| Last updated on January 18, 2021
Check out this track plan from the May 2015 Model Railroader
Name: Los Angeles Junction
Scale: HO (1:87.1)
Size: 5′-0″, x 9′-6″
Prototype: Los Angeles Junction Ry.
Era: present day
Style: shelf
Mainline run: not applicable
Minimum radius: 24″
Minimum turnout: no. 4
Maximum grade: none
The track plan originally appeared in the May 2015 issue of Model Railroader. Click on the link to download a PDF copy of this track plan.
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It should be remembered that the LAJ shelf layout designed by Lance Mindheim isn’t intended to be followed tie by tie, spike by spike, but to offer anyone interested in modeling an industrial pike the ideas to create his or her own version based on space, scale, railroad, etc. Lance’s popular HO scale shelf layout based on the CSX (former Seaboard Air Line) modern era operations in Miami have been represented in large scale and are featured in MR’s Great Model Railroads 2012 which is still available from Kalmbach. Additional photos of this fantastic 1:29 scale masterpiece can be found at http://www.freerails.com
My indoor/outdoor large scale pike will be based on Northern Pacific albeit protolanced so I can take liberty with the equipment and structures. It will be located in Washington. A Piko 0-6-0 lettered NP will be the primary steam power with the USA Trains Alco S4 and EMD NW2 representing the diesel era. The layout will be built after I have relocated from Germany back to the States.
I would tend to agree with the last two comments. This is really a stock Mindheim design with a particular railroad's name. It isn't really in, say, the John Armstrong tradition of identifying particular features of a railroad and trying to represent them in a model. As someone pretty familiar with the prototype, I would say some of its main features include complex trackage with crossings, often in the street, and close proximity to UP and BNSF trackage. Using a little more table width could well add interest by incorporating some of the prototype features.
I wonder what size bracket Lance used and if you glued some wood between the bracket and the foam.
I like this layout! I have a 16' shelf layout in 1:29… using a USAT S-4 with hopper cars (2) and 40' Boxcars… one turnout at present because they cost $177 each! All can do is a little switching – back and forth – but it s better than no trains at all! Plus there is somthing about watching these big trains! HO is too small for these 57 year old eyes! And to all the MR crew – especiallythe
Video Plus crew -really enjoy all you do!
I can see the layout may not be very interesting to operate but with some minor changes you could make it your own. I can visualize a short runaround track and a spur or two going the opposite direction. Perhaps staging at both ends.Or as an add-on to an existing layout…?
Sorry, Lance may be the dean of realism, but this layout, as per the video, would be extremely boring to operate and wouldn't hold someone's attention for a long time. Basically it's start on the street with the cars already in order. Wait. Shove some forward. Wait. Pull back. Wait. Shove some more forward. Wait. Run light to end of track. Seems to be much like the driver of the truck understood that.