The first version of this web site detailed the house renovations and layout construction of the Brewer Avenue and Pacific Railroad at our retirement home in Winter Park, Florida.  Since the “completion” was in 2004, I decided to revamp the web site to detail where it is now, rather than how it got here.

The layout is plywood over a frame of 2 x 4’s.  Track is Atlas Nickel Silver with Atlas switches.  The switch motors are Z-stuff with Z-stuff relays for switch-related signal control.  The control system is Lionel TMCC/Legacy.  The control system is for train control only.  All switches and accessories are controlled by remote controllers.

Operation is single direction (clockwise) only.  This is to reduce operational complexity and save space that reversing loops would require.  There are three ovals.  Two are lower level (Southern Division and Union Pacific Division) with extensions to the upper level and one is upper level only (Western Pacific Division).  There is an independent yard (Winter Park Yard) and one that is a part of the Union Pacific Division (Portland Yard).  The ovals are connected so that a single train can travel anywhere on the layout.  Each Division and the Winter Park Yard has their own control panel.  

Grand Central Terminal (really a station in this case) is located on the upper level and sports three tracks.  It consists of the Lionel GCT structure (the smaller one) and the Harry Heike base.  Some of the older videos and photos show the MTH station that used to occupy that space.

Minimum curves are O54.  There are some O72 sections.  Switches are all O54 except for one O72/O54 curved switch.  Power is provided by six Lionel 180 bricks and TMCC lockons and is delivered to 10 blocks.  A PW ZW powers switches, signals and lights, while another one powers all accessories.

Several changes were made from version 1.0 of the layout.  The first changes were to accommodate the LionMaster Big Boy (which I no longer have).  The cab overhang hit several tunnel portals and one upper platform support member (that was fun to fix!).  The descent from the WP to the Southern (upper right side of the drawing) was changed three times to eliminate stringlining, the last change moving the merging switch to the mouth of the bridge, which necessitated changing the bridge to the wider Hell Gate bridge.  Finally, the addition of the Lionel FEF 844 required some more tunnel portal adjustments and the long, unforgiving wheelbase of this Northern found many kinks in my track joints.

Click on Image to Enlarge

My guiding philosophy was/is “operational fun.”  I like operating accessories and they are typically placed near the edge of the layout along with their controls.  Accessories include the 97 Coal Elevator, 164 Log Loader, Culvert Unloader/Loader, Barrel Loader, MTH Service Station, Lionel Reactor, MTH Fire Station (highly popular), Oil Derrick, Oil Pump and bubbling Oil Field, Barber Shop, Bascule Bridge, Freight Platform, Water Tower, TMCC Crane Car, Magnetic Crane, Back Shop, Rocket Launcher, the always popular Milk Car and the never working Cattle Car (since removed).