About


I started my N Scale Pacific Electric model railroad in March, 2013. I just didn’t know that it was going to be a Southern California layout.

I started out modeling the Southern Pacific of the 1980’s, but in Arizona. My wife and kids moved out here in 2008, and I wanted to build a layout based on my new home, but the era of my youth.

I grew up with a father that took me to ride the old streetcars preserved at the Orange Empire Railway Museum. While he was more interested in the Hollywood Cars and Blimps, I was more interested in the Juice Jack and the switchers. The dream of modeling the Pacific Electric in N was just a dream until Arnold released an N Scale SW1.

At that point, Toltec, AZ went back in time to the 1950’s, and moved west 400 miles. Playa Desnuda was born. I based the Playa Desnuda branch of the Pacific Electric on a mixture of the Santa Monica Air Line, and the El Segundo branch. As much as I wanted interurbans,  it was 8 years since Miniatures by Eric made Pacific Electric interurban shells…

Well, leave it to me to find a 1100 and a Blimp Express Motor shell in France. I then made friends with the owner of Miniatures by Eric and was able to get decals and more shells. I am now planning on adding a new section of the layout, downtown Playa Desnuda, with street running and a bridge crossing a concrete lined river.