Why Jack Burgess Chose Yosemite Valley Railway

Most of the time, when modelers choose to duplicate a prototype, they do so because of an undying fascination with that particular railroad. Maybe they fell in love with the sights and sounds of a railroad as a child, or they admire what it represents. In the case of master prototyper Jack Burgess, Yosemite Valley Railway was a choice bred more from necessity and trial and error than from lifelong passion.

In this segment, Allen Keller and expert modeler Jack Burgess sit down to discuss what happens when you commit fully to duplicating a prototype for a scale layout. Using pictures of the real YV Railway, Jack describes his method for reconstructing in small scale the buildings, locomotives and landscapes that made the YV such an important component of California’s economy in 1939. You’ll learn how Jack made the transition from freelance building to prototyping, and discover what separates a good duplication from a spectacular one!