Fri 30 Mar 2007
Welcome to the Niagara Escarpment System.
Posted by Model Railroader under Niagara Escarpment System , TrackplansNo Comments
The NES is a small, modern-day freelanced railroad set in rural Southwestern Ontario, Canada. While not specifically based on any particular railroad, the NES does owe its genesis to the inspiration gained from studying the Guelph Junction Railway ‘ a small branch line operation managed by the Ontario Southland Railway.
In designing the NES, I made a list of some practical features I wanted, as well as a list of design elements I wished to include. As this is my first layout, (aside from my childhood 4′x8′) , and my first attempt at N scale, I wanted the layout to be fairly small and portable, as I didn’t really have a ‘train room’. As well, I wanted to take advantage of the small collection of engines, rolling stock, and track work that I had collected over the past five years. Finally, I wanted the project to be ‘hobby shop independent’ ‘ meaning that any construction techniques I used, as well as scenery methods, could be done without constantly running to the hobby shop for more supplies. I wanted to do the vast majority of work with only ever having to visit the local hardware/dollar store.
For my n scale model railroad’s design, I wanted a plan that was continuous run, modeled a plausible railway design element, favoured scenery over track work, and could be divided into two separate scenes for scenic diversity. As well, I wanted to try to capture the essence of the Niagara escarpment and its surroundings in early winter.
Considering these sets of criteria, I managed to develop the following 2′x4′ layout. The design is a basic folded dog bone, with one small industry as well as an interchange, some hidden staging, and a small town. Overall, the plan allows for a decent amount of scenery, and while continuous run, should look less toy like with the tunnels and the view block.
While I was at it, I decided that I best design a herald for the railway to help set the mood. I settled on Niagara Escarpment System for the layouts name, and based the logo design on the East Troy Electric Railroad’s insignia.
