The Cincinnati West models the B&O/Chessie and Penn Central railroads from Cincinnati to Aurora, Indiana in September of 1975. Original track charts drawn by a former PC conductor/engineer, ZTS charts, and several site visits were used to develop the track plan, with the goal of duplicating the prototype movements and work as much as practical. Original switch lists were used to develop operations.
The layout is triple deck construction, with staging on the lowest level. The two visible decks are connected via two helices. It is around-the-walls with two peninsulas in a finished 33'x 27' room.
The operating positions on the layout are directly from the prototype and include the extensive in-plant switching work at the Monsanto plastics plant, as well as the equally busy Seagram's Distillery. There are also two B&O locals, the Whitewater branch, the Valley Yard job, several through trains, and even one passenger train still ran in 1975, the Riley.
The CW uses all welded steel benchwork, construction is documented on MRH, and it appeared in MRP 2019
Randy Seiler
LocationCincinnati, OH
ScaleHO
Layout Size800 square feet
Mainline Size325 ft
Era1975
PetsNone
Crew Complement8 - 12
CompletionTrack: 95%
Scenery: 10%
Electrical: 100%
Digitrax
Dispatching MethodTrack Warrants
Car ForwardingCar Cards/Waybills