Waldo up till now has only been suggested by the Waldo mine. The Waldo mine narrow gauge railroad has never had any real connection with the Grants Pass Railroad nor any kind of a town. I have often thought about extending the narrow gauge line, using switch backs or a tunnel down to Jackpine or Happy Camp. If it went to Happy Camp that would require the logs being reloaded some where, possibly at Jackpine. If it goes to Jackpine the tie and plank mill would have to move (already done), and the lumber camp might be in the way. Well as lumber camps go, it was moved to Happy camp, nearer the present logging area. With a more or less a clean slate where Jackpine was, the planning starts. First I played with the idea that the line that held the logging camp cars could be elevated and a narrow gauge switch back could connect into this track (with a dual gauge track, something I have always liked the look of). The town of Waldo would be located there also. However, after a couple of days of trying different track arrangements, it just didn't work. This did require that the run around be removed. After some more thought the idea occurred to me that the turnouts and track just removed could be used to switch back the Cougar Ridge Railroad up to the Waldo Mine Railroad but not actually have a physical track attachment but just a reloading area and freight station. Let me see, a three tier switch back, a spread out town site, an old road to the Waldo town site, now replaced by the railroad sounds interesting. Well the code 70 #6 switches I had were too long so I got out my hand laid ones I saved from some time ago. Two of them fit the bill, so I decided to hand lay the whole new switch back area. Because it is high and awkward to reach I will build it in sections. One section will be the area of the first switch back, which will include the turnout with the tail track, extended by a short trestle so it is long enough to hold a Shay and one piece of rolling stock. There will also be a few buildings in this area.
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| hand made turnout cut into a ceiling tile with hand laid ties on it |
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| turnout cut into the old scenery |
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| most of the lumber camp moved to Happy Camp |
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| city of Waldo laid out and scenery started using old rock castings |
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| I think this will be a general store |
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| dirt road through town |
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