Page updated on Friday, September 11, 2026
Latest work completed:
I didn't like the Coxes Creek bridge, so I rebuilt it.
Next work to do:
Going to redo the blast furnace bridge
Overview of the Layout
There are 8 railroad bridges on the layout. Three are kits, 4 are scratch-built, and
one is a hybrid of a kit and scratch-building.
The Dry Run bridge is a Walther's kit that I got for half off at the train show.
The abutments are made of foam board, painted, and weathered.
This bridge is on the low grade line east of Confluence.
Coxes Creek bridge in Rockwood PA.
This bridge was scratch-built using Micro-Engineering girders and Plastruct I beams.
This is the second attempt at this bridge. It is on a curve and super-elevated.
This one is much better than the original one I built.
The bridge at Falls Cut, west of Fairhope PA.
This bridge is also scratch-built.
This is the bridge over Laurel Hill Run in Confluence PA.
All of the bridges are different due to learning as I built each one.
This is the JMRI software screen of the track diagram.
The yellow segments of the track shows the location of the occupied blocks and interlockings.
Layout Specifications:
Mainline Length:
Track 1: 177.5 ft (2.93 scale miles)
Track 2: 181.5 ft (2.99 scale miles)
Minimum Walkway Width: 35"
Minimum Subroadbed Height: 44.5"
Maximum Subroadbed Height: 48.75"
Minimum Radius: 30"
Curve Easements: 18" transition, 0.5" offset
Super Elevation: 0.030"
Atlas Code 100 Flex Track and Switches
Tangent Track Center to Center: 2"
Curved Track Center to Center 2.25"
Yard Track Center to Center: 2"
Mainline Maximum Grade: 1.5%
Mainline Crossovers: #8
Spurs off of the Mainline: #6
Yard/Industrial Switches: #4
DCC: NCE Powerhouse Pro System with 3 power districts
JMRI Software
Track charts showing the location of switches, tunnels, bridges, elevation, grade, and the interlockings and blocks.
Some of the track is not totally accurate due to space, but all the tunnels and bridges are properly located.
Train room dimensions along with the approximate dimensions of the layout.
The size changed a bit as I was laying out the track. The room is approximately 755 sqft.
A photo from my old layout in Maryland (2001 - 2019).
A trailer jet with 5 locomotives emerges from Shoo-Fly Tunnel along the Casselman River.
I am a member of the following railroad historical societies.
