Layout at a glance
Name:Electrified East Coast Division of Queensland Rail
Scale:HOn3 1:87
Size: Section #1 6x6m, Section #2 6.5x1.5m, Section #3 2x2m, Section #4 2x1m, Section #5 6.5x6.5m
Height: 0m-80cm
Style: Garden Railroad
Period: Now
Locale: East Coast of QLD
Theme: Heavy freight and passenger trains with some switching
Scenery: Whatever is in the garden
Control: NCE Pro DCC with overhead power
Roadbed: Polystyrene strips
Track: Micro Engineering Code 70 Weathered flex and turnouts
Max grade: 1%
Backdrop: None
Fascia: None
Layout at a glance
Name: Clinch Valley
Scale: 1:87
Size: 60’ x 30’
Height: 24" up to 60"
Style: walk around multiple deck
Period: August 1980
Locale: Knoxville, TN to Huntington, WV
Theme: Coal and bridge traffic
Scenery: Various to fit the need
Control: NCE DCC
Roadbed: cork
Track: Atlas Code83 flex, Atlas #6 and Walthers #8 swtiches
Max grade: 2.0%
Minimum radius: 36" main, 30" elsewhere
Backdrop: coved wallboard
Fascia: Masonite
Layout at a glance
Name: Northern Pacific
Scale: 1:87
Size: 21’ X 8’
Type: Continuous three times around, with staging and one main yard.
Height: 41 inches lower level, 50 inches upper level.
Period: Early fall 1953
Locale: Butte Short line, western Montana.
Theme: General trans-continental fright and passenger service.
Scenery: Hard shell, WS plaster cloth, Plaster castings and hand carved sculpti-mold.
Control: DCC
Roadbed: cork
Track: Atlas Code 100 flex.
Max grade: 2.0%
Minimum radius: 22 inches main 18 inches some spurs.
Minimum turn-out on main #6.
Backdrop: Hand painted acrylics on Masonite (mountainous terrain)
Fascia: Painted masonite
Layout at a glance
Name: Borracho Springs RR
Scale: 1:20.3 large scale
Location: Garage
Size: overall, 8 1/2 ’ x 10’ w/ one access aisle
Height: 36"
Style: traditional benchtop wedged under a storage loft.
Period: 1950-60
Locale: Somewhere in the monument valley area of the southwest
Theme: Small time narrow guage serving a mine and small town.
Scenery: not yet started, to be carved foam with some hardshell castings
Control: Straight DC with Aristo Craft Basi Train Engineer
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: LGB, AristCraft
Max grade: 0
Minimum radius: 48" R1 diameter
Backdrop: sky blue paint, may try to paint backdrop
Fascia: to be paint over 1x6 framing
So far what little spare time I have has been spent getting buildings built so I can set scenery, which will be done next to last with ground cover and ballasting to be last. Also the longer I look at the dam thing the more improvements and tweeks I give it. Track has been completed. several structures done a few left to kitbash or scratch. Just been too hot to do much out in the garage lately.[8D]
HO Siskiyou Line
Name: SP Siskiyou Line
Scale: 1:87 (HO)
Size: overall, 20’ x 50’
Height: 54" - 65"
Style: Partial mushroom (i.e., opposing double deck)
Period: 1980s, currently 1984
Locale: Southwestern Oregon
Theme: Southern Pacific prototype with freelanced Coos Bay branch
Scenery: Plaster over cardboard strips
Control: EasyDCC wireless
Roadbed: hardboard spline
Track: Microengineering code 83, 70, and 55
Max grade: 2.5%
Minimum radius: 36" main, 30" branch
Backdrop: hand painted 1/8" hardboard and vinyl flooring
Fascia: 1/2" particle board
My layout web site has almost 60,000 hits and was featured in a two-part article on mushroom layout design in the January and February 1997 Model Railroader. I also had an article on hardboard spline roadbed in the March 2000 Model Railroader. MyMemoirs Video is doing a 5-part in-depth series on the Siskiyou Line and we’re showing how it was designed and constructed with lots of how-do demos included.
I hold regular monthly prototype-based operating sessions, and you’re all invited to an op session. Just don’t all of you show up at once!
NAME: The HUron, Michigan & Bluewater Rwy
" the thumbs up route"
SCALE: 1:87
SIZE: 15’ x 3.5’
HEIGHT: 52"
STYLE: Island figure 8
PERIOD: Late 1990s
LOCALE: Tip of thumb of Michigan
THEME: Freelanced agriculture & marine switching shortline
SCENERY: carved & painted foam
CONTROL: DC, single cab
ROADBED: Woodland scenics foam roadbed
TRACK: Atlas code 83
LENGTH OF MAINLINE: 26 1/2 feet (effective length with dividers 106’)
MAX GRADE: 0%
MINIMUM RADIUS: 18"
TURNOUTS: #4
BACKDROP: Photos on painted foam
FASCIA: 1/8" Masonite
Name: not yet decided
Scale: HO
Size: overall, 5’x9’
Height: ?
Style: walk around
Period: present
Locale: north east usa
Theme: ?
Scenery: plaster castings
Control: DCC
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: Atlas code 83 and 100
Max grade: about 3%
Minimum radius:20"
Backdrop: none
Fascia: not yet installed
I have two, the first my current the second my dream.
NameThe Appleton Racine Kenosha (ARK) My name is Noah, Noah and the Ark (laughs came now)
scale HO
size Approximatelly 16x16 L-shaped
height about table height
style walk around
preriod present
locale Greenbay area of WI
theme small fictional branch of Wisconsin and Southern Railroad, switching industral part of two towns
scenery hard shell and foam carvings
control Block DC
roadbed Sticky tar like stuff (name escapes me)
track Life like switches, atlas sectional and flex track
max grade about 3-4%
minimum radius ??
backdrop and facia none, may instal backdrop in a few years though.
This is my dream layout
Name The WSOR Reedsburg sub
scale HO
height ??
style Around the wall
preriod 2000-2004/5/6
locale Central WI Cities of Reedsburg, Baraboo, Dane, Lodi, Waunakee, Madison
theme Based on WSOR’s MALPM on the Reedsburg sub. Switching layout at the different towns
scenery foam base with hard shell scenery on top
control DCC
roadbed Sticky tar like stuff (name escapes me)
track ??
max grade .5 - 1%
minimum radius ??
backdrop and facia Hard board maybe, I don’t know yet
Noah
Name: Dad’s Trains (A CB&Q / Wabash line)
Scale: 1:87 (HO)
Size: overall, 20’ x 15’
Height: 30" designed to be kid friendly.
Style: Round the walls with lift out section and a peninsula
Period: 9/15/61 (my birthday)
Locale: Central Illinois
Theme: Coal mining and agriculture
Scenery: Extruded foam and plaster cloth
Control: DCC- Digitrax Zephyr with extra booster
Roadbed: Cork
Track: Atlas 100 flextrack with PECO turnouts
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 28"
Backdrop: Masonite with “big picture program” homemade photo murals
Fascia: Masonite
Name: Undecided
Scale: 1:87 (HO)
Size: 24’ x 12’
Height: 43"
Style: around the walls w/duckunder
Period: Early 90’s to Present
Locale: Northeast, New England
Theme: CSX Freelance
Scenery: Plaster cloth
Control: DC with blocks
Roadbed: cork
Track: Atlas code 83, Walthers code 83
Turnouts: Atlas and Walthers #6
Max grade: none
Minimum radius: 24"
Backdrop: hand painted 1/8" masonite
Fascia: 1/8" masonite
Good post there Aggro
Layout at a glance
Name: Musquodoboit, Eastern Shore & Sydney (M.E.S.S.)
Scale: 1:87
Size: 5x10 / 3x6 / 5x7 “L” shape
Height: 40" to 46"
Style: “L” shape withfuture around the room extensions
Period: @1962
Locale: Eastern Shore and Musquodoboit Valley
Theme: End of the Steam era Beg and Borrow
Scenery: glueshell with plaster castings, Styro foam, Bark chips
Control: DC Cab Control/ Future DCC
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: Atlas code 83 and 100 Peco and Shinohara turnouts
Max grade: 8%
Minimum radius: 22" main, 18" branch
Backdrop: Painted wall
Fascia: 1/8" masonite
[b] Remarks:[b/] Ficticious line based on the Sydney & Louisburg Railway of Cape Breton. Comodities will include Coal, Gypsum, Timber, Fresh Produce and Iron Ore.
Layout at a glance
Name: San Antonio / Houston Division Southern Pacific Railroad
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 23’ x 25’
Height: 46- 52"
Style: dogbone in a “G” shape
Period: 1967-1996 (including Rio Grande & Western and UP merger)
Locale: East and West Texas
Theme: Southern Pacific (Houston, Flatonia, San Antonio, Del Rio, & Sanderson)
Scenery: shell, etched styrafoam and plaster castings
Control: Straight DC w/ walk around throttles
Roadbed: traditional cork
Track: Atlas and MP code100
Max grade: 1.5%
Minimum radius: 24" to 36" lower
Backdrop: city scape, and Texas hill country, plains, and piney woods
Fascia: 1/8" hardboard
Chuck
[:D]
Name: Rowan’s Model Rail Road (RMRR)
Scale: 1:87
Size: overall, 6m x 8.7m (Outer round the wall tracks (2) Inner penisulas: approx 4m x 6 m
Height: outer tracks 85cm; Peninsulas: average 1m
Style: 2 tracks around the room (and through the cupboards and ‘wash room’) connected to 2 peninsulas. Access to room via stairway - so no duck unders!
Period: whatever suits whatever is running at the time
Locale: ditto - but generally Australian themed (but that doesnt stop some Amtrak or Thomas running)
Theme: Small town to deep gorges to small mining, and ‘Snotling Village’ (not to forget Fatty Owls and Basil)
Scenery: Base is made from chipboard (particle board) offcuts from the local hardware store (thanks Mitre 10); rocks are foam rubber or polystryrene (avoid plaster at all costs - too messy),
Control: Basic transformers - 10 of them to run the 2 outer tracks, the 2 main inner tracks, the HOn30 track (N Gauge), the monorail, the small tramway, the small narrow gauge mine scene, the still incomplete Mt Tamapais scene, and finally, the flashest one came with the Marklin Z scale set - for the HO fairground.
Roadbed: Canite board supports the track - to reduce noise.
Track: Peco flexi track 100 throughout
Max grade: approx max 5%
Minimum radius: probably about 30", alkthough really having measured the narrow gauge sections. Is likely about 9" in the mine scene.
Backdrop: none
Fascia: Various
See Picture of the still under construction below;
Emerging Theme: Whimsical including the ‘Snotling Village’ the witches house, the Whimsey Walking Track which meanders throught the layout… but it’s all having fun isn’t it… - oh and I do run some On30 rolling stock - mostly around the walls where clearances are ok…
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Layout at a glance
Name: Blue Creek RR
Scale: 1:160
Size: 30" x 60"
Height: Depends on what it’s sittin’ on. From 12" to 36".
Style: Table-top (might be coffee table in the future)
Period: mid-'60s or mid-'80s (changes between sessions)
Locale: Appalachian coal country
Theme: Shortline/branchline coal and misc.
Scenery: Snapped, shaped, and carved ceiling tiles
Control: Straight DC, but only single block.
Roadbed: Woodland Scenics black foam
Track: Peco 55, ME 55, ME 40, and one piece each Atlas and Peco 80
Max grade: Appox. 2 1/2%
Minimum radius: 9 3/4"
Backdrop: None
Fascia: 1/8" masonite
—jps
Name: Not sure yet…
Scale: 1:87
Size: 10x10ft
Height: 40"
Style: U-shaped.
Period: 1990-1996
Locale: Mid- to Northwest
Theme: Burlington Northern pre-merger
Scenery: Foam insulation
Control: Digitrax Zephyr DCC
Roadbed: Cork
Track: Atlas code 100 flextrack
Max grade: 2%
Minimum radius: 20"
Turnout minimum: #4 on sidings, #6 on main
Backdrop: Undecided. I think I will go with about 1/8" to 1/4" masonite.
Reed
Name: Kansas Central RR
Scale: 1:87
Name: Kansas Central RR
Scale: 1:87
Size: 13 x 13’
Height: 46"
Style: along the walls with duckunder
Period: changes depemding on my mood from transitionperiod to 1990’s
Locale: west of Chicago
Theme: serving local industries and a grain elevator.
Scenery: flat with anything from real dirt to catlitter and Woodland Scenic products.
Control: direct DC with cab control and blocks
Roadbed: cork
Track: Shinohara and Peco 100 track and switches
Max grade: 0%
Min. radius: 24"
Backdrop: Walthers Instant Horizons
Fascia: Masonite
Kansas Central RR has only two old hand-me-down locomotives but leases irf needed
from one of the big RR’s and that’s why ATSF, UP, BN, SP are a regular sight
and even an occassional CB&Q , CNW or D&RGW unit.
The layout in my head far exceeds the one in progress in my basement!
My in progress layout:
Tehachapi Pass
Scale Z 1:220
Size 21’ x 13’
Walkaround
Track: Micro-Trains code 55 flex (and Peco code 60 flex in hidden areas)
Locale: from Bakersfield to The Loop with selective compression of course!
Maximum slope: 2%
Turnouts: #6 minimum (actually slightly modified Nn3 British built turnouts)
Minimum radius: 24" / 50 cm
Benchwork: L-girdered modules
Era: summer 1997
Completion: very beginning progress (track plan + room ready, first module in progress)
Tom, no my layout isn’t in a garage, it’ll be in my basement. And Thank you, I do hope someday to have a 40" curves with a fleet of Big Boys.[:)]