VGN Elmore and Winding Gulf, WV track plan HO

Track plan VGN Elmore and Winding Gulf, WV HO scale - Lower
  • Size: 19′ x 33′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 30″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

VGN Logo (plain)Elmore was the center of Virginian Railway operations in the coal fields. Mullens, just north (railroad west) of Elmore, was home to a major engine facility and the western terminus of electrification on the Virginian. Traffic through Elmore was predominantly coal, but there was meager non-coal traffic in the form of traffic to and from the NYC and C&O at Deepwater, WV. Because of the tipples included, this trackplan best fits the timeframe between 1940 and 1970. Prior to 1962, the mainline was electrified and the Virginian (N&W … Read more

SOU St Charles Branch, VA track plan HO

Track plan SOU St Charles, VA HO scale - Upper
  • Size: 19′ x 33′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″ (24″ in helix to Monarch)
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 30″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

Southern Logo (plain)The St. Charles Branch was a tree-shaped branch of the Southern northwest of Appalachia, VA. The Southern owned the branch, but the L&N (and the CSX today) had trackage rights over the entire branch.  It appears that a Southern mine run was operated out of St. Charles (two mine runs in the 70s) and served all of the mines up the branch lines.  The coal would then be moved south through Pocket and over to the yard at Appalachia (later Andover), VA. … Read more

N&W Pond Creek Branch, WV track plan HO

  • Size: 8′ x 12′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 22″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 48″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

N&W Logo tuscan PlainThe N&W’s Pocahontas Division was full of small branch lines serving numerous coal tipples. The Pond Creek Branch was one of the smaller of these branches and makes a great subject for a bedroom-sized layout.

The Layout

This layout is designed for the beginner aiming to get a start in prototype modeling.   The basic design is nothing more than two 4×8′ sheets of plywood, so a small radius of 22″ was used.  The area represented is part of the N&W’s Pond Creek Branch which originates in Williamson, … Read more

CRR N&W St Paul, VA track plan HO

Track plan CRR N&W St Paul, VA HO scale
  • Size: 12′ x 18′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 27″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 50″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

CRR Logo PlainSt Paul, Virginia, was a unique piece of railroad. The N&W, travelling from East to West, and the Clinchfield, travelling from North to South, intersect and run parallel through the town with wyes at either end. The CRR and N&W interchanged at Boody, and there were a few small industries in town. St Paul offers a lot of variety in operation depending on the time period modeled. Up to the 60s, the N&W and CRR were the only game … Read more

CRR North End Extension track plan HO by Bob Helm

Track plan CRR North End Extension HO scale - Main
  • Size: 30′ x 43′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 30″
  • Designed by Bob Helm

CRR Logo PlainBob Helm designed this beautiful double-deck layout which captures every mainline switch from Dante to Elkhorn City on the Clinchfield Railroad. The Railroad begins at Dante, VA with the north half of Dante yard and the engine facilities and travels all the way to Elkhorn City, KY, the CRR’s interchange point with the C&O. The layout includes 6 passing sidings, two major yards, three major coal branches (including the Haysi RR), and more than 20 coal tipples including the huge Moss #1 prep plant.

Upper Deck

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INT Dixiana Branch track plan HO

Track plan INT Dixiana Branch HO scale
  • Size: 10′ x 12′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 24″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 24″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

Interstate Logo PlainThe Interstate’s Dixiana Branch sprouted from their Glamorgan Branch north of Norton, VA and served a handful of loaders including the large Dixiana No 1 tipple.

The Layout

This bedroom-sized layout represents the Interstate’s Dixiana and Glamorgan Branches as they appeared in the 60s and 70s during the transition from the Interstate to the Southern Railway. It begins at Holton, a few miles north of Norton and the site of the wye where the Dixiana … Read more

INT Appalachia, VA track plan HO

Track plan INT Appalacia, VA HO scale
  • Size: 20′ x 25′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 27″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

Interstate Logo PlainAppalachia, Virginia and the surrounding area was an important part of the Interstate/Southern/L&N triangle. Before the purchase of the Interstate by the Southern, Appalachia was the main interchange and outlet for Southbound Interstate coal via the Southern. The Interstate maintained its headquarters and shops at Andover, just two miles north of Appalachia. Andover was the primary coal-collection point on the railroad. The north end of Andover is the beginning of the Roda branch which serves … Read more

INT N&W Norton, VA track plan HO

Track plan INT N&W Norton, VA HO scale
  • Size: 20′ x 22′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″
  • Minimum Aisle Width: 30″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

N&W Logo blue PlainNorton, VA was an important interchange point between three railroads: the L&N, the N&W, and the Interstate (Southern). The large yard was maintained by the N&W, but operated by both the N&W and L&N. Between two and four merchandise trains were exchanged daily between the two, while the rest of the traffic was coal. Until 1973, the L&N interchanged its Clinchfield-bound coal to the Interstate RR at Dorchester Jct (just west of Norton), and the Interstate hauled it to the Clinchfield at Miller Yard. Between 1973 … Read more

L&N Hagans Switchback track plan segment HO

Track plan L&N Hagans Switchback HO scale
  • Size: 20′ x 25′ (track segment)
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

L&N Logo PlainHagans Switchback is located on the L&N in between Loyall, KY and Appalachia, VA. The original Cumberland Valley Division mainline ran up the poor valley from Cumberland Gap to Appalachia. A major branchline was constructed to Loyall, KY and beyond soon after. With the goal of reaching the Clinchfield RR, the the L&N stretched the Martin’s Fork branch southward from Loyall through the 6,244 foot long Hagans Tunnel. The tunnel exits directly beneath the original CV main, but abruptly ends because of the lack of funds to complete the project. To … Read more

CRR Elkhorn City, KY track plan HO

Track plan CRR C&O Elkhorn City, KY HO scale
  • Size: 18′ x 18′
  • Scale: HO
  • Minimum Radius: 30″
  • Designed by Dan Bourque

CRR Logo PlainElkhorn City was the Northernmost point on the Clinchfield RR and was an important interchange point between the CRR and C&O. Both merchandise and coal trains were exchanged daily with the majority of the coal moving south from the C&O to the CRR. In addition to a modest engine servicing facility, Elkhorn City was home to several truck-dump coal loaders located alongside the yard tracks.

The Layout

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