Ron Blumer models the Holly Subdivision of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad in 1959. The majority of us in this operating group live within a few miles of the Holly Sub, but as your aware, it's the CN now. They're taking over everything! Nice running railroad. Ron has just got most of his track in, and is still working through the "fine tuning" stage, but he's about ready to start with ballast & filling in the open spaces between the trackboards. 

Ron controls his railroad with NCE DCC, radio throttles, and the layout is broken up into 7 power districts with Tony's Power Shields, and one PowerREV(erse) for the wye at Milwaukee Jct. The value of the Power Shields is that when one power district shorts it doesn't cause any other part of the railroad to shut down. The track is Atlas Code 100 flex track, Lambert Switches, manual turnout control.

From Milwaukee Jct. West to Birmingham, the railroad is double tracked (like the prototype). Due to the basement stairs, we start single trackage West of Birmingham, and continue through Pontiac, Holly, and into Durand (open staging). Most engines are Lifelike of Canada Proto 2000/1000 with "silent running" plug/play NCE DCC decoders, or a hardwired NCE generic decoder.

No drawing yet, but here's some pictures of his work so far. These were taken at our Ops session on March 4, so they are pretty "fresh". Let's see how good the webmaster does remembering whats where...

Larry Burk working the waybills at the combined Toledo/Durand staging yard.

Durand/Toledo staging can store up to six trains. Here five are turned and ready to go, with GT (of New England) 3709 waiting its turn on the wye bef

On the lower level, the Engine Facility of Milwaukee Jct., and the dual diamonds of the GTW/NYC crossing the Holly Subdivision of the GTW.

On the upper level, the wye at the Durand/Toledo staging yard. The approach to Durand is from the Left, and Toledo is from the Right. The Wabash units in the middle of the wye are awaiting a call for an interchange move from Toledo to East Yard (Detroit).

The NYC at the top of the picture, and the GTW below at Milwaukee Jct. The GTW engines are in the engine facility, awaiting a run out of East Yard.

East Yard, under the direction of Len DePauw.

Six classification tracks, three GTW arrival/departure tracks, and one NYC arrival/departure track, which the GTW has assess to for interchanging cars. In the background is the engine facility at Pontiac.

Art Single running the Brush Street Boat Dock job (the tracks in the foreground).

Behind the Boat Dock job is West Detroit, where trains from/to Toledo drop East Yard bound cars, and pick up cars for either Toledo or Durand (depending upon the direction they're traveling).

The beginning of a car ferry, docked at the Boat Slip in Downtown Detroit.

Cars for the Boat Dock are temporarily stored using the Brush Street Station arrival/departure tracks.

The Pontiac Yard engine facility, and rip (repair in place) track.

Zack Simpson (left), and Paul Quintus working a Ferndale local.

Dave Simpson is the Yard Master of Pontiac today, breaking down inbound trains into the classification tracks.

All is quiet in Royal Oak, prior to the daily local arriving to work the industrial tracks.