Santa Fe Mojave Terminal
in N Scale (1:160) by Eugen Hänseler

updated: July 8, 2021

History
This new "Mojave Terminal" is actually an extension of his existing "Old Part of Los Angeles II" layout.
The basic idea for building this Terminal came from the "Golden Spike" Layout presented during the 3rd Convention in Rodgau (Frankfurt) in October 2011.



for bigger size photos you may click on the 3-or 4-digit number under each photo
New 7/26/20: just scroll down for the latest videos

This Terminal is having 2 different modules: Size = 2 m x 0,5 m (6,7 ft x 20") and 1,5 m x 0,5 m (4ft x 20") = total 3,5 m (11,5 ft) length
Material = Poplar Plywood 10 mm is glued and screwed on 1" x 2" frame.

the board is mounted on the frame - 169 carpenter's work - 168
the frame makes a sturdy module - 172 finished module - 170
list of materials used: Tracks and Turnouts = Peco Code 80, Ballast = Woodlands Fine Light Gray, 1,5 mm cardboard for all roads and concrete surfaces,
landscaping with real dirt, bushes = hemp cord covered with miniNatur late fall and summer, Paint = Revell Aqua Color
test laying of tracks and turnouts - 173 left is the connection to the existing layout - 205
a cardboard mockup is made for the diesel shop - 175 210
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The Engine Facility with the Sanding Towers requires scratch building. Brass is the ideal material but you should have the proper skills.
Protoype of this type of Sanding Tower is located in Stockton, CA
Stockton, CA Terminal with Sanding Tower - 105 the result of the scale model is below - 120
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225 Sanding Towers are made of brass - 227
soldering for the sanding towers is required - 236 railings and ladder covers made of 0,4 mm brass wire - 240
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sanding towers are all scratch built - 246 250
157 sand filler hoses are connected - 162
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left is the existing layout - 368 this is the new Mojave Terminal - 369
wiring with connectors on a modul - 410 415
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Landscaping has already been started. This Terminal needs service roads, RR-crossings and platforms. We can find typical Mojave Desert Vegetation.
Desert Vegetation - 418 Service Roads - 419
Grade Crossings - 420 421
Material for the roads is cardboard - 422 423
424 proper painting gives the correct look - 425
road markings are important - 427 servicing platform looks like concrete - 428
bird's eye view - 077 cracks are just painetd, but it looks real - 076
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562 Sand Fillers are connected - 558
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To get a better idea about the look of the Diesel Shop Building, windows and logos have been printed on paper and glued on the cardboard mockup. It sure gives an idea how the finished building would be looking. In addition, cardboard was cut to size to be placed between the tracks an both sides of the shops.
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To get the perfect Mojave Desert look, this Terminal will get Joshua Trees. But there are no Joshuas available in N scale (1:160). Therefore, Eugen decided to build his own miniature Joshuas. First, he studied the technology of Kim Nipkow, who built nice HO scale Joshuas.
Start with copper wires, drill together, solder the wires and get the trunks. Afterwards, cover with white glue and add fine turf and fibers for the tips.
soldered copper wires - 602 check the size on the layout - 458
compare with the real thing - 600 it does not look that bad - 604
More infos of the real Joshua Trees in the Mojave Desert - click here  /  More infos - how to build - step by step - click here

 

The first miniature Joshua Trees are planted on the modules and look great - Welcome to the Mojave Desert.
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US Trucks on this layout are scratch built using a Wiking Mercedes Long Hood Truck (see photo 3)
this was the starting point to create an US truck - 3 this is the finished model in N scale - 4
October 2014: New Joshua Trees and a fence have been added.
the perfect Mojave Desert scene - 712 the bigger Joshuas look very realistic - 714
the end of the shops got scenery w/bushes and Joshuas - 715 a new fence was scracht built (N scale) - 716
outstanding landscaping like the real thing - 717 finished landscaping on this part of the yard - 745
December 2014: A new bridge was built over the yard (still under construction)
the bridge is high enough for double stack containers - 752 in the background is the existing layout - 757
concrete elements for the shops are in place - 763 the desert vegetation fits perfect to the scene - 766
March 2015: The ramp for the bridge was closed and got vegetation
there are some bushes on the slope of the road - 769 the bushes look realistic - 772
the road is reaching bridge level along the left side - 773 the bridge is at the far end - 780
Now, the road needs railings on both sides. Even it is a lot of work but the result looks like the real thing.
mounting the railings for the ramp is a fragile job - 782 Man at Work - the finished railings are put in place - 784
in the background is the old layout - 785 overview with new road and bridge over the yard - 788
End of April 2015: The bridge is finished, painted and weathered
different brushes have been used to apply the weathering - 798 traffic is rolling over the new bridge - 803
the bridge is at the far end - 801 The Amtrak train will soon go under the bridge - 800
there is even some diesel smoke at the bridge front  - 805 Amtrak is departing - 808
the concrete surface of the bridge is different than the roads - 809 two Santa Fe Diesels passing the bridge to the Terminal - 811

 

Manufacturing of lubrication, water and even sand dispensers in N scale
During one of my US trips, I did also visit Kansas City. I went to the BNSF yard/facilities and took these 4 photos below.
Does anyone know the exact use of these blue and red units?
 - P229 there are blue and red units along the tracks - P230
 - P231 close up of these units - P232
Man at work - Eugen at his workshop - 823 he made a pattern for soldering the brass wire - 820
4 pcs. are finished - 1244 all brass contruction - 1755
this is the result in 1:160 scale (prototype behind) - 819 the first unit is placed on the layout - 837
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4 units are temporarly in place - 849  - 852

 

new 11/21/15: Manufacturing of realistic road signs in N scale
For the Mojave Terminal, Eugen made very realistic road signs incl. a BNSF shops sign.
BNSF Police sign before entrance to the shops - 892 BNSF Mojave Mechanical Department sign - 893
Joshua trees with fueling and sanding facilities - 900 norro bridge sign and 55 mph speed limit sign - 908
40 mph speed limit sign - 902 25 mph speed limit for curve and arrow signs - 903

 

new 12/20/15: Background has been added
Eugen used some photos he made during his trips and printed on A3 paper.
a real background brings realism to a scene - 949 you hardly can tell if it is real or model - 967
these planes are parked at the Mojave airport - 959 so, the name Mojave Terminal fits perfect - 969

 

new 11/17/16: track work equipment, SP and UP diesels have been added to the Mojave Terminal
new track work equipment is ready - 023 old SP tunnel motors w/real Mojave airport background  - 042
sanding and fueling facility - 050  - 052
 - 054 there are even 2 UP locos around - 057
the signs are very realistic - 058  - 062
excellent details in N scale - 064 in other words, this is a real masterpiece - 065

new 12/25/19: finally, Sanding and Fueling Towers have been painted silver on the Mojave Terminal
silver painted sanding towers . . .  - 0284 . . . complete the finished look - 0352
details on the fueling pipes in silver and orange paint - 0292 now we are having the perfect and realistic touch - 0294

 

new 6/08/17: Next step is the construction of the Diesel Shops for the Mojave Terminal
this building is completely scratch built using styrenne sheets - 1086 window sections are glued in - 1087
the result looks great - 1088 not done yet is the roof - 1089
new 11/26/17: In the meantime, the Diesel Shops are completed
very realistic, how the shops are looking now - 0112 here is the other side of the shops - 0118

 

new 1/17/18: The Diesel Shops got a crane, lettering and a finishing touch
BNSF Logo was applied - 0146 inside is a crane to lift the engines from the frame - 0144
typical Mojave Desert style w/Joshua Trees - 0139 aluminum cover for the big roll-up doors - 0137

 

new 12/25/19: the last structure "the Wheelshop" is under construction and will be finished with interior
the roof is open and we can see the new platform - 1129 more details will be added on the Wheelshop - 1202

 

new 2/26/20: the last structure "the Wheelshop" is finally painted and finished
same blue color like the shops in Barstow - 0393 there are several Santa Fe units around - 0401
realistic Mojave Desert Scene - 0405 freight car trucks on tracks and gondola - 0417
at the right side is the famous Caliente Curve - 0414 everything is now in full operation (a crane is also ready) - 0416

 

new 7/08/21: scratchbuilding a signal bridge out of brass
the first steps 154723 - soldering together 181036 - the tower is completed 233811 - the tower is standing on the layout w/a diesel - 232536
 
190837 - the signal bridge has been soldered together - 190909
225700 - the unpainted complete double track signal bridge is still w/o the signals. - 231922 - But we can see the correct proportions - 231932
230023 - empty signal bridge - holding one signal to see the proportions - 092540 - first signal was mounted on the bridge - 093648
 
232956 - the signal bridge is finished and painted - 232616
 
233525 - nobody will ever think this was a scratchbuilt signal bridge. Very realistic like factory built - 233552

 

copyright by Eugen Hänseler 2014-2021
You may contact him for any question direct: dash9cw@hotmail.com

updated: 7/26/20

Films of the "Mojave Terminal" Layout which is an extension to the Old Part of LA.
New 5/16: Mojave Terminal w/Diesel Shop by Eugen Hänseler Feb. 2016 (1'32"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdweJiQQV50
New 5/16: Mojave Terminal w/Cab Forward by Eugen Hänseler Feb. 2016 (1'10"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDItO5PXVWU
New 5/16: Mojave Terminal w/Amtrak leaving by Eugen Hänseler Feb. 2016 (1'40"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCOT5_sLo5E
New 5/16: Mojave Terminal w/switching 1 by Eugen Hänseler Feb. 2016 (1'13"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rjzblu9SQkQ
New 5/16: Mojave Terminal w/switching 2 by Eugen Hänseler Feb. 2016 (1'12"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUMoHjDG3AM
New 2/17: Mojave Terminal w/SP AC-12 Cab Forward by E. Hänseler Feb. 2016 (1'10"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDItO5PXVWU
New 2/17: Mojave Terminal w/Santa Fe MoW by E. Hänseler Dec. 2016 (1'42"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zE-LC6ti6ss
New 12/19: Schnabel Car on the Mojave Terminal by E. Hänseler 10/19 (1'10"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTkZcxFerqY
New 3/20: Diesel Shops Tour on the Mojave Terminal by E. Hänseler 3/20 (7'52"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKviQIZjBdA
New 4/20: Westbound Double Stack Train from Mojave Terminal by E. Hänseler 4/20 (5'59"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQj6MALmxrI
New 6/20: BNSF Mojave Shop Tour by E. Hänseler 6/20 (4'49"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK1KI4o0fI0

 updated: 7/26/20

Films of the "Old Part of Los Angeles" Layout which is the original "old" layout before the Mojave Terminal was built.
Old Part of Los Angeles by Stefan Wagner April 2010 (9'37"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xigO8XShBcE
As seen during the Eurospoor Exhibition in 2013 by JC Skeystone (2'56"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxrzoe_FVDQ
As seen during the Eurospoor Exhibition in 2013 by Trüffelschwein (6'07"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBj5S1IXx5g
New 2/17: Double Stack on his way to the port of LA by E. Hänslere Dec. 2016 (2'47") :  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W_y3fQPSoU
New 2/17: UP Street running in old part of LA by E. Hänseler Dec. 2016 (0'29"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRayzt5ld2s
New 2/17: UP Big Blow test run on the layout by E. Hänseler Feb. 2017 (1'57"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRJkX7SYka4
New 12/19: UP Big Blow and Big Boy by E. Hänseler Feb. 2017 (2'27"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EApkGVKLQk
New 12/19: Horse Shoe of Caliente, CA by E. Hänseler 4/17 (1'47"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwYWxw_FK4s
New 12/19: NS Tank Train running around Caliente Curve by E. Hänseler 11/18 (1'22"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29J7xyB_Pzc
New 12/19: Old Santa Fe Reefer Train passing Caliente, CA by E. Hänseler 11/19 (1'22"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wm6OBBKh8kc
New 3/20: SP-Daylight Passenger passing Caliente by E. Hänseler 3/20 (2'34"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxzPB_Yk3MU
New 3/20: Huge Roundhouse at Port of Los Angeles by E. Hänseler 3/20 (2'55"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUiMDah2wjY
New 3/20: Back to the old Steam Days at Caliente by E. Hänseler 3/20 (6'50"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6YNb5Ne2LE
New 4/20: Westbound Intermodal at Caliente by E. Hänseler 4/20 (2'02"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PomZjbEAS_k
New 6/20: UP EB meets ATS&F WB at Caliente by E. Hänseler 6/20 (6'00"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgINgQVJhZU
New 7/20: Auto Rack & Intermodal Train passing Caliente by E. Hänseler 6/20 (4'46"):  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DosdSzkla1Y

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The Santa Fe Mojave Terminal Web Site is hosted by Werner Meer
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