Long time lurker and infrequent poster here. Before starting to document construction of the new layout, I thought I would post some pictures of the old layout (#5) which was recently demolished due to a recent (May 2021) retirement move (this will also serve as a trial attempt at posting pictures).
The old Lehigh Junction & Greenville was built in a 24 x 24 purpose-built room over the garage, over the course of about 18 years. Final status had all of the main line and the port and mountain branches operational, about half of the basic scenery completed. With DCC I was able to run 3 or even 4 trains simultaneously over the double track mainline. Construction stalled out in latter years as (1) late career travel and responsibilities took precedence and (2) I realized that the layout would have to be dismantled in the not-too-distant future, which was a disincentive for making substantial progress on the remaining trackwork and scenery - in the past few years I have pivoted to building craftsman (i.e. FSM) kits and dioramas for inclusion in the “future” (now under construction) layout.
PRR work train on port branch at Newark:
Hippo upgrade below Cabin Creek Coal:
Aerotrain at Metuchen
Grandma’s house:
Raritan Bay (please try to imagine the water being blue):
You’ve just torn down more great modelling than I’ll ever even be able to aspire to. Is that second mine the Suydam Buckhorn Mine kit, the one by the fishing hole?
Here’s hoping you’ll enjoy the luxury of time when you start your new layout.
I’ve taken up this hobby seriously in anticipation of retiring eventually. It’s very absorbing and very rewarding. If you like model making then this hobby is close to ideal for retirement.
Breaking up a layout at any stage is distressing. I was very surprised at the level of commitment required to build and the unavoidable sense of loss when you have to change it. We were able to take apart, move and sort of reassemble ours which was only at the track completed stage. One major realignment of the footprint in the new location was enough to pretty much destroy the utility of half our original layout. But all of our benchwork could be reused.
Perseverence, optimism and above all enthusiasm for creating will get your new layout built, better than before because of what you’ve learned previously.
Indeed - with a wood support structure, and Tichy windows and coal chutes. Unfortunately it doesn’t look like there will be any room for it on the new layout.
I’m particularly glad you posted that picture, because it shows me how the landscape could/must be formed around the mine. I have the same model, as yet unbuilt. Someone gave it to me when I was a kid, and I opened it and was dismayed to find it was a metal kit that required soldering, which was above my skill level at the time. I found it recently. I’m almost 60. I guess if I’m not ready now I’ll never be. My layout is not spacious, and I’ve crammed a lot of track into it. I’m not sure I’ll be able to make this mine work with all three tracks but I do have a spot “in mine” for it. [;)]
Matt, if you build it I do suggest that you use scale timbers for the support structure - I drew the line at trying to solder together all those little angles and cross braces! Stained wood with a few NBW castings looks a lot better IMHO.
That’s a Roco HOe (N gauge track) “critter” parked on the spur that brought coal from the mine to the tipple.
Thanks for the tip, Lou. I’ll probably take your advice.
But I’m really curious about this photo. I thought when I looked at the diagram in the kit box a while back I saw that the mine accommodated three HO tracks two under the structure that’s on supports and a third in the main large building at the lowest elevation. It looks from your photo (hard to tell because the hoppers are in the way) that your narrow gauge track goes into the small door to the left of the two HO tracks. And how could any HO equipment get through that small of a doorway anyhow? Unless there is some perspective I’m not accounting for and that small door is another HO-sized opening but further away and down a slope? But it doesn’t look like that’s the case. So is this model originally desiged for just two HO tracks? That would actually be better for the space I have. I need to go dig it out and look at it again. But if you could tell me how, if at all, you departed from the ground and track plans for this I would appreciate it.
Your old layout was very well done. Like tstage, I love the Aerotrain too! I have about 10 original Varney pieces and I bought the Bowser power chassis for it as well. I like the critter too!
I look forward to seeing your progress on your new layout.
Cheers!!
Dave
P.S. Did you use explosives to take the layout apart? It sure looks like it![swg][(-D][(-D]
I think I had the same issues when I opened the box on that old Suydam mine kit - how the heck is this thing supposed to fit on the layout? Yes I can confirm that it seems to be designed for 2 HO tracks under the tipple - I seem to recall that when I was doing a trial fit on the layout, the tipple was quite low (I wanted some room to install the Tichy coal chutes) which prompted making the wood support a bit (maybe an inch) taller than the metal one provided with the kit. The door to the lower building is in fact too small for HO equipment (it is at ground level and adjacent to the tipple tracks - so no perspective issues), but is perfect for the HOe critter and some narrow gauge coal buggies so I went in that direction.
