Los Angeles Model Railroad Society
Great Lakes and Wester Railroad (D&RGW)
- Scale: HO
- Era / Locale: Multiple Eras from Steam-Diesel Transition to Modern / Los Angeles Harbor to the Sierras
- Size: 1000Square Feet
- Benchwork: 50% completed (actually 40% in April, 60% expected by August)
- Track: 50% completed
- Scenery: 10% completed
- Control: Digitrax DCC
Control: Digitrax DCC for train, JMRI with LCC for turnouts, detection, and signals. After losing our lease during the pandemic, we vacated our old upstairs Hawthorne location and secured a new ground level space. We began the design of a completely new layout in 2022. Construction of the member approved layout concept was begun in January 2023. We are in the middle of benchwork, track, and electrical construction so this is a unique opportunity to see “behind the fascia” and “under the benchwork” on a modern large layout that is under construction. Approximately half the planned track is operational and we have regular run and occasional operating sessions of that portion of the layout. We still have lots to do. Scenery work is just beginning and will feature an extensive harbor area, a large prototype inspired sawmill complex, and a rebuild of the previous large refinery complex that was on our old layout.
The layout is a 2-level point-to-point railroad with an optional continuous run through an extensive 3rd staging level. There are 2 helixes to travel between the levels. The layout is designed for operations and the mainline distance is approximately 500 ft. or 8 scale miles. There is also an extensive logging branch, a refinery branch, and a narrow gauge railroad as well.