The setting is Vancouver Island, British Columbia, on the west coast of Canada in the fall of 1949; the objective has been to give a feeling for the Island's railroads at that time, rather than to accurately represent the prototype. The Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (E&N) was the principal railroad on the island, running from Victoria at the southern tip, along the island's East coast to Nanaimo, 73 rail miles north, and beyond. While the model goes no further, the railroad continued north and west. There were numerous logging and mining railroads all over the island, most using standard gauge equipment.
The 11’ x 24’ model railroad incorporates a fictitious logging railway and portions of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway from Victoria to Nanaimo. The year 1949 was chosen because the CPR, owners of the railroad, converted the E & N completely from steam to diesel by the end of 1949; I wanted to have both steam and diesel on the E & N portion of the layout. I also lived in Victoria at that time. The logging roads provide ample opportunity to include additional steam, as it was used right into the 1960's; the E & N had both in 1949, but its 20 steam locomotives were all transferred to the mainland by year’s end, replaced by 13 Baldwin road diesels. As well, Bright Mine, serviced by the Comox logging line, was closed in 1951, the transfer dock at Ladysmith torn down in 1955.
The 11’ x 24’ model railroad incorporates a fictitious logging railway and portions of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway from Victoria to Nanaimo. The year 1949 was chosen because the CPR, owners of the railroad, converted the E & N completely from steam to diesel by the end of 1949; I wanted to have both steam and diesel on the E & N portion of the layout. I also lived in Victoria at that time. The logging roads provide ample opportunity to include additional steam, as it was used right into the 1960's; the E & N had both in 1949, but its 20 steam locomotives were all transferred to the mainland by year’s end, replaced by 13 Baldwin road diesels. As well, Bright Mine, serviced by the Comox logging line, was closed in 1951, the transfer dock at Ladysmith torn down in 1955.
The particular section of the island located midway between Victoria and Nanaimo was chosen because there were logging operations active on both the Chemainus (Copper Canyon) and the Nanaimo rivers (between Ladysmith and Nanaimo). Chemainus was at 52 miles, Ladysmith at 59 and Nanaimo at 73 miles north of Victoria. Log dumping took place at both Ladysmith and Chemainus during this same period. Coal and lumber were delivered to Ladysmith, 7 miles north of Chemainus, for carload shipment by transfer barge to the mainland. With other carload barge traffic, log and coal shipments from the Nanaimo river to Nanaimo and Victoria, a yard south of Chemainus representing Esquimalt/Victoria and another, co-located yard north of Ladysmith representing Nanaimo, there is ample opportunity to generate passenger, freight, logging and coal traffic on the E & N.
The logging operations will include a logging show (where the actual log cutting and loading took place), a camp (maybe), interchanges with the E & N (just north of Ladysmith and also at Chemainus), and a log dump at Chemainus. There are two primary operating areas: one at Ladysmith with its transfer wharf, other industry and a passenger station, the other at the joint Victoria/Nanaimo yard. Secondary operations will exist at the logging show, the logging camp, the mine, the interchanges and the log dumps. There will be one passenger station on the E & N mainline at Ladysmith and at least a notional station in the yard. There will also be a coal mine on the logging line (per the prototype) to provide further operating activity.
Operation takes place in three main areas of the U-shaped layout, which is accessible from all but one side of the U. The end of one side of the U is used for both Victoria and Nanaimo yards for the E & N. The outside bottom of the U is Ladysmith. Most of the lower inside of the U will be used for the log camp/sawmill, and a Y for turning Comox trains. The log dump is on the upper arm of the U opposite the yard. The logging show and the coalmine will occupy the centers of two dog bone loop areas in the arms of the U.
To incorporate a reasonable amount of track, there is a point-to-point run around the U and back at a base, 50” level; this represents E & N track from Victoria to Nanaimo. Not including the yard(s), this yields about 60 feet of mainline; passing track, interchanges, industry track and yards are in addition to that. The logging show, camp/sawmill and the coalmine are at various elevations, using the centers of the loops and the inner part of the U. With the layout base at 50” (on a T-girder frame with 1x4 beams, ½” plywood, homasote and cork roadbed), the camp/sawmill area will be at about 56” and the upper level (the log show) will at 62” to 64”. The design is set up for point-to-point operation with continuous running as an option for display purposes.
As most of our Friday Night Group’s layouts operated with Digitrax DCC, I incorporated the same system from the start. The frogs are all dead, though they could be wired at a later date if required. Since I have no short-wheelbase locomotives on the layout and no sound yet, they are causing no problems. Only a few, powered (Tortoise) switches are used, although the yard will probably have some diode-matrix-controlled throws eventually. The upper areas will require more remotely-controlled switches. Lighting is fluorescent with 5000K high-efficiency lamps.
Operation includes:
· Passenger trains on the E & N, both directions, yard to yard with stops at Ladysmith and Chemainus.
· Freight and mixed passenger/freight with stops at Chemainus, Ladysmith and Nanaimo.
· Logs from the show to the camp, on past the mine to the E & N interchange, from there via the E & N to the Chemainus interchange and finally to the log dump. Empties return.
· Ladysmith operations with E & N trains, the transfer barge and local industry.
· Freight to and from the log camp.
· Coal from the mine to the Ladysmith interchange, from there to Nanaimo, Victoria and the Ladysmith transfer dock.
I am looking forward to adding scenery and structures to the layout, but have had to defer it until there was sufficient track to support our operating sessions. Painting and finishing of a variety of locomotives and cars is also on that list, as is building more cars and structures. Some of the spline roadbed leading to the mining and logging areas has been built, with much more to come.
The logging operations will include a logging show (where the actual log cutting and loading took place), a camp (maybe), interchanges with the E & N (just north of Ladysmith and also at Chemainus), and a log dump at Chemainus. There are two primary operating areas: one at Ladysmith with its transfer wharf, other industry and a passenger station, the other at the joint Victoria/Nanaimo yard. Secondary operations will exist at the logging show, the logging camp, the mine, the interchanges and the log dumps. There will be one passenger station on the E & N mainline at Ladysmith and at least a notional station in the yard. There will also be a coal mine on the logging line (per the prototype) to provide further operating activity.Operation takes place in three main areas of the U-shaped layout, which is accessible from all but one side of the U. The end of one side of the U is used for both Victoria and Nanaimo yards for the E & N. The outside bottom of the U is Ladysmith. Most of the lower inside of the U will be used for the log camp/sawmill, and a Y for turning Comox trains. The log dump is on the upper arm of the U opposite the yard. The logging show and the coalmine will occupy the centers of two dog bone loop areas in the arms of the U.
To incorporate a reasonable amount of track, there is a point-to-point run around the U and back at a base, 50” level; this represents E & N track from Victoria to Nanaimo. Not including the yard(s), this yields about 60 feet of mainline; passing track, interchanges, industry track and yards are in addition to that. The logging show, camp/sawmill and the coalmine are at various elevations, using the centers of the loops and the inner part of the U. With the layout base at 50” (on a T-girder frame with 1x4 beams, ½” plywood, homasote and cork roadbed), the camp/sawmill area will be at about 56” and the upper level (the log show) will at 62” to 64”. The design is set up for point-to-point operation with continuous running as an option for display purposes.
As most of our Friday Night Group’s layouts operated with Digitrax DCC, I incorporated the same system from the start. The frogs are all dead, though they could be wired at a later date if required. Since I have no short-wheelbase locomotives on the layout and no sound yet, they are causing no problems. Only a few, powered (Tortoise) switches are used, although the yard will probably have some diode-matrix-controlled throws eventually. The upper areas will require more remotely-controlled switches. Lighting is fluorescent with 5000K high-efficiency lamps.Operation includes:
· Passenger trains on the E & N, both directions, yard to yard with stops at Ladysmith and Chemainus.
· Freight and mixed passenger/freight with stops at Chemainus, Ladysmith and Nanaimo.
· Logs from the show to the camp, on past the mine to the E & N interchange, from there via the E & N to the Chemainus interchange and finally to the log dump. Empties return.
· Ladysmith operations with E & N trains, the transfer barge and local industry.
· Freight to and from the log camp.
· Coal from the mine to the Ladysmith interchange, from there to Nanaimo, Victoria and the Ladysmith transfer dock.
I am looking forward to adding scenery and structures to the layout, but have had to defer it until there was sufficient track to support our operating sessions. Painting and finishing of a variety of locomotives and cars is also on that list, as is building more cars and structures. Some of the spline roadbed leading to the mining and logging areas has been built, with much more to come.
