quaker valley layout

The Quaker Valley layout is in a dedicated 21 by 37 foot basement room with a two track staging yard at Cumberland extending into the adjacent furnace room . It uses a walk around approach to layout design and entry is through a swinging gate with a double track bridge across the aisle at the only door. The gate construction was documented in an article in the February 2013 issue of the online Model railroad Hobbyist magazine. The town of Costello is located above the staging yard of Altoona/McKeesport. Sliding masonite panels conceal the mainline Conrail staging yards. The stub staging at Enola is off a wye from the Conrail main line and located under Moss Creek.
Scenery is about 40 percent complete, including coved corner backdrops to the ceiling, hard shell scenery and fiber fill – ground foam trees and ground cover. Two water scenes have been completed using two part epoxy.
The city backdrops include a number of false front buildings and kitbashed structures which tower above the rail yards below. An operating rotary dumper which was featured in the December 1979 Railroad Model Craftsman is in operation at the power plant at Lynnsburg. Three foot aisles, 2 percent grades and 30″ to 48″ radius curves and benchwork from 44″ to 62″ high provide a variety of scenes and vantage points.

If you visit the layout, check out the scene near Portage where I have used mirrors to stretch the scenery well beyond the basement. Where is that tunnel located anyway?