Img

What's new

  • Dec 2023 / Jan 2024 | Station Mock-Ups

    Last fall I became tired of looking at decades old placeholder plastic Atlas & Revell station kits at several locations along the mainline so, I decided to remove them and construct “temporary” proto based mock ups to replace them. 

  • Nov 2023 | Framing & Back Drop Mock-Ups

    There is a very complicated area between South Slocan and Castlegar where the framing meets/overlaps for both decks, and where two branch lines connect to the mainline. We decided to construct a combination of some new permanent framing and “temporary” cardboard backdrops.

  • Oct 2023 | Drone Research Trip

    Was time to go on another road trip with my drone to the Kootenays to research some more of the prototype.


    Aug/Sept 2023 | Farron Foliage Work

    With the bi-ennial VanRail event looming, we decided that the Farron siding on the upper deck needed to be completed scenically with ground cover, trees, etc.

    .
    Apr/Mar 2023 | Static Grass Work

    Earlier this year, we hosting a static grass tutorial in my garage with 3 Boundary Sub regulars, and March Simpson as the instructor. It was now time to bite the bullet and complete some actual static grass on the layout. What a difference it made!


    Nov/Dec 2022 | Kootenay River Scenic Rebuild

    Due the recent success with using grey Styrofoam for the scenic landform bases on the layout, we decided that the old cardboard strip/plaster cloth that was located at this location had to be removed and replaced.


  • What's New

    Our layout is constantly changing, and so is our What's New Page. Keep an eye on it for more information on how we're progressing.

 
contact us

If you have any questions or comments about the layout, operations or photo permissions, please feel free to email
me anytime.

welcome

Welcome back to our website which features the new CPR Boundary Subdivision layout. It has been a brutal three years thanks to the Covid19 pandemic! This update is certainly overdue, however, I have to admit progress has been less than I would have hoped!

 

This layout has been under construction since we moved into our then “new” home back in the spring of 2012. Like most large layouts, it has g

one through numerous iterations, revisions and improvements as we move along the path. I am extremely fortunate to have a large space for my empire, but more importantly, a group of very talented people that are willing to help me on this significant project. I would never have contemplated such a large layout without this help.

Phase four of the mainline was completed in the fall of 2019 and brought the total length to approximately 400 feet of the eventual 550 feet. Phase five, which will add a further 75 feet to the mainline, has been deferred until an undetermined date to allow efforts towards other objectives. Since model railroad operations are a priority for us, all expansions are designed and implemented to keep the layout fully operational while they are being completed.

I model in HO scale and the layout represents the Canadian Pacific Railways Boundary Subdivision, which operated in the rugged mountainous area of southeastern British Columbia as part of the CPR’s “second” mainline. The layout will include portions of the CPR’s Phoenix Subdivision and Slocan Subdivision, and also GN’s 5th Subdivision.

This layout is a multi deck design to maximize the mainline run and increase the number of stations from the previous layout. The design is truer to the prototype and is focused on operations. One of the objectives is to create a sense of being in the middle of nowhere since a lot of the prototype operated in relatively remote areas of BC. While we are continuing to model the Boundary Sub, the early 1960’s has been chosen as the era to rationalize the through traffic in our operations scheme. I chose to model during the classic Tuscan & Grey diesel era of the late 1950’s to mid1960's, and in the early fall to capture the vibrant foliage colors.

We welcome visitors to wander through the web site and explore the prototype and our progress towards capturing it in HO scale. Thank you for stopping by!

 

Note about Photographs & Graphics; I have tried to ensure that all photos & graphics in this website that are not mine have the appropriate credits. They are all used with the express permission of the photographer or owner. Please do NOT copy photographs or graphics from my web site without contacting me for permission first.

 


















Layout and website content by: Scott Calvert

Last Updated: February 2024