Photomapping

Although l wasn't planning on doing a tie-for-tie representation of the Pine Creek Railroad yard, I still needed some accurate information on the trackwork—in particular, the switches—in order to model them correctly. So, I made myself a special camera rig to hold my pocket camera up high, directly over and perpendicular to the track.

The rig is just lengths of one-by-two lumber connected with strap hinges so the whole thing folds up. The camera is mounted to the end with an angle bracket and a 1/4-20 bolt, which has a wingnut head to make it easier to set up. After triggering the camera for a timed release, I position the rig over the track, move four or five feet, and repeat.

Back home, I stitched the images together, and here's a sample of the result:

This will not only be an invaluable tracklaying tool, it will also provide a reference for the coloration of rails, ties and ballast.

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