Feather River Canyon (Show Layout)

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traiNscale

traiNscale

Well-Known Member
Hi all

Over at the coffee thread i asked if there are great tracks along rivers in the us or canada with tunnels. The idea is to build a N Scale Exhibition Layout. I dont know really why but i want to build e Layout to show off at some Shows here in switzerland or maybe europe who knows.

so i got some ideas from different forum peeps. and i stranded at the "Feather River Canyon". I fly over the canyon with google Maps and i have to say, thank you to the street near the tracks i also have street view to check the things out. I already found some interesting parts in the canyon.

Bullet points:

- the layout has to end on both sides in a tunnel
- some poi over the viewable area
- around 3m of viewable area

here are some screenshots i took from google maps to highlight the points of interest:

IMG_0206.jpeg


Here is a viewpoint on the other side of the river. you can railfaning from down there up to the tunnel. this could be a great "start" for the viewing area.

IMG_0207.jpeg


a small tunnel and a landslide? right before.

IMG_0208.jpeg


after another small tunnel there has to be something like a retaining wall for water or "river" but it looks like there is not always water there. could be a POI in the middle of the layout.

Screenshot 2025-06-04 081054.png


here we have a small "camp" but the track would be on the "wrong" side.

Screenshot 2025-06-04 081124.png


this is also very interesting. the street crosses under the railroad bridge. here are two bridges. one for cars and above the railroad.

Screenshot 2025-06-04 081220.png


at the "end" is Rock Creek Dam. this could also be a nice "ending" of the viewable area, ending with a Dam thats maybe just half of it, and the tunnel where the train disapears into the shadowstation.

fact will be i have to shrink the things together. or maybe just build some parts of it and leave things out in between.
it would be cool with the bridges and the dam. but i maybe did miss the other river crossing. have to get back to googlemaps and check on that.

what are you thinking?
Any ideas or tips or what you would do?

i just want to brainstorm with all of you.

cheers
Marco
 
The accepted viewing idea is the scenery will be higher behind the trains. Having everything hidden behind a mountain wouldn’t be good for display. You haven’t asked yet, but I would suggest the base of the layout at 4 feet from the floor. That will help keep tiny fingers from causing havoc and destruction.
 


bnsf971 said:
The accepted viewing idea is the scenery will be higher behind the trains. Having everything hidden behind a mountain wouldn’t be good for display. You haven’t asked yet, but I would suggest the base of the layout at 4 feet from the floor. That will help keep tiny fingers from causing havoc and destruction.
Click to expand...

yes thats why i maybe have to just work with a section where the track stays on one side. or just at the end a bridge scene. so that the view does not really get interrupted. but i have to think about that.

iam atm planing on a system with aluminium profiles, the height of the "table" would be around 120cm thats more or less 4feet :).
but i have to find a easy configurator for those profiles, and thinking about transportation.

atm iam thinking about the following dimensions.

3 modules. every module is 120x60cm for the viewing area (shadow box). then two side modules with just the turns. behind the viewing modules 3x 120x30cm for staging.

maybe thats too big, but i think this should/could work.
 
For being portable, about .6m x 2m would probably be a good size, and allow you to have more than a round-and-round. Anywhere the track is close to the edge, make a slightly raised berm between the track and edge of layout to help keep things from falling onto the floor if things get bumped.
 
here is a design i was thinking about for the shows to use.
its also modular built with aluminium profiles.

Screenshot 2025-06-05 082009.png


or thats more or less the idea.
thats just 1 module. there would be 2 more so we get to 3 (wow i can count haha).
Also there will be the open curve on both ends. in the back you see also the shadowstation.
 
good morning again

as iam still looking for great POI for this showcase i had a deeper look into this area:

Screenshot 2025-06-05 103910.png


in this i could model the following:

- the dam
- tunnel in the south of the picture
- honeymoon tunnels
- also in the north i could end in a tunnel

here i could also play with the elevations because of the dam. the only question would be, this has some slopes :D
how to create those best. and how to arange it on the modules.
it would be cool if the viewer looks over from the street to the tracks. but in scale i dont really know how wide this has to be. will try to messure it with google. maybe i would not really built it to scale, but you should see in the end what it should display.

Update:

i did some mesurements. the Rock Creek Reservoir is more or less 200m wide. this means in N scale thats 125cm thats wide.
so that would mean, if i would try to add the road the diorama would be very deep. so i consider to only accent the reservoir itself.
maybe also split the dam building in half.

cheers
marco
 
this is how i would select the 3 modules.
more or less.

3module.jpg


i would stretch them out a bit. so the curves would be lighter but visible.
Rock creek Dam would be the center piece on the middle module. so module south would be past the dam and module north would be above the dam.

---
i hope you dont get bored, but i just have to tell you all what iam thinking right now ahahaha.

cheers
Marco
 


grande man said:
Marco, as a suggestion you might try asking Grok (X). Enter the dimensions, minimum turn radius, point to point or continuous run, etc. You may be surprised at the information it generates. Some of it will certainly be useful.
Click to expand...
thnx for the mention.
I was already "talking" to chatgtp about modelrailroading and also feather river canyon. i also already have a N Scale layout, and i definitely know that American rolling stock needs a bit more space :D but will consider it, thank you. i mean the whole modular "system" can be easy expanded this should not really be a problem.
 
@truckdad this is a great picture and one of the outstanding poi i have to say, but i did not find a way to implement this bridge into my layout. maybe i could add it at the start but not shure. but would also make a great diorama itself.

@Colorado Midland Modeler thnx for the ideas. i will work with mostly foam and plaster. like on my other dioramas.

@TLOC yes will defenitly study youtube and also googlemaps or streetview.

after that project i think i will be a expert of feather river canyon haha.

question: does someone know on which sub division the feather river canyon is? i still dont really understand what those subdivisions are and how they work. if i remember tthat right than at the frc there are 3 sub divisions? i would be interested, in the sub division that is located at the dam with the harmony tunnels.

cheers
marco
 
Hey all

Maybe just a random really stupid brain fart. Iam planing in N Scale, but what about Z Scale? For Z this would be huge, and i could maybe add one, or two bridges. but this would mean i would have to create all structures by myself, because i dont think there are any zscale kits from there.

maybe i stay in N Scale, there i also will have to construct more or less everything by myself, and you could see a little more than Z.
but still Z would be cool maybe...
 
traiNscale said:
Hey all

Maybe just a random really stupid brain fart. Iam planing in N Scale, but what about Z Scale? For Z this would be huge, and i could maybe add one, or two bridges. but this would mean i would have to create all structures by myself, because i dont think there are any zscale kits from there.

maybe i stay in N Scale, there i also will have to construct more or less everything by myself, and you could see a little more than Z.
but still Z would be cool maybe...
Click to expand...
You could do forced perspective, and have N scale near the front of the layout, and make the stuff smaller toward the back. It will make the layout seem larger. Any vehicles back from the N scale can be Z, and the trees and some simple structures at the rear can be N in front, Z at the back.
 


bnsf971 said:
You could do forced perspective, and have N scale near the front of the layout, and make the stuff smaller toward the back. It will make the layout seem larger. Any vehicles back from the N scale can be Z, and the trees and some simple structures at the rear can be N in front, Z at the back.
Click to expand...
this also could be an idea, but i think i will stick to N.
i almost have a nice picture in mind what i will build, and i really think i will go with the Dam and the harmony tunnels.

So Segment 1 will be tunnel and honeymoon tunnels (with lake in front)
Segment 2 will be the Rock creek dam
Segment 3 after the Dam with another tunnel

i will build it with the onetrak standard for europe, so i could set the whole build into a onetrak layout with some adapting modules to the side.
 
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