Shreveport & Central Mississippi A Model Railroad My railroad is a double deck layout that runs point to point. There is an additional lower-level staging yard representing Shreveport, La. and a vertical staging yard representing Meridian, Ms. There is an approximately 200-foot mainline run utilizing 36-inch curves and grades of no greater than 2%. The railroad was designed and built for operations, with a range of operating skills being accommodated. Power and control is supplied by NCE with radio and tethered throttles available. Operations are controlled by a dispatcher using a modified version of track warrant control utilizing check blocks (much like how Amtrak dispatches CSX on the North East Corridor) When completed, this railroad will represent an amalgamation of my rail fanning experiences while stationed in the southeast US. 1985 was chosen as the year of operation because cabooses were still in use. I wanted to use them to make operating the railroad more thoughtful. Another contributing factor for 1985 is that is the year prior to the formation of Mid-South railroad, supporting the plausibility of existence. The now Meridian Speedway was chosen because it fit into a couple of my design goals, one being that not too many people in New England are modeling the southeast. I want to emulate an ICG spin off, that way I can justify having an Amherst Belt Lines railroad. The railroad is designed so that my Amherst Belt Lines modules can be added to the layout without being necessary to the operations of the railroad. The railroad is handicap accessible but not handicap friendly (entrance is through a garage door. isle space can be restricted at times (30”).