Hello everyone,
First of all, I would like to wish you all the best for this year 2025, which I hope will be filled with your passion…
Let me introduce myself, I’m Mathieu, 35 years old, and I live in Belgium. I apologize in advance for my English, which is far from perfect.
I am posting today on the forum with my layout under construction: “Eurameri Freight Railroad.” An anglophone name for a layout that aims to be a utopia where Europe and America blend together… After several attempts, I think I’ve finally started the right layout, better thought out, better planned, and most importantly with a purpose: operating a freight line serving many industries.
It’s an imaginary world inspired by many things, both in Europe and in the USA, and it tries to be plausible in its operation… Well, at least I think so.
I draw inspiration from American layouts where freight traffic is often the main activity, unlike European layouts that focus on passenger services.
The layout is located in my office (5m x 3m or 17’ x 10’) with two access points that must be maintained. These are shown in the plans below. Perpendicular to these accesses, there is a chimney on the top of the plan and a window at the bottom. The layout is quite narrow, between 35 and 55 cm (14" and 22"), except for the peninsula. I wanted the layout to be integrated like a piece of furniture. It also needed to allow for storage underneath, for books, equipment, etc. It’s a room-sized layout with a bridge across both access points.
The layout is set in the present day. Diesel trains will mainly operate on it. These trains will be of both European and American types. I’m even considering creating a fictional railway company. But I’ll reserve the right to run whatever I feel like…
The layout is spread across three levels, connected by a single-track loop. The guiding concept of this layout is a single track that runs through the region to serve different industries, including a classification yard. Let’s take a look at the different levels.
The lower level consists solely of a hidden yard with 7 tracks, each at least 250 cm (8’) long. All tracks are dead ends.
PHOTO 1
This yard will be used to store long trains made up of the same type of cars (e.g., container flatcars) that will circulate only on the layout without unloading on the last 5 tracks. The first two tracks can be used to compose mixed freight trains that will run according to the waybills. It’s not built yet. Part of the intermediate level will need to be dismantled because the window must be replaced. I will take the opportunity to complete this level at that time.
The intermediate level is set at a height of 95 cm (3.15’). The train coming up from the lower level via the loop will enter a yard with access to several industries. It will then travel around the room, passing a mineral loading industry before returning to the loop, which is 10 cm (4") higher and connects to the upper level.
PHOTO 2
At this level, there is also a turning loop around the ellipse, which gives access to a mining industry and prevents the train from returning to the hidden yard. It stays in the intermediate level’s yard.
On the upper level of the layout, located at a height of 140 cm (4.6’), the train will pass a grain processing plant before entering a 3-track classification yard with an arrival and departure track, and a bypass track. This yard also provides access to some industries and a locomotive maintenance facility. The train will then enter a turning loop with two industries before returning to the classification yard and being able to access the intermediate level.
PHOTO 3
The train can either return to the lower level or take the intermediate level’s turning loop to return to the upper level, and so on.
I’ll post some photos next time.
See you soon!