The In-ko-pah Railroad

 

MY 1/24th SCALE, OUTDOOR MODEL RAILROAD

I began work on this project in January 2006. The railroad is situated on steep slope behind our house. It represents a fictional, narrow gauge railroad in a rugged, rocky desert environment.


After nearly two and half years of labor, the mainline of the railroad was completed and a train made the first complete lap around the layout on May 21, 2008!


There is roughly 250-300 feet of track, with numerous trestles, bridges and tunnels. All were scratch-built. Several structures are in place, also scratch-built.


There is still much work to be done. There are still two short spur tracks that haven’t been installed. A temporary plank bridge fills in until a permanent replacement can be built. Some of the wiring for low-voltage structure lighting has not yet been installed. Only a small percentage of plants are in place, and there are many mines and structures to be built.


In the spring of 2009 I began work on the town of Dos Manos, laying down a concrete foundation for a row of buildings. The first structure was a small, two-story house. A rock shop was next. Currently there are five buildings in this town plus a large depot. Eventually several more structures will be added.


In 2013 I built the first building of my second town, Mineral Ridge. Since then I’ve finished more town buildings, and a mill and mining structures. More buildings are planned including a depot. Other, smaller towns are planned, plus some mines and mining camps.


I’m also sculpting my own scale figures, patterned after friends and family members. Only a few have been finished so far, but I plan to do many more.




The In-ko-pah Railroad

was featured in the December 2011 issue of

Garden Railways

magazine!






Scale and Gauge

Origin of the Name

Inspiration

Modeling Goals

Fictional History

Real History

Track Plan


Construction Photos

    Building Plate Girder Bridges

    Building A Through Plate Girder Bridge 

    Building Trestles

    Building Tunnels

    2011 Tunnel Upgrade Project  

    Building a Concrete Viaduct

    Building a Stone Retaining Wall

    Building a Stone Arch Bridge (Part One)

    Building a Stone Arch Bridge (Part Two)

    2010 Rebuilding The Cliffs

    2011 Repair & Upgrade Projects  

    2021 Track & Trestle Repairs  


Structures 

Structure Lighting 

Water Tower 

Plants

Locomotives

Railbus #1 - The “Tin Lizard”

Rolling Stock

Figures 

Wildlife Figures 

Future Plans

 

Video

Featured videos:

In-ko-pah Railroad Freight Ride 2014 


A Day On The In-ko-pah Railroad 2011



Recent Photos

New pics added July 30, 2018


Night Photos

Events

Dos Manos (Town)

Mineral Ridge (Town)

Grandt Cliff (Town) 

Princess Shilo Mine 


                     

Railroading Links

Miscellaneous


    A list of modeling articles I’ve had published, with links to the magazine issues.








New! 

Modeler’s Resource Page

A special collection of photos with modelers and artists in mind, categorized by subject. Includes Doors, Windows, Roofs and Roof Details, Weathered Wood, Weathered Metal, Steel Drums, Sidewalks and Concrete, and many more subjects!






Email Ray:   raydunakin@aol.com