Growing up in Burbank California, I had a Saturday train ritual that would include riding my bike to Travel Town in Griffith Park and admiring the the work that was being done on the N scale East Valley Lines layout, then over to The Train Station hobby store for some browsing and conversation. From there my travels led me to Chandler Blvd. where the Burbank Branch of the Southern Pacific started it's trek from the mainline across the San Fernando Valley. I would follow the tracks west to the North Hollywood station and have lunch at Bud's Red Hots hot dog stand, then head home.
So today I find myself going back to those Saturdays of train watching in all it's forms, only now in HO scale.
With modeling space and funding at a premium these days, I find a modular layout to be very adaptable as well as affordable. I follow the Free-mo standard as it maintains flexibility, high modeling standards, and prototypical operation.
I have 3 modules, each 2'X4', under construction that will represent the first mile or so of the Burbank Branch line. The first will represent part of the wye, the house track, and part of the LA River. The second will represent the Terry Lumber Co. siding and the third, the Zero Manufacturing siding.
Selective compression/omission is a must when modeling such an area. I try to model the buildings as full scale as possible while leaving out other unimportant elements. Illustrated paper mock-ups of the buildings help establish what will fit and contribute to a unified, believable scene.
That is the introduction of my current project, look for updates as it progresses.
Overview Photo: Google Maps
Posts
