I took a trip down memory lane on my blog, posting photos and info about my first real layout. What was your first real layout like? (By real, I mean not your first layout as a kid–I had two of those.)
http://cprailmmsub.blogspot.ca/2014/11/first-real-layout-cp-rail-grimm-valley.html
John Longhurst, Winnipeg
John,
The pics show a pretty darn good first effort.
If the standard is incorporation of “operations, scenery and careful thought,” even though I was 15 and on a very limited budget my first layout met that standard. It was a copy of the Frary and Hayden Elk River RR that appeared in RMC back around 1970. Let’s just say that the performance of HOn30 back then left something to be desired.[:'(]
Fortunately, we moved and it was torn down. Then I went with standard gauge for about 15 years before getting back into narrowgauge.
Yeah, that looks good! My first attempt at a decent model RR was a 10x11 that never made it past white plaster shell, but it operated well enough. All code 100 and Atlas switches. It was based loosely on the dock scene of John Olson’s Jerome & Southwestern series in the early '80s, and another small layout featured in MR around then. It got torn down. I was good at scratchbuilding structures, and kept them all, lost 'em all later in a fire in '97, along with about 40 blue box type freight cars.
I still have fond memories of that layout. I’m still running three locomotives from it, one of which is an Athearn SW-7 switcher that survived the fire; you can still smell the smoke in it! Dan
Nice looking photo. Good scenery. Good paint on the girder bridge, decent water.