About

The CSX Chickamauga Creek layout is a 10' x 15' modular comprised of three nominal 2' x 8' "dominoes" (think David Barrow) and topped off with a modular shadowbox. The layout is 100  percent free-standing and portable. I used 1" x 4" Eastern white pine for the framing members and 3/8" AC grade ply as an underlayment for the 2" pink foam top layer on two of the modules; the third, which was built later than the other two, includes such refinements as birch cabinet-grade ply ripped down into 1x4's for framing, and 1/4" birch ply underlayment. (If I had it to do over again, I would've stuck to the Eastern White Pine). The legs are removable via "stake pockets" in the corners of the framing, held in by gravity much the same way as David Barrow does his.

The shadowbox uses all 1" x 2" Eastern White Pine framing, with 3/16" Masonite sheathing.

Backdrops are 3/16" Masonite.

Lighting is 60-watt equivalent CFL bulbs on a 24-inch nominal spacing, this is the lighting you see in the pics. I don't use any additional lighting rigs such as photo floods, etc. when shooting pics. There is plenty of light cast off by the CFL's; it is even brighter in person.

Trackwork is Micro Engineering Code 83 (mainline) and Code 70 (spurs and sidings). I use two layers of cork on main lines (HO roadbed on top of O gauge roadbed), tapering down to one layer of HO roadbed for sidings, and further tapering down to one layer of N scale roadbed for spurs. There are a total of 9 turnouts, all Micro Engineering #6's powered by Tortoise motors. The track layout closely follows that of CSX in the Chickamauga, TN area; I added one spur and lengthened another for increased operating interest.

Control is a Lenz-100 DCC system.

Ballast is Arizona Rock and Mineral CSX Gray Blend.

Scenery materials are by Scenic Express and Woodland Scenics. As you can see I like to apply ground foam to my backdrop so that it matches the foreground scenery. (This is one problem area with using photos for backdrops and why I avoided such this time around).

I have a working auger loader feeding the Vulcan quarry loadout, and I am in early stages of development for an animated crane for the scrapyard.