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| Semi-arid CPR Thompson Sub at sunrise, east of Ashcroft, BC |
After years of
modeling the Canadian Pacific Rwy. main line from a major coastal city
(Vancouver) to massive mountain ranges (The Rockies), I’m now looking to take
on desert scenery. What’s that you say? Desert terrain in Canada? Cactus in the
land of wheat, coal, moose, Molson, and sub-zero cold? You betcha!
If you can recall your
high school geography studies, desert regions are determined by how dry they are, not by temperature. A part
of the B.C. Interior receives less than 10 inches of annual precipitation (rain,
snow, etc.), so it technically rates as a pocket desert. And yes, Canada’s
Okanagan Desert hosts cacti, sagebrush, and even tarantulas!
While CPR tracks don’t
route through this part of B.C., the mainline does traverse nearby semi-arid
parts, namely through the Thompson River Canyon,
and also between Ashcroft, B.C. and Kamloops, B.C. Modeling the upper canyon
country was my initial target, but I have to admit I’m starting to see the
merit of building up an extensive span of terrain like this – the “other”
half of CPR’s Thompson Subdivision is already on my short list!
