Most folks who visit the Photography Forum are familiar with my layout (some might say too familiar with 
), and I've had several requests for a track plan. Since I still don't have a scanner, the trackplan will have to wait, but I thought that a tour of the layout room might help to put things in perspective.
The crude drawing below (which explains why you haven't seen a trackplan done using "Paint") will help you get your bearings as you scan through the photos.
The grey areas denote the parts of the layout that will eventually be double-decked. The drawing is not to scale, and the room size is approximately 560 sq. ft.
A view from the entrance to the room: Port Maitland is to the right, with stacked staging yards to the left. Freight car storage is in boxes below.
View to the right from the doorway: Port Maitland and GERN Industries in the foreground, with part of the Lowbanks shops in the background. In the extreme background, part of the peninsula with the line to the second level.
A view to the left of the doorway.The single track on the lowest level is the TH&B interchange track for Port Maitland, on the opposite side of the aisle. The other track, leading off the switch in the foreground, allows continuous operation, when desired, on this normally point-to-point railroad. It emerges on the lower level of Dunnville. Above these is a pair of long sidings (with the reefers visible near the post) which represent unmodelled industries in Dunnville. Above all of this is the main south end staging yard for the layout. Five tracks merge into two, then enter the layout through the backdrop in the distance, emerging on the upper level trackage in Dunnville. Yet to be built, above this, is the north end staging for the layout, which will cross the doorway on a single track lift-out, emerging in a city above Port Maitland. Below the layout, on shelves, interchange car storage.
View back to room entrance. To the left, part of Lowbanks in the foreground, with Port Maitland and GERN beyond that. To the right, a bit of Dunnville in the foreground, with staging beyond that.
Another view from the opposite end of the entrance aisle. Part of Dunnville can be seen at right: the structure sliced-off at the edge of the layout is the Evell Casket Co. Beyond that, the staging area, with excess car storage on shelves below.
Looking slightly left and back towards the door, the Lowbanks shop complex is in the centre, with Lowbanks stretching out to the left, on the Chippawa Creek aisle. The aisle on the right leads back to the entrance to the room. The gap in the backdrop is to allow for installation of a compound bracket, which will help support the proposed second level of the layout.
If you turn right at the end of the entry aisle, this is what you'll see: a view into the Chippawa Creek aisle. Lowbanks is to the right, Elfrida, partially visible, is to the left, with Chippawa Creek in the centre. The blank facia in the left foreground is for part of the peninsula with the grade to the second level.
Here's a closer view into the Chippawa Creek aisle. Lowbanks is to the right, Elfrida is to the left, with Chippawa Creek in the centre.
A view from the end of the Chippawa Creek aisle. Lowbanks is on the left, and Elfrida to the right. Dunnville is in the centre background. Above Elfrida, the opening in the backdrop is where the second level of the layout will begin.
Another view from the Chippawa Creek aisle. Dunnville is at centre, with a corner of Lowbanks visible in the left foreground. Beyond that, at the left edge, the staging area. The facia at the right side of the photo is part of the peninsula that allows trackage to gain altitude between South Cayuga and the second level of the layout.
View along the peninsula from near Elfrida. Dunnville is to the left.
Dunnville industrial area looking north, left, with part of the peninsula to the right.
A bit farther into the aisle, Dunnville, looking north, with Airline Junction in the centre, and the icehouse just visible at right.
And from the same spot as the previous picture, with the camera swung to the right, Dunnville, with the icehouse in the foreground and Mercury Mills behind it. To the right is more of the peninsula facia: you can just see the mainline to the upper level.
View at the end of the peninsula, at right, with the outskirts of Dunnville at left, and South Cayuga in the centre.
Looking back towards Dunnville, with part of the peninsula facia at left, Airline Junction to the right, and the icehouse just visible at the extreme right.
And a similar view to the one above, taken from a bit farther back.
This view was taken from the same place as the previous picture, with the camera swung around 90 degrees to the left. View from the end of the peninsula, at right, with South Cayuga to the left and the Speed River bridges in the distance.
Looking left, we see part of South Cayuga.
Looking right, more of the peninsula. With the scenic landforms not yet finished in the centre, it's a great place to collect junk.
Again looking left, but a bit farther into the aisle, the view towards end of Speed River aisle, with South Cayuga at left.
And looking right again, another view towards end of Speed River aisle, with peninsula with grade to the second level at right .
Another view left at end of Speed river aisle: Erie Northshore tracks are in the foreground - this is the east end of their Speed River bridge. Grand Valley tracks are in the background - this is the south end of their Speed River bridge.
And another view right at the end of the Speed River aisle: the lower track, heading west into the tunnel, belongs to the Erie Northshore and is bound for Elfrida. The upper track, belonging to the Grand Valley, is headed northbound towards Park Head and the second level.
South Cayuga, as viewed from the blind end of the Speed River aisle.
Grade to upper level at left, with South Cayuga just visible at right, as viewed from the blind end of the Speed River aisle.
View at Elfrida (lower level) looking east, where upper level will begin. You can see the end of the subroadbed hanging out over the trees. The gap in the backdrop is to facilitate fastening the second level benchwork to the wall.
View at Elfrida (lower level) looking east, with view of grade to upper level above (looking south). The track, Erie Northshore, entering the tunnel leads uphill to the Speed River bridge.
A birdseye view of the grade from lower level to beginning of upper level - as seen from upper level looking south. Dunnville is to the left, with Mercury Mills in the centre distance.
If you've made it this far, I hope that you've enjoyed this photo expedition into my layout room, and that it makes for a clearer understanding of the layout. Please feel free to ask any questions that come to mind.
Wayne
), and I've had several requests for a track plan. Since I still don't have a scanner, the trackplan will have to wait, but I thought that a tour of the layout room might help to put things in perspective.The crude drawing below (which explains why you haven't seen a trackplan done using "Paint")
will help you get your bearings as you scan through the photos.The grey areas denote the parts of the layout that will eventually be double-decked. The drawing is not to scale, and the room size is approximately 560 sq. ft.
A view from the entrance to the room: Port Maitland is to the right, with stacked staging yards to the left. Freight car storage is in boxes below.
View to the right from the doorway: Port Maitland and GERN Industries in the foreground, with part of the Lowbanks shops in the background. In the extreme background, part of the peninsula with the line to the second level.
A view to the left of the doorway.The single track on the lowest level is the TH&B interchange track for Port Maitland, on the opposite side of the aisle. The other track, leading off the switch in the foreground, allows continuous operation, when desired, on this normally point-to-point railroad. It emerges on the lower level of Dunnville. Above these is a pair of long sidings (with the reefers visible near the post) which represent unmodelled industries in Dunnville. Above all of this is the main south end staging yard for the layout. Five tracks merge into two, then enter the layout through the backdrop in the distance, emerging on the upper level trackage in Dunnville. Yet to be built, above this, is the north end staging for the layout, which will cross the doorway on a single track lift-out, emerging in a city above Port Maitland. Below the layout, on shelves, interchange car storage.
View back to room entrance. To the left, part of Lowbanks in the foreground, with Port Maitland and GERN beyond that. To the right, a bit of Dunnville in the foreground, with staging beyond that.
Another view from the opposite end of the entrance aisle. Part of Dunnville can be seen at right: the structure sliced-off at the edge of the layout is the Evell Casket Co. Beyond that, the staging area, with excess car storage on shelves below.
Looking slightly left and back towards the door, the Lowbanks shop complex is in the centre, with Lowbanks stretching out to the left, on the Chippawa Creek aisle. The aisle on the right leads back to the entrance to the room. The gap in the backdrop is to allow for installation of a compound bracket, which will help support the proposed second level of the layout.
If you turn right at the end of the entry aisle, this is what you'll see: a view into the Chippawa Creek aisle. Lowbanks is to the right, Elfrida, partially visible, is to the left, with Chippawa Creek in the centre. The blank facia in the left foreground is for part of the peninsula with the grade to the second level.
Here's a closer view into the Chippawa Creek aisle. Lowbanks is to the right, Elfrida is to the left, with Chippawa Creek in the centre.
A view from the end of the Chippawa Creek aisle. Lowbanks is on the left, and Elfrida to the right. Dunnville is in the centre background. Above Elfrida, the opening in the backdrop is where the second level of the layout will begin.
Another view from the Chippawa Creek aisle. Dunnville is at centre, with a corner of Lowbanks visible in the left foreground. Beyond that, at the left edge, the staging area. The facia at the right side of the photo is part of the peninsula that allows trackage to gain altitude between South Cayuga and the second level of the layout.
View along the peninsula from near Elfrida. Dunnville is to the left.
Dunnville industrial area looking north, left, with part of the peninsula to the right.
A bit farther into the aisle, Dunnville, looking north, with Airline Junction in the centre, and the icehouse just visible at right.
And from the same spot as the previous picture, with the camera swung to the right, Dunnville, with the icehouse in the foreground and Mercury Mills behind it. To the right is more of the peninsula facia: you can just see the mainline to the upper level.
View at the end of the peninsula, at right, with the outskirts of Dunnville at left, and South Cayuga in the centre.
Looking back towards Dunnville, with part of the peninsula facia at left, Airline Junction to the right, and the icehouse just visible at the extreme right.
And a similar view to the one above, taken from a bit farther back.
This view was taken from the same place as the previous picture, with the camera swung around 90 degrees to the left. View from the end of the peninsula, at right, with South Cayuga to the left and the Speed River bridges in the distance.
Looking left, we see part of South Cayuga.
Looking right, more of the peninsula. With the scenic landforms not yet finished in the centre, it's a great place to collect junk.
Again looking left, but a bit farther into the aisle, the view towards end of Speed River aisle, with South Cayuga at left.
And looking right again, another view towards end of Speed River aisle, with peninsula with grade to the second level at right .
Another view left at end of Speed river aisle: Erie Northshore tracks are in the foreground - this is the east end of their Speed River bridge. Grand Valley tracks are in the background - this is the south end of their Speed River bridge.
And another view right at the end of the Speed River aisle: the lower track, heading west into the tunnel, belongs to the Erie Northshore and is bound for Elfrida. The upper track, belonging to the Grand Valley, is headed northbound towards Park Head and the second level.
South Cayuga, as viewed from the blind end of the Speed River aisle.
Grade to upper level at left, with South Cayuga just visible at right, as viewed from the blind end of the Speed River aisle.
View at Elfrida (lower level) looking east, where upper level will begin. You can see the end of the subroadbed hanging out over the trees. The gap in the backdrop is to facilitate fastening the second level benchwork to the wall.
View at Elfrida (lower level) looking east, with view of grade to upper level above (looking south). The track, Erie Northshore, entering the tunnel leads uphill to the Speed River bridge.
A birdseye view of the grade from lower level to beginning of upper level - as seen from upper level looking south. Dunnville is to the left, with Mercury Mills in the centre distance.
If you've made it this far, I hope that you've enjoyed this photo expedition into my layout room, and that it makes for a clearer understanding of the layout. Please feel free to ask any questions that come to mind.
Wayne
