The layout is based on a plan in the magazine "Scale Model Trains" for May/June 1985. The article suggested that a small layout based upon a car-float terminal (small train ferry) would make an interesting switching (shunting) operation.

In Canada and the USA. car-floats were used by some railroads to ship freight cars (wagons) across rivers or waterways into otherwise inaccessible areas. New York and Los Angeles were typical of the places where this type of operation was utilised.

Typically a car-float would be a flat barge with a number of rail tracks laid upon it. The barge itself would be lashed to a tug boat to provide propulsion.

The freight cars would be loaded by a switcher (shunting loco) coupled to one or more flat "reach" cars. Their purpose being to keep the comparatively heavy switcher off the approach landing ramp and the car-float itself.

Normally only one freight car at a time would be loaded onto a track, the next car being loaded onto the adjacent track. This provided a more even weight distribution thus helping to prevent toppling or capsizing of the car-float.

The model is freelance and the period is flexible ( 1950's - 1970's). No particular railroad is modelled, the operators being free to operate any stock they possess or prefer providing it loosely fits the time period and is a model of a North American prototype.

Knotts Landing is normally controlled by the Digitrax DCC system but we have other systems available if required. The car-float is a working model and once loaded can move off scene once loaded and similarly return to the dock for unloading.