Layout Tours & Operating Sessions

QwikLinks to Home Layout Owners by Last Name

The Los Osos Valley Railroad is an HO scale 400 sq. foot double-deck, point to point layout. It represents the Southern Pacific Coast Line from San Luis Obispo to San Miguel in 1949. The layout is designed for operations and features hand-laid track, NCE DCC and sound equipped locomotives. Both ends of the layout have off-layout staging areas.

This 12' x 20' HO layout represents the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington featuring Union Pacific and Northern Pacific trains. In overall concept, this layout exemplifies the UP from Hinkle Yard in Oregon to Spokane, WA. At Wallula there is a branch line running up the Yakima Valley, through Zillah, to Yakima. The NP main line parallels the Union Pacific up the valley. This is the visibly modeled portion of the layout. The UP branch interchanges with the NP and Yakima Valley Transportation Company at Yakima, and has a large amount of adjacent trackage with the NP in Zillah. The UP, NP and YVT locals and switch crews move freight on the layout.

The layout features staging, operating yards and traction. Operations are point-to-point with up to three crews required to move trains. Control is NCE DCC.

The Santa Fe in the San Joaquin Valley from Calwa (near Fresno) to Richmond, circa 1953. The visible layout runs from Empire (just east of Riverbank) to Holt (just west of Stockton) with the balance in staging. Also included is the “mind's eye” Tahoe & Tidewater Railroad which is loosely based on the prototype Central California Traction, Sierra and Yosemite Valley Railroads. Tahoe & Tidewater runs from Stockton to an area near Lake Tahoe. Numerous industrial switching locations for both the Santa Fe and Tahoe & Tidewater Railroads. Major interchange yards with the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific in Stockton with their respective tracks going to major staging yards in both the east and west. There are minor and interchange tracks and staging yards for both the Modesto & Empire Traction Company and Sierra Railroads. 1200 feet of staging yard with 100 turnouts. NCE DCC.

Photo by BCWRR.

The Bitter Creek Western Railroad is a 7½" gauge railroad operated for the benefit of children of all ages who enjoy playing trains. We will be open Sunday afternoon for rides. There are no tickets or sign-ups required, just show up and have fun! The train ride is about 20 minutes long over the extensive track layout, as illustrated here. Located in Arroyo Grande, CA. (MAP)

Photo by Unknown.

This is a modest size (15' x 30') garden railroad with a double figure eight track plan. The railroad is twelve years old and features some twenty year old Alberta Spruce moved from Dennis’ previous home. All trains are battery powered. Buildings are plastic kits and trestles are scratch built from redwood fence boards.

Photo by Bob Chaparro

This is an elevated garden railroad with 100-plus feet of mainline, with ten to twelve-foot radius curves and a yard/steam-up area. There will be live steam locos both running and on display. Geoff runs both narrow gauge and standard gauge live steam and is currently in the process of building a large expansion to the railroad. Watch the Video!

Photo by Bob Chaparro

The Los Osos Valley Railroad is an HO scale 400 sq. foot double-deck, point to point layout. It represents the Southern Pacific Coast Line from San Luis Obispo to San Miguel in 1949. The layout is designed for operations and features hand-laid track, NCE DCC and sound equipped locomotives. Both ends of the layout have off-layout staging areas.

There will be operating sessions on this layout Friday and Sunday. Click here for schedule and to sign-up.

Photo by Bob Chaparro

The D&P Mountain Railroad is Paul’s freelanced Fn3 (1:20.3 scale) garden railroad. This U-shaped design operates around 3½ sides of Paul’s house. The mainline is planned for 600 feet. The first phase of construction is complete with a 350 foot mainline and 150 feet of sidings and industry spurs. The maximum grade is four percent with ten-foot minimum diameter curves. The entire railroad is raised off the ground.

The D&P Mountain Railroad is based on Colorado mountain railroading with mining and lumber operations in the 1940s era. This is narrow gauge steam railroading in a heavily forested layout. Over 120 dwarf Alberta Spruce trees have been planted so far along with other dwarf vegetation. The emphasis is on short line operations with the provision for continuous running. Six 2-person crews will eventually handle operations. The current layout supports two 2-person crews. Locomotives are battery powered with radio control, QSI sound decoders and Airwire throttles.

Photo by George Gibson

The previous DK & Pacific Mountain Railway is long gone and a new layout is under construction. The new layout is based on a 1930s-era freelance railroad trying to make a go of it at the height of the depression. The railroad works lumber operations from a Pacific coastal town and hard rock mining operations in steep mountainous terrain. Money is tight and the age and appearance of the rolling stock shows it. All trains are powered by steam. No diesels operate on this layout except for tracking cleaning purposes.

The layout is both HO and HOn3. The HO mainline runs through a wharf area of the coastal town, the service camp of a logging operation and through the railroad’s Westerly Classification Yard. The HOn3 mainline will serve numerous mines and milling sites, and is located on the upper shelf of the two-shelf layout. This upper shelf is also the location of the HOn30 loop for a small tramline that will serve the mines.

Also included in the den layout room is a high loop, a display shelf for running On30 cars and locomotives from the owner’s collection. This display shelf also includes a loop of N-Scale track for running the owner’s two “favorite trains”: the Southern Pacific Daylight and the Santa Fe Super Chief.

An additional layout room (16 foot x 14 foot) has just been completed (adjacent to the den layout and in the garage). The mainline tracks from both the HO and HOn3 shelves have been realigned through the common wall. New bench work is under construction and track plans are being finalized. When completed, the mainline of both the standard and narrow gauge lines will more than double the size of the current layout. A second high loop, display shelf is currently operating. Two new classification yards are included in the new room and will serve as the easterly terminus for both standard and narrow gauge operations.

While the existing den layout has the ability to run both DC and DCC controlled locomotives, the new room is configured for only DCC. The layout uses NCE DCC power cabs for locomotive control, including sound. Scenes have added sound modules and all structures have lighted interiors. Photographic background murals from LARC Products are being added.

Scenery is slowly being added to the layout, with most underlying landforms in place in the den. Several bridges, trestles, and other types of crossings are in place and have been detailed. Several tunnel portals are finished and include interior details.

Photo by Bob Chaparro

This very large freelance garden railroad features a doubled mainline with about 450 feet of track on each line, one tunnel, a six-track yard, several trestles and a challenging three percent grade at one end. Trains are battery powered. There are a number of structures at various locations along the line and a large variety of flowers, miniature trees and desert plants.

Most areas of this railroad are easily accessible for visitors to see up close.

This 12' x 20' HO layout represents the Yakima Valley in Eastern Washington featuring Union Pacific and Northern Pacific trains. In overall concept, this layout exemplifies the UP from Hinkle Yard in Oregon to Spokane, WA. At Wallula there is a branch line running up the Yakima Valley, through Zillah, to Yakima. The NP main line parallels the Union Pacific up the valley. This is the visibly modeled portion of the layout. The UP branch interchanges with the NP and Yakima Valley Transportation Company at Yakima, and has a large amount of adjacent trackage with the NP in Zillah. The UP, NP and YVT locals and switch crews move freight on the layout.

The layout features staging, operating yards and traction. Operations are point-to-point with up to three crews required to move trains. Control is NCE DCC.

There will be operating sessions on this layout Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Click here for schedule and to sign-up.

Photo by Bob Chaparro

Andrew models the early 1950s Southern Pacific, an era of steam and distinctive Black Widow diesels. The setting is along the California Central Coast with operations centered in San Luis Obispo. Trains start at Santa Margarita and run south to Guadalupe and then, by extension, to the Port of Los Angeles at San Pedro. One branch line includes the Santa Maria Valley to the Betteravia sugar beet refinery.

Other features include the Stenner Creek trestle and horseshoe curve (which covers forty linear feet of sceniced area), the San Luis Obispo yard and depot, Guadalupe yard and depot, an urban scene and the Port of San Pedro including a fifty-inch long ship and wharf area.

Operations consist of through freights (lumber, merchandise and military) and passenger trains including SP’s Daylight, Coast Mail and Lark, plus locals. The Cuesta Grade uses helpers as necessary.

Most structures are kitbashed or scratch based on actual Central Coast prototypes. The layout features an operating replica of the double-track Pacific Electric/Southern Pacific 1912 bascule bridge at San Pedro. This model won a first prize at a national convention.

This is a loop-to-loop design on two levels in a three car garage. The mainline totals about 340 feet with super elevated curves and handlaid track where visible. There are staging yards at both ends of the layout. Typical freights can be up to thirty cars in length operating out of the four main yards. All locomotives are DCC controlled with sound.

Photo by Bruce Morden

The HO scale Southern Pacific Santa Barbara Subdivision fills a two-car garage. The layout models the SP mainline in 1994 from Carpinteria to Devon with the branch from Surf through Lompoc and on to White Hills.

Bruce’s layout is a work in progress and so far there is very little scenery. Tracks have been completed on two of three planned levels. Two staging yards are completed as has one medium-sized yard along the main line. Benchwork includes “thin wall” L-girder and open grid construction. Roadbed consists of Masonite spline construction. The layout is handicap accessible.

Layout Blog: http://spsbsub.blogspot.com/

Photo by Bob Chaparro

This is a nicely landscaped and complete garden railroad with a great variety of trestles and equipment. In addition to a 300-foot G scale railroad, Ed has a large collection of full-scale railroad artifacts including lanterns, lamps, oil cans, locks, a wig-wag, a semaphore and a speeder.

Photos by Bob Chaparro

Photo by Bob Chaparro

The Gold Rock, Columbia and Palisades is a freelanced Sn3 narrow gauge layout with an emphasis on D&RGW and Rio Grande Southern. The GC&P reflects Colorado mountain railroading with a logging branch. The layout is 32' x 18' with approximately 150 feet of main line, staging yards, operating yards and many scratch-built items. Control is DCC with sound effects.

Amazingly, the main peninsula of this railroad is built over the remains of an earlier HO layout Darrell built in the same room. Just like a newer city being built over the remains of an ancient one, Darrell removed only what was in the way of the new design and overlaid the Sn3 track, scenery and structures.

Photo by Bob Chaparro

Don began this HO layout in high school and portions still remain. Some of the rolling stock, which once belonged to Don's father, dates from the early 1940s. He has packed a lot of operation, reflecting the 1950 era, into a 10 ft. x 14 ft. space. At one point the track is stacked five layers high, counting the staging area. Don is proud of his hand-laid track, which includes a double slip switch and a curved three-way switch.

The layout features route control using PIC micro-controllers. Control panels can control all turnouts from one location, but some turnouts also can be controlled locally. Don's wife helped him scenic the layout’s Old Town area.

Photo by Bill Obermeyer

This layout blends Southern Pacific and Santa Fe operations in the mid-1950s, plus a little before and a little after. Motive power consists of Southern Pacific Black Widow diesels and Cab Forwards and Santa Fe steam and zebra-striped diesels.

The layout is in a purpose-built 24 feet x 17 feet room. The layout is a dogbone that drops down to two levels. The top section starts at a High Sierra lumber mill scene with three reverse, staging, and passing loops and then goes through bridges to reach Glendale, California. The line then descends down to a desert section that resembles Monument Valley, Arizona, with passing sidings in between. After going through the desert, it emerges onto a bottom level and makes it way to the bottom three reversing loops that feature a wharf scene where lumber can be off-loaded to ocean-going ships.

Minimum radius is thirty-two inches and all track is Micro Engineering Code 83. Except for two curved Walthers turnouts, all the rest are Micro Engineering #7 turnoutss. Layout is DCC with NCE controls. The room's backdrop features twelve long sections from BackDrop Warehouse that, with some difficulty, all match and blend together over a span of sixty feet.

The layout was constructed by Bill with one exception: Rick Fulkerson was a tremendous help with his vast knowledge of electronics and made custom control boards for automatic turnout controls on the six reverse loops. Without Rick’s help, this would have never been done!

Layout is approximately twenty-five percent completed.

Photo by Unknown

This layout was built by the late Jack Parker, owner of Central Valley Model Works. It is now operated by his son, Jeff, and Jeff’s wife, Heather. It represents the Northern Pacific in Montana in the era from the early 1940s to the early 1960s. The often-photographed scenes depict Logan, Montana. While considerable "artistic license" has been taken with the actual arrangement of Logan, the layout allows the simulation of the actual operation of Northern Pacific trains going to and from St. Paul and Tacoma.

The layout room is a generous 17' x 50' plus an extra 8' extension on the east end for return loops. The track is, of course, Central Valley CVT. That product was designed and developed for and then used on this layout. Jack’s good friend and fellow NP model railroader, David Coster, helped design the layout and also did all of the wiring. The layout features a great roster of detailed brass steam locomotives and these all are tuned and weighted to pull scale length trains.

As part of the Convention layout tour, Jeff & Heather Parker will be giving tours of the Central Valley Model Works design and production facilities. These are co-located with Jeff’s large HO scale Northern Pacific layout.

Both the layout tour and the shop tour will take place Wednesday through Sunday during the Convention.

Central Valley (www.cvmw.com) was started in 1947 by Jeff’s father, the late Jack Parker. The company produces bridges, tie strips, detailing parts and rolling stock, mainly in HO scale, with bridges in N scale as well.

Photo website: www.cvmw.com/imagecvmw/color_photos/index.htm

Photo by Unknown

Gary originally modeled the SP and had built a few smaller layouts with the SP theme, but wasn't happy with them. After he discussed the types of trains and scenery that he wanted to model with a fellow model railroader, he immediately introduced Gary to coal railroading in the Appalachian canyons. Gary immediately fell in love with the “Old Reliable” and never looked back

The Ashlan Subdivision of the L&N’s Eastern Kentucky (EK) Division was built almost single-handedly by Gary, beginning about 1987. When it appeared as the cover photo and feature article in the April 1996 issue of MODEL RAILROADER magazine, it filled an oversized three-car garage. Shortly after the article was published, it was expanded into the adjoining two-car garage that Gary had originally built so that he could use the three car garage for the layout

The Eastern Kentucky Division models an area of coal mines in the Appalachian Mountains in eastern Kentucky and western Virginia. There are interchanges with C&O and N&W. The year is 1971 so both 1st and 2nd generation diesel are the rule. The EK is still running its own passenger trains. Operations use car card and waybills, with control by Easy DCC.

The L&N was featured in Railmodel Journal in January and February 2008 and Railroad Model Craftsman in May 2008. While not an official website, Richard Barnes has taken some amazing photos of the L&N EK Division that can be viewed at: www.pbase.com/rbarnes11/lnekdiv

Photo by Dave Grenier

In addition to the HO layout, Gary has been working on a No. 1 scale layout in his back yard. Gary’s Southern Pacific Santa Cruz Division is a standard gauge, point-to-point design with a 750-foot mainline from the yards at San Jose to Santa Cruz. There is a 300-foot Boulder Creek branch line out of Felton. All main line and branch line track is in place. YouTube video by Bob Lyon.

Photo by Terry Taylor

Terry is building his rendering of the Santa Fe in the San Joaquin Valley from Calwa (near Fresno) to Richmond, circa 1953. He is actually modeling the railroad from Empire (just east of Riverbank) to Holt (just west of Stockton), but the multiple staging yards below the layout extend the layout both west to Richmond and east to Calwa. He also is modeling a mind's eye Tahoe & Tidewater Railroad which is loosely based on the prototype Central California Traction, Sierra and Yosemite Valley Railroads. On his layout the Tahoe & Tidewater runs from Stockton to an area near Lake Tahoe.

In addition to the numerous industrial switching locations for both the Santa Fe and Tahoe & Tidewater Railroads, there are major interchange yards with both the Southern Pacific and Western Pacific in Stockton with their respective tracks going to major staging yards in both the east and west, and there are also minor staging yards and interchange tracks for both the Modesto & Empire Traction Company and Sierra Railroads.

The minimum radius is thirty-four inches for the Santa Fe tracks. Turnouts are #8s on the mainline and #6s elsewhere except for some #4s in the Stockton Dock area operated by the Tahoe & Tidewater. The nearly one-hundred turnouts (for the roughly 1,200 feet of staging yards on the lowest level) are all located near the front of the layout and are controlled using Caboose Hobbies ground throws. Control is by North Coast Engineering DCC.

There will be a Friday evening operating session on this layout. Click here for schedule and to sign-up.

Photo by Robin White

This N scale layout occupies a 12' x 12' room, set in California. The track plan includes a main line, a branch line, three operating yards and one turntable serving an additional yard. The layout features animated lighting and operating crossing gates.

Operations are mainly running trains and switching. Control is DCC.

Photo by Unknown.

This well-stocked model train store has three finished in-store display layouts in HO, N and O scale.

Website: www.centralcoasttrains.com

Photo by Paul Wellman.

This is the best site on the tour to enjoy ice cream while watching trains, with hand-crafted ice creams made on-site. The G-scale train travels the perimeter of the shop on a continuous loop, passing through two rooms and outside the dining area. The layout includes bridges, suspended track, and mountain scenery. Running since 1981, the Village Railroad includes an engine that replicates a train that traveled through Arroyo Grande in 1883-1896.

Website: www.docburnsteins.com

Photo by Bob Chaparro.

The Lompoc HO Model Railroad Club is in the process of completing a new 1,500-foot track layout, featuring scenery of what Lompoc looked like more than 50 years ago. The Lompoc Valley Railroad is a fictitious railroad that interfaces with many of the major railroads, such as Santa Fe, SP, UP, etc.

All track is hand laid. The layout has numerous levels of tracks and a total of seven tunnels. The trains are initially made up on a staging level, then proceed out and enter a large double track helix that spans the entire four-level layout and enables trains to climb to the desired level. They can be switched to emerge on a work bench for repair or proceed out onto the layout.

One of the first sections the train encounters is a 6' x 12' peninsula that represents the Lompoc Valley, as it would have looked in about 1960. This date was chosen so that members could operate the older steam engines as well as the newer diesel locomotives that entered service in the era, without looking incongruent.

The flower fields can be seen along the tracks as the train proceeds out to the old Surf Depot. As the train is switched onto the main line at Surf, it can proceed north or south. After crossing the Surf Bridge, the train makes its way up the coast to industrial sites in Oakland.

As a train proceeds north, it will enter a 16' x 7' switching yard. The yard is planned with a round house and locomotive repair facility and a large number of switching sidings. A 4' x 6' harbor is planned that will include a wharf, harbor-side businesses and a tug boat pushing a barge. Details such as pelicans, sea gulls, and sea lions can be seen around the harbor.

Operational control features both DC and DCC.

Central Coast Railroad Festival photo.

Used with permission.

The Oceano Depot Association’s mission is to restore, preserve, and operate the former Southern Pacific Oceano Depot and other structures that have historical significance for historical, scientific, educational and recreational purposes for the benefit of the residents of and visitors to the Community of Oceano.

The Association’s numerous public displays include small HO and N scale layouts, a Southern Pacific boxcar, a Union Pacific caboose, produce crate labels, railroad paperwork, photos, tools and equipment. The Depot also houses a collection of World War II photos and memorabilia and local history items.

Website: www.oceanodepot.org

Photo by Santa Maria Times.

The SLOMRA members are actively engaged in modeling HO and N scales. The group seeks to preserve and present the heritage and history of railroading in the United States, particularly the Pacific Coast Railway, San Luis Obispo’s own narrow gauge railroad and enlist public support in model railroading activities through cooperative layout construction, group operating sessions, educational instruction and the establishment and maintenance of a permanent space for group model railroading activities which is open to the public, and promote and support the model railroading hobby on the Central Coast of California through the maintenance of an official website, publication of a newsletter, and the production of an annual train show.

During the Convention, the group will operate HO scale Free-Mo modules and N Scale Bend Track modules at the historic Oceano Depot.

Website: www.slomra.org

Photo by Bob Chaparro.

Operating on the site of the restored 1894 Southern Pacific Freight Depot, the San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum is preserving the railroad history of California and the Central Coast by collecting, restoring, displaying and operating historic railroad equipment.

Members of the Museum’s Central Coast Model Railroad (CCMR) are creating a replica the Pacific Coast Railway in HOn3 at Avila, circa 1939. The major elements include the Harford Pier (nearly 16 feet in length including a four-foot high painted backdrop of the harbor area) and the town of Avila. This town incorporates the award-winning wood truss bridge over San Luis Obispo Creek, as featured on the cover of the September 2012 issue of "Railroad Model Craftsman" magazine. The freight and passenger cars, as well as the steam locomotive, represent the historic rolling stock on the Pacific Coast Railway. Current operations utilize DCC with sound.

Also on display will be the initial stages of construction of the Southern Pacific Coast Line which covers the Central Coast areas from Paso Robles to Surf. The main focus will be the yard at San Luis Obispo. At this point, this HO scale model will be for display only, although ultimately it will have approximately 500 actual feet of mainline running.

Website: www.slorrm.com

Photo by Bob Chaparro.

This non-profit, educational museum is dedicated to the preservation of the railroad heritage of California, the Central Coast, and the Santa Maria Valley.

The club operates Lionel and HO trains in a 1930s Sacramento Northern box car at the museum. In addition to the boxcar, the Museum’s collection includes a late 1800s-early 1900s locomotive used by the Betteravia Union Sugar Company, a 1930s Santa Maria Valley Railroad Caboose No. 180 and a Canadian Track Inspection Speeder.

The Museum also sells trains and related equipment.

Website: www.smvrhm.com

Photo by Bob Chaparro.

The main building is the historic Goleta Depot, a 1901 Southern Pacific No. 22 Combination Depot. There is also an SP bay window caboose on the property. You may have to ask to see the model railroad exhibit, which is inside the depot in the freight room. This operating exhibit depicts the railroad areas of Santa Barbara and Goleta during the late-steam/early-diesel era, making this a Southern Pacific-dominated layout. The Santa Barbara Railroad Yard is the exhibit's most complex feature. The layout also features the Arroyo Hondo Bridge, west of Goleta. They also have a 7½ inch gauge ride-upon for $1/ride. Layout is not handicap accessible.

Website: www.goletadepot.org