This layout depicts the British Columbia Railway’s Dawson Creek Subdivision and a portion of the Fort St. John Subdivision as they appeared and operated in 1977. The layout was dismantled and moved in 2021, and after a two year campaign to reassemble it in a new location, it is back in operation. The new version includes an expanded industrial area in Chetwynd and an extended Fort St. John Subdivision with eleven feet of new benchwork. Further expansions are planned. Operators can choose to work Chetwynd Yard or run the Dawson Creek Switcher, the Septimus Turn or perhaps a work train. Operations are patterned closely on prototype practices at the time.
The Prototype
- Prototypical/Freelanced: Prototypical
- Prototype: British Columbia Railway
- Location: northeastern British Columbia
- Era: 1977
- Interchange: Northern Alberta Railways
The Layout
- Location: North Vancouver
- Scale: N
- Size: 10′ x 15′ + 11′ x 6″
- Control: Lenz DCC
- Accessibility: elevator to 12th floor
- Length of mainline: approx. 70 feet
- Yards: Chetwynd, Dawson Creek
- Passing sidings: four
- Scenery complete: none
- Carspots: approx. 24 locations
- Motive power: MLW RS-3, RS-10, RS-18, C-420, C-425, M-630
- Rolling stock: mix of RTR, kit-built, kit-bashed, scratch-built
- Track construction: Atlas Code 55 (Peco Code 55 in helix)
Operations
- Clock Speed: 6:1
- Session Length: 3 1/4 hours
- Crew Size: 3-4
- Dispatching: Manual Block System
- Car Forwarding: switch lists
- Communication: voice
- Jobs: Dispatcher, Chetwynd Yard, Septimus Turn, Dawson Switcher, Work Trains
- Train lengths: 10-15 cars
- Session atmosphere: relaxed (low traffic)
More Information
- Website: www.bcrdawsonsub.ca
- YouTube channel
- Model Railroad Planning 2009
