Wednesday, September 23, 2020

 

 

 

Here is the lower deck track plan. 

Westbound from the helix we emerge at Dover, ID on the former GN mainline. First thing we encounter is the gravel pit. Next we come to the sawmill at Laclede, ID. 

Coming around to the other side of the peninsula we come into Newport, WA/Oldtown, ID. We have the Milwaukee and Great Northern depots right next to each other. Both buildings still stand to day but the MILW is a museum and the GN is an office building. 

Continuing north along the Pend Oreille River we come to Usk, WA. Usk is still a happening place railroad wise. Though the town only has a hundred or so people it has a paper mill, a sawmill and in the Pend Oreille Valley short line era, the company shops and main offices. Next we have the largest tunnel on the line then the Box Canyon Bridge over the Pend Oreille River before the lines enters Metaline Falls. 

Here at MF is the end of the line for the MILW branch or the Pend Oreille Valley Railroad short line. I intend to model the transition era between the MILW and the POVA. I am thinking I would alternate operating sessions between the MILW and the POVA. 

After Metaline Falls is the Winslow logging company branch. This line actually came from the Colville area 35 miles west of here and it was torn up 35 years before my era. However, It is located next to my office and am including it as sort of a diorama that happens to be attached to me main layout. At least that is how am I justifying a 30s era shay and logging camp on my 70s ere layout. I know it is out of place in space and time but it will look so cool when you first enter the door of the train room. Besides it's my railroad and I can do whatever I want.After all Model Railroading is Fun. Hey that is a catchy slogan I wonder if Model Railroader Magazine would want to use it.

By the way the track plan is from XTrakCAD. It is great and free track planning software. It had a bit of a learning curve but is superb once you learn it. Which really was not that hard thanks to their IO Groups page and of course You Tube. Next time I look at the upper deck which will be Sandpoint and those trademark NP and SI bridges.


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