Just got my December issue and was anxious to see Rod Stewart’s layout. All I can say is WOW!!! Unbelievable urban scenery. The George Selios influence is obvious. It looks like the F&SM on steroids. The smaller foreground structures with the skyscrapers in the background give the scene tremendous depth. The use of MDF to frame the tall buildings was a brilliant idea given that it is going to be much straighter than traditional lumber products. I’ve used it as the base board for my yet to be built urban setting. Although my basement will not allow the height of the structures Rod built, it is an inspiration to do something similar on a smaller scale. Fortunately, I was able to buy several of the Bachmann skyscraper kits before they were retired. It’s a shame they were only produced for a few years. All I can say is Rod, you rock.
Just got my issue in the mail yesterday and went straight to page 74 and my eyes were glued from the first second. All I can say is he really captured the essense of the NYC city scenes and the detail is spectacular.
Most of the layout fits in 23’-0" x 52’-0" of the 124’-0" length, while the 8 staging tracks are an amazing 54’-0" in length with an additional two tracks in a loop extending another 18’-0" space.
I also like the fact that he thanks many of the people who helped him on the layout at the end of the article.
I tip my hat to the British lad, he really has done the hobby a great service!
Cheers,
Ryan
That was one fine layout. Rod Stewart can model! (Not to mention a great crooner.) I was impressed at the way he built his models, city after city, one hotel after another while on tour.
I loved to listen to his music too. (Well, his early stuff.) I can’t remember how many times in the evening doing my school homework in Jr. High I’d be listening to the radio to the beat of “Stay with me” or "Maggie May’ blaring from the speakers. (I used to play a mean air guitar in those days… LOL)
If you ever come here and read this, all I have to say is: "Great job Mr. Stewart! " That was some of the best modeling i’ve ever seen…chuck
It’s so great that we all have a few hundred linear feet for our railroads to run along. (insert minor envy icon here)
I haven’t read the article, but at quick glance the scenes are fantastic. Nice to see the hobby span all sorts of career types.
Like most of you, I guess, I turned to the cover article first.
IMPRESSIVE! IMPRESSIVE! IMPRESSIVE!
BUSY! BUSY! BUSY!
MONEY! MONEY! MONEY!
What I find amazing is that like George Selios’s F&SM, this was a first effort. George Selios was already a professional modeler before he attempted his first layout. I wonder how Rod Stewart was able to do such excellent work on a first effort. I’m on my third layout now and wish my work was as good as his first.
I thought MR had made a mistake when they said Rod Stewart was born in North London in 1945 while Nazi bombs were dropping on his neighborhood. The Battle of Britain was fought in 1940 and by 1945, the Allies had air supremacy. Then I remembered the V-1s and V-2s were still attacking England late in the war so this must be what they were referring to.
WOW is right!! I’m a new model railroader and was just blown away–and inspired–by this layout.
It would be FANTASTIC if Model Railroader could arrange for Rod to conduct a live chat with readers–just an hour of Q&A with a little hero-worship thrown in!![{(-_-)}]
It was good to see the $$$$$$$ I spent on his concerts,tapes,CD’s,& albums went to good use.[{(-_-)}] His buildings(from different cities) are magnificent.
Mr Stewart sure did a great job!
Not only is he musically talented and creative with music, but is very creative and talented when it comes to model railroading.
For all of us who often say we don’t have enough time to spend on a layout, just imagine Rod’s busy schedule, and look what he did with what spare time he did have!
Mr Stewart, if you come here and read these posts, you are to be saluted, and your work is an inspiration to the rest of us!
Ed in Indiana
aka TheK4Kid
First thing I did was tear into the article…That was outstanding work Mr. Stewart…My train cap off to you sir…
Wow!! Impressive layout!!!
I used to have a bunch of Rod Stewart cd’s before my record collection got stolen… I’ve bought back much of the stuff I used to have and some other records with the money from insurance. I had’nt gotten any Rod Stewart albums at the time but then, this week I had an itch to listen to Maggie May… So I went to the record store and veered off the the newsstand section before getting the CD… I Just happened to look at MR and saw Rod’s name on the cover!! Eerie coincidence!!