Layout plan

The blue track from Grants Pass is the connection to the NP. At Medford (staging) dashed lines, electrically isolated. Orange tracks are in the port, electrically isolated. Red tracks are the Waldo logging branch, electrically isolated. The towns of Grants Pass and O'Brien are also electrically isolated and use a BPBT switch to select power from the appropriate direction of travel. Because of the gaps at O'Brien, the mainline is divided into 2 sections. All of the gaps are for block control operation.

Hole in the wall, AKA O'BRIEN

Now that the upper mainline loops around and joins the lower loop, there is no need for a yard or turntable in O' Brien. The yard was made into a passing track and the Barrel Factory replaced the turntable. The village was also extended back into the corner.

Wait, now that I have a spare turntable, why not remove the wye in Pelican Bay and replace it with the turntable?  With the route from Pelican Bay now turning to the left off the Peninsula, the right leg of the wye can be removed, providing  the space for the turntable. 

On the lower level,  the right track comes off the Peninsula, and has a turnout running back to the turntable. It heads, off the bottom of the picture to O'BRIEN.  There is a cross over on the line from Grants Pass so engines can use the turntable as a run around while moving cars in and out of staging. You may also see that there are 2 tracks coming from Pelican Bay. With the removal of the wye there was room to lengthen the passing tracks.

Track plan changes.

The newest track plans biggest change is a tunnel (yet to be built) through the wall to connect the lower mainline to the upper mainline  at O BRIEN.  The towns had to be changed around putting Grants Pass  on the lower right of the plan. This makes Grants Pass the tail of a loop (the rest of the railroad). If you leave Grants Pass with your train on the track to the left you travel down past and ignore Pelican Bay and proceed to the connection with the Northern Pacific, which is staging under Cave Junction. If instead you leave Grants Pass on the track to the right (lower) you travel the high line to Cave Junction and then OBrien, proceeding through  the new tunnel, downward to Pelican Bay.  Turning on the wye you can return to Grants Pass via OBrien or to 2 staging tracks representing Smith River and Crescent City. This plan is my working electric plan, so ignore that stuff. This new plan will make the Grants Pass  Railroad  from Grants Pass to Pelican Bay a nice log run which it should be as it is the main focus of the layout.  The 4 staging  tracks, the Waldo logging branch and the narrow gauge coal line add interest. Usually in summer not much gets done on the layout but all this rain provides an opportunity to work on it, now if I  could just fined my rail nipper.