Hello everyone. I've been a longtime member of this board but haven't posted much as I haven't felt I've had much to add to the discussions. I'm extremely grateful of everyone who has shared their projects here and would like to share the construction of my own layout as I make progress. Today I mounted the first 3 sections of what will eventually become my representation of the Norfolk & Western Railway around Williamson WV circa 1949. While I am striving for a realistic and historically accurate reproduction, it will not be 100% true or 100% to scale. We all have to practice the art of compression, although I have strived to minimize this where I can. I've also selected to include some buildings that were finished in 1950 and a few that were already torn down by 1949 - call it artistic license. These sections will be the main part of the town of Williamson, with the freight and passenger stations along with the warehouse district that was rail served. I have strived to reproduce the rail plans where I have documentation, although some deference has been made to operating a model railroad. Here is the track plan for this area of layout: After getting the trackwork built for this section, I plan to add some temporary reversing loops on both ends so that I can run trains. I like long trains, prototypical passengers trains with 2 to 11 cars and coal trains with 40 or more cars. These take space to run and that is the goal of the layout. Once I get some basic scenery done for the town, I know I'll want to expand to build the yard and engine servicing facilities. The plans are all drawn up I know that those are really the core of my layout. I started with the town because of where it goes in the basement makes it a logical starting point.
I like the backdrop you have in place. Thanks for sharing this - it will be interesting to see this come together!
You have a great theme and are off to a fine start. Your build will be fun to watch. I've been to Williamson only a time or two. Shot these 04/12/1988 when coal was still king. Happily, the depot survives as the Town Hall I think.
Great plan and backdrop! I see where you have room for a reversing loop on the near end, but what about the far end? Will the layout be detachable from the wall?
It is firmly attached to the wall. The door you see is to a closet under the stairs. There will be a near 180 degree U turn in the closet and it will come out the other side of the door. This is where the temporary return loop will reside until I build the engine servicing facility and yard that will join there. The other end of the layout (from where the picture was taken) will eventually continue on to a scene with the main line snaking along the river. Big plans, it will take me a very long time for them to come to fruition, but then again, I've been planning this in one form or another for over 30 years.
