The Historic Capitol Layout in S gauge

This is a presentation of a large historic S-scale layout, designed and built by Don Curtis (with the help of some others) back in 1984. The original project was commissioned by Victor Atiyeh, the Governor of Oregon (1979-1987), and was displayed in Salem (the state’s capital) under the Christmas tree every year from 1984 through 2019.

The track plan consists of a single main line in an oval L-shaped loop. The layout features many replicas of the original buildings in Salem in 1:64 scale. Originally flocked in white, Don stripped it down and redid the colors of the layout in a fall decor. Currently, the layout is owned by Kirk Ainslie, who purchased it directly from the builder, Don Curtis, in January 2025.

Dimensions: approx. 3660mm x 3660mm (144″ x 144″)
Epoch/Era: III, IV, V / Transitional, Modern
Trackwork: American Flyer
SCARM project file: yes

“Many buildings are 1:64 scale replicas of existing Salem homes and train station along with a historic bank building in Independence Oregon. Featured homes are the childhood home A.C. Gilbert grew up in, and his uncle A.T. Gilbert’s home which is now part of the Gilbert House Childrens’ Museum in downtown Salem. A.C.’s father and uncle were real estate developers in Salem“, says Kirk about this layout.

Below are shown some more pictures of this nice project, together with a simple SCARM track plan for reference at the bottom.