Did you give your layout a name? If so what, & why.

[grayson]

Interesting Mackb4 for I drive the EK roadbed everyday here in Grayson.  We probably have met at Greenbo train show in the many trips there.

July third 1977 my father, Dudley, assisted Carol and i move into our new house.  Since we moved from a trailer in Morehead we had no furniture in our six room house.  The next weekend he unloads five cardboard boxes, sawhorses, a plywood sheet into Carol's empty den. He began his model train collection the winter 1947. The layout lasted several years there.

Dad added to the top of his TrainMaster "DJNC" for the railroad layout named, the Dudley, John & Carol. 

Dad is gone but my layout is the DJNC railroad now...

[dbaker48]

Wow!  Was I ever shocked when I saw this thread come back.  Thanks Northwoods Flyer!

I still have the KC&D Railway, it did undergo a major redesign.  My train room is a "screened in patio" room.  It has windows through out not just screens, and a glass sliding door.  The room is actually constructed with 4" thick high density foam, with vinyl type surfaces.  It is attached to the back of our house.  The room has been in place for over 12 years, it is waterproof, and maintains a constant temperature and humidity level.  It has been perfect!  (Designed for So. Cal.)

Anyway I mounted shelving on two walls, 4 10" wide shelves, 10 ft long on each wall.  I beefed up the wall with gussets and some framework.  The shelves have been in place for over 10 years.  A year ago the shelves on one wall pulled away from the wall and dumped all the display trains on the layout.  (Fortunately very little damage.)  So that started a domino affect.  I built an exoskeleton behind and thru the layout on that wall, then replaced the shelving.  It is indeed very rigid and firm.

I then decided that would be the perfect time to revise the track plan.  So it has taken me about a year to rebuild everything, (primarily track layout and wiring).  Did get a solid 10 years out of the previous layout, and now its like a new one, lots of new features to learn.

Really enjoyed the rebuild activity, building to me is just as enjoyable as operating.

 

[fifedog]

On the new layout, I'm representing the early 1900's.  Most of my 4-4-0's are lettered for the W&ARR.  I'm not modelling the Western & Atlantic.  I am modelling the South Branch Valley (former B&O; nee Hampshire Southern), from Moorefield to Green Spring, WV, and on into Cumberland, MD.  The location of the current SBV station area is Wappacomo (a variation of the Indian name for the South Branch Potomac River).  Cumberland is in Allegany County.

Thus, the  Wappacomo & Allegany RR

[traindaddy1]

Well, it has been a number of years since I answered the question.

(See 10/4/2012 post)

A lot has happened.

"Little P" is no longer around. Traindaddy's eyes aren't what they used to be and his hands are not as nimble as they once were.

The "Big P" name has been changed. The layout is simply called "Grandpa's Trains"

Why?  .... I'll let you guess.

 

[grayson]

Wife and I moved into our first house July Third 1977. We moved from Morehead using the produce truck from Stamper Brothers Market.  We had plenty of help to move our bedroom furniture and the kitchen lots and pans and dinnerware.  We moved our belongings from our mobile home and filled out closets. And if course the Pioneer turntable and amplifier with 50 LP's.  That's it, for our new 5 room house. Not even a kitchen table at that time.  My dad thought he would take over the empty downstairs den.  The very next weekend the truck was back with a 4x8 plywood sheet, and two sawhorses, and five cardboard boxes filled with, his engines, cars, track, TrainMaster, and accessories all belonging to my father, Dudley.  His collection began in 1947. So, for several years the den was headquarters for dad's O gauge Lionel trains which he named the DJNC.  The Dudley, John, & Carol (my wonderful,beautiful wife) Railroad.

[LittleTommy]

I chose to name my railroad after the towns on the railroad which, in turn, were named after my kids.  Some of the locomotives and rolling stock are repainted with the name of the railroad, and industries are renamed for pets or grandchildren as they arrive.

Why?  Well to get the kids and grandkids engaged in my hobby.  Seems to work.  At least they always want to see it when they visit from out of town and they always know what to buy me for a present if the occasion calls for one.

LittleTommy

[Kent Model Locomotive Works]

I haven't built my own O gauge yet, I own one that was given to us that I need to restore. Only one of the layouts I own (remember I collect G,O,O27,HO,S,N, and Z) have a name. The ho is called the Murkey Creek Railroad Company. It has a fleet of 15 steam and 10 diesels, though it is still being worked on.

[Sturgeon-Phish]

Hummm, I think on this and name the layout I'm building now

Jim

[cnw1995]

I love when these threads come back from the dead... mine is now what I intended then - the Merioneth and Llantisilly Railway Traction Company Ltd - the name is from an old BBC show, Ivor the Engine...

[anjdevil2]

When I was in Florida, it was the Central Jersey and Southern Railway, once the new layout is up and running, it will be renmaed the Jersey Central Railroad, since I now live in Central Jersey....I'm redoing the Lady Liberty silhouette to reflect that change. 

[Northwoods Flyer]

I ran across this thread while I was looking for something else.  I thought it was worth a bump to the top. (The last post was only 6 years ago.) It brought back some very good memories and I found it very entertaining.  I am involved with my trains all year long, but I always consider the 1st of September as the begining of train season; and it seems that many other folks begin thinking about indoor hobbies once there is a chill in the air in the mornings. I thought it would be fun to hear updates and new contributions about the names of our railroads.

This is an update of photos for The Blueboard Central Division of American Flyer Lines.

2007

 

2018

Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby

Northwoods Flyer

[cnw1995]

It was originally Revell's model of LZ 129 Hindenburg. About 14 inches long and above the back of the layout so it looks farther away... 

[arkady]

Cnw1995, where did you get that neat Zeppelin hovering over your railroad?

[Dannyboy6]

Since the area around South Bend, Indiana [borders Michigan] is called "Michiana" by the locals, and I model the NS and it's heritage roads, my 15x19 all Lionel railroad has been dubbed the Michiana Southern.

[Captaincog]

My permanent layout is named the Jefferson Railroad after.....me. My first full name is Jefferson and since this name is no longer politically correct these days this was about the only thing I could use it on.

[lionelsoni]

My layout didn't have a name until now.  Inspired by this topic, I have decided to name it the "CDX", in recognition of its dominant scenic element.  http://www.ezwoodshop.com/plywood/cdx-plywood.html

[Gray Cat]

My railroad is a joint venture between two pre World War II Rail magnates Messrs Chester Longfellow Tayle and Thadeus Carver Chase, Seeing as how the railroad is made up of three loops. One is an inside loop with provisions for loading scrap, a freight station and a mail drop off/ pickup station. There is also a passing to travel through a mountain or around it. The outer loop consist of a Large UP freight and a long passing siding that 's usually holding a long passenger line from the Pennsy..traveling in the opposite direction. The higher elevation loop is a small local freight line that circles around town. The partners aptly named their railroad

The "Tayle-Chase" Railroad

[fifedog]

Connellsville Subvision.  Modeling the area from Meyersdale,PA to Cumberland, MD during the Chessie Era ('76-'77).

[dbaker48]

This has turned out to be a lot more interesting than I thought, (Bob, possible contest for CTT ?  Many categories possible, Funny, Creative, Moving, etc..)

I like the imagination of the various names and the reasons and stories are great.

Thanks for sharing!

The KC & D Railway

[8ntruck]

I grew up in central Michigan, which was served by the NYC and Grand Trunk.  In 1958, I received a Texas Special freight set.  I am currently living a bout 1/2 a block from the old KATY right of way, which has been turned into a hiking/biking trail.  My wife is currently working at the KATY depot, which used to be the district superintendant's office.

I am running a temporary layout on a talbe tennis table, and just by accident most of my locomotives and rolling stock have some connection to the NYC or the MKT.

Inspired by my history, location, and equipment, I call my layout the Ping Pong Plain Division of the KATY Central Lines.

[wmwalker]

Well my layout name came about because my Granddaughter loves my trains so she said we needed to name it J&W Railroad. It stands for Jessica and Wyatt. She did this in 2008 and the name has not changed but the layout has changed some.

http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc269/wmwalker_2007/Trains/Jessica001.jpg

[traindaddy1]

Well, that's a great question.   I have two layouts. 

One is O-27  called the "Big P" and the other is HO called the "Little P"

Why, you ask?   Because all of the structures and accessories are vintage Plasticville.

Thanks for asking.

[Firelock76]

Being from Bergen County New Jersey, and interested in Northeast and Jersey roads especially, I call mine the Tenakill Valley, after a stream that starts in Tenafly NJ, my father's hometown, and flows north to a juction with the Hackensack River.  It runs through a number of towns starting with Ackerman and ending in Zabriskie, however the town of Bassetopia is represented on the layout.  Yes, Lady Firestorm and I are owned by two Basset Hounds! 

A brief history, the Tenakill Valley was chartered in 1856, and completed just in time for the Panic of 1857.  "Confound it all, gentlemen!",  Colonel Demerest  Northvale NJSM, president of the line said, "What ought we to do now?"   Well, the 'road hung on by it's fingernails until the Civil War started in 1861, then the money started rolling in.

The Tenakill Valley survives today as a bridge line carrying excess traffic from the other 'roads in the North Jersey area, so on a given day you might see ANYTHING from any 'road, so much so the locals call it "The Lost Locomotive Line!"   How's that for explaining different road names on a 4x8 layout?

[Penny Trains]

"Cuyahoga Valley and Cleveland Union Terminal Railroad" is the working name I'm using for the layout I hope to build someday.  Since I live a very short distance from the site of the NYC's Linndale roundhouse where NYC trains had their hudsons switched out for CUT P1a electrics it's always been my ambition to feature it on my layout.  Not that I have room for one full roundhouse let alone 2 with a city in between!  But what I could do is fake the roundhouse in low relief accross the "river" aisleway from the main table.

Otherwise I call my temporary layouts "the Thai layout", "the prewar one", "the postwar one" and "Disneyland".

Becky

[mackb4]

 Though I've  only had a 4x9 temporary layout since 1994,I have  plans to build in the 30x11 room in my basement,a permanent layout of the "Eastern Kentucky & Ohio" model railroad.

  I live in Greenup County in the North Eastern part of Ky and during the late 1880's until after the Great Depression the Eastern Kentucky R.R. ran thru parts of Greenup and Carter  County's in Kentucky.

At one time before the depression the E.K. as locals called it,had talked with the Scioto Valley Railway Co. on a merger in which a bridge would be built across the Ohio River at Riverton,Ky  (now Greenup) to Haverhill,Ohio.This would have opened the coalfields up to ship across the Ohio onto the Great Lakes like the management of the Scioto Valley had hoped to achieve.

Eventually the depression did put and end to the EK,and the Scioto Valley was taken over by the N&W.

So my model railroad is based on that idea of what could have been.Makes for a little history,and a lot of what might have been and a lot of fun to contemplate.

I've already drawn out my plans,and even got ideas on the type of paint schemes I would like to incorporate on the locomotives and rolling stock.

I'm just waiting for one to get out of college and another to start in two years .

Ah,it will happen sooner than that

  

[POTRZBE]

My son and I are the proprietors of the Cornfields and Coalfields Rail Road which models the midwest and northeastern Pennsylvania.

[Firesteel]

My layout represents the copper mining area of the Keweenaw Peninsula in Upper Michigan. I call my railroad the Copper Country Central. This name is a combination of railroad and train names that were once popular in the area, such as the Copper Range, The Milwaukee Road’s “Copper Country Limited,” and the Keweenaw Central.

Karl

[JamesP]

I haven't officially adopted this name for my 4' x 8' clockwork layout (yet), but I am strongly considering the Wyoming, Idaho, North Dakota & Utah Pacific.  That's right, the W,I,ND & UP Railroad.  Plus, it's ironic to have such a grandiose name for a small tinplate layout.  

James

[Anonymous]

Yep

SusieQ Falls Scenic Railway

It is named after my wife because she was agreeable to me having my own room just for trains!