Bob Chaparro is organizing our lineup of model railroad layouts that will be open for your viewing enjoyment. While the layout are still being contacted for open houses, Bob has arranged layout tours in this area for the Central Coast Railroad Festival, held every October. In the past there have been 30 layouts at 20 locations. We do not expect quite as many and want to keep them close to the convention hotel, we will strive to give you some variety.
- Layouts will be open in the afternoons, Thursday through Saturday
- Each railroad has its own open day(s) and time(s)
- Detailed Tour Info will be available to convention goers at the convention
- More photos and information on the layouts will be posted here as we get closer to the convention
- The layout tour is self-guided
- If you have a model railroad layout of any scale, indoors or outside, that you would be willing to share with convention goers on one or more of the afternoons of March 27, 28 or 29, please contact our layout tour chairman at [email protected]
Layouts open during convention
Paul Deis
This HO scale layout is based on the Santa Margarita Subdivision of the Southern Pacific Coast Line as it was in 1949. The area modeled is from San Luis Obispo to San Miguel. Most trains require helpers over the Cuesta grade. The focal point of the railroad is San Luis Obispo. San Luis Obispo was a Division Point, Crew Change Point and Helper District with a classification yard and engine facilities. The SP handled general freight and blocks of sugar beets and perishable trains. Sixteen scheduled trains plus many extra trains kept the Coast Line busy
The layout is 22 feet x 17 feet with a double deck walk-around design. Track is hand laid Code 83 and Code 70 rail with 28-inch minimum radius curves. Control is NCE DCC. Locomotives feature sound.
Operations are by timetable and train orders supported by four cycle waybills and car cards. A Train Order Board, whistles and hand signals are used for communications. The emphasis is getting trains over the road and simulating prototypical operating practices. Up to six people can be employed during a full operating session, which typically lasts four hours.
Trackwork is complete and scenery is 75% complete.
Location: Paso Robles, CA.
Additional photos: click here
Anthony Harris
At this stop you can see two separate model railroad layouts. There is an N-scale that is 4′ x 7.5′ running three trains, and a Z-scale that is 3′ x 5′ running two trains. Both layouts contain tunnels, bridges, and changes in track elevation to create interest. The layouts and rolling stock are a mix of older and modern equipment. Power is DC. The layouts are meant for railfanning as opposed to doing any switching operating sessions.
Location: San Luis Obispo
Additional photos: click here
Will Kastner & Lucinda Eileen
Lucinda and I welcome you to the M&SRR. During your visit, adults can enjoy our Airwire-controlled locomotives from our patios and our decomposed granite pathways while the consists circulate on 300 feet of track, including a mainline, a yard, a loop, a wye, and an agricultural siding. Children (without adult meddling!) can operate a locomotive and cars on our farm diorama, giving cats, cows, and ducks rides around the farm. We hope everyone will enjoy our circus diorama and our operating Western-Cullen-Hayes No. 333 Crossing Bell. We look forward to your visit. Full Disclosure: As railroads are in real life, the M&SRR is subject to unpredictable toxic derailments, especially frequent in the months following Fourth of July fireworks sales.
Website: https://cccgrs.org/portfolio/monarch-sand-railroad/
Location: Arroyo Grande
Additional photos: click here
Paul & Shuri Patterson
The HO double deck layout features model areas of San Francisco including a 3D printed Golden Gate Bridge, Painted Ladies, Ferry Building, and Coit Tower. Disneyland has main street station, fire house, castle, and the haunted mansion. These is a Sierra Nevada style mining area, small towns, industrial areas and a circus. The Garden Railway features a 1/5 scale version of Walt’s Disney Carolwood Pacific Barn, a miniature train station, passenger platform and the towns of Succulent, Fountain, Willow and Solvang, plus a European style village. The lower loop has over 150 feet of track and two reversing loops. The upper loop has over 150 feet of track and “S” curves traveling through giant redwood and miniature Alberta spruce trees.
Website: https://cccgrs.org/portfolio/the-californian-garden-railroad/
Location: Nipomo
Additional photos: click here
Ron Hamley
This is a detailed, compact N scale U-shaped layout measuring 4”x4”, 2’x2’, 3’x7’. The mainline runs thirty-eight feet. Ron models California’s coastal mountain area in the 1950s to early 1960s. Scenery includes oak forests, grasslands, small streams and an ocean harbor. Many trees are handmade. He runs a logging train plus freight and passenger trains. There is a small operating yard, freight station and engine house. Structures include a sawmill, a town with multi-story buildings and harbor area buildings. Power is DC.
Location: San Luis Obispo
Additional photos and videos: click here
