When we were at the Placer County Fairgrounds we had an N scale layout described below – see section labelled Vital Statistics. Unfortunately, this layout is no more as our move away from the Fairgrounds necessitated the destruction of this wonderful masterpiece.

The old N scale layout was recently featured in the N-Scale Railroader – March/April 2020 magazine edition (pp. 45-49).

Vital Statistics of Old Layout

The old N scale Layout was essentially a “folded dog-bone” shaped layout with double mainline track running approximately 136 feet with several “long runs” for the intermodal / grain train operaters.  The layout could be run as either DC or DCC.  The track was mostly code 80 with some code 55.

The mainline ran around the small city of Oakdale and out to the rolling countryside and then to the gorge area with multiple bridge crossings.  The turnouts were operated by manual ground throws.

The layout was not era specific, and on any given day, you might have found Big Boys and SD70MACs running side by side.  The terrain was mostly screen and hardshell over wood forms.  The scenery was basic ground foam with sifted local dirt.

The layout could be run as a continuous loop or point to point servicing the industries.  Most of the switching action took place down at the port and the staging yard with additional industrial sidings throughout the layout.

Unfortunately, due to our club relocation, this layout has since been dismantled.  All of the structures and scenery items have been salvaged and construction of a new layout will begin once our planning phase is completed this spring.