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Below is the tenative track plan as of 15 JAN 2004.  Starting in the middle of the left photo, is Brunswick, MD.  Flowing west to the big yellow area is the bridges at Harpers Ferry, WV.  Along the left wall is Martinsburg, WV.  After Martinsburg, the railroad climbs once around the room in the 6 inch gap.  It reaches the upper deck on the photo to the right in the bottom right hand corner.  Here it flows into Hancock, WV.  Continuing west the line hits Green Spring, WV and finally Mexico Tower and Cumberland, MD.

     Starting at the left is Cumberland, MD.  The East End connects with the West End here.  I am only modeling to Cumberland, and none of the West End will be represented.  Heading east, the line crosses over into West Virginia around North Branch.  This is the branch that services the Kelly Tire Distributor and Pitt Plate Glass factory.  Next up is the Berkley Springs branch that services a huge Silica sand plant.  After that heading east is the connection to the West Subdivision.  This is the major stepping off point on the East End for traffic heading to Philadelphia and points north.  After the West Sub connection comes the first of the two Conrail connections, an old Penn Central route.  This connection was made less important after 1975 when the old WM line became the West Sub.  Following the line east next comes the major online industry of General Motors Brake Parts plant.  Shortly there after is the second Conrail connection.  Very little interchange traffic occured at both Conrail interchanges.  Next, in the town of Martinsburg is the Frog Hollow industrial track.  This services the Martin Merrietta plant.  The final East End interchange is the meet with the Norfolk & Western at Shenandoah Junction.  There was some interchange traffic here.  The second connection with another Chessie subdivision occured in Harpers Ferry.  Here is the connection with the Shenandoah subdivision. The line also crosses back into Maryland at this point.  Finally the East End connects to the Metropolitian sub in Weaverton.  The actual end of the East End is at Weaverton, just west of Brunswick.  I model to Brunswick so the model railroad has a yard at each end.

     My initial design was for the layout of the East End of the Cumberland Sub-Division to include all of the above mentioned interesting track and scenic features.  The basic assumption was that some other aspects of the East End would have to be left out, but the major features would be represented.

    I divided the East End into 18 parts, listed below.  Each section is a 10 foot design, with the exception of the corner pieces which are much shorter.  Also the staging and Brunswick are longer than 10 feet for maximum storage.  This is a tenative design, and each section may need to be modified to fit in a final layout room.  But for now, this is the plan with no room restrictions.

    I designed the layout with a stencil bought at a local hobby shop.  I used curves of all different radii. Turnouts are basically all the same, No. 4.

    I have broken ground on the Hancock section.  This will be a test section for design, construction, and scenery techniques.  See my Layout Tips page for useful information on planning and building a layout.

    The problem I have to deal with today is that I currently do not live in a house with a basement.  When I move, than the serious construction will begin.

    There is a need for a piece of track to program and code the Digital Command Control (DCC) locomotives.  This piece of track has to be isolated from the rest of the layout.  I used this need, and the need to test cars before the layout is finished, to make a test track.  See my Test Track page for more information on this stand alone mini-layout.

    Click here to find out how I selectively compress a real track plan into a model.  Selective compression is the only way to fit a model of a real railroad into a given space. (NEW)

    Another nice feature of my layout are the railroad logo shelves.  Please look at my Shelf page to see how to make some railroad logo shelves for yourself.

    All places are listed from East to West, just like the line was built (and opposite of the above description that went from West to East).  Choose the place you want to see...

East Staging - just a staging yard.  Not yet designed.  It will just fit in whatever space I use.
Brunswick
Weverton
Harper's Ferry Tunnel
Harper's Ferry
Shenandoah Jucnction
Frog Hollow
Martinsburg
York Hill
Cumbo
Cherry Run
Miller
Potomac Air Park
Hancock
Magnolia Cutoff
Concrete Wall
North Branch
Mexico
Westbound Receiving
Cumberland Staging - also just a staging yard.  Not yet designed.  It will just fit in whatever space I use.
 

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