I am modeling a layout loosely based on Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. I call it “adapting reality”. In my world I have renamed it to Georgetown (after my father) and dated it to about 1989.
[AdSense-A]
The real Portage la Prairie of the time featured:
- CN and CP main lines running parallel to each other
- A crossing of CN and CP in the town
- Two branch lines (CN Gladstone and CP Minnedosa)
- Several grain elevators
- Two train stations
- An interchange yard between the two railways
Eric Gagnon wrote a very good series on modeling Portage.
Georgetown features:
- CN and CP main lines running parallel to each other
- One branch line (CP Minnedosa)
- Two grain elevators
- One train station
- An interchange track between the two railways
I couldn’t include a crossover of the two railways due to other layout considerations I will go into later.
Here’s the track plans for CN and CP in Georgetown.
CN features a passing siding, an elevator track (UGG), an oil unloading track and an interchange track.
CP features a passing siding, an elevator track (Manitoba Pool), a team track, a freight shed, an interchange track, and the CP Minnedosa subdivision, which is single track staging.
I’m very interested in operation and I think this will provide a bit of operational interest in switching, interchanging and a few train meets.