The clinic describes the design process for a basement-filling dream layout focused on the prototype Cascade Line of the Southern Pacific. Occupying 2400 sqft of basement, it features of the route from Eugene to Cascade Summit and Crescent Lake. The design process will be described, including trade-offs and challenges, followed by construction and initial operations

This clinic describes the Columbia & Western railway designed to replicate the CP's Kootenay divisions. The layout has 7 scale miles of mainline and a two mile branch in 350 square feet. Focus will be placed on track planning, on the double mushroom design and construction, and on various other mechanical features including swing gates and an indexing table. Finally the lake barge used to move complete trains between levels will be described.

The CPR's Boundary subdivision is notable for having nearly a mile of bridges. The clinic describes how models of 8 of these bridges were researched, designed and constructed in a variety of materials from styrene to etched brass. Focus will be placed on selective compression, model design for strength, piers and abutments, painting, and designing bench work to allow easy installation many years later. A video run-by across all the bridges will end the seminar.

The steel industry has a rich history and formed the backbone of America's growth. And from moving raw ingredients to delivering finished product, steel has been an integral part of railroading. This clinic will provide you with a basic understanding of steel making processes and vocabulary. It will give you a guide to the inner workings of rolling mills and some of the specialized railroad equipment found in and around a steel plant. Many references (both prototype and modeling) will be presented to enable you to accurately add this fascinating industry to your own layout. Although mostly a prototype clinic, modeling ideas will be injected as the presentation develops.

Learn how prototype research can improve your layout's design and operations. Discussion includes tips for researching time and place, types of prototype documents, ICC valuation records, the National Archives and the Library of Congress holdings, Sanborn Insurance maps and other sources of information in a digital world. Freeman's article Research in the Information Age appeared in Model Railroad Planning 2002.

How do you model an urban railroad that served 500 industries with 60 switch crews a day in a 500 square foot space? This clinic includes the process of compressing elements of the 1956 prototype, the creative solutions to maximizing the available space for the HO-scale design and a look at the prototype research. You may find out that you have more room for your railroad than you think.

Bruce and his crew of 38 are modeling ten prototype railroads operating in the Pacific Northwest in 1955. Features include the SP from Portland to Dunsmuir using the Siskiyou line, SP's Coos Bay branch, SP&S from Portland to Eugene, independent logging and mining operations, and the NP, GN, SP&S and UP operations into Portland. The system includes 7 classification yards. Up to 120 trains operate during a 24-hour simulated day. Prototypical fidelity with the system designed for super realistic operation is achieved. This fast moving, all color presentation provides an exciting status update and operational overview of this monumental effort.

Research for modeling and operating the SVOS was conducted with the aid of more than 60 members of OPSIG, LDSIG and SP, SP&S, NP, UP and GN Railroad Historical and Technical Societies. With their assistance, a 5-drawer file cabinet is packed full of prototypical information now in use to accurately model every station, industry, tunnel, bridge, trestle and the general overall railroad right-of-way and its operation. For example, over 250 prototypically based structures are being created. As a thank you for the efforts expended, Bruce illustrates what is being accomplished and the resulting excitement achieved via prototype modeling.

This Clinic will explore the breadth and history of prototype Maintenance of Way Cranes and Derricks
and provide some modeling notes and references to models created over the years.

Everyone loves bridges on their layouts, but limited selection and unrealistic design of commercial kits mean many scenes are not as interesting as they could be. Craig Bisgeier, an avid scratchbuilder and modeler, believes that we can all do better modeling with basic tools and parts and a little information. Follow step by step as Craig explains the basics of truss bridges, basic bridge design, and what's available out of the box (and why most of it is awful) to the average modeler. Craig then goes through how to use commercial kits and parts to improve the looks of the off the shelf models, and how to make custom bridges that will stand out on your layout with just a little more effort. Emerging technologies like laser cutting and 3-D printing are also pushing the limits of what's now possible! The clinic ends with a humorous discussion of what NOT to do. Join Craig and see what you can do to improve your bridge modeling!