Choosing the Prototype
After several years of building a Central Europe themed layout I decided to try something different. During that time I found the US model railroad magazines. These magazines featured regularly well-detailed huge layouts with massive trains and magnificent scenery. On one visit to the USA I found Linn Westcott's legendary book of John Allen's layout. I was absolutely fascinated and decided that my next layout will be US themed.
 
Then became, as it so often happens, a longer pause in the hobby. My children were young and it was busy time at work. But the idea of the US themed layout was not forgotten! My first thoughts were to model a free-lanced Appalachian coal hauler. I even bought some coal hoppers and started their conversion to my free-lanced railroad. After some years of armchair modelling I found the Great Northern Railway and the idea of a free-lanced railroad was forgotten.
 
The Great Northern Railway and the Pacific Northwest have many unique features. Great Northern was one of few US class 1 railroads, which had electric operations. The GN had around 70 miles electric traction through the Cascade Tunnel from Wenatchee, Washington to Skykomish high in the Cascades. The electric engines were monstrous and ugly looking. For some strange reason I have found them appealing and thanks for e-bay they can be easily acquired as brass models. During the Second World War the GN even utilized three different types of motive power on a same train: some of the 13 electric locomotives were on the head-end, an FT A-B-B-A unit was cut in as a mid-train helper and then there was a real monster as a rear-end pusher: one R1 or R2 articulated 2-8-8-2 steam engine.
 

Picture: GN bought two mammoth W-1 electrics in 1947. When built they were the largest and most powerful electrics in the World. In this picture the W-1 number 5018 is pulling the Empire Builder near Mukilteo lighthouse between Seattle and Everett. On the real GN this was a non-electrified line. My electric subdivision eastward of Skykomish is still just a dream: if everything goes well, it will be constructed in next 5-7 years!

The Pacific Northwest has such scenic grandeur, which can be found only in few places on the earth. Massive snow-topped mountains grow almost immediately from the Pacific Ocean! Forests are dense with trees specific to the area, e.g. giant redwood and Douglas-firs. Mountains are steep and the climate can be really harsh up in the mountains. It has been a hard place to build and operate a railroad!
 
My wife and I made a field survey trip to Seattle area and the Cascades in 1998. After long and demanding negotiations, I got permission from my wife to spend three days of the holiday on the railroad right-of-ways! This trip confirmed me that my selection of the prototype had been perfect! Old GN route through the Cascades was even more awesome than I had imagined.

[picture to be added]
 
Picture: Scenic grandeur in the Pacific Northwest photographed during my field survey trip in 1998. The picture is taken on the Olympian peninsula.

Navigation links to come:
Great Northern of the 1940's  
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Great Northern Railway in the Pacific Northwest
Modelled area
Premises
Standards
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 PNW of the 1940's  

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A view to Great Northern layout of Hannu Peltola. Picture by Hannu Peltola 2007.       

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