Chehalis Lumber Company

Borrowing the name of a real logging railroad, this plan packs all of the classic features of a logging line: sharp curves, steep grades and tight clearances—no long strings of double-stacks permitted here! Despite its complexity and broad, sweeping curves, amazingly this plan has no cut track pieces, so you can focus your attention on the challenges of getting all of the grades right and building all of those bridges. Running this railroad will keep you busy, too, with two logging camps, a generous yard complete with enginehouse, and a big sawmill that even has a log dump (bottom center of the plan).

Notes on operation: This layout can support one continuously-running train on the folded-dogbone mainline, plus a switcher working the yard, log dump and sawmill at the same time; the enginehouse can store two locomotives on a pair of isolated sidings. There's also a cutoff (top-center of the plan) that allows you to perform out-and-back style operation. DCC would simplify the operation of two trains and the reverse loop.

Important: This plan has a reverse loop; the cutoff (short stretch of track between the red dots, below) must be fully isolated and wired properly to prevent shorts, even with DCC.

NOTES
*The 13 #902 straight sections and 15 of the 46 #912 curved sections required come with the switches. All unmarked track sections are #912 to simplify the parts plan.

This layout can be built using Märklin track or Rokuhan track. Because of the design of Märklin and Rokuhan switches, there are no limitations on where remote-control switches can be used.

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