SE&CV

SE&CV is an N-Scale (1:160) Model Railroad. The Model covers an area of 100 square feet and the overall footprint is (16' x 10'). It is a non-DCC layout using 8 DC Model Locomotives.

The model Railroad is notably the only N-Scale Model Railroad in Mesa, Arizona holding sessions open to the public.

Overview of the Model

The SE&CV is an N-Scale model railroad that runs east from the fictional cities of Stevensville in south central Pennsylvania through the mountains to Central Valley and Mineville. The line continues eastward from Mineville through Proctor and No Name to Eastport, the northern most deepwater port on the Susquehanna River. West from Stevensville the SE&CV passes through Joshua Junction to connect with the Pennsylvania RR Bedford Branch in Bedford, Pennsylvania. Freight traffic is exchanged and there is daily special run passenger service from the Pennsylvania mainline to Stevensville by various Class 1 Railroads to reach a fictional 1952 World’s Fair in Stevensville.

History

Construction Started in 1996

The original model layout had two major industries, a coal mine and a power plant. There are three other industries in the same industrial area (Central Valley) as the power plant (flour mill, freight forwarder, generic factory). The two major industries gave presented a good operating flow for the initial layout. The other industries were not major traffic flows until future expansion projects.

Growth Timeline

2003

The first expansion was to add a large staging/classification yard off the right hand end. The layout was 2' by 8.5' and included a city and industrial area called Stevensville, which contained a Wye in the corner where it joined the original section permitting model trains leaving the staging area to go either direction and in effect created a point to point operating scheme.

2004

The second expansion added an additional 4' x 2' extension off the far and of the staging/classification yard for a fictional port area named James Port. Each end of the yard represented a different location: Stevensville; and, James Port.

2005

The model railroad was physically relocated from Arkansas to Arizona

Physical limitations at the new location called required the removal of James Port section from the end of the Stevensville module. Nine inches were added to the width of the Stevensville module and there is now a classification yard with the original yard now functioning as an arrival/departure yard.

Mainline Expansion (2006-2007)

Construction started in Jan 2006 to extend the mainline east from Mineville to Eastport and west from Joshua Junction to Bedford (represented by a three siding staging loop). Mainline track work was complete and operational in April 2007. The Cannery and B&O interchange were then added in Eastport followed by construction of sidings and switchback in No Name.

Operator Sessions

The SE&CV Model Railroad is one a few model railroads in the East Valley of the Phoenix Metropolitan Area that holds regular operating sessions. Attendance varies from bi-weekly to bi-weekly meetings, but has slowly grown, drawing a crowd of 5 to 10 people on average per event.