I've been thinking about rebuilding the Frazier Borate mini. And when I say rebuilding, I mean scrapping the existing layout and building a new one with a similar track plan, but a couple of significant changes.
First, the existing Frazier Borate is just a little too large to be really portable. At 30 inches wide, it won't fit through most household doors without tilting it on its side, and at 60 inches long, it's a tad too long to fit comfortably in my RAV4. I want to shrink it to 56x28, maybe even a little less. Of course, that means reducing the minimum radius an inch or maybe more, but since this is pretty much Porter territory anyway, that's not much of a problem.
If I make a new, more portable version, I can take it to Gary Beatty's Mini Festa next year, and maybe other places.
Second, when I built it, I wasn't bold enough using the vertical dimension; one of the things I'm pleased with, about the San Emigdio Canyon, is the strong vertical element of the deep canyon juxtaposed with a pretty tall mountain. Because there's more track and buildings on the Frazier Borate, I can't be quite as free with vertical scenery, but I think I can do better.
The interchange track at the lower left would connect to the L&SE, which is the other reason for doing this -- it would provide expanded operational possibilities for the L&SE.
If I use Peco switches and Atlas HO flex track, I have most if not all of the track I need; if I go to Peco flex I'd need to get a half-dozen lengths. Many buildings from the old Frazier Borate could be reused, at least as temporary stand-ins. I'd probably construct this similar to the San Emigdio Canyon, with a minimal 1x2 frame and mostly carved foam construction.
3/15/26: Here's a revised version. It occurred to me that where it's going to sit in my garage, it would be better to have the canyon on the right instead of the left. I also altered the track plan to use the Peco On30 turnouts I have on hand (two left, one right, one wye). And I moved some buildings around, though that is still subject to change.
Here's a 3D view of the plan:
The brewery, ore bin, and some of the other buildings will be recycled from the first version of the Frazier Borate. The depot shown here is sized from the Full Circle Models depot kit that I bought recently, but it's a tight fit. I may need to get something even smaller.
Here's a view showing how it connects to the larger layout. I've included a spur that runs behind the mini layout and would probably be hidden behind a backdrop, providing storage for excess cars or even a full train. Note that I've changed the turnout at the lower left of the mini from a Y to a right, and used the Y where the storage track branches off:
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