About the Layout

The MA&G is a HO-scale triple deck layout connected by a double-track helix. The lowest level, which is 30 inches from the floor, is strictly for staging and has 30 tracks with a wye. The second level, which is 40 inches high, represents the mainline run through rural southern Mississippi to the Pearl River and features two fictional towns (Wharton and Edna), a sawmill complex, three major bridges and a farm. The run between Edna and New Orleans is located "in the helix". I decided to take advantage of the dead time spent in the helix to represent these miles of unmodeled mainline. The upper level, which is 58 inches from the floor, will entirely represent New Orleans. Currently under construction, it includes a 32 foot long yard with roundhouse, turntable and engine facilities, a long riverfront area with warehouses and huge ships, a coach yard with passenger facilities, and the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal with all 12 tracks and a wye.

The MA&G resides in a 14 X 32 foot building which was custom made for the layout and delivered in April 2001. In the first five years I was been able to finish the interior of the building itself and complete both the staging and second levels. Construction of the third level began in June 2007. The layout is controlled by a Digitrax Radio Super Chief system with four boosters. All locomotives are equipped with decoders and about 75% of them have either installed or factory equipped sound. There are well over 100 locomotives in service on the layout.

Operations will follow the Sequenced Timetable approach described by John Pryke in the October 2002 Model Railroader. This will include the arrivals, departures and servicing of 20 passenger trains in addition to through and local freight traffic. Car forwarding will be handled through the RailOp software program which eliminates car cards and waybills. A crew of about 6 will include a dispatcher, yard master, NOUPT station master, and three mainline engineers. Operating sessions will begin with the completion of the third level.