April MRR-MA&G Mississippi Alabama & Gulf

[Anonymous]

Hey yall, does anyone know if Cliff Powers has a website or a webhost where i can see some more pics of his great gulf layout? I know i keep posting these kinds of Q's but either im not looking hard enough, or im just dumb! Thanks again, Ben

[Anonymous]

Please, if anyone has any info, let me know. Missisippi, Alabama, and Gulf-Cliff Powers layout April Model Railroader Mag-Thanks Ben

[maandg]

Thanks for your interest in my layout. Unfortunately, I do not have a website. The layout featured in the April 2005 MR was dismantled four years ago. I entered my original MA&G in MR's Small Layout Contest in the fall of 2000. Although it did not win, it was a finalist and MR purchased the manuscript in January 2001. It took four years for the article to be published (!!!!)....quite frankly I had given up hope. Shortly after the manuscript was purchased, I had a 14 X32 foot building custom made for my dream layout. This month marks the four-year anniversary of the building's arrival. Although the layout name and theme remains the same, there have been a few changes. The MA&G now meets the L&N much closer to New Orleans in Fort Macomb, LA instead of the fictional Beaumont, MS which has been abandoned. My new MA&G is a triple deck layout with double-track helix. The lowest level, which is 30 inches from the floor, is strictly for staging and has 30 tracks with a wye. The second level, which is 40 inches high, represents the mainline run through rural Mississippi and features two fictional towns (Wharton and Edna which are southwest of Silver Run), a sawmill complex, three major bridges and a farm. This level is 98% complete. I am currrently constructing a BTS Hyde Pulp Mill, which is the last major structure to be built on the second level. An FSM pile driver will follow. I plan on having this level completed by July 4. The run between Edna and New Orleans, which includes the Fort Macomb connection to the L&N, is located "in the helix". I decided to take advantage of the dead time spent in the helix to represent these miles of unmodeled mainline. The upper level, which will be 58 inches from the floor, will entirely represent New Orleans. It will feature a 32 foot long yard with roundhouse, turntable and engine facilities, a long riverfront area with warehouses and huge ships (I have already purchased two Sylvan freighters), a coach yard with passenger facilities, and the New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal with all 12 tracks and a wye (I have 19 complete passenger trains - except for two MA&G consists, all bypass the second level and go directly from staging up to the New Orleans level). A few of the structures seen in the MR article will be re-worked for the New Orleans area. A friend of mine swapped items for the Beaumont Cotton Compress "island", the bascule bridge scene, the IMEX Grain Elevator, and a few other structures. I will be scratchbuilding a new grain elevator that will be similar to the one seen in the article, but based on a New Orleans prototype. Another huge improvement has been the change to DCC. I have a Digitrax Radio Super Chief with three extra boosters (two more will be added with the upper level). I spent about three months installing the new bus wires and putting decoders in over 60 locomotives (more than 20 of these are Soundtraxx). There are also close to 20 Broadway and P2K sound-equipped locomotives. There are also several ITT sound modules installed (for my pasture, sawmill and cattle pens) with more to come on the upper level. Last month I received a call from Allen Keller expressing an interest in filming my layout....possibly the second level filmed first with a volume two to showcase the upper level when I finish it. I was speechless that he was interested!!!! Actually, having my work in MR was a childhood dream come true, but a GMR DVD would be unbelievable!!! I plan on purchasing a digital SLR camera so I can post some worthy pictures in the future. Thanks again for your interest!!!

Cliff Powers

[Anonymous]

Thanks Cliff!!! You are a real inspiration! Wow, Allen Keller!! Good for you! Cant wait to see the video in the future. Sounds like you got your dream layout after all! Sounds great. Thanks alot! Godd luck, Ben

[Anonymous]

Cliff that sounds like one hell of a layout you have brewing there.