Thinking Outside of the Box - Or Going Off the Rails

What if...

Two very powerful words, full of infinite potential. So, what if I did something else with the layout? There are a bunch of possibilities. If I didn't pick the Rio Grande, I could easily have picked the Western Pacific through the Sierras, or the Southern Pacific in California or Oregon. I seriously considered each as a viable option. I am a big fan of the Feather River Route on the WP, Donner Pass, the Cascade Line, the Siskiyou Line or the Modoc line on the SP. That these lines have ties to the Rio Grande is a plus, but so is the fact that my family has ties to these routes as well. Each of these lines would also make a fantastic layout.

WP Feather River Route

SP Donner Pass

SP Cascade Route

SP Siskiyou Line

SP Modoc Line

Of course, now living on the East Coast, there are opportunities that are more local. The Norfolk Southern line between Greenville, SC and Atlanta runs less than a mile from my house. And to my north are opportunities such as the Clinchfield, the Pocahontas Division, or the Rathole. I'm somewhat drawn to the Norfolk and Western as a potential line to model, if I swung east in my focus. After all, 911 is one of my favorite engines, and there is a certain romance to these lines.

Clinchfield (now CSX) Railroad

NS Crosses Lake Hartwell near Clemson, SC

N&W (now NS) Pocahontas Division

N&W 911 - A Favorite Steam Engine

And again, proto-freelancing is an option. The Allegheny Midland (AM), the Virginia and Ohio (V&O), and the Virginia Midland (VM) are all fascinating railroads that are so well done, they almost exist in real life. With two of the three now but a memory, there is certainly some room for my own interpretation of those lines. 

The V&O Railroad

The VM Railroad

The AM

All three are the products of fantastic modelers, and there is an element of it is theirs - not mine in thinking about modeling a model railroad. But I could see perhaps a proto-freelanced road of my own, that tied into one or more of the Appalachian Lines. 

And then there is yet another option. One of my favorite books on model railroads in Linn Wescott's seminal book on the wizard of Monterrey, John Allen. I don't know many model railroaders who have not been inspired by his layout, the Gorre and Daphetid. 

The 3rd Gorre and Daphetid, looking over the 1st Gorre and Daphetid in the foreground.

Now a days, I suspect that this would have been built more as a multi-deck railroad - after all, in many ways it operated as such, with the main passing through french gulch on four levels. What would a modern design update to the GD Lines look like? Would it be fun to operate? Would diesels finally have made the scene or is steam still hanging on. I got to admit, this would be a step away from the world outside and a step into the imagination of someone else. Of course, others have build their own tribute layouts. The original GD Lines, is a popular twice around loop plan. But there is something enchanting about it.

Well, those are the wild cards. And I honestly do not know what option to pick. But I am enjoying the possibilities. So, what comes next? I think after this, it is time to talk about my space, both what I have now, and what I may be able to acquire down the road. Afterall, that knowledge is driving my thoughts towards building in 2-3 phases, and deciding how to use the space during that time.