Owner Name:

John C. (Chuck) Dopler

Builder Name:

John C. (Chuck) Dopler

Date Built:

1988

Status:

Complete

Module Type:

Standard 2' x 4' module

Length:

4'

Width:

2'

Passing Sidings:

Other Tracks:

Industrial Spurs:

See below

Yard Tracks:

Engine Service:

None

Crossovers:

None

Electrical:

Track Buses:

18-Gauge Wire with Cinch-Jones Connectors

12VDC Bus (White):

Accessory Bus (Brown):

Not installed

LocoNet Bus:

Not installed

Special:

Module Photograph

Track Plan

Description
The module is of Goodland, the home of the Goodland, Anderson & Western Railroad, a fictitious Midwestern railroad located in the mind of its modeler. The flatness of the plywood and readily available buildings helped inspire the module. As with many small railroads, if all the rolling stock arrived on home rails at one time, there would be a highly agitated CEO. The track plan, in all of its compactness, has provided countless minutes of switching excitement and serves as the defacto home layout. It is served by every major Class 1 and Regional railroad known to man.

The name for the railroad layout was inspired by an overnight stay in Goodland, KS. It was the Summer of 1965, I was ten years old, and my family was taking a cross-country trip. We stayed at a Best Western near the Rock Island main line and yard. I watched trains seemingly for hours. This stay obviously made a big impression on me. In no way does this module really represent the town of Goodland, KS, but just part of a small midwestern town on a large main line. I don't even own any Rock Island rolling stock.

The module is 19 years old and has gone through two major capital rebuilding programs to become the economic force of the module kingdom that it is today. It was the recipient of the first place award among club modules at the 1993 Virginia Transportation Museum Open House (which leads to the question, "So what?").

Industries