West Bay Model Railroad Association

WestBay Historical Information
Current Projects
Contact and Location Information
Hot List
Comments and Suggestions

Club Pictures

WestBay Historical Information

The West Bay MR Association was organized in 1947 by a number of model railroaders in the Bay Area. In 1950, space was found via the Southern Pacific railroad, in the same building it currently occupies today. The decision was made to create a "display" (or running) layout, with three different scales integrated in it. It is basically a ring layout shaped as a large U. The three scales HO, S and O intermigle with tunnels, bridges and cuts. Even though some modifications have been done to the layout since then, the main track still follows the original plan.

The building is actually the freight depot at the Menlo Park station stop, south by 100 feet from the station itself, right along the main line double track San Jose - San Francisco. The layout is built in a way that allows the public to view all the layout from different angles. Platforms are provided to view the layout from a higher angle, and for little kids.

Back to Top

Current Projects

O Scale

The current O scale project is the locomotive facilities, including making the turntable work again. A few other small problems are being addressed.

S Scale

After having changed the original track in the back portion of the layout, and re-layied of new track in the yard, station and engine facilities, including all new wiring and slow motion switches, and two new panels, one for the main line and the other for the yard, station and engine facilities, there is pause at the moment. More work will resume in the coming year, which will include scenery.

HO Scale

The HO scale is always in ongoing update, fixing and modifications. Even though the main line is double track, the two loops are not connected, and are controlled by two separated panels. The outside loop has small storage capabilities on the back edge of its main line. The inside loop has three major yards, including an upper yard, where trains depart and arrive, a lower yard, used mainly for storage of made up trains or string of cars, and the engine facility with a working (sometimes) turntable. Both yards continue to be upgraded electrically and currently only some portions of the two are working. Current projects are the upgrade of the electrical wiring in the upper yard, fixing some spot problems on the main line track, and planning for changing the track from brass to NickelSilver.