This overview shows the scenery on the two three foot corner modules at the end of the layout. The NTRAK mainlines run under Bog Bend (hence the name) and the branchline runs up to the Mountain Division from the yard (on the right) to the town of D'Ree (on the left). The scenery features the mining village of Big Bend, Big Bend Junction, and DD&D Mine #1.

This view shows the row of company houses that line the main road and the village church, Grace Chapel, named in honor of our youngest grandchild.

This is another row of company houses in the village of Big Bend.

Here is another view of the village looking down the main road through town.

What mining settlement would be complete without the "Company Store". The retired workers are enjoying a game of checkers on the front porch of the store this fine summer morning.

Down the road from the Company Store is the access road to the mine. It is mostly used by the trucks to haul the slag away from the mine, since the rail access is for cleaned and sorted coal only.

This is the operation that started it all. Many years ago the first owners struck a major coal seam here and the rest is history.

As the coal is cleaned and sorted, the slag residue is sent off into the storage bins awaiting transport off-site by the company-owned trucks. The close quarters on the mine site prevented using rail for this operation. There is but one car at the mine (the foreman's) because all the miners are brought in by bus for each shift because there isn't any parking available.

Every once in a while, the mine workers 'come up for air' and enjoy the cool summer breeze from the catwalk above the coal loading operation.

This is where the branchline from the yard joins the Mountain Division. It is also the site of track maintenance operations on the Mountain Division of the DD&DM Railroad.

Here is the tail end of a way freight making its way down the branch from the Mountain Division to the yard. The DD&DM Railroad hauls more than just coal.

This is where the branchline to the Mountain Division takes off from the NTRAK mainlines. There is a major siding along with the three storage tracks in the yard. There is also a small industry just to the right of the yard which is switched from the branch line.

This overview shows the town of D'Ree perched on a hill overlooking both the NTRAK main lines and DD&D Mine #3 outloading facility, which is located in the valley on the other side of town. The minehead is in D'Ree, but the outloading is on the small branch which runs below the NTRAK mains. This scene is on the first two NTRAK modules that the CEO built and has traveled from Orlando, FL to Edison, NJ and points in between to various NTRAK layouts shows on the East Coast. It is now permanently retired to it's honored centerpiece status in the Home Layout.

This closer view shows the busy town of D'Ree.