This circa 1953 HO, double decked, Great Northern layout represents the 100 miles of the Kalispell Division (Third Subdivision) in Montana. Starting at the East End, Blackfoot (staging) and moving West Bound via East Glacier (Glacier Park), Bison (helper service) Summit (Marias Pass), Essex (helper service), West Glacier Park and Belton, Columbia Falls and Kalispell, Whitefish, and Vista (staging). Industries will be at Columbia Falls, Kalispell, and Whitefish. Engine servicing, industries and warehousing will be at Whitefish. Logging, quarries, plywood plant, lumber mill, flour mill, bakery, brewery, small beef processing, oil storage,warehousing, and various small industries will be located in the subdivision. There will be 5-10 trains in an operating session (through freights, locals, one turn out of Kalispell, two passenger each direction (Empire Builder and Western Star), two yard masters (Whitefish and Columbia Falls) and hostler, car shops and switcher service at Whitefish. Additional jobs will be EB and WB staging and dispatcher (5-8 operators). There will be approximately 387’ (6.5 miles) of mainline. 1,286′ of total track (21 scale miles).
The layout will include signature GN scenes of Summit, high bridges, mountains, and water features especially east of Essex at “goat lick,” billions of trees, mostly on backdrop, several snow sheds between Blackfoot and Essex, and tunnels from Essex to Belton.
Staging tracks will be west of Whitefish (at Vista/Seattle) and east of Glacier (Glacier Park Station) at Blackfoot/St. Paul. Total two room area is 920 square feet.
Staging Westbound = Blackfoot and east to Havre, MT/St. Paul, MN
Staging Eastbound = Vista and west to Spokane/Seattle, WA
Control will be Easy DCC with all radio throttles.
