Cuyahoga. Our American Zayout based on the .Nickel Plate road'

[kevsmiththai]

As I mentioned in the Z scale Berkshire thread we have an exhibition layout based on the Nickel Plate Railroad and set on the waterfront of the Mid West city of Cleveland. We had it out at Leyland MRC show last weekend and I thought I'd point you towards two videos I shot at the show. The show was quite busy both days but I took the opportunity to run the layout 'Modern Image' on Sunday morning to give my newly delivered AZL SD70Ms a running turn (they had arrived from the states five minutes before we left for the show!) and also to test out half of the newly completed U.S Army military train a run. In the video you see MTL SD40-2 and GP35 diesels in action as well.

 

 

At lunchtime I time warped the layout back 50 years and put the Nickel Plate steam and diesel back on and also gave the Berkshire its first public outing. Now I am satisfied that it runs O.K the long process of superdetailing it can begin

 

Nickel Plate running is at

 

 

The layout is 8 ft long by 2ft 6" (2400mm x 800mm approximately) in two sections and transports in the back of a small MPV. As you can see it is carefully presented with a lighting rig and fireproof curtains and the two baseboards travel in custom flight cases fitted with wheels to minimise lifting. It runs on D.C (The new Shasta layout might be my first venture into DCC) and has the ability to run three trains simultaneously on the main lines with a fourth controller operating the roundhouse, carraige sheds and dock sidings

 

 

KEV