This is one of the first projects we worked on that involves animation.  I hope you like it.

The  Fire Engine only operates when a button is pressed next to the diorama

Hello Everyone,

 We just finished a new Overhead Train System for the Molly butler Lodge.  The lodge is located in Greer, Arizona about 3 hrs North East of Phoenix.

 The train system will be about 400 feet of double and single track.  The Layout will feature an 11 ft. Hell’s gate bridge and a suspension bridge.  Also we’ll be making a replica of the Molly Butler lodge itslf and one of Santa’s Work Shop.

 Here are some pictures of this project.

 19 Jun 2009

Hello All,

 I have a new project.  I’m building “The Sciotoville Bridge”  Here is a bit of information about this bridge

The Sciotoville is a steel continuous truss bridge across the Ohio River between Limeville, Kentucky and Sciotoville, Ohio in the United States. Designed by Gustav Lindenthal, the bridge was constructed in 1916 by Chesapeake and Ohio Railway subsidiary Chesapeake and Ohio Northern Railway as part of a new route between Ashland, Kentucky and Columbus, Ohio

The bridge is continuous across two 775-foot long spans, and is considered an engineering marvel. It held the record for longest continuous truss span in the world from its opening until 1945.

Today the bridge is used by CSX Transportation, one of the seven major Class 1 railroads operating in North America.

When scaled, the bridge will have to cover a 40 feet span with only one support in the middle.  It will be double track which will make it about 16 inches wide outside to outside and approximately 4 feet at its highest point.  I will post pictures of the progress of the construction of the bridge.

06 Jul 2009

I started working on the bridge last week and this is what I have so far, is not much but at least I got the ball rolling.  I decided that I will build the bridge in 2 sections that will bolt together.  Here are a few pictures.  

 Here I’am laying down parts and measuring things.

Now to the fun part…welding

And after a little while…the first side of the first half of the bridge

By the way that is Johnny helping me with this 20 feet long section.

Wow I just realize I have a lot left to do…

07 Jul 2009

If you guys noticed there is a lot of  lattice work all throught the bridge plus all those trusses within trusses.

I know a fairly easy way of making the lattice; it will still be alot work to do for the whole bridge.  I will only use it at key points to give the bridge a close as possible look to the real thing.

Here is my plan for doing it:

03 Aug 2009

If  you are wondering where is this bridge going.   I will tell you that unfortunately it is not going on my layout, even if I wanted to, I don’t have a big enough property for this bridge.  I’m building the bridge for my friend Charlie in Chillicothe, Ohio.  The bridge will span over a pond and it will be the center piece of his layout. I don’t know if I mentioned this before but I’m also building 2 – 3 ft. long deck trusses on each end just like the real one has.

More pictures of the progress:

The first half of the bridge is done…

04 Aug 2009

Finally the bridge is done….

By the way this is bridge is gaining some popularity… Our friends Tony and Nancy stoped by, they wanted to see the bridge after we t old them about it.

Also Robert, Rose and Rob stopped by to see it.

It was hard to get a good shot of the whole length of the bridge.  I hope you guys can see it well enough.

Well that is the G scale version of the Sciotoville Bridge.  Manufactured at Eaglewings Iron Craft, until next time…

Dan Hoag’s Wild Eagle Railroad
Established 1997

This railroad began as a few small loops around a pond in the backyard. It didn’t take long for it to grow into one of the largest and most elaborate garden railroads that you will find in the Phoenix area, with over 500 feet of track.

The railroad snakes its way through series of towns in various geographical settings, representing any/all time periods. There are three loops (all connected), switches, tunnels, and sidings, each with their own role to play in the operation of this railroad. There is also a cog railway (going up the mountain), and several reversing units working nonstop in both major sections of the railroad. The railroad has multiple power sources; battery power for the main part of the railroad, and track power for the two cog lines and the reversing units.

Wild Eagle Railroad’s centerpiece is the large waterfall, which is spanned by a Hell Gate Bridge. Both large sections of this railroad are covered with shade-cloth awnings, which enhance the vegetation and beauty of the setting. The miniature trees, bushes, cacti, and flowers are all on auto-drip, which also assists in keeping things alive in the harsh desert sun. The buildings are a variety of scratch-built, kit-bashed, and custom made steel buildings, all beautifully detailed.

This is how all began…

Here we’re planning for the track lay out and how we were going to place the pond

After the pond was finish we built a concrete rim and steel retaining walls for the different layers.

 Next we wanted to add a tunnel. We dug some dirt and built a steel tunnel frame and covered with dirt.

Once the tunnel was done we finally laid the track down and added more detail to the scenery.

Some time passed and we added bridges, buildings and scenes to the layout.

A few years passed after we first started with our Wild Eagle Rail Road and it was so exciting and so much fun to build the first part that we wanted to add more to it, so we began with the expansion of our Rail Road.

We came up with the idea of building a mountain with several tunnels and a water fall.

Additional retaining walls were built in front of the existing walls to help support the weight of the extra dirt needed to build the “Shady Heights Mountain”

More steel structures were built for tunnels and steel posts were placed to support an awning. Also we shaped the waterfall and a lake at the bottom of the mountain.

Some track was laid down to make sure everything was going to work ok.

We finish shapping up the mountain by covering the tunnels and with the placement of big boulders. Then we added the “Hellgate Bridge” at the center of the mountain along with an Arched Deck Truss bridge and a Curved Open Thru Truss among others. Also the awning was installed.

Finally after all the hard work we were able to have some fun and run trains!

More detail was added to the landscape.

Some dioramas were created too.

 Additionally, this location features an overhead railroad both inside and outside the main house, which is the thrid pahse of the lay out.

Be sure to make plans to come by and see our railroad! We open up our layout to the public twice every year, and this year, we will host our 11th annual open house event. Check our website for more details! We would love to see you!

Dan and Patience Hoag

  Hello Everyone,

 This time I want to show you what I did to this one spot in my layout that has been empty for a while.  I had no idea of what I could have there until not to long ago.  This is what I came up with.  

 See if you guys like it and if you have a favorite scene or detail.   I hope they are the same as my favorite details, which some of my friends came up and helped with.

Can you relate it to a city that you have been to?  What city is that?       Talk to you guys soon.

Here are some pictures that show the new Eaglewings Houses on our Wild Eagle Railroad.  

Now with more detail

Like always we want to thank you for taking the time to see our pictures.  We hope to read your post with your opinions or suggestions.

Mainstreet USA

Hello, Good Morning, and How do you do; are just a few of the pleasant greetings you accept as you walk the remarkable clean sidewalks. 

Men clad and dark suits with clean ties and polished shoes are strolling to the office.  There seems to be no hurry for them specially when pretty girls give them a reason to dawdle.  The men can’t give up a chance to catch a smile and tilt their hats.  The girls with hats and long formal gloves take their time to window shop at many five and dime stores. 

Mr. Thomson stands outside his grocery store broom in hand waiting for Mrs. Davis to pick the freshest of apples; he has probably the sweetest apples this side of Washington.

Mainstreet is always buzzing this time of morning the neon lights that keep the streets at glow all night are now just barely noticeable, taking their place as the sunlight bouncing off the street cars that are bustling up down the center of Lexington Avenue.  The buildings are graffiti free and freshly painted.

This is Mainstreet any town USA, the year pre 1964.  When you’re ready to bring the good old days back to your layout call Dan at Eaglewings Iron Craft, and select your hometown building by building.

Hello Everybody,

 
Well we have industrial buildings for people to work at. We have downtown buildings with shops and other bussines where people shop and have fun. But where do all these people live?
Someone has to build houses for all of the people that work and shop downton, all the workers from all the industries that depend on the operation of the train to receive their supplies and to deliver their products.
That’s how we started our new project: Eaglewings House Models. So far we have 5 Houses and 2 Car Garages

First how about a house typical of Montpelier Ohio; Dan’s home town. ( Dan is the owner of Eaglewings and creator of all Eaglewings buildings).  These are the plans for the first house it is a two story house, like we mention before typical of Montpelier, Ohio back then when Dan was just a little kid dreaming of railroads. The house when put together will measure 11-3/4″ long by 12″ wide by 14-1/2″ Tall. And it will look something like this

H - 1 Plans

House #1, two story

House #1

The second one is model after Dan’s Childhood House. This one is 16″ long by 8-1/2″ wide by 12-3/4″ tall.

House #2 Plans

House #2, two story house.

H-4

House #4 (front)

House #4 (back)

House #5 (fFront)

House #5 (back)

House #6 (front)

House 6 (Back)

Single garage

Double garage

Again all of our buildings are created with the idea of offering the best of two worlds; first the durability of a steel building. How many times have you accidently stepped on your buildings or kids hit it with a ball; don’t forget your dog or other animals that stray into your yard. All this can destroy hours and hours of work. With our buildings you don’t have to worry about any of this.

Also our buildings are powder coated with a rust resistant primer. This will help the buildings survive the desert heat of Arizona or a harsh winter on the East coast and anything in between.

The second most important and to us the best part is, you can still be creative and detail a building wherever your imagination leads you. At the end you end up with unique building. The possibilities are endless, how about letting us create a replica of your existing home or the one from your childhood.

We would really like to read your opinions/suggestions or even questions that you might have about our buildings. Thank you for taking the time to read our post.

Hello Everyone,
Eaglewings Iron Craft is working on two new G scale buildings. We have the two prototypes put together with no finish yet. We wanted to share them with you and get your valuable opinion.

The first one is a Freight Station (T – 4, Train Structure 4). The platform is 17” long by 10 – 1/2 “wide. The Building is 10” long by 9” wide by 6 – ½ “tall.

Freight Platform

Freight Platform (Side 2)

The second building is a Passenger Station (T – 5, Train Structure 5). This one is 24” long by 13 – ½” wide by 15” tall.

Passenger Station (Front)

Passenger Station (Back)

One thing that we’re doing differently to our buildings is that now instead of having a glossy powder coated finish; we’ll have them powder coated with a rust resistant primer so that it can be detailed easier and will have the extra rust protection.

We are really looking forward to hearing what you think about them.

BRIDGES

Bridges were the first product that Dan created when he began this hobby and joined a garden railroading club. He visited a few layouts and attended meetings to get ideas for his layout which is now the Wild Eagle Railroad. After seeing several layouts and reading tons of garden railroad magazines, he noticed that there weren’t any steel bridges, and since bridges are made out of steel, and he had a welding shop, it didn’t take long for him to start designing G scale bridges.

 At this point, they weren’t created for any business purpose; it was mainly to trade with other people in the club to get some help with things he didn’t know about. He started taking them to club meetings, and he designed them to see peoples’ reactions and hear their opinions. He got some good feedback, and was surprised when people asked to buy them right then and there. Dan didn’t even have an idea of what to charge for them at that point!

 During that time, someone mentioned that he needed to get a hold of Barry from Barry’s Trains in Las Vegas. Dan called him up and told him what he had, and he asked Dan to send some pictures. When he saw the pictures he called and told Dan, “I think you got something here; I didn’t know what to expect, but these are really nice!”. Barry told Dan to contact Mark Horvitz in the Garden Railroad Magazine and put the Bridges on the new product review section.

Dan took some pictures of the bridges sitting on some bricks in the back yard, and sent them in. Calls came in from all over the United States, and orders were taken, with Dan still not sure about what to charge. In the meantime, Barry said to contac Mark from Lone Star Bridge and Abutments. When he contacted Mark he was really nice, helpful and encouraging and directed Dan in the right way for marketing.

Dan started with 5 original designs which were:

 The curved cord truss which is the # 111 now.

     

  The flat top thru truss currently the #109.

 

The reversible 3’ deck or thru girder # 113. 

                     

 The reversible 3‘ deck or thru truss #106.

 

The curved open thru truss # 107.

The #106 and #113 were made reversible so that if people weren’t sure what to use in the area that they wanted to have the bridge in, they would have the option to use it as a deck or thru bridge. It also helped expand the bridge line by having two bridges in one.  

 

Soon after that, but before he made a brochure and to give customers a better variety, Dan also created the 4’6 and 8’ arched deck truss which are now the #101 and #102;  the straight or curved deck girder along with the deck truss which are the #103 and the # 104 (which made it necessary to create 4 legged and 2 legged steel piers); and finally the 5’ trestle with 18” deck girder, which is great for rivers or washes that are more shallow..

 

             Arched Deck Truss #101

                   

             Arched Deck Truss #102 

 

    90 Degree Curved Girder # 103

                   Deck Truss # 104 

                  

After the first designs, and as more people learned about Dan’s bridges, customers would make suggestions and would also request different bridges to be built. One of those were the #109 which several persons wanted to have it more sturdy so it was built with I – beams;  and upgraded the steel which created the #110 Flat top thru truss with  I- beam construction.  Both of these designs are still available. The same I – beam concept was used for the #111, which became the standard way to build it. This bridge has also been built up to 16’ long and 4 tracks wide.

 Flat top thru truss #109 – Light constuction

         

Flat top thru truss #110 – I – Beam Construction

 

Dan was out at a customer’s railroad talking about bridge for his layout; the customer was getting a few custom-made ones. He had one spot that would take a 2’ bridge. He asked if Dan could take the #113 thru girder and round the ends then as they talked, he thought it would be good to put ribs on the inside and outside of the bridge to give it more detail thus became the # 114 rounded end thru girder.

                  Deck Girder # 113

                     

                Round End Girder # 114

One year at the Big Train Show, a woman, while looking at the bridges, saw the 8’ arched deck truss and mentioned that if we flipped it upside down and the train ran thru it, that it would look really neat. Dan remembers thinking to himself, “what are you talking about?” After talking back and forth for a while, Dan asked if she wanted something like a suspension bridge; she responded yes, and asked whether Dan could build it. Dan, of course, assured her that he could. When he got back to the shop, the #100 suspension bridge was created. Since then, this bridge has been made in different sizes anywhere from 8’ up to 18’ double track with custom piers.

              Arched Deck Trus #102 

                 

           

               Suspension Bridge #100

The #112 was created to give people the option to span a 7’6” distance and to give them some variety since the 2’6” bridges can be configured in 3 different ways: all sides up, all sides down or down–up-down. Another option is to use the bridges separately around your layout.

 

 

                  Deck or Thru Truss #112

    

The steel trestle # 105 was designed and built for grades up or down, or for curves, with the idea to replace wooden trestle making it sturdier and more durable. We made some, but it wasn’t very popular. Around that time, a gentleman called Dan and told him that he drives thru the Hell Gate bridge in New York about every day to go to work, and was looking at it while he was calling, and wanted to know if Dan could build a Hell Gate bridge.  Again, Dan did exactly that; this bridge has become very popular, and replaced the old #105. This is one of Dan’s favorite bridges; the longest this bridge has been built is 15’ and up to a double track wide so far.

Hell Gate Bridge #105

 

                                                          

Eaglewings started building bridges since 1996, and all the while, listening to our customers, which has been one of the most important parts in developing Eaglewings Iron Craft’s line of bridges. We would like you to keep in mind that if you have an idea for your railroad, we would love to help bring them to life. Thank you for keeping us in mind for your next railroad project.

If you would like to see pictures of our bridges installed in different layouts; you can visit our website: http://www.eaglewingsironcraft.com/bridge_gallery.php.