My name is Eric Carlson and I am constructing an HO Scale model railroad focused on the Burlington Northern‘s operations in South Dakota in the 1980s.  The layout is located in my residence in southeast South Dakota.  My intent is to provide regular construction updates to the Thousand Lakes Region Fusee.  I am also documenting layout progress and other fun on a YouTube channel “Black Hills and Eastern Railroad”.

The Black Hills & Eastern Railroad is a multi-level HO scale model railroad set mostly in the South Dakota Black Hills and eastern South Dakota.  The target era is 1985, plus or minus 10 years. 

Burlington Northern ended service to Deadwood in 1983 and fully abandoned the entire Deadwood branch in 1985.  This layout speculates what things might have looked like if the line had been allowed to survive.

The layout depicts Burlington Northern’s operations in southeast South Dakota, southwest Minnesota and in Sioux City Iowa during the same era.  These lines continue to be operated by BNSF in current times.

Regionals D&I and Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railroad have small roles to play on the layout.  My freelanced shortline Morefield Southern may also have a small part. Telling these shortline and regional stories will involve a bit of time and geography bending.

The layout is being built for model railroad operations, but will be capable of continuous loop running.   I have not decided on car forwarding for the layout.  I have considered JMRI switch lists, Micro-Mark style car cards and waybills, and the Rockford Standard car cards.

Vital Stats

Layout name: Black Hills & Eastern Railroad 

Layout scale and format Multi-level HO scale model railroad 

Locale: South Dakota Black Hills and southeastern South Dakota.  

Era: Target era is 1985, plus or minus 10 years. 

Begin Construction April 2020

Control Digitrax Super Chief DCC

Staging track: Atlas code 100 flex in staging, 100% reclaimed

Mainline track: Atlas code 83 flex on main and upper decks (new)

Swiches Mostly secondhand Atlas code 100 and code 83, #6 and above

Minimum radius 24”

Layout Size 25 x 20, appx.

Floor to Railhead at staging 39.5 inches at the bottom of the helix to Whitewood in staging.

Floor to Railhead at main level 44 inches

Floor to Railhead at top level ~60 inches 

Signals None.  Modeling 100% dark territory. So not even ABS singnals will be used.

Crew Size Don’t know yet, but probably between 6 and 10.