West Canyon Springs

In this video explore the West Canyon Springs area of Bill Briggs’ Musselshell and Yogo Peak model railroad. This is the last urban area on the layout and one of the last added. West Canyon Springs was built into the hillside working back to front to prevent scenery damage. The scenery was also made before placing buildings. This is because house foundations are not always level in real life, especially on a hillside like West Canyon Springs.

The foreground features a gravel road and rundown commercial craftsman buildings. Details like a mailman, a seafood truck, and a store window display bring this area to life. A branchline viaduct runs over the road in town to make room for all the scenic details Briggs desired.

On the west outskirts of Canyon Springs, the Musselshell and Yogo Peak yards and shops include structures like restaurants, rundown buildings, sheds, an engine house, a turntable, and railroad offices. Many mini scenes like construction on a sewer line, a casket and headstone shop, and an abundance of commercial and scratchbuilt trees bring this section of the layout to the next level.

The Milwaukee Road train runs behind the town by the rock wall at the back, making the train discrete as it travels through this portion of the layout. The Northern Pacific North Coast Limited train travels westbound and upgrade through West Canyon Springs towards a double track concrete tunnel.