The Greatest

[ozzy01]

The V&O , Utah Belt ,CM&SF , Allegheny Midland and the Southern Rwy. Rathole Division being built by J.D. Smith. All operate in the same manner as the prototype.

[Anonymous]

One of the truly fantastic railroads of the country.......

The Sierra Pacific Lines built by the Pasadena Model Railroad club. Awsome. They run mostly western trains from all time periods. You never really know whats going to pop up. I never got a chance to visit there.

[Anonymous]

I think the G&D for it's time was spectacular. I don't particularly care for multiple tracks running through the same scene several times but it was common in that era to build that way. John was a true innovator and is always going to rate the highest with most everyone.

My all-time favorite layout was the Prospect & Upper Ridge of Bud Sima. It was a copy of the Ma&Pa and while his scenery, track and most everything wasn't up to the standards set by any of the railroads others have listed here it was a FUN railroad and Bud had more enjoyment with his modeling and layout than anyone else I've ever met and that's what this is supposed to be all about anyway.

One of my all-time favorites was the St. Clair Northern of Irv Schultz. He was a master craftsman and everything was just right! What a shame Keller never got a video out on this one!

I think the F&SM is awesome in its level of detail but I think George has really over-trashed and over-weathered everything. I like weathering and believe that everything should be weathered to some degree but the F&SM just looks beat. It's not someplace I'd like to live or visit!

I loved the original V&O but kinda lost interest when he switched eras and started boarding up stations, etc. Doesn't degrade the railroad but it just lost interest for me with the more modern look.

The AM was one of the greatest layouts ever and is sorely missed by me and many others. Tony is in a category with John Allen as far as I'm concerned...an innovator.

The Utah Belt has always fascinated me and I find that remarkable as I don't care for western scenery at all, prefer steam to diesel and I'm not a fan of the SP which the UB sort of copies. With that said I always thrill to a new article or photo of the railroad. I believe that says a lot for his layout.

Let's not forget the huge B&O HO layout they built and now resides in the B&O Museum. It was way ahead of its time with the automatic working signaling system.

Thanks for the question and jogging my brain about some of the great layouts we've been fortunate enough to share over the years.

Roger

[vsmith]

Like all things, Greatness depends a great deal on personal preferences. My idea of Great:

Anything by Malcomn Furlow!

John Allens G&D

the F & SM for it cityscape

The original Los Angeles County Fairplex Outdoor model RR circa 1960's (before the rebuild) was also an amazing thing to see

All are excellent examples, different yet similar.

[twhite]

La Mesa in San Diego just absolutely knocks me out! But then so did Allen McClelland's original V&0. And I wish I could remember the modeler's name (he passed away recently) that did the wonderful N-scale Raton Pass layout. But I think that my favorite of all time was John Allen's Gorre and Daphetid. Talk about spectacular! And who else except that crazy character would come up with using a Stegosaurus as a yard engine (I think her name was 'Emma.')? She even had an engine number stencilled near her tail. Now THAT'S enjoying the hobby!

[jguess733]

The greatest was my childhood railroad, my dad called it the Living Room and Entry Hall Southern. It was a Bachman G scale railroad with Lincoln Log, and Playmobil buildings, Matchbox and Hotwheel cars, and it was protected from outlaws by GI JOE, Heman, Transformers, and the Ghostbusters.

[on30francisco]

I think the Gorre & Depheted by John Allen is the greatest layout ever built.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

My hat goes off to the La Mesa Model RR Clubs' Tehachapi Pass layout. 10 miles of HO action! Now that's a good layout!!! I also liked Stephen Priest's Santa Fe Emporia Subdivision.

that one would definitely make it to a top 10 list.

[Anonymous]

My hat goes off to the La Mesa Model RR Clubs' Tehachapi Pass layout. 10 miles of HO action! Now that's a good layout!!! I also liked Stephen Priest's Santa Fe Emporia Subdivision.

[BRAKIE]

To my mind it has to the old Allegheny Midland...Then the V&O...
Not starting a fuss but,I feel but the G&D and the F&SM is highly overrated.I always felt that the F&SM looks to much like the set from the movie "Popeye" and just to trashy looking to be real...I came up during the G&D era..There was better looking layouts then John's.

[Eriediamond]

Some of you may think I'm nuts but the greatest layout in my mind was the one my mother helped me with right after I got a Lionel Scout set from santa back in the middle 40's. She died when I was about 7 years old, but she spent many hours with me and that train building houses, tunnels and other buildings and things from old shoe boxes and crayons and water color paints in those metal trays they came in. She turned that simple loop of track into one heck of an empire, and all that on the parlor floor. We even had interior lights in those buildings useing Xmas lights. In retrospect, I guess thats why I get kind of upset about new people to the hobby being told they need the best of everything to get started. Like others, I think the way you enterpret "greatest" has a lot to do with your answer and this is mine. Thanks, Ken

[Anonymous]

Oh boy, Here's a recipe for a headache.[:D]
Take at any of the 47 or so layouts that Keller has done videos on. Not a stinker in the bunch.
Add in the layouts that have been in MR over the years, yet havn't been shot on video.
Fold in the memory of the 4x5, then later the 4x8 that my Dad helped me with when I was young. Plus a pinch of my Grandfathers Lionel layout.
Add in operational experience from friends layouts that were or should have been in MR.
Drain off the G&D [V](I must be the only person in the world that does not care for it.)
Let the whole thing simmer in your head for a bit,
What have you got left?
[^]The V&O. [2c]

[MudHen_462]

John Allen's G & D Railway.... hands down !

[Anonymous]

the F&SM is good, but I like the new chicago museum of sience and industry layout, and stephen priest's santa fe layout because it portrays lanscape and trains I am familier with. I also like the latest CM&SF because it is wierd ( like me ).

[Wdlgln005]

For Nscalers, I woould like to nominate Jim Fitzgerald & Ntrak. The portable mpdular system has been copied by all the other scales and makes GATS and other train shows in public places possible. Each year, the number of modules grows. Most f them could still be compatible with the old ones. somewhere there ought to be a hall of fame for great modules.

The best known Nscale layout would have to be the Cumberland Valley System of the Reid brothers. They have the only Nscale layout in the Allen Keller video series. I sure would like to see AK do a video on the Ntrak East convention this year.

[Anonymous]

I was saying that in a joking manner. I've never met the man in pers0n, so I should noit have said innsane. I was implying tearing out an immaculate layout that had oprerations and the works to go back with a minimulistic, representational layout was crazy.. I can see his point of view, but I think I would have found a way to save that layout and still build his new one. I have a layout like his new one, but not intentionally, just lack of scenic skills. i hope I have not offended anyone. I will try to be more politically correct in the future.

[IRONROOSTER]

I would add Frank Ellison's Delta Lines to the ones listed above. I think each decade has produced it's own great model railroad or two. I think the great model railroads are the ones that have moved the hobby in new directions. But as others have pointed out, it is also the ones that inspired us to get into this hobby and build our own.
Enjoy
Paul

[Anonymous]

Well, I guess I should have explained "great" in the first post. The criteria I had in mind was:
- level of craftsmanship
- creativity
- popularity
- overall spectacle
In other words, something that will inevitably draw out a loud WOWEEE!

[Don Gibson]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Tweet469

Dave Borrow's Cat Mountain & Santa Fe before he went insane.

I met David Barrow. He is not insane.

He believes in realistic OPERATION, not running trains
He believes REPRESENTATIVE modeling is more impotant than realism.
(example: building trackside buildings to represent industries, rather than replicating; Ripping up his hand-laid track and turnouts in favor of reliability ;
He also believes in The SETTING is important: : Illumination and scenery added to enhance the RR.
He is a NUT on vertical improprieties in trackwork.
He likes to re-design and CHANGE things on his layout : hence his 'Domino' construction, wireless cabs, and hand thrown switches.

To some he may appear to be a 'nut' , - but he is not insane.

I am trying to do a smaller version of the Cat Mtn & Santa Fe by incorporating his ideas. I"M the one who is insane!

[Don Gibson]

With apologies:

I think you are ALL wrong. The greatest model railroad ever built is the one that was built for the MUSEUM OF SCIENCE & INDUSTRY (Frank Ellison?) and sponsored by the AT&SF.

1. It was totally automated.
2. All equipment was scratch-built.
3. it pre-dates all our current favorites (1934).
4. It was kept up to date - duplicating the ralroad's (AT&SF) equipment and paint schemes.
5. It lasted longer than anyone else's layout.
6. and ...(drum roll) .... SEEN by more people - still.

NOW I think we may argue about who's #2 ?

[brothaslide]

Utah Belt

[CBQ_Guy]

I can't really say what is the best, 'cause there's either that one you forgot, or haven't seen yet. Most of those mentioned so far I would agree with. I also liked Tony Koester's last layout, and the new NKP one in the works looks like a winner. Most recent railroad I've seen which I also like is Joe Fugate's Siskiyou Line. Many in the Allen Keller videos I like a lot as well. I could go on and on.

Maybe a variation of a Frank Lloyd Wright answer to a question he was asked once concerning his favorite architectural design -- He replied along the lines of the next one, or the one I haven't done yet. So what's MY favorite model railroad . . . I would have to say, "The one I haven't seen yet."

[Anonymous]

David Barrow's Cat Mountain & Santa Fe very inspirational into the building of my layout.

----------------------
Heartland Flyer

[garr]

Wayne,

Yours is tough to beat--a perfect example of the greatest meaning different things to each of us.

On the broader scale(no pun intended) I would rank Gorre & Daphetid no. 1 because of the quality exhibited at the time when that level of craftmanship was rare.

Second, would probably be the V&O. However, MAbruce makes the best point, these layouts are known and ranked as the best because of notoriety--the true best are probably among the not widely known.

Jay

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by flyingscot
I think the title is well deserved by the Gorre & Daphetid RR.

Yeah, that was good too.

The greatest was the big Lionel layout built by my father in our basement shortly before he passed away when I was 7 years old. All that's left nearly 50 years later is the Lackawanna FM Trainmaster, 3 passenger cars and the Lionelville Station, sitting on a shelf. Oh, yeah, also my love of trains, both real & model still remains.

Wayne

[egmurphy]

One of those questions we'll never settle because "greatest" means different things to different folks. The G&D holds a special place in my heart because it was probably at it's peak of fame and popularity back when I was just discovering scale model railroading, so I kind of assumed that was what a good model railroad should look like. I like the name, by the way.

MAbruce has a good point regarding great railroads that will never be real well known or famous. I'll probably never have a chance to see the F&SM or V&O, but I did have several chances to visit Gil Freitag's Stony Creek & Western (featured in the April 2003 issue of Model Railroader) and I can tell you that it's one impressive layout.

Regards

Ed

[MAbruce]

While I agree the ones listed are outstanding, I suspect that there are many that we may never know about. These are layouts built by modelers that are either not seeking the limelight, or don't really know how good they really are.

[Anonymous]

Virginian & Ohio hands down! The best layout ever built!

[ClinchValleySD40]

Other than mine? It has to be the V&O.