photos are all taken from my eye level to give you a better feel for how the trains really look when you come operate. In looking closer at this photo I notice the area needs some more vegetation along the water's edge.

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Our train has pulled out of Coos Bay and is now entering the next town up the branch -- the town of Coquille. There is not a lot of scenery on this part of the branch yet, nor are there many structures. The tent cards you see identify the key industries and structures for operators.

I like long trains and this one looks very nice rolling along up the branch!

In the background is the spline roadbed of the Powers Branch, and masking tape over cardboard strips. By the 1980s, the Powers Branch will be abandoned, so I've never gotten around to laying the track yet. For scenery, I put plaster and a cement/vermiculite mix over the masking tape to form the scenery base. I like the cement / vermiculite mix because it's strong, lightweight, yet somewhat rubbery -- making it easy to poke holes into the scenery base with an awl for tree trunks.

Not much has changed in this area from the 1999 "follow my train" photos.

(click on image to see a larger version)

Page last updated on January 1, 2005
E-mail:  siskiyou@railfan.net