The SP Burbank Branch in N scale is a small switching layout based on Southern Pacific’s branch in San Fernando Valley, California. It focuses on realistic operations with a slow-paced schedule, keeping up to two operators busy for over an hour.
Name: Southern Pacific Burbank Branch
Scale: N (1:160)
Size: 330×40 cm + 150×30 cm + 90x 40 cm U-shaped (roughly 10’9″ x 1’4″ + 4’11” x 3′ + 3′ x 1’4″)
Height: 150cm (about 55″)
Style: U-shaped switching layout, around the walls, with removable staging on one end
Period: 1970s
Locale: San Fernando Valley, California
Theme: Switching layout focused on realistic operations
Scenery: EVA foam
Control: DCC
Roadbed: EVA foam
Track: Micro Engineering code 55 and Atlas code 55 #5 turnouts
Max grade: none
Minimum Radius: ?
Backdrop: Masonite
Fascia: Masonite
Lighting: Dimmable COB LED strips
Operations follow prototypical procedures, requiring realistic car movements, waybills, and brakeman coordination. Train crews must think strategically to complete switching tasks efficiently.
Scenery mimics California’s terrain, using layered colors, natural vegetation, and subtle weathering techniques.
Lighting transitions between daytime and nighttime settings, simulating different times of day for added realism. The goal is not just to run trains but to recreate a working railroad in miniature, where every detail serves a purpose.
Resources
I found invaluable prototype information on Modeling the SP blog as well as in the article series on the Burbank Branch by B. Smith.