San Diego 1908

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CEO John Ott
City, Country Boston
State/Prov MA
Scale
HO  
Name of Layout San Diego 1908

San Diego 1908 was a 4’ x 10’ HO model representing the downtown San Diego, California waterfront as it looked one hundred years ago. This area encompassed the colorful “Stingaree” district, with its saloons and parlor houses, along with the complex of railroad tracks radiating from the foot of the 5th Street wharf. A dock railway, several short-line steam, electric, and trolley lines, and the Santa Fe railroad all converged there. As well as selectively compressed representations of real buildings, researched from old photos and Sanborn maps, the model featured tableaus of contemporary life— including a Women’s Christian Temperance Union march and a celebration of the arrival of the U.S. Navy’s Great White Fleet. The model also featured a train of open-sided “picnic cars” bringing San Diegans down to the waterfront. San Diego 1908 was a great place to display a much-loved 45-year collection of HO models. A cross-country move in late 2008 ended this version of the layout, which now sits patiently packed away waiting for its new incarnation.
The San Diego 1908 model was staged on 1/2” sheets of foam-core textured with wallboard paste, atop 1–1/2” of insulation foam. This allowed buildings and tracks to be easily swapped out or have their positions shifted as the model evolved. The 4’ x 10’ layout was accessible from all four sides. The tabletop was 51” off the floor and shared space with a bank of computer workstations underneath. The under-structure was a cross-braced frame of 2x4s— losing a previous layout in a California earthquake may have influenced the decision to use such heavy woodwork. Backdrops were removable sheets of foam-core hung from ceiling hooks and used only for photography. The textured "ground" on the layout was painted a shade of neutral grey very similar to the caliche mud that San Diego's downtown is built on. Unfortunately, that shade had a tendency to photograph lighter and greener than real life. A lesson for next time.

Bestphoto_5th_St.jpg
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01_5th_St_1.jpg
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02_layout_over_1.jpg
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03_picnic_coach_4.jpg
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04_picnic_coach_1.jpg
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05_eng_sf388.jpg
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06_yard_2.jpg
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07_sf_waycars.jpg
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08_eng_sf442_2.jpg
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10_sdsc_depot.jpg
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09_eng_sdsc20.jpg
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11_eng_sdsc22.jpg
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12_eng_sdsc21.jpg
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14_sda_caboose.jpg
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I tried to model or at least represent actual rail equipment documented in old photos. A few pieces, like the open-sided picnic coach, exist to this day. Railroads that served the San Diego waterfront in the early years of the 20th century included the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (the only main line road), the Pacific Steam Ship Company dock railway, the San Diego, Cuyamaca & Eastern, the National City & Otay Railway (part steam and part electric), the Coronado Beach Railway (another part steam, part electric), the San Diego Electric Railway (streetcars), and the Los Angeles & San Diego Beach Railway (streetcars and steam). Several of these short lines soon combined and eventually became the San Diego, Arizona & Eastern. Many of my pieces of equipment started life as AHM, IHC, Bachmann, and Roundhouse models. Some date back to the 60s. After many modifications and repaintings, not many look like they originally did.
16_stingaree.jpg
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18_WCTU.jpg
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17_eng_sf388_2.jpg
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19_PCSS_term.jpg
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20_grocer.jpg
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21_lumber_yd.jpg
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22_hotel_1.jpg
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24_cuyamaca_fc.jpg
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23_hotel_2.jpg
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25_5th_St_2.jpg
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26_3rd_St_1.jpg
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27_3rd_St_2.jpg
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28_4th_St_1.jpg
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29_4th_St_2.jpg
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30_4th_St_house.jpg
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31_6th_St_1.jpg
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Sanborn fire insurance maps and dozens of old photos from books and online resources gave me a good idea of what was where in 1908 San Diego. I also spent many hours roaming the streets with a digital camera, looking for surviving buildings. The area has been redeveloped as a tourist-friendly "gaslamp district". Trains still rumble through on the Santa Fe line.
32_picnic_train.jpg
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33_eng_sf442_1.jpg
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