I was fortunate to be one of the regular operating crew (also one of the primary road engineers in the making of this video) and considered it a great privilege to have run on this road several times. Unfortunately, we lost Otis on February 14, 2022, so the future of this railroad is very much in question. Otis was an amazing modeler and a great and very special friend, who will be greatly missed. As you watch this video, please keep in mind that this railroad only came to be through the vision of one special and uncompromising person.

I really miss my friend. OTIS passed away early this spring....so these videos mean a LOT more to me now. OTIS loved the Southern Pacific. GOOD JOB OTIS....I will hold onto these wonderful memories of building and operating this layout with you and all your great friends! Old railroaders never die.... they just lose track!!!!

Thank you Otis for sharing your beautiful layout with us. It is a great example of top quality craftsmanship.

Incredible layout friends! I grew up along the Shasta route from 1975-1984 and lived in Dunsmuir, Mt. Shasta city then Klamath Falls which is where I call it my home. Dad worked for SP so I used to hang out around the rail yard which was fun to watch. The line that runs from Dunsmuir to Klamath Falls is incredibly steep which is why so many helpers were used every few miles. The section from Dunsmuir to Weed was the worst of that line so I’d often see 8 unit helper consist cut into the train or, they’d take the train up in halves along with helpers for that. I had fun hopping on boxcars to get a free ride into downtown Dunsmuir. Dunsmuir yard north side was a hump yard and they’d separate rolling stock into small 4-6 car batches and the brakeman would be on the head end and once he passed, I’d jump on a boxcar but only if it had the see through platform where I could safely stand. Going back home wasn’t so simple, it was way too dangerous to try to hop on. I can still remember the smell of the railroad ties in the summer heat. I ha un piking blackberries next to the track which was next to the California river and those berries were so good! Tom Dill and Jack Bowden wrote some great books about this line and my dad worked for one of them back in the day while he was working on the Modoc line when they re-opened it for a short time. I do love those beautiful Cab Forwards! I remember Redding, CA was constantly hot and miserable, I couldn’t wait to get back home where it was cooler. The Freedom Train was the first time I saw a running locomotive which was being used for the bicentennial celebration. The next time I saw SP 4449 was when she highballed past me in Dorris, CA where she was headed south for some event. I was stopped at the crossing gates and I could see some white smoke in the distance and didn’t think much about it until the ground under my feet starting vibrating then shaking! I was standing outside my car and I rendered a hand salute as they flew by me! At the time I was an Army Recruiter posted in Klamath Falls and I was in Dorris conducting recruiting tasks so it was dumb luck but, what a surprise! It’s beyond saddening that we lost this gentleman who put so much into the work, just hope it’s still being maintained as he would. I appreciate whomever made this video for us. Kevin DeVos now in San Antonio, TX. I welcome any visitors at our train club, it’s called SAMRA and we have a website if you need directions.

I was saddened to learn of Otis' passing early this year. A true gentleman and a gracious and knowledgeable host. I was looking forward to returning to the Shasta Route at next year's BayRails, having been fortunate to have operated on the railroad a number of years ago. . Thanks for making the video.

Miss you otis

beautiful layout.. American models are always have a great charm. Greetings from Ancona (Italy)

What is super layout that represents one of Southern Pacific‘s most scenic divisions. I also enjoyed the cameo by Tony Thompson, one of my favorite authors.

WOW! This is so AWESOME! The thought put into the layout, the time period, locomotives and stock, the scenery, and your operational control places all of you as Master Crafters. Thank you for sharing.

This is an awesome video. I retired from the Santa Fe working as an engineer on the Valley Division from Richmond to Fresno. I used train orders, TCS and late CTC on the railroad and then later Track Warrants that replaced train orders. This is an awesome representation of how it all worked.

Beautiful layout, but I have to admit the dispatcher board and the relay cabinet stole the show for me! Awesome railroad

Thanks for explaining prototype operations. More interesting than just watching trains run around.

These guys are serious about their model railroading!

Lived in Weed as a kid. I could walk the 100 yards to the plateau East of town to see the orange line that was the Shasta Daylight headed to Klamath Falls. 1960's.

Now we need a cab ride !!!

Amazing scenery and craftsmanship.

I’ve only recently discovered this incredible world. It’s like a living museum! Your layout tours have got me planning my own. Otis and his friends are true inspirations.

John, Otis, thanks for letting us visit an amazing layout.

Came across your film whilst browsing, ASTOUNDING, from the UK, a small island that might fit inside your railway. Just love the detail what a fantastic railway thank you.

What a great layout, and video that highlights it's prototypical operations. I don't have words to explain how amazing Mr. McGee's layout is just from seeing this video. He and the others featured in the video explain everything in a way you can understand it. John, every video you put out are top notch, and this is right up there that shows your skills in multimedia. Keep up the great work.

Omgoodness, what a beautiful layout! Super interesting operations. Thanks for the tour! These guys are amazing!

What a great layout. It brought back memories of my childhood in the 1950’s. My aunt lived in Yreka and our family would travel to see her and my cousins at least once a year. I always enjoyed the road trip and avidly watched for trains on the section of US 99 between Redding and Weed. A couple of times we took the Shasta Daylight from the Oakland Mole to Dunsmuir. Nowadays, I have two grown children in Portland and visit them frequently. One requirement of my road trips is to exit I-5 and pass through Dunsmuir traveling on back roads all the way to Mt. Shasta.

Beautiful layout. I enjoyed the explanation of the various duties needed to control the railroad in a prototypical fashion. It must be great fun and a challenge to operate the way the SP did back then. It gives a real sense of the history of this famous area.

Thanks John, Thanks Otis for sharing this gem of a layout!! Big steam and long trains look awesome together! 👍👍😃😃

Every layout tour and model railroad video you post makes me want to job hunt in California, because y'all seem to be one of the areas hoarding great model railroaders, along with Kansas City and Cincinnati. Great work as always.

This layout has it all, realistic modeling, environment and operations. Kudo's and a real pleasure to see!

these old dudes are friggin awesome!!!!!

Wow! That is one impressive layout! ...Roy

Cool I love the Southern Pacific Shasta division

Thank you Otis, really enjoyed the tour of your Shasta Division layout !

Beautiful layout Otis. Love the weathering on the locomotives. The dispatching system is fantastic.

Very nice!

This is more like it John!

Loved it! Cab forwards are interesting locomotives

Condolences regarding the passing of Otis McGee.

As always you show us some amazing railroads. Im hoping that there are some large modern era 2000's layouts coming soon. My favorite so far is the huge BNSF mushroom style layout that has been featured on several videos but I cant recall the name now haha. I also really like the colorado railroad museum layout as its huge and they can and do run trains of realistic length (over 100 cars). If I ever win the Powerball there will be a substantial outbuilding constructed at my place for a big layout that offers the ability to run prototypical length modern trains. So far Ive only done a 6' x 15' N scale layout but want something much bigger and HO scale haha.

Thanks for the tour. Great railroad

GREAT LAYOUT,,,,great presentation,,,SIR,,,,😎

great video, its nice to see so many people working together to make that railroad work.

Redding native here and espee fan...Great video! 😎

This is absolutely incredible

Unbelievable! What an undertaking. How long did all this take to build? How do the trains run so smoothly? This looks like a lifetime's work. These guys mean business! Blown away.

Wow, John, what an incredible layout! You are very fortunate that you get to tour so many fine layouts like this one for TSG Multimedia. Otis has quite a prototypical setup there designed by the late, model-railroading great John Armstrong. Thanks for bringing this layout tour to KZfaq! -from Tom Pilling

I enjoyed watching, thanks a bunch.

The layout Tour was awesome to watch

Awesome layout!

Great job John!!

Nice!

Fabulous, and very inspirational. Thank you.

Wow! An electro-mechanical system for dispatching!

Very nice looking operation

Awesome! I love this layout.

Hoooly smokes!!! This is amazing

Great video as always!

Very well done, I’ve spent a lot of time on the Shasta Div. and love to see the senic accuracy you’ve incorporated into the layout. I would like to see how you operate the Dunsmuir lower yard as far as track utilization as to what tracks were used where trains were broke and made up.

Great layout. I’m in the process of doing my own N scale layout which I call the Pacific West Coast. My planned layout is to cover from San Diego to Vancouver,BC,Canada which is my most favorite Amtrak route which the Pacific Surfliners/Coast Starlight/Capital Corridor Trains/Cascade Trains. You layout is giving me tips & pointers.

Would like to have seen a full train go by with a helper in the muddle on the line North of Dunsmuir. I use to see the real thing when we were on vacation as a child while traveling to Etna.

Wow! Great video. This looks like an outstanding layout. Can we see more?

Great layout tour Could do without the music sound track though,it covers up the locomotive sounds which I’d rather listen too!

FANTASTIC WORK GUYS!!

There Was One GS-4 Assigned To The Shasta Route.

I'm pretty sure Larry is just John from 2059 who has gone back in time to run trains before the end of the world.

I prefer the sound of locomotives!

Why kind of track do you use?

Where is the sound?

Mind boggling set up. But please lose the music. Not needed and annoying

Great video, stupid background music makes it hard to listen to.

A whole video of watching a man talk with no running of trains. Disappointing.