1: Side view of Selkirk Company store, aka Sodaville
Store by Sidetrack Laser with the addition. This is a sim-
ple base to be installed into larger diorama.
1
space for towns and industries. All of these factors led to the
layout being torn down in 1995.
Shortly thereafter, the space for the layout became
unavailable, making it impossible to have a layout for several
years. However circumstances have changed and I currently
have in the early stages of construction, a small, 5’ x 9’ layout.
I can move the layout, which is on wheels, outside to work on
it or reposition it within my garage. I am also building dioramas
which eventually will be incorporated into the layout.
The concept for the layout is a narrow gauge shortline in
Southwestern Virginia in 1942. It follows the premise the
railroad is similar to the Buffalo Creek and Gauley and is owned
by the Clinch River Coal and Lumber Company. Unlike the
BC&G, other coal companies have tipples along the right of
way and ship on the railroad to the transfer point.
The railroad operates from Wise, Virginia, the staging yard,
through Coal Valley, exchanging empties for loads and placing
them for pickup on the return trip, to the town of Oak Crest.
The Lite and Narrow Column - 2
2: Former company house that has been converted to a
doctor’s office and drug store in the town of Adams. This
is taken from the creek side of the building. Scenery is
sifted leveling sand with textures added. Additional tex-
tures will be added when diorama is installed.
2
Oak Crest is the terminus for the rod engines, and the empties
are exchanged for loaded hoppers and other cars for transport
back to Wise. Shays operate from Oak Crest through Selkirk,
the location of Pearson Coal, switching the mine with empties
and then proceed past the coke battery at Stewart’s Gap and
into Adams. Into this mix will also be the operation of a gas-
electric which will operate from Wise to Adams and return.
The layout track plan is a slightly larger version of the 2012
Model Railroader
project railroad, the Virginian Railroad.
While the layout is portrayed as a branch line of the Virginian,
it really is more appropriate for a short line or a narrow gauge
railroad due to the tight radius and, while not excessive, the
grades. The layout also limits the size of motive power and cars
that can be used on it, which is ideal for a short line or narrow
gauge than for the welterweight Virginian. There are also what
I consider to be glitches in the placement of structures on both
the layout and the extensions that were attached to the layout.
MRH-Nov 2013
