Looking Forward Again

Almost exactly a year ago, I posted about a new and larger L&SE layout that I expected to build in "about a year." That hasn't happened, and won't until after I finish The Canyon, and maybe a little past that. I'm thinking maybe six months from now.

Adding the inside frame 4-4-0 to my roster definitely helped get me motivated. It's such a pretty little loco and I'm anxious to give it a place to stretch its legs.

In that earlier post, I listed these givens and 'druthers:

• The overall concept is a high desert narrow gauge common carrier railroad. Primarily built to serve mines, but with a few other industries. Era is the 1920s or maybe '30s.
• I'll mostly be operating common Bachmann On30 locomotives. I have a couple of 2-6-0s, an inside frame 4-4-0, an outside frame 4-4-0, plus four Porters and a Shay. I don't feel any compelling need to run anything larger. The engines I have will run on 18 inch radius curves. If I can go with a larger radius, so much the better, but I can live with 18.
• While I'd love to be able to say I'm all about prototype operation, the reality is that I'm usually happy just watching trains run, rather than doing a lot of switching. Really, I'm more interested in layout construction than operation. A continuous running option would be desirable, but not absolutely necessary.
• I am more interested in scenery, including both countryside and towns, than in a lot of track.
• I like taking pictures of the layout, so I'll want to have multiple locations and angles for photography.
• One of my regrets with the Frazier Borate is that I didn't end up with any bridges. I don't want to make the same mistake the next time.
• In general, I haven't been bold enough about using the vertical dimension. On the next layout I want more deep canyons and high mountains, and track on different levels.
• Not on the original list, but I do want room to park a full passenger train out of the way while running a freight, and vice versa, as well as storage for three or four locomotives.

So here's a track plan that's a little less ambitious than last year, but still pretty much meets my specifications and fits the space that I can realistically free up in the foreseeable future:

This has about a 30 foot main line, a few industrial spurs, and a turntable with an engine house. The drawing shows three engine storage tracks, but I could add one or two more. The storage spur will hold a decent length train, and I could add a second track there as well. This unscenicked spur could eventually be developed into a full-on branch line. The track shown as an interchange on the drawing might become a stock pen or other freight loading point instead, while the storage track becomes the interchange.

When I thought I was going to start work on this over the summer, I laid in a few supplies. I have three Peco On30 turnouts (a left, a right, and a wye), four Peco H.O. turnouts used on the Frazier Borate, and one more unused. I have some Atlas Code 100 flex, though not enough for the whole layout. I have a large quantity of cork roadbed. One decision I'll need to make is whether to use Peco On30 flex track and switches, or Peco switches with Atlas HO track. I might use the Atlas flex for hidden track, and Peco on exposed trackage; I'd need about 15 lengths of Peco, and six or seven of Atlas. If I go with all Peco On30 switches, I'll need six more of those.

I have all the track (Peco HOn30) for the mine tram.

I got a good price on a Kitwood Hill turntable, which I look forward to building. I will probably build a single stall engine house but leave the other storage tracks open.

I will mostly likely cannibalize the Frazier Borate mini layout, so that gives me at least a handful of structures I can use. I also have some partial sheets of XPS foam left over from my two mini layouts, and half a box of SculptaMold.

I'll most likely use the Digitrax DCC system that I have left over from my old H.O. layout, at least to start.

At the moment, I'm leaning toward conventional plywood sub-roadbed and cork roadbed, with foam-based scenery.

I'm guessing I might need $100 in plywood and other lumber, and $300-$350 for track if I go with mostly Peco On30. So for maybe a $400-$500 upfront investment, I'll be set to build all of the planned track, some scenery, and several buildings -- enough to keep me busy for probably a couple of years.

5/25/25: Here's a different take on the concept. I've moved the turntable over to the right, and put a Canyon and trestle on the left -- the first thing you'll see when you walk into the room. The extension on the right would most likely be a switching area with a mine or stamp mill and maybe some On18 track on a higher level. I may build this as a portable mini, along the lines of the Frazier Borate.

The short stretch of track on the shop side of the wall (it's really just a divider, with 2x4 framing and a think sheet of paneling) might be in a shadowbox, with a plexiglass front. Maybe I'll model the inside of the tunnel, or maybe have the track emerge from short tunnels on each end and cross a small creek or something of the sort.

Since the previous post, I've changed my mind and decided to go with Micro Engineering track. I took advantage of a Memorial Day sale and bought two bundles of flex track and four turnouts. I'll do another order when I finalize the track plan.

6/2/25: I received a shipment of track today -- two bundles of six lengths of flex track, and four turnouts. I have another order of four turnouts and a pack of rail joiners coming later this week.

The goal this week is to prep the room -- moving stuff around, clearing the bench work, and moving some storage shelves. I need to reconfigure the benchwork a bit where the canyon will be. I'm also going to be smart for once and install a backdrop before I put in track.

I'm still debating using plywood versus foam for the base. I'll get to that next week, or maybe the week after.