While looking through some old back issues, I came across an unusual layout that really caught my eye. In the May 1994 issue of CTT, there is an article titled “Out of Africa” that features a layout set the African bush country. The layout is very well done and quite different from the norm. Seeing a layout populated with elephants, lions, giraffes and zebras is a refreshing change from what most of us model. It made me wonder how many other layouts feature trains running in foreign lands.
Does any one else have a layout based on railroads on other continents?
I have/love that article. I’d consider modeling the WP&Y as it goes into the Yukon. CP would also be a nice RR to model; or perhaps the trolley to Tiquana.
I have an interest in On30 modeling in addition to toy trains. I have seen some websites of Australian narrow gauge that looks rather appealing. I love the colorful steam engines and equipment that was common there. Yet there are a lot of similarities to American narrow gauge as far as size of equipment goes. Might make for interesting modeling possibilities.
I remember that article. It was a good one a nice smaller layout with some unusual modeling decisions. The unusual ones are the ones that really stand out my eyes get kind of blurry after seeing the same stuff all the time. Another one in the same vein I remember from around the same time was a layout with a modern Isreal theme. I wish more people did this type of unusual modeling.
I am thinking about making a small layout based on the early 80’s Lionel set the Black Cave Flyer. I really wanted one when I was a kid. It was a cheaper set and had a really cool set box and cardboard backdrop of a cave with Dungeons and Dragons type monsters. I think it would be fun to make a more sturdy one with the New Lionel Halloween themed engine and make the cave out of that “Great Stuff” spray insulation foam It really looks like lava or creepy cave stuff. I figure you can’t get more unusual than this.
Well, my layout is a classic tinplate “green-carpet” style and so isn’t really based on any prototype, but I have many trains from other countries on it. In addition to my American-made trains (technically from another country for me since I live in Canada), I have plenty of trains and accessories made by German, British and Japanese manufacturers. I also have some items made in Denmark, France, Italy, Russia, Czechoslovakia, Meixco and Brazil. It all mixes together quite nicely!