fall inside a hole

2015 "landscaped" layout

After deciding to dismantle the layout I had used since 2013 I decided to build a new layout in the same place the old one had been. I believe I began working on this layout in October of 2015. A video taken in mid October shows the track plan before any of the paper mache was added. My main focus was to be able to run more trains and to that end the track plan allowed five engines to run at once.

It featured similar cardboard and paper mache raised elements and took advantage of some of the new accessories and track I had bought since designing the previous layout. I still did not have a very large collection and most of the rear portions of the lower loops are all curve rails because I had run out of straight rails. I remember that the big news story at the time was the Volkswagen emissions scandel, and several newspapers I used were covering the story.

Three loops of Tomy track go around the layout, two on the bottom level that travel under and through the two hills and a third that travels up to cross between them. Another loop of TrackMaster track also climbs up to the upper level and a circle of track in the corner allows a fifth small train to run. Small yards and extra sidings are connected in various places.

At first I laid out my proposed track plan, then I constructed the hills and covered parts in newspaper mache and laid the track back over the top to form some portions of the structure to the track. Later the track was removed and fresh paper mache was laid over more of the layout. Some of this paper was test-painted before I eventually stopped working on the layout as I became interested in other things.

This layout was never completed and was taken apart some time in 2017 as my interests shifted towards vintage computers in high school as I wanted the table space. I did run trains on it even when it was not complete and had fun running longer trains on the lower level as well as multiple trains at once.