Cars of the Tuolumne Forks Model Railroad
Bob BrownDescription
Tuolumne Forks is an O&3 freelanced narrow gauge logging and mining railroad. Bob Brown is the editor and publisher of the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette. This layout combines mining and logging with a tourist line. The operation follows the Lake Tahoe Railway and Navigation Company’s transport of tourists from Workshop to the Lake Tahoe Resort. The railroad is famous among narrow gauge enthusiasts like Bob Brown. Bob Brown enjoys creating the look of rundown equipment with a homemade touch, and the practice allows him to largely freelance.
Bob explains that the homemade logging cars, the tank cars, the homemade box cars, and the log cars are his favorite to build for this layout, noting that he only puts on the details that are visible and nothing more. Exterior details aren’t always the most important thing. Brown notes that a major advantage of homemade equipment is that the equipment is not regulated by anyone so you can leave out things such as brake systems and no one can tell you otherwise.
What kind of cars do you like to build for the layout? Well, I like the homemade logging cars, the tank cars, the homemade box cars, the log cars. Do you do all this yourself or do you have people that build things for you, or? I built most of it. My long log train was put together by Dick Christ and he went out of On3 into three eighths narrow gauge. Three eighths. Three eighths using O gauge track and he's quite a builder. And anyway, I was able to pick up quite a bit of his equipment. How much detail do you like to put on a car, as much as you can? No. I tend to put out, put on only what is visible. I don't like doing hand grabs, I put hand grabs on, but I don't I don't like the fiddly detail. I don't put brake systems on, of course, many of my cars the prototypes don't have brake systems which is another advantage with the homemade equipment you know, they're not really regulated by anyone. They could run pretty much what they wanted to But, but you don't like to do the underbody detail. You won't do anything, unless you can see it. Usually on my cars, unless it's for a contest. What's more important interior or exterior detail in a, in a car or structure. Well, I think exterior detail. I'd rather lavish my attention on the exterior, but I have a number of dioramas I've made that have full interiors. When I get, when I get the call, when I get the feel, then I love to do that. I wish I, but I can't maintain that. And I wish there was some way to do it.
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