northmill

Just started this blog... conveniently you can add forum post with a button. Yay.

Originally Posted by northmill

Hello N-Scalers.

First, want to offer my thanks for all the great suggestions, explanations, support and wisdom from this forum.

Submitting a long-overdue layout update. In the last part of 22 I finalized Phase 1 and started working on Phase 2. Phase 1 was essentially vignettes from two little towns from my childhood, Murfreesboro and Christiana Tennessee. Mix of early diesel and modern steam, so I guess we’re in the 50s. Primary industries of note were dairy and the prevalent red cedar, specifically pencils and buckets.

Phase 2 includes my first attempt at a yard. Key features I wanted to captureL arrival track, turn-around loop, classification/staging tracks, a place to put a few cabeese, diesels, steam power and a holding spot for the yard goats. Would appreciate any suggestions. Not really happy with the steam service/staging area but running out of room. Toying with the idea of a turntable.


To break the double mainline roller-coaster vibe up a little, I added a loop of Kato elevated track. Got most of it used on ebay. It is not really prototypical for the area I am modeling, but it makes it fun to watch the passenger trains travelling around the “mainline” while switching the inner loop/local.

Here are the track plans so far.
entire plan

phase 1









phase 2



















Here are some shots from around the layout.


Have recently started doing very casual operations. Built a spreadsheet where I can enter 20 freight cars and it randomly assigns 8 starting /ending locations. That is the reasons for the little signs.

Other things I have been dabbling with over the past year: JMRI, stripping and decorating locomotives and some passenger cars. Several DCC installations to ebay/trainshow bargains.