An N-Scale Santa Fe branchline through the mountains

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Welcome to the virtual home of the DJ&N railroad. A modest N-Scale railroad built by David Nation of Houston, TX

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What's New Articles About the Railroad Current Trackplan Trackplans #1 #2 System Map Layout Photos Construction Journal Links This is a work in progress "as time permits". Please forgive me if I don't update frequently.

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Articles

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What's New?

2025

08/16/2025 - Part 1 - Tim's Wood Works.
07/27/2025 - Dump Truck.
07/21/2025 - Part 17 - Company Town - Hooking up lights.
05/10/2025 - Part 16 - Company Town - 2nd floor Interior of Saloon/Billiards/Rooming House.
05/03/2025 - Part 15 - Company Town - Interior of Saloon/Billiards/Rooming House.
04/27/2025 - Part 14 - Company Town - Saloon/Billiards/Rooming House.
04/20/2025 - Part 13 - Company Town - Diner / Bakery mostly done.
04/10/2025 - Part 12 - Company Town - Interior for Bakery side.
03/22/2025 - Part 11 - Company Town - Interior for Diner side.
03/09/2025 - Part 10 - Company Town - Starting Diner/Bakery.
03/01/2025 - Part 9 - Company Town - First layer of plaster.
02/27/2025 - Part 8 - Company Town - More scenery sculpting.
02/23/2025 - Part 7 - Company Town - Finally starting scenery work.
01/16/2025 - Part 1 - Bacque Yard - Roundhouse - Photo Backdrop.

2024

12/28/2024 - Part 7 - Ridgeline Scenery. Quick staining.
11/02/2024 - Part 3 - County Store - Added roofing. Almost done.
10/27/2024 - Part 2 - County Store - Interior and lights
10/26/2024 - Part 1 - County Store - Staining and initial construction
10/13/2024 - Part 5 - Valley Feed and Seed - Almost Complete
10/06/2024 - Part 4 - Valley Feed and Seed - Finishing walls and subroofing
09/22/2024 - Part 3 - Valley Feed and Seed - Windows and doors
09/07/2024 - Part 2 - Valley Feed and Seed - Walls and subroofing
09/01/2024 - Part 1 - Valley Feed and Seed - Staining and initial construction
08/25/2024 - Part 6 - Ridgeline Scenery - Building the truss bridge
08/18/2024 - Part 5 - Ridgeline Scenery - Covering up the tunnel area
08/11/2024 - Part 4 - Ridgeline Scenery - Roughing in the tunnel section
08/03/2024 - Part 3 - Ridgeline Scenery - Up to the tunnel entrance
07/28/2024 - Part 2 - Ridgeline Scenery - Roughing in the river crossing
07/21/2024 - Part 1 - Ridgeline Scenery - Begining basic landforms
06/29/2024 - Part 5 - Winter Creek Winery - Almost done, lighting added
06/16/2024 - Part 4 - Winter Creek Winery - Wine casks added
06/01/2024 - Part 3 - Winter Creek Winery - Main building framed out
05/27/2024 - Part 2 - Winter Creek Winery - A couple of walls done
05/18/2024 - Part 1 - Winter Creek Winery - Just Starting
03/31/2024 - Part 3 - AC Brown Manufacturing - Almost complete
03/17/2024 - Part 2 - AC Brown Manufacturing - Freight doors and basic lighting
03/03/2024 - Part 1 - AC Brown Manufacturing - Basic walls and trim
01/21/2024 - Short video of train through the river canyon
01/21/2024 - Part 4 - Elliot and Sons - Added Roofing
01/14/2024 - Part 3 - Elliot and Sons - Added interial detail and lighting
01/06/2024 - Part 2 - Elliot and Sons - Added dock, windows, doors and trim

2023

12/30/2023 - Part 1 - Elliot and Sons - just beginning construction
11/11/2023 - Part 7 - Company Town - Completed a small church
08/13/2023 - A small general store with warehouse
07/29/2023 - A small woodworking Factory and a couple of trucks
07/23/2023 - Part 3 - Dairy Offices - Lighting and final details
07/22/2023 - Part 2 - Dairy Offices - Trim work and roof installed
07/15/2023 - Part 1 - Dairy Offices - Starting a new office buildings
07/04/2023 - Part 12 - Refinery - A ladder and more walkways
07/02/2023 - Part 11 - Refinery - Some basic scenery and walkways
06/04/2023 - Part 15 - Fred's Scenery Section - Building the bridge
05/27/2023 - Part 15 - Fred's Scenery Section - Continuing around the bend #5
05/20/2023 - Part 14 - Fred's Scenery Section - Continuing around the bend #4
04/08/2023 - Part 13 - Fred's Scenery Section - Continuing around the bend #3
04/07/2023 - Part 12 - Fred's Scenery Section - Continuing around the bend #2
03/26/2023 - Part 11 - Fred's Scenery Section - Continuing around the bend
03/20/2023 - Part 10 - Fred's Scenery Section - Finished the yard area
03/06/2023 - Part 9 - Fred's Scenery Section - Building retaining walls
01/15/2023 - Part 8 - Fred's Scenery Section - Final rock coloring behind yard
01/02/2023 - Part 7 - Fred's Scenery Section - Continuing Rock work

2022

12/31/2022 - Part 6 - Fred's Scenery Section - Initial rock painting
12/23/2022 - Part 5 - Fred's Scenery Section - Blending plaster and initial wash
12/22/2022 - Part 3 - Icing Platform - Finished work on an Icing platform
12/21/2022 - Part 2 - Icing Platform - Contined work on Icing platform
11/13/2022 - Part 1 - Icing Platform - Started work on an Icing platform
10/30/2022 - Part 6 - Company Town - Completed the Company Store
10/15/2022 - Part 5 - Company Town - Completed 3 shotgun houses
09/25/2022 - Part 4 - Company Town - Almost done with 2 of 3 shotgun houses
09/18/2022 - Part 3 - Company Town - Starting on some shotgun houses
09/11/2022 - Part 2 - Company Town - Work on company houses
09/05/2022 - Part 1 - Company Town - Continued work on company houses
06/05/2022 - Part 4 - Fred's Scenery Section - Molds, molds and more molds!
05/22/2022 - Part 3 - Fred's Scenery Section - Plaster started
05/14/2022 - Part 2 - Fred's Scenery Section - Installed basic scenery forms
04/16/2022 - Part 12 - Small Cattle Yard - Finally finished it!
03/19/2022 - Part 1 - Fred's Scenery Section - Began basic Scenery Section for Fred's One Stop area
01/17/2022 - Part 11 - Small Cattle Yard - Large trough and more scenery
01/02/2022 - Part 10 - Small Cattle Yard - Added water troughs

2021

12/24/2021 - Part 9 - Small Cattle Yard - More details and painting cattle
11/20/2021 - Part 8 - Small Cattle Yard - More stockyard detailing
11/13/2021 - Part 7 - Small Cattle Yard - Making a feed trough
10/17/2021 - Part 6 - Small Cattle Yard - Hay barn and stockyard dirt
10/10/2021 - Part 5 - Small Cattle Yard - Finishing the Stockyard
10/03/2021 - Part 4 - Small Cattle Yard - Started Stockyard
09/26/2021 - Part 3 - Small Cattle Yard - Windmill
09/19/2021 - Part 2 - Small Cattle Yard - 2nd cattle ramp and worker's shack
09/06/2021 - Part 1 - Small Cattle Yard - Cattle ramp and Fuel tank
07/31/2021 - Roughing in mountains leaving Jasper
06/05/2021 - Part 3 - Building a Rail Bus
05/30/2021 - Part 2 - Building a Rail Bus
05/23/2021 - Part 1 - Building a Rail Bus
04/25/2021 - Part 1 - TJ Reilly's kit
04/18/2021 - Part 10 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
04/11/2021 - Part 9 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
04/10/2021 - Part 8 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
04/04/2021 - Part 7 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
03/28/2021 - Part 6 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
03/20/2021 - Part 5 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
03/14/2021 - Part 4 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
03/07/2021 - Part 3 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
02/28/2021 - Part 2 - R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
02/06/2021 - Part 1 - Started R. Perez & Sons Car & Carriage Works kit
01/24/2021 - Finished the Railroad Rooming House
01/17/2021 - Started a Railroad Rooming House

2020

12/27/2020 - Completed the Repair-in-Place shed
12/23/2020 - Continued working on a Repair-in-Place shed
12/05/2020 - Working on a Repair-in-Place shed
11/07/2020 - Part 11 - Refinery - Installed pipeing to/from distillation tower
11/01/2020 - Part 10 - Refinery - Completed the distillation tower
10/04/2020 - Part 9 - Refinery - More work on the distillation tower
09/27/2020 - Part 8 - Refinery - Started on the distillation tower
09/19/2020 - Part 7 - Refinery - piped the main oil tanks
09/12/2020 - Part 6 - Refinery - Added Desalter and Oil tanks - started piping
09/07/2020 - Part 5 - Refinery - Finished the coal bins and the furnances
08/30/2020 - Part 4 - Refinery - Finished the loading dock/shed and started the coal bins
08/22/2020 - Part 3 - Refinery - Finished the office building
08/16/2020 - Part 2 - Refinery - Fill, sand and prime the tanks, started the office building
08/09/2020 - Part 1 - Refinery - Starting work on a small 1930's refinery
07/25/2020 - Completed the Mainline Water Tower and built a through girder bridge
07/19/2020 - More progress on the Mainline Water Tower
07/12/2020 - Working on a Mainline Water Tower
07/03/2020 - Completed the Deck Truss Bridge
06/28/2020 - More progress on the Deck Truss Bridge - getting closer
06/21/2020 - More progress on the Deck Truss Bridge
06/14/2020 - Built the sides of the Deck Truss Bridge
06/07/2020 - Started on a Deck Truss Bridge
06/06/2020 - Created a scenery base for Fred's One Stop
05/31/2020 - Finished Fred's One Stop
05/24/2020 - Getting close on the Fred's One Stop kit - added a bunch of detail items
05/17/2020 - Added interior and other details to Fred's station kit
04/29/2020 - Repainted the riverbank cliffs to be more tan than gray
04/26/2020 - More work on Fred's One Stop
04/19/2020 - Laid the track through the next section
04/18/2020 - A little more work on Fred's One Stop
04/05/2020 - Installed plywood/subroadbed for next section of track
03/29/2020 - More work on Fred's One Stop and cut plywood for the next section of track
02/22/2020 - Starting of Fred's One Stop kit by Showcase Miniatures
01/04/2020 - Built Tow Truck. More work on near side riverbank and started basic scenery

2019

11/24/2019 - Roughing in near side riverbank cliffs.
10/20/2019 - Painted the riverbank cliffs.
10/13/2019 - Continuing on the riverbank cliffs. Added a retaining wall
09/08/2019 - More work on the riverbank cliffs
09/01/2019 - Working on the next section of the riverbank cliffs
08/24/2019 - Finished a sand facility from Model Tech Studios
08/10/2019 - Started working on a sand facility from Model Tech Studios
07/04/2019 - Finished the Climax kit from Randgust
03/07/2019 - Continued work on riverbed. Initial colors added

2018

12/23/2018 - Continued work on blending in rock molds on a mountain stream
11/23/2018 - Blending in rock molds on a mountain stream
11/10/2018 - Roughing in a mountain stream
07/15/2018 - Nearly done with Climax Engine
05/26/2018 - Making progress on Climax Engine
04/24/2018 - A Vist from the Railwire Travelling Baggage Car
02/02/2018 - Beginning work on a Climax Engine

2017

11/18/17 - A little more progress on Mill scenery...
08/20/17 - A little more progress on Mill scenery...
08/12/17 - Mill almost finished. Working on scenery now...
05/26/17 - Finally finished the main Mill building! Now on to the side buildings...
05/14/17 - At this rate it will be 2018 before I finish this Mill!
05/06/17 - Finally finished the shake shingles on the main roof!
04/15/17 - Wow! This roof is taking a LONG time!
04/09/17 - More Roof work on the Pro Patria Mill
03/26/17 - Continued work on the Pro Patria Mill

2016

10/09/16 - Started work on the Pro Patria Mill
09/10/16 - The Mike McGrattan Memorial Train paid a visit today
09/04/16 - Finished scenery base on factory kitbash
08/29/16 - Added scenery base on the factory kitbash
07/31/16 - Added lighting and interior details on the factory kitbash
01/31/16 - Added clerestory and painted windows on the factory kitbash
01/10/16 - Added roof to the factory kitbash
01/03/16 - More work on the factory kitbash

2015

12/27/15 - More work on the factory kitbash, and a few more feet of mountains roughed in
06/13/15 - Starting on a factory kitbash
03/10/15 - Quick video of a train running through the canyon
01/30/15 - Set the 2nd bridge in place to get an overall view of the canyon work
01/25/15 - 2nd rock wall in and the trees are almost done
01/19/15 - More work on rocks and trees
01/11/15 - Starting some rock molds and tress
01/01/15 - Converted to more of a blog style for the Construction Journal (so far just 2015)

2014

10/17/14 - Roughing in some more basic landforms
08/17/14 - Working on a Grain Elevator from Bergen National Laser
08/10/14 - Started added landforms to the upper level

2013

08/11/13 - Started a wooden bridge kit
07/05/13 - Started weathering the bridge kit
06/30/13 - Started work on Central Valley bridge kit
06/23/13 - Added Southern Junction wye to tie in Driftwood, Baque Yard and the Staging yard
02/17/13 - Wiring the control panel for the lower level staging yard
02/10/13 - Wiring the lower level staging yard
01/31/13 - Installed the control panel for the upper level staging yard

2012

08/12/12 - Continued work on the Upper Level roadbed, installed and painted more valence sections
06/10/12 - Building a small staging yard with optical detectors
02/13/12 - More work on the Upper Level roadbed
02/20/12 - Upper Level roadbed going in
01/20/12 - Posted new trackplan
01/04/12 - Completed the kit "Hinkle Milling", also pictures of double-decking progress

2011

11/27/11 - Finally getting back to the railroad after 3 years! Converting to a double-deck plan. Pictures soon!

2008

06/21/08 - Completed the kit "Mooney's Plumbing"
04/30/08 - Completed two kits: "Majestic Hardware" and "Saulena's Tavern"
01/31/08 - Converted the 4-4-0 to sound

2007

09/30/07 - Finally finished the scratchbuilt Inn
08/25/07 - More work on the scratchbuilt Inn
07/22/07 - Finally added some scenery around the station and icing platform
06/17/07 - Starting a scratchbuilt cafe/boarding house/whatever...
05/20/07 - Almost done with the caboose kit
04/27/07 - Working on a wooden caboose kit
04/21/07 - Working on the water tower
04/18/07 - Finished the lumberyard office, started a water tower
03/25/07 - Finished Sanding Facility, Main lumberyard building done, Redoing Staging yard
02/23/07 - Starting a lumberyard and a sanding facility
01/12/07 - Installed a few trees behind Jasper

2006

12/29/06 - Town of Jasper finally starting to take shape
11/29/06 - Finished the Jasper Warehouse
10/23/06 - Finished the Jasper Station
09/12/06 - More work on the Jasper Mountains
08/02/06 - Started work on a Box & Crate Factory
06/05/06 - Had Griff weather an SW9 for me
05/06/06 - Started work on a Gas Station Kit
04/20/06 - Finished the "Banks Ice House" kit
03/15/06 - Began the mountain behind Jasper
02/16/06 - Reroofing the Argo Mill
01/23/06 - My first attempt at weathering

2005

09/11/05 - Replaced all the turnouts at Jasper
07/16/05 - Made a hand-laid turnout and some trees
05/25/05 - Completed Jasper Engine Shed.
04/22/05 - Completed Staging Control Panel.
02/27/05 - Completed the Jasper Turntable.
01/25/05 - Completed Yorsand Mine Control Panel.

2004

12/23/04 - Laying out the Control Panels.
11/23/04 - The "golden spike" has been laid.
09/06/04 - Plywood roadbed complete, Staging Complete.
07/14/04 - Track, wiring and control panel have been installed for Jasper
04/03/04 - The basic benchwork is completed
01/07/04 - View changes to the "new" track plan or see the Construction Journal for more details.
09/25/03 - Check out the Papercreek Depot photos

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