Kicking off 2021 sometime in January I'll begin building a 10.5x15ft rendition of the Great Divide Railway & Mining Company's railway line between Mourilyan and Ravenshoe in Northern QLD.
Thanks to Rob Chant of
www.jomrd.com for his assistance and ability to put ideas to electrons.
This is the lower level of what will be a double deck design. The helix between will be above the unloading loop at Mourilyan. The railway is designed for more solo operations vs larger crews, hence the reduced size of facilities. Mourilyan is home to the main 'yard', ore unloader, fuel loading and supply warehouse, and maintenance facilities for locos and wagons.
Coorumba is the site of a ballast quarry for maintaining the railway line, Ravenshoe being home to the large concentrator that refines the raw magnetite iron ore mined in the area into 60-70% Fe Ore pellets for shipment to steel mills.
The plan is for Peco code 75 track and switches to maintain concrete ties throughout, and for it's lighter rail vs C83. Kato Unitrack will be used for the helix however. Curves are 24" on the mainline and reverse loops.
Keeping to a constant present theme (ala Utah Belt) means I'll slowly update the equipment fleet and structures as time goes by.
Mid Jan is looking like the kick off point for starting the layout so very very keen for 2020 to be over and done with
