Admiring Calif. Desert Layout - Danville

[bluepuma]

In the latest MRR, sure liked how well the HO layout caught the look of the town, nearly as if I had been there. I'm in N scale, and most of the models are not available, would need to be scratchbuilt. Lived in Arizona and California for a long time, drove though the little towns looking like that, except usually no railroad, Barstow is bigger. May be BNSF tracks near the border where I-40, former Highway 66 went through, more often I drove the route of I-10, no tracks, or to Vegas, no tracks most of the way. He sure caught it, all it needs is my Suzuki motorcycle or a few Harleys.

Also admired the N scale 2.5x5, looks amazing, inspiring, my friend Mike started a slightly different version of the same loops, on a door, so longer. Noted the use of the Milling offset between the two store buildings as a viewblock, I will remember that and use that when I place some of my buildings, to hide the train running along he back loop in my city area.

Good job, very positive.

Also like the Turtle Creek extension, when I first saw that, I thought, NOW it looks like a railroad. My favorite layouts have been L shaped, and I'm starting mine with a 2.5x7.2 and 3x7.4 L before I build down the other two walls.

Tomcat Puma

[simon1966]

This was a good issue. The photo of the snow covered train crossing the frozen river in the annual photo competition if amazing. The use of the plant root system as a winter tree looked very effective.

[cwclark]

I thought the Big Diesels in the Desert layout in the March issue of MRR was one of the finest and most perfect layouts i've seen in a very long time...the highways were perfect and the detailing on the locomotives was superb!...there wasn't a stray glue mark or hobby knife scratch on any part of the engine..it was a very well done layout...almost too perfect.!.. ;) Chuck

[Anonymous]

It sure was a good article by Pelle. It inspires me to strive to achieve that look on my layout, whenever I start work on it. And the photo of the snow covered loco crossing the bridge was also great. I could look a hole thru the pages of this issue.

Robert

[Don Gibson]

I better go back and TAKE ANOTHER look.

I thought most of those were actual photo's of the TOWN.
Notice the people inside the cars?

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by bluepuma

In the latest MRR, sure liked how well the HO layout caught the look of the town, nearly as if I had been there. I'm in N scale, and most of the models are not available, would need to be scratchbuilt. Lived in Arizona and California for a long time, drove though the little towns looking like that, except usually no railroad, Barstow is bigger. May be BNSF tracks near the border where I-40, former Highway 66 went through, more often I drove the route of I-10, no tracks, or to Vegas, no tracks most of the way. He sure caught it, all it needs is my Suzuki motorcycle or a few Harleys.

Also admired the N scale 2.5x5, looks amazing, inspiring, my friend Mike started a slightly different version of the same loops, on a door, so longer. Noted the use of the Milling offset between the two store buildings as a viewblock, I will remember that and use that when I place some of my buildings, to hide the train running along he back loop in my city area.

Good job, very positive.

Also like the Turtle Creek extension, when I first saw that, I thought, NOW it looks like a railroad. My favorite layouts have been L shaped, and I'm starting mine with a 2.5x7.2 and 3x7.4 L before I build down the other two walls.

Tomcat Puma

Pelle is a gifted and talented person and we can all benefit from his articles. He reads this forum and responded to our conversation today on the following Subjet on the second page. - Check out that Subject also if you want to read more about his work and his website. He is from Denmark as I had said Swenden, but he is very gracious and answered us.

Pelle Soeborg is da' man!
Posted: 01 Feb 2005, 15:23:32 Quote


Posts: 350
Joined: 24 Dec 2001
Location: US
I was very impressed with Pelle Soeborg's new layout featured in the March issue of MR. He is a true craftsman.

[bluepuma]

Reading this again this morning, realized it was DANEville. But I think people will tend to read it Dan-ville, although some who visit the Jr. Market will say it DanEville (Danny-ville).

What most of those people *will not* realize is that this little wide spot in the road was actually Dane-ville, named after the Dane who moved here for his health in the late '30's and opened a Radiator Shop fixing all the boiled over radiators, which was so common in those days. It was a gold mine. His wife ran the cafe at the end where the squatters are, and a old style motel, with front office, and Clean Air Conditioned Rooms, it was called the Desert Rose Motel, (just like the one that was on the Las Vegas Strip until around '91) little duplex rooms like the Plasticville Motel, unfortunately destroyed by fire. Only the restaurant is still there, killed by the Denny's built 20 years ago. A newly arrived family wants to open it as a Mexican Restaurant and Trading Post, adding some stucco arches, a mission bell and painted mural with catus, burro, such on the wall.

- anyhow that's my story :^)

[Bikerdad]

'Tis an incredible layout. Even though I knew it was a layout, it took me about five minutes to sort out the one thing that was 'off', otherwise I wouldn't have believed it was a model.

[bluepuma]

Questions?

Does the Jr. Market have Night Train Express Lid.?

What kind of beer do they have? What kind of snacks? Can we get Pizza in Daneville?

Does the motel have a vacent trackside room?

3 Summers ago, leaving Santa Fe, NM, down Raton Pass, we passed a Amtrak train with P42's and Superliners (just like my Kato N scale set purchased earlier that yeat), and pulled into a motel next to the tracks, checked in, went to the room, sat down and looked out the window, opened the Night Train, and my wife ordered us Pizza, as the Amtrak came by... I thought, it doesn't get any better than this, watching the trains go through the window. Was tired, had been a long all day drive. Las Vegas, NM is another one of those small towns, different look. Pizza was delivered!