From the GC&SF at Goldthwaite, Texas to the Gold Weight and Central RR on the Cen-Tex NMRA Layout

Join us as we build this shelf layout and hone our skills collectively!

Goldthwaite Texas is the inspiration for the Cen-Tex NMRA Club Skill Building Layout Project.  Goldthwaite was established in 1885 when the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe ran tracks through the community. The town was named for Joe G. Goldthwaite, the railroad official who auctioned the town lots.

From a commercial perspective along the railroad, in the early 1900’s, Goldthwaite had 2 cotton gins and 2 gristmills in addition to stock pens, a Texas Highway Dept materials yard, fuel depots, warehouses, a freight depot and a passenger depot.

The town lends itself nicely to a small shelf style switching layout.  With tongue in cheek, we’re calling our railroad the Gold Weight & Central.

The Railroad History of Goldthwaite through Santa Fe Survey Maps

An interesting aspect of our look into Goldthwaite’s railroad history and our track planning is the existence of Santa Fe’s survey maps through the town.  These are similar to Sanborn Insurance maps, but give more railroad-specific detail.

Below are some sections from the survey.  The actual digital survey maps are quite large, so if you would like to see greater detail send a message to info@centexnmra.org or check with Bob at the next meeting.

Gold Weight & Central Track Plan

The GW&C is an L-shaped shelf layout incorporating switching operations with scenery and detail elements to challenge members skills and offer a way to see how other members do things.

Below are photos from the latest track plan presentation on 8 July 2023.