Welcome to the Georgetown Branch
This site is dedicated to showcasing my model railroad and the products born from my love of the hobby. All FineScale 360 products are produced, assembled, and packaged by me, Kelly, in my Maryland-based shop.
Building model railroads has been a lifelong passion since my childhood years, and it continues to be a source of great joy and relaxation. My current HO scale layout is a homage to the Baltimore & Ohio’s Georgetown Branch located in Washington D.C. and Maryland.
About the Model Railroad
Construction of this HO-scale model railroad began in 2019. The modeled era is May of 1954.
The room is approximately 25 feet by 25 feet. The bench-work is modular and constructed of 3/4 inch x 3-inch birch plywood. The modules are assembled with pocket screws and painted on all sides to help control expansion and contraction. The 3/16-inch Masonite backdrops are removable and the entire layout is completely free-standing.
All track on the layout is Micro Engineering code 70 except for staging and the non-operable mainline tracks at Georgetown Junction, which is code 83. Turnouts for the most part are Micro Engineering #6 with a few hand laid #9’s at the junction. I used a mix of Central Valley Turnout Ties and PC ties for those.
Train Control
A single Train Control Systems CS-105 is used to power the layout. Throttles are WiFi connected UWT 100 or UWT 50’s. Because everything is wireless no fascia panels are installed anywhere on the layout.
Locomotives are equipped with TCS WOW sound decoders and every locomotive is equipped with a keep-alive. Combining keep-alive capacitors with powered frogs at the turnouts ensures smooth, reliable operation.
Turnout Control
Turnouts are controlled with micro servos driven by Sprog ServoIO LCC boards. The IO boards are operated with local panels, or push buttons disguised as ground throws installed along the route.
Because most turnouts in Georgetown are buried in the street it’s difficult to see the turnout position in most cases. To eliminate confusion, routes were created for the all sidings, this is simple to program with the Sprog ServoIO nodes.
Control panels along the waterfront are hidden in barges, more on that later!
Latest Posts
- Proto 2000 GP30 to Kato Conversion
Testing The Proto 2000 GP30 to Kato Conversion Kit While testing the new Proto 2000 GP30 to Kato conversion kit I shot some video and put together a short operations video. This is my first video of this type and it was shot with an… Read more: Proto 2000 GP30 to Kato Conversion - Converting a Proto 2000 to Kato Drive
HO Scale Proto 2000 to Kato Drive Conversion Frame Proto 2000 GP7 and 9’s are well known for fantastic detail but suffer from electrical pickup issues, cracked gears, and mediocre motor performance. To achieve perfect running Proto 2000 Geep’s for my layout I resolved myself… Read more: Converting a Proto 2000 to Kato Drive - Hardshell Scenery For Your Model Railroad
Sometimes an Idea Just Hits You… I was in my workshop the other day and as I walked past my drywall tools I spotted some fiber mesh drywall tape when a light went off in my head… Instead of plaster cloth, why not put down… Read more: Hardshell Scenery For Your Model Railroad - Prototype Waybills
Operations on my layout have evolved from basic car cards and waybills, to switch lists, and now to what some call “prototype waybills”. Before I get too deep into this subject, let me state that “I consider prototype waybills to be an extension of the… Read more: Prototype Waybills