CHiPS Model Railroad

Columbia is the only prototypical (based on what actually existed) area of the layout. The time era of Columbia is 1920-1940. Columbia covers approximately 200 sq.ft. of the layout, and is home to a large roundhouse facility, a major yard, coaling and diesel facilities as well as two railroad stations (Pennsylvania RR and Reading RR). Most of the buildings here were scratchbuilt to scale. AutoCAD drawings were created based on old photographs. While some buildings are still standing, others were torn down over time.

This photo shows Belmont, a historic mansion that once stood in Columbia. The house was torn down in 1929 to make way for the Veterans Memorial Bridge to Wrightsville.

Here, we see a coaling tower. It wouldn't have been in this location, but because of space, we modeled the Columbia Yard east of the roundhouse, instead of the actual west-of-the-roundhouse location.

This is the Columbia Laundry Machinery Co. It still stands today along Bridge Street.

The 18-stall roundhouse is shown in the background at the end of Bridge Street. The prototype roundhouse was a 40-stall full 360-degree building.