"Donner pass" and more...

N Scale
Owner: Ken Harstine
Layout Location: Holyoke, Massachusetts
I have essentially two N Scale SP layouts:
1. Donner pass
4'x9' Modeling the pass, Truckee and Donner Lake.


2. Sugar Bowl at Norden on Donner Pass
2.5'x4' NTRAK Module. This module is featured in my May 2009 Faller Car Systems article in N Scale Magazine.


Currently working on a smaller Truckee module for the NMRA convention in Hartford and the N Scale convention Portland, Oregon.

San Jose Shelf Switcher

N Scale
Owner: Byron Henderson
Layout Location: San Jose.CA
This compact (18" X 72") Layout is based on Western Pacific and Southern Pacific trackage around 5th St. and 7th St. in San Jose, CA.
I'm now working on a terminal-themed N scale layout to share my garage with a family car, but before I started I thought it would be a good idea to build some sort of a trial layout.
The layout is inspired by real industries and street running around 5th street and 7th street in San Jose, CA, but does not exactly match the real railroad configurations.
There is more on this layout and the real-life elements that inspired it in an article in the Layout Design Journal published by the Layout Design SIG. This was LDJ #29 published in January, 2004.

San Antonio & the Sunset Route

N scale
Owner: Flash Blackman
Layout Location: San Antonio, Texas
"I'm modeling the San Antonio urban area and the Sunset Route trackage with as many industries and sidings as I can. It is just a large switching layout"
30 x 20 foot N scale layout in the basement.
See on the picture album how many locale buildings: a great research and a great modeler!

East Portland

N Scale - modern
Owner: Peter ___ ( Trainboard nick : pdx1955 )
Layout Location: Salem, Oregon
I model the portion from Brooklyn Yard north to East Portland/Union Station.
This is a pure industrial setting and the layout is mainly switching, transfer (at one time there were 60 runs a day between the SP and UP/NP) and a few "run-through" passenger trains.
Technically there is no mainline as it is all in yard limits but it is double track all the way.

Santa Cruz Northern

HO scale – 1970-71
Owner: Jim Providenza
Layout Location: _____
The SCN is a jointly owned Western Pacific / Santa Fe subsidiary, running from a connection with the WP in San Jose California south to Santa Cruz on the Pacific Coast.
Proto-freelance over the California Coast Range in '70-71.
Double deck, walk around, point to point 240' single track mainline, 90% sceniced, in a two car garage.
Operations closely adhere to prototype practices with through and local freights, a unit train, passenger operations, yard and interchange. Dispatcher works with two Agent/Operators, a Yardmaster, a Trainmaster and train crews in a fairly disciplined but enjoyable atmosphere, replicating the teamwork inherent in railroading.
Lenz DCC with several CVP wireless throttles, Soundtraxx decoders, telephone, TT&TO, 4:1 fast clock, car card and waybill / switch-list.
Fascia mounted track diagrams, station names and mile posts, handouts describing layout and operating positions, employee timetable.
May 1996 Model Railroader, November & December 2002 Railroad Model Craftsman, December 1999 Railmodel Journal, Great Model Railroads video #35.

Feather River Western

HO scale
Owner: John Huber
Layout Location: Windsor
Double-decked layout based on the Western Pacific.
Layout under construction with bench work complete; all track in Mountain scenery 90% done, structures being added.
DCC control.

Yosemite Valley Railroad

HO Scale
Owner: Jack Burgess
Layout Location: Newark, CA
“I have been researching this railroad for over 40 years.
Not only do I collect information, photos, and paper "artifacts" from this wonderful railroad, but I am also building a large HO scale layout based on the YVRR in my home in Newark, California in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Layout features 1-4 decks or levels to take better advantage of my limited (20'x20') available space.”

Yosemite Valley RR

HO Scale - late 1930's
Owner: Wes Swift
Layout Location: Santa Cruz
HO scale recreation of the Yosemite Valley RR in the late 1930's.
The layout is double-decked and uses laminated roadbed.
Features very realistic, actual prototype scenes.
NCE DCC is used for control and uncoupling with Kadee couplers and electromagnets.
The layout has been featured in Railroad Model Craftsman.
The high level of modeling realism compared favorably with the famous YVRR of Jack Burgess.

Sonora Pacific & Southern Pacific

HO/HOn3 – 1940’s thru 50’s
Owner: F. John LaBarba
Layout Location: Santa Cruz
A 20' x 20' HO/HOn3 layout depicting a California narrow gauge railroad interchanging with the Southern Pacific in the 1940's thru 50's.
It is a series of scenes, each with its own theme, set apart effectively by scenic dividers.
It features very find rock work & fantastic scenery.
There are freelanced depictions of Los Angeles, Westside Lumber, & a gold mine/mill complex.
Operation is by radio cab control.
Featured in Railroad Model Craftsman and in Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette.

The Owens Valley Subdivision

N Scale - Spring 1990
Owner: Mike Stoner
Layout Location: Sedona, AZ
The Owens Valley Subdivision (OVS) is a north/south connecting line which runs from Mojave, California to Reno, Nevada.
At its south end, the OVS connects with Santa Fe's original Transcontinental line at Mojave, on the eastern side of the Tehachapi mountains. At its north end, the OVS connects with the Southern Pacific's original line that runs over Donner Pass. The Owens Valley Subdivision is named for the valley which it runs in.
The Owens Valley stretches from Bishop, Ca, south to Keeler, Ca, where the Owens River ends in a large lake basin.
The Owens Valley Subdivision is a double deck N scale layout depicting what could have happened if the merger between the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe Railway was approved.
It also is a "proto free lanced" railroad, where I have taken the prototype SP and SF and put them in a setting that never had a standard gauge railroad.
The layout room size is 18.5' x 11.5'. Even with this modest amount of room for N scale, I was still hard pressed to include everything that I wanted in my "dream" layout. But after the compromises, I was still able to keep most of what I wanted. Double decking the railroad helped immensely.

SP's Coast Route

N Scale - 1950 to 1955
Owner: Wolfgang "Wolf" Balandran
Layout Location: Westminster, Magnolia Street, Garden Grove, CA
Finally, after about six years without a layout, I am getting ready to start my new layout. The track plan is being worked on. So I'll have to wait just a bit longer. But, in preparation for the track plan I have been working on the workbench. It is 9' X 14'.
And will be based on the SP's Coast Route. Totally freelanced, but set around San Luis Obispo (just to have destinations).
The time frame will be around 1950 to 1955.
Wolfgang "Wolf" Balandran
SPH&TS Member #C2444
Belmont Shore Model RR Club

Southern Pacific in Southern California

HO scale - 1050
Owner: Bob Brand
Layout Location: Texsa
Southern California in the 50s.
Bob tore out his old layout and started over 2 years ago.

Summit

N scale - Modern
Owner: Lennart Svedberg
Layout Location: Sweden
N scale “Summit” layout, which is a freelanced interpretation of the Southern Pacific Tehachapi tunnels and their surroundings.

Eastern Sierra line

O Scale - circa 1955
Owner. Vern Hill
Layout location: Wofford Heights (Lake Isabella Area)
This O-scale layout measures 13' x 21'. Track is mostly hand laid to Proto 48 standards. The basic track plan is an over-and-under folded dog bone with a hidden storage yard into the adjoining garage. All track work, with the exception of an engine service area and industrial spur, is complete along with about 85 percent of the scenery.
The layout represents generic Southern Pacific, circa 1955, with a mix of steam and diesel. Most modelers are aware that SP had what nearly amounted to an Eastern Sierra line from Klamath Falls, Oregon to Mojave, including the SP narrow gauge from Keeler to Laws and north over Mt. Montgomery Pass.
In Vern's historical "imagineering", he has standard gauged the line and the layout represents a section of that fictional scenario.
Rolling stock includes some brass, Intermountain, Red Caboose and Atlas equipment. The locomotive roster includes models from Glacier Park, Sunset and old Atlas. All have been converted to Proto 48 standards.
The layout controls are standard no-frills DC as are the controls for the signal system (target and semaphore). A sound system remains on the wish list.

SP Steam in California

1:48 Scale - 1950
Owner: Jim Harper
Layout Location: St. George, Utah
Jim is building a Proto48 layout in his new home.
The layout is loosely based upon SP operations in California.
His original layout was in his three-car garage in Reno, Nevada.
Jim has reassembled the original layout and added to it in his larger space.
Pictures of Jim's older layout prior to the move on the link.
”Jim Harper has one of the finest Proto48 layouts in the country.
It fills a three-car garage in his home in Reno. Jim’s track is all hand-spiked with individual tie plates and four spikes per tie. He used cast frogs and points so his track is as well detailed as his models. Recently, Jim has converted to DCC operation with sound.”

Paliz Bay Railway & Navigation Co

HO Scale - 1966
Owner: Peter __?
Layout Location: Santa Cruz. CA
Paliz Bay is a fictional town just outside Santa Cruz, California.
The line is loosely based on a branch line of the Southern Pacific Coast Line going through Santa Cruz, and is set in August 1966.

West Valley District

N Scale - era__?
Owner: Phil Scandura
Layout Location: ___?
Phil Scandura’s N Scale layout, the Southern Pacific Tucson Division “West Valley District” , depicts a fictional branch line connection between the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe railroads, just outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The branch starts in Glendale, as an interchange with the Santa Fe mainline, and continues through Tolleson and into Avondale where it joins the Southern Pacific mainline bound for Yuma.
Layout is controlled by Digitrax DCC and was originally designed using CADRail layout design software.

Southern Pacific in Dads Garage

N scale - modern
Owner: John Paulson
Layout Location: Finchley Avenue, Riverside, CA
Nice scenery and bridges!
"My layout is loosely based on Colton through Cajon serving Victorville.
There is tons of modelers liscense but I needed a base to work from.
This is a single level N-scale, L-shaped layout that loosely depicts the Colton yard, through the grade of Cajon pass, to Victorville all in California.
There is a yard with many industries around it, a passing siding at the summit, and Victorville with 3 sidings. There is also a three track continouos staging yard between Victorville and Colton so the three tracks are stand ins for points north and south or west. My goal in Victorville is to have a Cemex plant, Beck oil and fuels, and Hesperia lumber. In Colton there will be a citrus packer, Grain elevator(like the one in San Berdo), Bekins storage, a furniture manufacturer, a plastics manufacturer, and a LCL shiping house.
It is powered by an NCE system with four throttles."

Shasta Pacific Railroad

Shasta Pacific Railroad
HO Scale
Owner : Ken Leitch
Layout Location: Landsborough. Q. Australia.
An imaginary subsidiary of the Southern Pacific RR that a STB ruling protected from being swallowed up by the yellow peril meger.
It is set in western USA and stretches from Portland to Bakersfield & Mojave via Tehachapi & covers a loose time frame 1940 - 1996.
Ken is a Life Member of NMRA, honorary life member of Gold Coast Model Railway Workshop, & currently a member of Caloundra Model Railway Association & Sunshine Coast Railway Modellers Society.

Los Angeles and San Diego Railroad

HO Scale - 1950
Owner: Jim Lancaster
Layout Location: Galy Street, Tustin, CA
Jim Lancaster’s Layout set in Southern California in the 1950’s.
Unlike the prototype, which is a Santa Fe-only line from Riverside to Orange County, the model railroad features joint trackage with two other railroads - the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific - over most of its length.
Emphasis is on the Southern Pacific through a subsidiary named the Los Angeles and San Diego Railroad.

Oakland Harbor Belt

N scale - 1955
Owner: Byron Henderson
Layout Location: _____?
A proto-freelanced N scale model railroad set in 1955.
The layout is under construction now and will include scenes around the Alameda and Oakland, CA areas, with an emphasis on yard and industry switching.

West Marie Vally RR

O scale - Transition era
Owner: Lisa Marie Tahtaras
Layout Location: ___?
About 16 by 26 feet in size.
It is a fictitious branch of the SP across the Sierra Nevada Mountains, where it connects with the UP.
I have some UP equipment, but mostly all SP.
I love the transition period so there are some 1st generation diesels. Most of the motive power is steam which includes examples of most of SPs large steam locos.
The railroad is designed mainly for train watching and has a single track main line, that goes around the train aria about 1 1/2 times, with a long passing siding.
There is a seven stall round house, that houses my collection of Cab Forwards.
The rest of the locos have to live outside till I have the space to build a larger version of the WMVRR

Bear Creek and South Jackson

HO Scale – circa 1952
Owner: Charlie Comstock
Layout Location: ___?
The BC&SJ is free-lanced as an imaginary subsidiary of the Southern Pacific circa 1952.

Sp in Oregon

Jeff Abbott's Espee Oregon Division
- Scale: N 1:160
- Era: Circa Late 70's
- The layout is located in Valencia, CA.

Espee's Cascade Sub ( loosely Oregon Division from Eugene and over the Cascades )
Compressed to a 16' X 20' double level layout with helix. 300'+ of single track ME code 55 mainline (over 9 scale miles)... near equivalent code 40 sidings, yards, and spur tracks.
22 1/2" min radius curves with 1.8% max grade.
Train lengths average 30-50 cars, with comparable siding lengths.
Midtrain helpers are part of regular operations thanks to body mount couplers.
Powered by Digitrax DCC which also handles JMRI / CATS controls for full CTC signaling system.
Dispatching ops sessions is done remotely via internet.
Communications are VoIP relaying FRS radios for crew members.
15 years in the making...

Photobucket link:

http://s448.photobucket.com/albums/qq210/4x2dsp/?start=all 

Blogspot link:

http://espeeoregondivision.blogspot.com/

SP in Oregon

O gauge - late 1940s to 1950
Owner: Charlie Morrill
Layout location: Benjamin, Texas.
Charlie models and his layout is primarily designed for switching operations.
His layout features working signals that he has built.

This is a 28' x 38' basement layout which attempts to model some parts of SP operations in Oregon.
The time era for the layout is late 1940s to 1950 and all steam.
Either DC with PFM sound or DCC with sound are used for operations depending on the locomotives to be run.
The upper section of afolded 8 loop is under construction. No scenery as yet.

Photos of the layout can be found by following the link.

Pacific Northwest

HO Scale - 1971
Owner: Larry Stewart
Layout Location: 23226 Dune Mear Road, Lake Forest
This 20’ x 20’ garage layout represents 1971 Pacific Northwest.
The highly detailed layout incorporates natural granite rock work into the scenery.
Southern Pacific tunnel motors and SD-45's pull long trains through the rugged western mountains.
Union Pacific trains also ply the same routes. All equipment is detailed for 1971 and weathered properly.
Trackwork is Code 83 rail with smooth-running, large-radius curves. The main line run is 385 feet long.
The layout has been a work in progress since 1975. It has always looked complete, that is, a scene is never incomplete for more then a couple of days. Larry’s friends can't figure out the constant need to change scenes and track configuration. But that is what he loves about the hobby.

SP Santa Cruz Division

Garden Layout 1:32 standard gauge - late 60's
Owner: Gary Siegel
Layout Location: Camino Viejo, Montecito, CA
Theme: Santa Cruz to San Jose
Scenery 60%
200 x 185
Gary’s SP Santa Cruz Division layout is an operations oriented 1:32 standard gauge layout.
Modeled after the Southern Pacific’s line from San Jose to Santa Cruz, the old South Pacific Coast R.R.
The era is in the late 60's.
The mainline is 750 feet long with five passing sidings.
The railroad design is point to point. Mainline minimum radius is 8'6". The maximum mainline grade is 1.5%.
We run with 1st. and 2nd. generation diesels. Mainline track and industrial spurs are in. The yard and industrial tracks at San Jose and Santa Cruz are not in yet. There are some temporary yard tracks in.
Gary has planted several hundred dwarf Alberta spruce trees as part of the scenery.
For more photos scroll down a few pages at the Gold Coast Garden Railway Society’s October 2007 newsletter:
http://www.gcgrs.com/October%202007%20on%20line%20edition.pdf

Siskiyou Pacific

HO Scale – circa 1966
Owner: Larry Tuttle
Layout Location: ___?
"I started building my layout in 1987 in what used to be the garage of my house.
It loosely represents the Rogue Valley of Oregon circa 1966 with a few liberties taken with what "might have been." The modeled section includes from about the town of Rogue River to the summit of the Siskiyou Mountians.
Interchange with the Southern Pacific is accomplished with staging yards representing Eugene and Black Butte. Interchange is also with "what might have been" the Pacific & Eastern Railroad (Rogue Valley Model Railroad Club's railroad).
The main lines of the Siskiyou Pacific and Pacific & Eastern form a loop three scale miles long, on two levels connected by a double helix. Towns along the way (from north to south) include: Gold River (the division point), Rogue Point, Eagle Creek, Glen Creek (on a branch) and Siskiyou.
Control is by tethered walk around throttles built by the railroad's own shops.
Operation is by a card order system. Up to 5 trains can be operated simultaneously. A full operating session can keep six people busy for five hours moving 150 cars with two dozen trains."

SP Coast Line

HO Scale - circa 1950
Owner: James Donlon
Layout Location: St. Josephs St., Santa Barbara, CA
James’ HO scale Southern Pacific Coast Line is a three deck representation of the Southern Pacific Coastline route.
The circa 1950 era allows a mix of steam, first generation diesels and a few second generation diesels.
The railroad seeks to faithfully recreate the SP’s Ventura Sub Division operations between Burbank Junction (roughly Glendale CA) and Sea Cliff (south Santa Barbara) with 350 feet of mainline in an around the 22’ x 19’ room.
The railroad was built for operation. Using an original SP timetable from the era, James dispatches trains based on the actual time table of the day using and 8:1 fast clock to cover a 24 hour period in 3 hours with an average of 16 to 20 trains operating per session..
The times of the trains on his model are within minutes of the actual 1952 SP
timetable.
Trains include through and local freights as well as named passenger consists. Trains run as scheduled and extras.
Towns and landmarks along the route are captured in the layout including Santa Susana Pass, the yard at Oxnard and the “Y” for the Santa Paula branch line.
Entry to the layout requires navigating a “CRAWL under” so be prepared.

SP Friant Branch layout

HO-scale
Owner: Jay Styron
Layout location: Santa Barbara
The 12' x 32' layout is housed in a fully finished room built under his house for the railroad.
He has recreated the Southern Pacific's Friant Branch in the Fresno, California, area.
The design of the layout includes careful consideration of aisle space, layout access, storage and lighting. Industries modeled include citrus farms, wineries, fruit packing houses and reefer icing facilities. Scenery 70%
Operations are DCC controlled.

Southern Pacific Exeter Branch

HO scale - 1981
Owner: Rick Watson
Layout Location: Tempe, Arizona
Based on the Exeter Branch of the Southern Pacific in 1981.
(moved under the Los Angeles Divsion rather than the San Juaquin Division, as modeling 1981: the Exeter Branch was part of the Bakersfield Sub which was part of the Los Angeles Division)
Primarily a switching layout . As with the prototype, the primary commodity is produce with numerous packing houses throughout the layout.
The majority of the industries modeled are representative of the prototype, with some additional added for operational interest.
The towns modeled include Sanger, Reedley, Dinuba, Exeter and Lindsay.
The layout employs a Car Card/Waybill operating system and train control is via NCE DCC.
The focus of the layout is heavy switching and an operating session accommodates a crew of four operators.

Southern Pacific Inyo Subdivision

HO scale - Modern
Owner: Jon Cure
Layout Location: Avenida Colonia, Moorpark , CA
Located in Jon’s four car garage garage.
The 37’ X 25’ layout models modern day traffic in California’s Mojave Desert and Owens Valley as well as an Eastern Sierra branch and some Nevada desert.
Major industries include carbon black, copper smelting, tungsten and talc mining, cement, lumber and paper mills, and military installations as well as assorted industrial/commercial businesses such as lumber, fuel, scrap, etc.
In addition there is an interchange with the Trona Railway.
Typical trains are SP, WP, and ATSF. Trains are run from staging as extra’s and car forwarding is controlled by car cards and waybills. Jobs typically include yard masters, local switching crews, and manifest trains with scheduled work.
The layout scenery is approximately 60% complete.
Train control is NCE DCC with some sound equipped motive power.
The garage is next to the UP/Metrolink (former SP) Coastline trackage so you might enjoy some real train traffic.
As a bonus, Jon also has a T&NO Beaumont Industrial RR, an around the walls HO scale DC switching layout inside his house.


and a video of Bruce Morden:

San Joaquin Central

HO Scale – spring 1949
Owner: Chuck Harmon
Layout Location: Fresno
Modeling the Southern Pacific’s Sacramento Division from Roseville to Truckee (Donner Pass) in the spring of 1949, plus a fictional branchline located on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada.
The HO mainline is 200’ long, with another 100’ on the branchline.
Most of the trackage is handlaid on milled pine roadbed.
Especially nice is gauntlet trackage across Long Ravine Trestle.

Truckee to Donner climb over the Sierra

S scale ( + Sn3) – 1950-55
Owner: Bob Hogan
Layout Location: Madison, GA
Here's my Sierra Northern Railroad.
Modeled in S scale, the SN represents a generic Truckee to Donner climb over the Sierra.
I model the 1950-1955 era.
The layout is 22 X 23 foot with full scenery (see the photos section of the S scale list or the S Gaugan for pics) and features steam AC-12's, GS-4's, Decs, Mikes, P10 Pacifics as well as the smaller 2-8-0's and 2-6-0's. Diesels range from PA's, F-7's, Geeps, RSD-5's, plus Baldwin S-12's, and Alco S-2's as switchers.
All locos and cars are modeled after specific SP equipment.
Many are NMRA or NASG contest winners. Heck, there is even a 12 car Shasta Daylight and 16 car Lark consist that I built. Yeh, they are not appropriate to the route, but it is my railroad and I like to see the consists run.
There's also a Sn3 logging line for the Sierra Nevada Lumber Co. mill at Truckee. This line runs from a mountain reload to the mill using West Side Shays and equipment.
The layout is in a dedicated building at my house (full HVAC) in Madison, GA.
I grew up in the Bay Area during the '50's and lived there thru the 1980's, hence the interest. Gotta be the only SP layout in the south east!

Southern Pacific’s Donner Pass

HO Scale – 1940 to 1955
Owner: Jim Sinclair
Layout Location: Bixby, OK
“I’m modeling the Southern Pacific over Donner Pass from Roseville California to Truckee with West and East staging yards. The predominant motive power are Cab Forwards and F7’s, ABA’s and ABBA’s in the 1940’s to 1955.
Helper service is required going both east and west over the hill. Southern Pacific began replacing the steam in 1956 with the more efficient diesels.
About 90% of the track is down, some terrain is in.
The Roseville yard is basically complete except for the icing facility.
Four industrial areas are about 98% complete. When completed the RR will support fourteen to eighteen operators and a dispatcher.
The dispatcher will control the double mainline traffic utilizing a computer program.
Eventually a detection system will support the dispatcher in controlling the heavy traffic.”

California Northwestern

HO Scale - era: ___?
Owner: Brad ___?
Layout Location: ___?
Northwestern Pacific line of the Southern Pacific Railroad
"My goal is not necessarily to model exact features of the Northwestern Pacific, just to get the overall feeling of it.
I call my layout the California Northwestern and use fictitious names rather than the real ones from the NWP.
The layout started it in November of 2002 and is a simple track plan built on a 12 ft shelf set at a height of 54 inches along one wall of my train room.
A Digitrax Chief DCC system is used for control, the track is Peco code 55. "

Northwestern Pacific

HO Scale
Owner: Ron Learn
Layout Location: Santa Rosa
Around-the-wall, eye-level layout.
Lower level under construction features a replica of the Healdsburg yard.
This gem was in the Feb., ‘95 MRC.

Soledad yard and Eldorado

HO Scale
Owner: René Knoop
Layout location: ___?
Awesome layout and models of Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt locomotives and rolling stock.

SP Coast Line from Taylor Yard to Ventura

O scale - late 1940s/early 1950s.
Owner: Bob Poole
Layout Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL area.
Layout room is 29' x 49'.
Custom track plan by John Armstrong replicates changes in elevation along the route.
Single track main line with passing sidings.
Era is late 1940s/early 1950s.
Benchwork construction began Aug. 2004 and finished Dec. 2008. As of May 2009, mainline subroadbed and roadbed nearly complete, and 5% of mainline track is installed and wired. Yard trackage laid out but not yet installed. All backdrops/viewblocks installed and painted sky blue; will use enlarged photo background scenes taken along actual ROW.
Currently DC for test phase but will convert to DCC.
Small fictional branch line from Moorpark to fictional town of La Cumbre, inspired by Fillmore and nearby citrus groves.
Motive power includes steam and diesel, most previously operated on much smaller previous layout, now dismantled.
All structures from that layout will be installed on this one, comprising about 50% of planned structures.
No scenery yet, and no structures yet in place.

SP Mojave Subdivision

HO Scale - from 1988 to1990
Owner: Jim Niell
Layout Location: Madera
This 34’ by 38’ HO layout depicts the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads from Bakersfield to Mojave from 1988 to1990.
The layout is a multilevel, point-to-point design with staging yards, encompassing 400 feet of mainline with passing tracks, features the Tehachapi Loop and Caliente Horseshoe Curve.

Orange Belt Lines

N scale – late 40s
Owner: Bob Russell
Layout Location: Lime Ave, Fontana, CA.
As described by the owner:
“This N scale layout was started in early 95 and is home to both the Southern Pacific & Santa Fe railroads.
The time period here is the late 40s so steam is in full control.
AC-12 4294 & MK-6 3269 handle the bulk of the mainline freight duty and can be seen pulling long strings of PFE cars or mixed freight.
Train Masters handle the local switching and pick up the freshly loaded reefers at the Sunkist packing house. “

Los Angeles

HO Scale – Autumn 1952
Owner: Bob Smaus
Layout Location: LA
Train-watching in Los Angeles.
This layout has been featured in the hobby press several times.
The owner also is a very accomplished modeler and model railroad author.
Note: Bob Smaus has moved and this layout no longer exists.

Los Angeles & San Fernando RR Co

HO Scale – early 1960s
Owner: Bruce Petty
Layout Location: Northern California
"My layout is modeled after Southern California, during the early 1960s.
Its built as a round the room shelf type layout, 14 to 18 inches wide allowing for close up photography.
Enjoy the photo tour and be sure to check out more web-article links for model building projects at the top and the bottom of this page."

Santa Barbara Subdivision

HO scale - era 1994
Owner: Bruce Morden
Layout Loacation: Serena Avenue, Carpinteria, CA
Bruce Morden’s HO scale Southern Pacific Santa Barbara Subdivision is another 2-car garage.
The Southern Pacific Santa Barbara Subdivision models an area from Carpinteria to Goleta.
Bruce’s layout is a work in progress and so far there is no scenery.
Tracks have been completed on the first of three proposed levels.
Two staging yards are completed and one medium sized on line yard.
Construction includes “thin wall”, L-girder, and open grid. Roadbed includes solid masonite spline and plywood-homosote sandwiches.
Bruce hopes to one day extend the tracks over Cuesta grade to San Miguel.
“I have had some trains running but am taking some steps backward to progress forward.
All the locomotives, rolling stock and mock-up structures are coming off so that I can construct the supports for the second level. Once that is in, we will reactivate the first level and proceed to lay track on the second level.
Recently Bruce have open a blog. Ckeck here:

Tehachapi Sub

N scale – mid ‘95
Owner: dave n
Layout Location: Milepost 351.8 on the North Slope
An awesome scratch built Modesto depot.
I model the pass as it was in early to mid '95, when SP and Santa Fe ruled the hill!
Photos of the N scale layout of Tehachapi pass:

SP coast line

N scale - circa 1964
Owner: Charles Burns
Layout Location: Jamaica Street, Morro Bay, CA
Modeling the SP coast line from Santa Barbara to Guadalupe, with the Lompoc branch, circa 1964.
The 21' x 20' layout is on two levels with a double track helix at each end. The lower deck is the staging area and storage yards.
The mainline is 300 feet long with over 1,000 feet of track overall. There is a very large visible staging yard.
There are also two balloons, one under each helix, to turn trains.
He is running a pure DCC layout. He has a UR91 and radio throttles.
Charlie has scratch built several intricate steel trestles found on this route, various SP structures and even SP-style telephone poles. He also has modeled the ocean itself about as well as anybody.
He operates on a 1964 SP timetable which includes the Daylight, Lark, and Coast Mail. Freights include piggyback trains Nos. 371, 2, 3, and 4, plus a reefer block and lumber train. Control is DCC.
Charlie's layout has appeared in MODEL RAILROADER and the Mar/Apr 2005 issue of N SCALE RAILROADING. This layout will be on the layout tour for the Southern Pacific Historical & Technical Society's 2009 Annual Conference in San Luis Obispo on October 28 - November 1, 2009.
He is also making all the signals operational. They are controlled by the turnouts on either side of a siding. The control information cascades down the line to turn signals yellow and red or green.
This is a very impressive layout.
---

The Southern Pacific Coast Line

HO scale - mid-50's
Owner: Jim Pattison
Layout Location: Montana
A depiction of the Coast Line as seen in the mid-50's.
Based on the automobiles on the layout, I'd say it was set sometime in the summer of 1957.
Most of the layout is centered around San Luis Obispo and Santa Margarita.
Since I lived in Santa Margarita in 1956-57, this is the single largest portion of the layout.
This layout was destroyed last winter in preparation for a move to Washington.
Hopefully, a new, bigger, better Coast Line will emerge from the ashes.

Southern Pacific Coast Line

N scale - 1974
Owner: Denny Turani
Layout Location: Saronno (Varese) - Italy
A model railroad layout in N scale representing a portion of the Southern Pacific Coast Line in Central California between Callender and Surf, including Guadalupe yard, set in 1974.
Tracks are down and scenery is half-way.
The layout is focused on realistic operations.
Some Op-sessions are taken place.

Los Osos Valley Railroad

HO scale - November 1949
Owner: Paul and Dorothy Deis
Layout Location: Windsong Way, Paso Robles, CA
A large 24 x 36 foot HO railroad on 2 decks depicting the Southern Pacific Railroads Coast Line from San Luis Obispo to San Miquel California as it was in November 1949.
The upper deck is reached via the climb up the Cuesta (Cuesta Grade as locals call it). The new railroad will feature San Luis Obispo, Cuesta Grade, Santa Margarita, Atascadero Paso Robles and San Miquel.
Currently we are laying track the San Luis Obispo Yard

Chittenden, Pajaro & Coyote RR

HO Scale – 1940-1953
Owner: Chuck Catania
Layout location: Gilroy
This 13' x 21' layout models the Southern Pacific Coast Division from Watsonville to San Jose in the 1940-1953 era.
The mainline is three loops, around-the-room on two levels with a helix, maximum grade is 2%. Bench work is open frame construction with 1/2" plywood sub-roadbed, Atlas Code 83 track on cork roadbed. Tortoise switch machines operate the Walthers DCC friendly turnouts.
Fascia mounted panels provide walk around train and route management using C/MRI hardware and custom software.
Digitrax with radio throttles, are used for locomotive control only. An electrically interlocked swing gate provides access to the center of the layout.
Dave Biondi painted the backdrop which depicts the west foothills along the SP mainline from Coyote to Morgan Hill
Track is 75% complete, scenery is 5% complete.

Captosoquel & Watsonville

N Scale - 1950's era
Owner: Gordon Searle
layout Location: San Jose
"I model Southern Pacific prototype, 1950's era, coast line and Santa Cruz branch line.
My layout size is 14'-6" long X 3' at one end and 4'-6" on the other end.
How complete is the layout scenery?? Is any layout ever truly complete? Not if the interest is there to transform it into something better! But in all seriousness, layout is in the 90% range for completion.
I use 2 DC (MRC) power packs and an Irish temper for running my trains!
My rolling stock consists of 1944 FRA freight cars, SP Daylights, Larks, Suntan Special and stainless steel and red letterboards. The power pool consists of Alco PA's and EMD E9's in Daylight paint scheme, F3 and F7 in black widow, GS4 4449, a pair of SD7s also in black widow scheme. A must-see for any SP fan!

South San Francisco

O scale - Late steam/early diesel era
Owner: George Solimine
Layout Location: ___?
This is a shelf layout around the perimeter of a 20'x24' garage.
Scenery is currently about 50% complete.
George models the late steam/early diesel era, and various SP steam engines and a few "Black Widow" diesels are featured. The curves are 60" radius.
The garage is shared by several old automobiles, another hobby George enjoys.
Check out George's beautifully re-detailed, great running Max Gray AC-9.

Vasona Branch

HO scale – Summer 1932
Owner. Robert Bowdidge
Layout Location: 1623 Fairorchard Ave San Jose CA
It’s summer 1932, and the Great Depression has taken hold in the U.S.
Even with the depression, Santa Clara’s crops still head for Eastern markets.
Apricots fresh and dried, prunes, and cherries from the Valley of Heart’s Delight all are grown here, and all get exported to the rest of the country.
The valley is still covered in orchards, and make a beautiful sight when they flower in the spring.

The Valley before Silicon

N scale – circa 1947-49
Owner. Enzo Fortuna
Layout Loacation: Assago (Milano) - Italy
SP Coast Division, San Francisco – San Jose commute line
Around the wall layout in a point-to-point configuration depicting the coast line from 3rd & Townsend mission station to Santa Clara.
The partial modeled Permanente branch and the Kaiser cement plant add operation choice and variants to the commutes rush and named trains as Lark and Daylights and freight traffic servicing the City. Mission Bay yard is an hidden staging at one end and Lenzen Ave. shop and SJ yard operate as visible staging at the other end.
Handlaid turnouts using FastTracks jigs and code 55 ME flex.
Scratchbuilded structures follow the prototype landmarks mixed to laser and hydrocal kits. Scenery still in "plywood" stage ... Work in progress.