After receiving several requests
for a photo or two of the entire layout, I thought I'd share this in
the traditional MRR format.
November 2003:
The Benchwork, of which there are 25 sections, was built by RailDreams out of
Wisconsin. They laid 95% of the track and wired the layout with the DCC system.
Size:
21’ x 35’ Height: 48”
Prototype:
Western & Atlantic RR, Atlanta GA to Chattanooga TN
Era:
1863, August
Style: Walk-around; point-to-point
Benchwork: 1.5” pink insulation foam board over ¼” Luan
Track:
code 83 Flextrack
Mainline:
130’
Minimum
radius: 18”
Minimum
turnout: no. 4; Shinohara; stubs by BK Enterprises hand laid
Scenery:
Plaster, Sculptamold over plaster cloth or cardboard strips. Ground cover – GA
red dirt… yes, from GA
Backdrop:
painted ¼” Masonite
Switch
machines: Tortoise
System:
NCE DCC tethered and wireless
Structures: BTS, Railway
Design Associates, DPM, Bar Mills, Main Street Heritage, Branchline Trains. 36 are
scratch built from photos and illustrations.
Figures: Musket Miniatures, Prieser, Airfix, Thomas,
Merten, Model Power, Life-Like
First off, the reason for calling this the 'North Branch' is that fellow modeler and contributor, LeBron Mathews, also models the W&A… in Georgia. Hence we refer to his layout as the ‘South Branch’.
Additional contributors include:
- DC Cebula (MANY, MANY scratch built structures, bench work modifications, scenery)
- Christopher Eldridge (Lee & Gordon’s Mill, Barnsley Gardens, blockhouse)
- Brian Kammerer (backdrops)
- Andy Salcius (trees, structures, videos and fascia skirt)
- Chris Comport
(structures)
- Brent Pearson and Pete Culos (figures)
- Garden State Central Model RR Club, in particular Jim Judge, (track work and electrical)
- Ku’uipo L. Radice (trees and crew vittles)
TRACK PLAN
Here is my design after about 30 iterations back in 2003. Last month Bernie Kempinski took this plan, which was done in pencil, and using a graphic software drew up the table top with track. 
Below Bernie did a beautiful job adding scenic contours, towns, etc. which gives the viewer a more complete sense of the floor plan.
In the beginning... DC and I cut away two areas of the bench. The first photo below shows the original Wye bench work as delivered and reconstructed by the folks from RailDreams. I contracted with them to complete the tables, install track and wire the entire layout. I knew relatively little then and thought this would speed up the process. It did. However, you know the story, knowing what I know now I...
Here the reach was clearly too far and required change.
Due to the selective compression requirements, you can get an idea on how we needed to alter the plan based on this diagram. This also shows the placement of locomotives during The Great Locomotive Chase. The General might very well have made it back to Union lines had it not been for the extra trains coming out of Chattanooga, marked here as the Second and Third Sections. Locomotive William R Smith did participate in the Chase until Bill Fuller met up with the Texas.
Two of my favorite people and contributors, DC and Lebron, April 12, 2007 conducting a test run.
