In HO Scale by Jim Poole
The Layout
The layout is in a nine foot by eleven foot room. It is “U” shape around three walls with a central operating well. The layout is operated with Easy DCC.
As you enter the room Louisa Mine, the mining town and Nugget Creek yard are on the left with the township of Cody on the right. In the middle are the interchange, a small cattle yard and the reverse loop.
The track loops around the bench work several times at different levels. Tunnels and the backboard conceal the tight curves, break up the round and round feeling and give a more spacious look to the layout.
The centre well includes two control panels and control jacks for three Easy DCC throttles. All points except those in Nugget Creek yard are electrically operated and difficult to see points have position indication on the control panels.
The Setting
The layout is set in the early 1960s and represents a fictional branch line centred on the town of CODY, Wyoming that is serviced by both the CB&Q and S.P. The branch services the nearby Louisa Mine, Cargil Mill and a number of local industries in the town of Cody as well as local cattle and Southern Pacific/ CB&Q Interchange traffic through the yard at Nugget Creek.
As well as the Cargil facility the town includes a tractor distributor, a furniture warehouse and other light industrial facilities. A small steel mill is located just out of town but is not serviced by this branch.
The Cody yard and depot separates the commercial area from the industrial part of town and is bordered on the west end by a road crossing.
There is currently sewerage work being carried out adjacent to the station and a breakdown in the car park is being towed away.
The town of Nugget Creek is also serviced from Cody. Nugget Creek is a small mining community including a church and guest house. The Nugget Creek yard is used to consolidate freight to and from Cody and other “off layout” CB&Q or S.P. destinations.
There are no turning facilities in the area so motive power is limited to small diesel and steam switchers that operate successfully in either direction.