Photography by Richard Schumacher
The Gateway Central XI railroad will be on display and in operation at this summer’s MCoR Convention. The latest in a long and illustrious series of project railroads built by the Gateway Division as educational, outreach and fundraising tools is a departure from the previous layouts. It is the first N-scale project railroad built by the division. The size – 30×80 inches – and extremely light weight make the portability of this layout exemplary.
N-scale permitted us to model big time, double track railroading in a small space. Crossovers, sidings and the two-track mainline allows serious operations. The layout represents the River Subdivision of the Burlington between Portage and Savannah, Illinois with its heavy traffic density.
The layout began with a foam core door and a sheet of blue insulation foam. Next the highly reliable Kato Unitrack was laid atop the foam, which was carved for basic scenic contours. The layout was built over several months by Gateway Division members, some of whom had never worked in N-scale before. This was in keeping with the provision that the railroad be an educational experience for our members and encourage new techniques.
You could take the layout home in October of 2004 when the winner of our raffle will be announced. It comes complete with power pack, train, and buildings and is wired for two train operations. Chances are $1 each or 6 for $5 and the winning ticket will be drawn at the Museum of Transportation’s Family Days Celebration. Delivery in the Metro St. Louis area is included.
The scenery represents the upper midwest with a double track tunnel, several through truss bridges and a typical river town with its “Turn of the Century” brick buildings. We hope you enjoy watching it in operation and wish you good luck if you choose to buy some chances!
