What I’m thinking of after doing some research is using a Bowser Casey Jones 4-6-0 with a Spectrum Vandibuilt oil tender (I know it’s not the right type, but I’m going to be using the good enough method).
For the passenger cars I’m thinking of using Model Power 67’ Harriman cars. And some MDC Harrimans if I can find them. How are the Model Power cars? I really enjoy looking at all the photo’s on yesteryear depot. They are very inspiring.
Don’t forget the Model Die Casting vanderbilt tender, still seen at swap meets. Mantua also had a vanderbilt tender, but I don’t recall its size or features.
The Bowser 4-6-0 and a MDC Vandy would work just fine. Another option would be to see if you can find an MDC “Harriman” style 4-6-0 kit on E-Bay. That would come with the Vandy tender and give you a VERY close approximation of the loco you’re looking for, since MDC based their 4-6-0 on the Espee loco. Only thing about the MDC “Harriman” 4-6-0 is that it does not have eccentric gear like the Casey Jones.
Those Espee ten-wheelers were really classy-looking locos, IMO.
Actually, it looks like a fairly simple scratchbuilding project - tangent track, ballasted deck, all bents short and identical. One jig for the five-piling bents (take the dimensions from the car side immediately above one bent, bearing in mind that you don’t need micrometric precision) and a length of 3/16 or 1/4 inch basswood (or hard balsa, cut carefully to avoid ‘frizzies’) for the floor. Crossboards optional, ballast-retaining battens mandatory. Then lay good-quality flex on a 1/16 inch spacer (there has to be ballast UNDER the ties as well as next to them) and you’re good to go.
Making realistic-looking water under the trestle strikes me as more challenging than the trestle itself.
I’ve seen trestle sections at an LHS. They aren’t cheap. I would consider buying one as a pattern, then buying boxes of those foot-long matches used for lighting fireplaces. If you decide to go this route, be careful when disposing of the match heads.
