I have been slowly working on my modular layout. It is made up of 4 modules. Two 2 foot by 5 foot modules, 1 corner 4 x 4 foot module and one 2 foot by 6 foot module. They are arranged in an L shape. The switches and track are going to be all hand laid with the use of Fast Tracks jigs in Sn3 (S scale 3 foot narrow gauge). The theme is going to be a West Side Lumber switching layout so I can run my PBL Shays. I am going to have a lumber mill on the 6 foot module that will cut the logs into boards. The boards will be delivered to a few processing buildings on the 5 foot modules that will assemble the boards into wooden crates for the California citrus industry and barrels for the wine industry. The era is going to be the 1930s and 40s. The Shays will shuttle cars around to the assembly buildings that will have a specific task in the assembly of the crates and barrels.

All the track is assembled using Fast Track jigs with PC ties. Wooden ties will be inserted under the track. The switches are # 6. The minimum radius is 30 degrees. The switches will be powered by Tortoise switch machines.  

This is the let side module, the far left is where the lumber mill will be. The Legos show the footprint of the mill. The back tracks will deliver the logs to the mill. The front tracks will pick up the cut lumber.

This is the center module. This will have the spar tree in the corner where we will pick up the freshly cut logs.

The right side of the layout is divided into two 2 foot by 5 foot modules. The left module will be used to shuttle freshly cut logs and cut boards. The white paper represents buildings that will assemble the wooden boxes and barrels

The right side module will be used to start the initial cutting the raw lumber into the correct size for the wooden boxes and barrels. The white paper represents buildings that will be processing the wood. You can see the stained wooden ties that will be under the tracks.

The operator will start by picking up logs at the spar tree and then deliver the logs to the mill. Then the operator will pick up ruff lumber from the mill and deliver the lumber to the different processing buildings in the correct order to produce the product.

Here are some of the Shays that will handle the work. This is a brass 3 truck Shay #12 in Sn3 with a LokSound decoder. I run NCE wireless system.

These are a pair of 37 ton Shays in Sn3. WSLCo never had the 37 ton engines, but I custom painted and lettered the Shays for WSLCo. They have LokSound decoders.

Cheers Bill B.