C&O Hinton Division - White Sulfur Springs & Alleghany Summit

On the real C&O this is the steepest part of the grade and Jim originally wanted to run a 2% grade all the way from Avis to Alleghany. When he calculated it out, however, the track would rise out through the ceiling of the building, so he modified it to have the grade flat along White Sulphur Springs Station. The white painted station here is the only one on the layout that has an umbrella shed.

Next is the station stop for the world famous Greenbrier Resort. Track behind the station is used to store the private cars that arrive for the five star resort hotel. The Greenbrier gates background is a photograph of the real thing. Located above the West Yard at Hinton, White Sulphur Springs is separated by nine inches of elevation.

The scene between the station and White Sulphur Tunnel is something he enjoyed making. Here the church and houses are N scale, the little cabin up in the mountain top is Z scale, and the church and cabin are twelve inches from the track.

The line continues above and behind the Hinton scene as it works upgrade. Mountain ridges on the walls have a rock coloring and strata that are accurate for the locations. Jim originally tried using real rocks in the area but the colors were too dark in his artificial light, so he settled for using plaster castings. After exiting White Sulfur Springs, the line heads into Alleghany Tunnel. View the video to see the next location on the railroad.