I have started work on a new layout which is based on the Donner Summit crossing of the Southern Pacific between Roseville and Reno.    The layout is going to be a helper district with tains arriving from staging that need a helper added to get over the hill.  The layout was designed around some of my favorite scenes on the prototype - the town of Colfax, Cape Horn, the Yuba Gap and the summit tunnels.  A big aspect of the railroad is defienitely going to be the railfanning aspect and I also like to take photos, so great scenery is a priority of mine.  To add operating interest I have the town of Colfax which will get a local train once a day that will also wander up to Blue Canon, but as on the prototype, it won't go over the summit.

The layout is two visible levels and a staging "basement".  I have the benchwork for the basement mostly built but haven't laid any track yet, so there is still time to change the plan from the advice I get here!

The layout is located in a 14 x 19 foot building in the backyard.  It has one of those roll-up doors at the front.  I also have preserved a bunch of the the workbench (orange rectangle on the plans).  I spent much of the fall fixing up the shed as it had a lot of dry-rot in the plywood flooring.  All that is fixed now and the building has a new lease on life

Here are teh 3 levels drawn in 3rd PlanIt.  The grid is 1 foot.  The gauge is HO.   The HON3 Nevada Narrow Gauge Railroad makes a cameo appearance in Colfax - it will meet passenger trains and then run off to its own staging.

The wye in Colfax will swing up to turn helpers when needed, otherwise it is folded down out of the way.

To enter the space, there will be a swinging door with the staging and lower level on it, the upper level will not move but be a nod-under.

There is more info at my blog at http://www.tamvalleyrr.comon my thoughts and some earlier versions of the plans.  Feel free to give me feedback!

I eagerly await issue 1!

Duncan