Smallest Track Plan with Serious Play Value
by Dennis Larrick
Thirty years ago, I had a dream of putting down a small track that would allow me to fire up on a moonlit night after work and switch a few cars into industries. Between our company being bought out, the 2008 recession, and the housing market, it is still a dream. The thirty years did see a 2.5 inch scale mogul and a few cars built, so it wasn’t wasted. At age 75, I hope to enjoy another twenty years in this great hobby, but just in case the crew caller knocks at the railroaders’ boarding house and wants me to take out an endless night freight extra before I’m due for my scheduled run, I’d like to share my ideas through the years so others can perhaps benefit from them if I can’t. I started with 7-acre designs, then 5, then I got curious just how small I could build a track with serious play value, so I will start with that one. Back in the 1980s, I was an annual guest at Clint Ensworth’s PA&W in northeast Ohio. It might have been the first 7.5 inch gauge point-to-point with wayfreight switching that ran with block signals and occasional timetables. The distance between stations intrigued me, some being too short, some too long, but some just right. 360 feet seemed to be the magic number, and I’ve found that on other tracks as well. I call this one the Station Skipper since the 360’ run is achieved by bypassing intermediate stations to minimize track cost. In my neighborhood, we are allowed a 200 square foot barn without variances, and those can be trucked in already assembled and set down for an enginehouse/shop. Enjoy and feel free to kibitz on the design. I look forward to seeing other people’s ideas.
Years later I studied Russ Eldred's track and found many stations also spaced apart 360 feet apart or slightly longer.
