Frederic Testard resides in France.  There was something about the overall composition of this layout,  I liked, when I first viewed photos on the RRL forum.   Here are some of those photos and comments, provided by Frederic.

   regards to all.

       Mario

The Sn3 Lake Itasca Railway and Navigation Company

The Sn3 layout is spread in two adjacent rooms with a small hole connecting them. One of the room’s will feature "civilization" with the town of Saint-Maries. The other one features the mountain, with lots of mining activity.

The mountain part has already been started, and the current state of the layout features a high line with two important mining complexes. The rebuilding process will also provide me with an opportunity to pass from DC to DCC.

Shots of the current highline. On the left, at the present "beginning" of the line, is the Alexandria Gold Mining Complex, a big operation as shown in the pictures. It is served by a short spur.

Bush & Bernie Gold Mining Company

At the end of the line, a gallows turntable allows the turning of the engines

RGS Work Goose waiting for its next trip down the line, and the second one shows another little facility inspired by the high terminal of the Dolly Varden line, that featured such a chute between the tipple and the boiler house.

The table itself was built using the plans of the Laws table on the SP, that were published with many building hints in a two part article by Al Armitage (nov/dec 1989 and jan/feb 1990 gazettes). The "open" structure on which it is built is based upon the Signal Butte turntable, on the McCloud River Railroad. I was motivated to build it when I saw such a model on my friend Alex Zelkin's layout.

I had the pleasure to receive my friend Alexander Zelkin and his wife at my home this weekend. Alex is a great Sn3 modeler whose work has been featured in many magazines, in particular with a long article in the 2008 Mining, Logging & Industrial Book of Finescale RR. Those who are interested can see some pictures of his layout on this page of my website :
http://pagesperso-orange.fr/testard.frederic/modelismeFerroviaire/zelkin/index.htm
Here is a pic of Alex (right) and myself (left) just in front of the Alexandria Mining Complex on my Sn3 layout.

to be continued