Bear Creek & Marathon Railroad

June and the Chihuahua Desert is in Bloom:

The mule-ear cactus are filled with new blooms, as well as the red yucca, the cholla, and all the other varieties of cactus that bloom here in the spring.

The spotty afternoon thunderstorms haven’t put a damper on operations, but distractions do take their toll:

In perhaps the most spectacular crash in the history of the BC&M, the UP northbound freight dropped the back-half of its consist, only to meet up with it again on the next loop, sending cars flying from both sections. All it took was a phone call to create the distraction. How come these things never happen with you’re WATCHING!!!

An early spring storm brought golfball-sized hail, driven by 50mph winds, down on the BC&M RR! Fortunately, only a few structures remained outside while we were away on a trip, but they all sustained major damage:

The curved tresstle took a hard hit:

The yard tower took roof and siding damage, but is repairable:

And believe it or not, one of the water towers had almost all the pieces nearby, so repairs are under way:

Surprisingly, no switches were damaged, either the switching mechanism or the rails. We were told the ground was covered white with golfball and larger hail, so its a testament to the quality of Aristocraft and LGB track and switches that everything survived intact.

We rang in the new year on the Bear Creek & Marathon by adding some new switches, some improved trackwork, and some new buildings. The weather really cooperated in this high desert winter, so we had many days of clear, cool train operations.

We also did some trackwork. First, the troublesome turnout onto the Red River siding was replaced with a #6 Aristo SS turnout, and the longest of trains now enters the siding effortlessly:

Last month we replaced the turnout leading to the storage barn with a #6 turnout we bought on e-bay…BAD DECISION. The turnout had problems from the beginning because the exit had been shortened by the previous owner, and the rails were also out of alignment. No amount of adjustment would make it work, so we bought a new one directly from Aristo and installed it. Problems solved!

Finally, we continue to expand the street system in our town. After many failed attempts at a suitable material for roadways, the best seems to be Sacrete mix. Here is how far we got on this trip:

Of course, once dry it matches the color of the other streets and has the look of pavement.

Sometimes, it’s just plain fun to go watch the big boys in action, so I was up at the crack of dawn to see the Union Pacific highballing westbound through Marathon, just a few blocks from the house. Jump on board and let’s go trainin!!!

Last month, our little fox came around to watch the freights go by…this month the quail lined up in the bleachers to wave to the engineers:

This month, we concentrated on buildings: a new hotel, and foundations for the buildings. We added new lights for new buildings, and next it’s finishing the roads throughout the town:

Our new hotel was an E-bay score, and there’s no doubt we could not have built it as well as this wonderful craftsman. Very nice addition. Travelers can grab a trolley from the station to the hotel, and then use the trolley to get to shopping in town:

And so, it’s time to go run some trains!!!

We found perfect weather during our November operations on the BC&M this month. We added a new siding to the Santa Fe main line, and completed a spur that allows us to move entire trains into the storage shed to be put away for the night, unlike the previous days of picking them up and carrying them inside the den for storage on the floor. I know, why would you EVER DO THAT! Well, we’re just moving into the 21st. century, OK? So ride along on a highballing Union Pacific freight as he makes the run from Marathon to Bear Creek:

The new siding on the Santa Fe main line:

The new storage spur to the storage shed:

And then we had the unexpected foxy lady drop by for a visit:

Our little fox came back for an encore the next evening, and seemed interested in joining the party.

It’s so unusual to get this nice warm, dry weather at this time of the year, and we took advantage of the “Indian Summer” to get some fun evenings under a full moon.