I am working on a presentation to be made to BAGRS (Bay Area Garden Railroad Society). I want to show off our nearly complete 65 foot by 23 foot layout in my presentation. Club Member Basil Casabona owns the largest consist in the club – it’s 37 foot long. So, I prevailed upon Basil to bring it down and let me take pictures. Now, I am no genius photographer but I did get some snaps to include in my presentation. Click on any photo to see the gallery/pics full size.

Thanks Basil and wife Mary for bring it all down and running it.

This recent e=mail tells the story of these pics:

“On Oct 21st we visited the Mendocino Coast Model Railroad and we want to say Thanks again for your great explanations and the nice little tour through the Workshop that you had given to us. In this Email you will find some photos our daughter Antonia had taken through our visit. ………..”

Bonzo the dog watching the Minions racing rail car get a tune up

Checking out the water level in the tank at the Carlson farm

Coming through Tunnel #1

Frank Davis explaining how a hayrick boom worked

The Aschentrup Familys son testing our yet be installed mega diesel sound maker

Tony Phillips teaching the Aschentrup familys daughter how to sound our diesel horn

Tony Phillips with the Aschentrup familys daughter sounding our diesel horn

The Aschentrup Familys daughter seeing for herself just how old redwood trees can be

And this (I think) is a family project:

Model Diorama in the making

Thank you Antonia.

When Club Member frank Smith lived in Santa Cruz he was a member of the Golden State Toy Train Operators. In the latest edition of their newsletter are two articles – one is written by a friend of Frank’s who visited him and our layout here in Fort Bragg and one by Frank. I have taken the liberty of clipping them from the newsletter so that Club Members might see how others see us.

Double Click on the image to enlarge.

Article telling how a visitor saw the Fort Bragg G Scale Model Railroad

Article telling how a visitor saw the Fort Bragg G Scale Model Railroad

This is what frank wrote:

Frank Smith talking about being in Fort Bragg

Who says? Me!!! And the pics below bear me out.

We have had a Seasonal display for the last couple of years. When we took it out this year we found that it had become quite tatty. So, Bill Shepherd built a new base. Jim Williams re-wired it. Chuck Whitlock refurbished all the old buildings, added new buildings and increased the number of people. The last “touch” was to add a plethora of trees. And the result? See for yourself:

[Click on any pic to initiate the gallery.]

Where can you see it in person? Just tootle down to the layout in Fort Bragg and it’s on the right hand side as you come in under the canopy of our soon to be Museum and Library Container.

If you have been following my blogs recently you will find two blogs of photos donated by Stephanie Perdue. Click here and here to see them. I have, heretofore, posted all of Stephanie Perdue’s photos. I held back on one because I thought it merited its own blog:

Double click on the photo to see Chuck’s Bacon sannie in all its glory!!!!!!!

Chuck enjoying his bacon sannie framed by Tunnel #3

If you look carefully you can see the ribbing on the sides of the tunnel.

Our layout, alas, is within sight of the Pacific Ocean. As a result the portion of the layout and informational posters that are outside are assailed by constant salt laden breeze and wind to say nothing of UV. Club Member Roger Thornburn has been hard at work renovating the outside informational posters. I thought that this one was worthy of a post as it explains the club’s mission:

One of four signs at the entrance to the layout itself

Double click on the image to increase its size.

Since Father’s Day in 2013 (when we opened to the public) and today we have not had a sign to say who we were to differentiate ourselves from the California Western Railroad (CWR) – aka the Skunk Train. Having put a ledger along the top of the overhang of our soon to be Museum/Library we decided that there was room on the ledger announcing ourselves to visitors. Our first attempt wasn’t so hot:

Mendocino Costco Sign

Those responsible for the new sign – principally club members Joe Cooper and Lonnie Dickson  – were appalled at the chicanery and soon had it put right.

The Real Thing with Lonnie Dickson pointing to his handiwork

AKA the members of the Mendocino Coast Model Railroad and Historical Society (MCMR&HS).

Club Members – Click to enlarge

Who’s who?

Back row – left to right:

Basil, Chuck (president), Ginny, Joe D, Steve, Roger, Earl and Frank (chief operating officer)

Front Row – left to right:

Bruce, Ben, Joe C, Tony (curmudgeon) and Jim

Individually and collectively they are all wanted!!!!!!

The pic was taken June 30th, 2018 by Nancy (Roger’s wife)