I've been working on an N scale layout featuring a Milwaukee Road branch for a few years now. The branch is loosely based on real grain lines the Milwaukee operated in eastern Washington State. I wanted to buck the trends of model railroad design with this layout. First, it's small, roughly 18x34 inches. It also realistically doesn't need a run-around track or a yard. Finally, although I added a complete circuit in the oval for exhibition running what appears to be the mainline is actually another industry, a stone quarry loadout, to add more operation to a compact layout.



From the schematic at the bottom one can see that it's actually two branches that, in real life, would form a Y-shape. One local serves both sides of the branch. The trains on stage from a dropleaf staging track and works each of the two towns before shoving it's train, complete with caboose, back into staging. To operate the layout I have a fleet of Atlas Trainman 40' boxcars for grain service and some Atlas 70-ton open hoppers for stone service. I need to find appropriate motive power, either a Life-Like SW1200 or Kato NW2, and some 40' interchange cars for inbound loads.


So far the track (Atlas code 80) is laid on cork on a 2" foam base. The wiring is complete and tested. Scenery is all that remains. The main structures, two elevators and their support buildings, have been completed from Walthers kits and finished by my friend Dale DeVene Jr. Here is some of his handiwork:


Elevators9-5-10 by railohio, on Flickr


Mathewsville2_9-5-10 by railohio, on Flickr


Wehbyrn1_9-5-10 by railohio, on Flickr

My goal is to have the layout ready for a train show by the end of the year. I think that can be accomplished with some ballast, ground foam, and vehicles. I'll keep you posted.

Those structures look great! Definitely post some photos as you start working on the scenery.

Brian - innovative use of a compact space for a prototypical operating scheme, and some beautiful structures to set the scene. Looking forward to more on your model trains, as well as your excellent photos of the prototype. Bob C.

I was looking at this one again and like the track plan. Nice prototypical feel for a small space.

MilwaukeeLayoutOverhead by railohio, on Flickr

You said small, R.O. You even gave dimensions in an earlier posting.

I was still not prepared for how small. I have a difficult time coming to grips with how little space the smaller scales take, I guess.

All in all, it's a very neat little layout! I haven't seen a track diagram layed out straight like that for many years ... nice job!

The structures, when first examined, appeared to me to be larger ... I keep going back and looking at them, you've done a masterful job of not giving away the scale ... you can't tell by just looking at them what scale they are.

My appetite is whetted. I am now looking forward to more photos of this little gem as it progresses.

Brian,What a super nice looking layout!

Of course with your railfan observations I would expect nothing less.

Salute!

The grain elevators are great modeling and the weathering is tops!...Can't wait to see more..Jerry

R.O. - Really nice job on the small curves! Those can be difficult to get just right. You are set up for 100% prototypical operation, as you certainly know! Nice thing about continuous plans like this is always having a switching lead long enough for efficient operation. Is your drop leaf going to be a single track or a two-track "yard" for shuffling cars? Lotsa bang for the space -- I'm looking forward to seeing more. Thank you for posting this. Ric

I love these small layouts! Your friend does some real nice model building . Great track plan as well.

R.O...I thought you were just a "shutterbug", but I see you like to "play" with trains as well..!!

Is that sheetmetal elevator all plastic..?? The weathering on it is fantastic..!!

Thanks for looking, guys. It's almost model railroad season again so might get some work done. (I can already hear Catt laughing at that one.)

Steamtrains Wrote:Is that sheetmetal elevator all plastic..?? The weathering on it is fantastic..!!

All the buildings are from Walthers kits.

eje Wrote:Is your drop leaf going to be a single track or a two-track "yard" for shuffling cars?

It'll be a single track to set a train on to run onto the layout. Drop leaf staging yard is more like it.

Brian,
I've only got about 10 years left berfore my pass expires.Are you gonna have this thing working before then or am I gonna have to come back and haunt you?

I ordered a Milwaukee Road Kato NW2 from BLW this morning. Unfortunately they only had one road number left so I'll probably pick up the other one (and some Milwaukee ballast cars) from N Scale Supply later this fall. I also plan to get a Fox Valley Models rib side caboose when they're available as well.