Current Layout by Alan Balma

Layout Name:

"PRR Elmira Branch"

Layout Status:

active

Track Type:

Layout Space:

18' x 30'

Layout Style:

Point-to-point, with continuous-running option

Track Manufacturer:

Shinohara, Fast Tracks turnouts

Rail Size:

code 100

Min. Turnout Frog:

Min. Radius:

40"

Ruling Grade:

Track Height(s):

46"

Completed:

benchwork: 100%; track: 90%; scenery: 20%

Era:

Fall of 1956

Setting:

Penn Yan, NY and Canandaigua, NY

Railroad(s) Modeled:

PRR

Control System:

DCC (North Coast Engineering)

Videos:

Alan Provides Full Layout Tour

Alan's beautiful benchwork is on display in this photo. While the layout is operated on a point-to-point basis, the construction is an around-the-room design with a central peninsula. His layout allows for continuous running which is helpful when visitors come to see the layout. Be sure to watch the video to get an even better overall view of the layout.

The layout has two lift-up bridges to allow for easy access into the layout space.

Beautiful trackwork with a dedicated control panel to manage the turnouts in the yard.

While Alan's layout is still under construction, you can see from his efforts so far what the vision is for the layout.

A close-up of the scene shown in the previous photo, but the landscaping has been much more developed, as well as there is now water in the creek.

This scene represents the town of Stanley, New York.

A PRR K4 is leading one of the last afternoon passenger trains on the Elmira Branch from Canandaigua, NY to Elmira, NY. The train is passing through the Stanley, NY PRR maintenance yard on its way east. The brass K4 was imported by Omnicon Scale Models, built for them by Samhongsa out of Korea. Alan installed the Jackson Standard gearbox to fix a common issue with these engines. He also installed the SoundTraxx Tsunami2 DCC sound decoder. The track is code 100 Shinohara laid on Homabed, and turnouts are hand-built from Fast Tracks jigs. The tower and shed in the foreground were built from laser cut kits. The maintenance building towards the rear is scratch-built. The smoke effects and sky were done by Brooks Stover. This photo appeared on the inside cover of the December 2022 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman in the NASG promotional ad campaign.

The Fall setting is emphasized via the colorful background hills.

A glimpse of the Shinohara flex track and the Fast Tracks jigs-built turnouts throughout the layout.