The plan depicts the Estrella & Sonora Grande connecting the Estrella Mine with Sonora Grande, including a spur to the smelter (hidden staging), the Redemption Mine, Sonador Mine, coke ovens and the freight/passenger station.  Below the E&SG is the main line of the Arroyo Verde & Western railroad, a small shortline connecting this region with the Arizona & New Mexico Railroad at Clifton.  The AV&W terminates at its interchange with the E&SG at Sonora Grande.  A short section of trackage has overhead catenary, allowing electric locomotives to operate.  Electric locomotives were popular in mining because they did not produce toxic gases like steam or internal combustion locomotives did.

For operation, the plan provides for continuous running on the AV&W main line, with switching on the branch line overhead.  There is a 4-track selector table under the Estrella Mine area, where trains can be staged and brought into operation from either the smelter or Clifton.  (Selector tables are commonly used for compact staging in Europe and the U.K.)

Trains operate between the hidden staging track and the interchange at Sonora Grande, up and down the branch line, and servicing the smelter, station and coke oven tracks.  Ore trains from the mines keep the line busy.  Occasional passenger trains and railcars provide service to the remote mining communities along the way.  The branch line will terminate in two hidden staging tracks located in the closet (behind the Estrella Mine area).. 

The minimum mainline radius is 18", with a 4% grade and 16" radius curves on the branch line.  The small layout can keep up to five trains busy.  Normal operations will include a passenger train, a local freight, a railcar or railbus, and a pair of ore trains.  This plan is proving to be fun to build, to operate, and to just watch the trains roll!

Here is the railroad room after I painted the walls and primed the backdrop with several coats of light blue latex paint.  The base of plywood and styrofoam is in place.  It is very light, yet rigid.

This is the Gila (pronounced geel-lah) River crossing, with its double-span truss bridge.  I lowered the benchwork to increase the dramatic effect of trains crossing the river canyon.

Here is where the main line curves to the sliding selector table (to the right).  In the background, the branch line will reach Estrella, which will be built as a shelf over the selector table.  This scene will be one of the highlights of the layout when completed.

The selector table was incredibly easy to build.  The only challenge was lining up the entry points with the main line track at each end of the table to ensure smooth transitions.  This feature allow storage of three trains, with fourth rolling off miles on the main line.  All in about 40 inches!

Here the table is extended its full length forward.  I used drawer glides mounted to the benchwork.  I only have two more feet of benchwork to complete - the removable bridge between the transfer table and the Sonora Grande section.

The timber truss bridge now has stone abutments, awaiting the construction of the canyon scenery.  This scene will be a scenic highlight on the layout.

Progress continues at a rapid pace...only 4 feet of main line benchwork and track remain, and wiring for DCC control is well under way.

August 2, 2008: track on the selector table and lift-out section are completed - ready for the Golden Spike ceremony!  Here's a view from the room entry (it is a small room, only 9.5 x 9.5 feet).

Here are a few trains on the transfer table.  The small panel with four toggle switches is used to cut power to the transfer table tracks as a safety measure to prevent any unwanted movement of trains.

Here a southbound ore train approaches the transfer table, with a northbound parked on the table.

The southbound train stops on the first track of the transfer table. The transfer table is then indexed to the second track, and the track power is activated by the toggle switch, and power to the near track is cut.The southbound train stops on the first track of the transfer table. The transfer table is then indexed to the second track, and the track power is activated by the toggle switch, and power to the near track is cut.

The southbound train stops on the first track of the transfer table. The transfer table is then indexed to the second track, and the track power is activated by the toggle switch, and power to the near track is cut.

Here is the lift-out section that spans the room entry when I want to run trains continuously on the main line.

The lift-out section is built of 1/2" plywood laminated to 2" foam, the same materials used for the rest of the benchwork.  It is shaped to fit snugly into each end of the layout without any latches or hardware.  It can easily be placed into position or removed with one hand. 

The small hole you see in the wood base is a female receptacle for the power plug that provides current to the rails on the lift-out section.  You can see the red and white track feeder wires extending from the track to a hole in the lift-out section leading to the power plug.

Here is the underside of the lift-out section with the power plug mounting.

It takes all of ten seconds to put the lift-out section in place, and operation across the gaps has been foolproof so far (after some filing and fiddling).  It was definitely worth the trouble to build.

Here is the first revenue run of the E&SG, crossing the Burro Creek bridge.  It is very satisfying to see copper moving to the smelter behind my little locomotives. 

After pondering my track plan for many hours, it just didn't look convincing as a copper mining railroad.  I determined a higher branch line was needed, to capture the multi-level feel of many mining areas with multiple right-of-ways in the same scene.  On many layouts, this is to be avoided, but one of the benefits of modeling a small mining road is the potential for switchbacks, tunnels, multiple levels, etc. 

So, I put in a switchback, and changed the foreground scene, visible when you enter the train room.

These are coke ovens, which convert coal into coke for use in the smelter funaces and power house boilers for the mines.  Coke burns hotter than coal does, and is needed for smelting, iron and steel making, etc.  The track in the foreground is used to haul out the coke.

The tailtrack of the switchback above the coke ovens also serves as a coal dump track, allowing gondolas to deposit coal beside the ovens.  These ovens are not finished yet, they have only received their first washes of color.

Behind the water, fuel oil and gasoline tanks is the high line, which climbs around the room clockwise.  Above the retaining wall will be the Sonador Mine.

At the left are some cars spotted on the Sonodor Mine spur - an ore bin will be located behind the track here.  In the foreground is the yard at Sonora Grande, with a few cars loaded with mine stulls.  In the distance, a Porter is backing a cut of loaded ore cars towards the underpass leading to the smelter.

The high line curves around behind the town of Sonora Grande to the current end of the line...until inspiration strikes again!  Stay tuned for more progress to come.

VIRTUAL TOUR

Our Golden Spike ceremony was held August 2, 2008! 

MAJOR changes to this plan were made in April, 2009...scroll down to see details.

I will post photos of progress often, so come back to check on developments.

I enjoy sharing my passion for model railroading. 

The E&SG and its models have been featured in the following publications:

The E&SG is a founding member of the Arizona Copper Barons, a loose-knit group of characters interested in modeling copper mining in Arizona.

 Questions?  Comments?  Get off your donkey and e-mail me at vgniner@cox.net

All contents Copyright 2007 Verne Niner.  Best viewed at 1280x1024 resolution.

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