My Version of J. Armstrong's Granite Gorge and Northern (1959)


GGNInNScale

GGNInNScale

Granite Gorge and Northern Again
We built the GGN in HO scale twice when I was younger... So, now a bit older. I took the old Atlas "6 HO Railroads That You Can Build" layout and added to it.
It is about 5 1/2 feet by about 4 feet. You can see the GGN in the core, with a yard and engine house, and a perimeter ring for passenger trains. It is a "crossroads"- all railroads are welcome...
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Still working on scenery. The switches are controlled by Arduinos- 5 UNOs and 2 MEGAs, the traffic lights in town are synchronized, also controlled by Arduino UNO. The NCE PowerCab runs up to 6 trains simultaneously (concentration needed!). Train location is monitored by Azatrax IR sensor sets, which also control the crossing bucks, block signals, and light the block indicators on the control panel. I have not connected to JMRI yet, but have the NCE interface and a spare computer.
Nighttime picture:
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Now that's just pretty darned cool. I don't know why, but I've always been fascinated to a small degree with all of Atlas's small layouts, in both HO and N-scale. Being an N-scaler for a long time, I have also given serious thought to building a few of their HO-sized layouts, except using N-scale track directly in place of HO track. The results would be a bigger N-scale layout, with much easier grades on multi-level layouts. I sometimes still give serious thought in building the "Scenic'd and Relaxed" layout (a John Armstrong N-scale layout to start with), albeit an up-sized version approx. 20% larger to allow larger minimum radius curves (11" in lieu of 9-3/4" radii) along with slightly easier grades for the up & over trackage.

Generally though, whenever I get the urge to do one of these Atlas layouts, I have to go lay down for awhile until the urge passes. My basement is already a model railroad wasteland, without trying to squeeze in yet another layout. o_O :p
 
GGNInNScale said:
We built the GGN in HO scale twice when I was younger... So, now a bit older. I took the old Atlas "6 HO Railroads That You Can Build" layout and added to it.
It is about 5 1/2 feet by about 4 feet. You can see the GGN in the core, with a yard and engine house, and a perimeter ring for passenger trains. It is a "crossroads"- all railroads are welcome...
View attachment 173711
View attachment 173713
Still working on scenery. The switches are controlled by Arduinos- 5 UNOs and 2 MEGAs, the traffic lights in town are synchronized, also controlled by Arduino UNO. The NCE PowerCab runs up to 6 trains simultaneously (concentration needed!). Train location is monitored by Azatrax IR sensor sets, which also control the crossing bucks, block signals, and light the block indicators on the control panel. I have not connected to JMRI yet, but have the NCE interface and a spare computer.
Nighttime picture:
View attachment 173714
Click to expand...
Amazing layout. Congrats.
 
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