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Tony Koester's O scale layout

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Tony Koester's O scale layout
Posted by Benjamin Maggi on Thursday, January 18, 2018 1:54 PM

In the past couple of months I thought I read something in MR discussing an upcoming issue that would feature an O scale layout built by Tony Koester. I don't recall where I saw it, but I am pretty sure it wasn't in his column. I also don't think it was in reference to his handlaid track as part of the Winston Salem Southbound.

Anyone else recall seeing something like this? 

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Posted by jrbernier on Thursday, January 18, 2018 2:36 PM

  Tony did a clinic at the Cocoa Beach RPM a couple weeks ago.  It is based on a single town on the NKP in O scale.  It will be in MR at some point in the future...

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Posted by Jumijo on Friday, January 19, 2018 6:29 AM

I believe the layout is made using vintage Marx tinplate with 3 rail track and switches.

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Posted by Benjamin Maggi on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 10:26 AM

The final answer to my old question is that the layout is featured starting in the January 2020 issue of Model Railroader.

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Posted by dknelson on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 10:40 AM

The January issue arrived yesterday at my house.  Tony's layout is a one town Layout Design Element following Wingate Indiana on the Nickle Plate.  The track is not tinplate nor is the rolling stock.  In fact he did not use O gauge but corrected it to true 4'8 1/2" gauge, which some call Q.  

If you look at the cover photo - notice anything odd about the figures?  The locomotive seems even with the depot he built, but the crewman on the front of the locomotive seems to be in a different and larger scale than the figure standing on the depot platform.

Dave Nelson

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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 11:39 AM

dknelson
In fact he did not use O gauge but corrected it to true 4'8 1/2" gauge, which some call Q.

And others use Q for 1:45 scale with a track gauge of 1.25".  Others for O scale with 1 13/16 gauge. 

The currently used term for correct gauge in O scale (1.177") is Proto:48.

Paul

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Posted by Outsailing86 on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 1:06 PM

His layout looks great. I always thought about his HO scale Wingate explaining operations. 

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Posted by wjstix on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 4:13 PM

dknelson
If you look at the cover photo - notice anything odd about the figures? The locomotive seems even with the depot he built, but the crewman on the front of the locomotive seems to be in a different and larger scale than the figure standing on the depot platform.

It looks to me like the pilot of the locomotive is beyond the end of the depot, maybe 3-4" closer to the camera lens than the guy in the depot door. With the angle the photo was taken, the guy on the engine might be 6" closer to the camera than the depot guy.

Or the guy in the depot is just a little scrawny guy and the crewman on the engine is a hefty boy....

Stix
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Posted by rrinker on Wednesday, December 4, 2019 4:51 PM

Perspective issue, combined with a very tiny aperature to get good depth of field.

If the guy in the station doorway is 6 foot, the station is 20+ to the peak, and the loco appears nearly as high. A GP 9 is not THAT tall. If the guy standing on the loco is 6', the loco is about 3 guys tall, close to the actual height of 15 feet.

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Posted by carl425 on Thursday, December 5, 2019 10:09 PM

rrinker
Perspective issue,

It's the result of using a wide-angle lens.

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Posted by mbinsewi on Thursday, December 5, 2019 10:20 PM

Call it what you want, but I think the guy at the station is too small.  The guy on the loco, the railing seams to be at the right height, although a bit "chunky".

Maybe Tony was using what he had.  But I think he needs to find some better looking "O" figures.

Just the way I see it.

Mike.

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Posted by BRAKIE on Friday, December 6, 2019 4:39 AM

mbinsewi
Call it what you want, but I think the guy at the station is too small. The guy on the loco, the railing seams to be at the right height, although a bit "chunky".

Mike,I agree.. While I'm not 6' tall that fella on the Geep looks to tall and could easily touch the number boards. I never met a railroader that could do that.

Larry

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Posted by carl425 on Friday, December 6, 2019 9:37 AM

mbinsewi
I think the guy at the station is too small

I measured him, the door frame behind him and did the math (obviously I don't have enough to do).  If the door frame is a standard 80", he is 5' 9 1/2" tall.

I agree with Larry that the guy on the loco is too big though.

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Posted by cheapclassics on Sunday, December 8, 2019 8:34 PM

Good evening all,

I am glad to see someone have a thread on this topic.  That particular article had to be one of the best ever I have read in MR or CTT or Trains.  There were so many areas so well in one piece.  Researching prototype history, using an Indiana scene, having a relatively simple track plan, and modeling an area that I can use the landscaping topics for when I start that aspect of railroading.   Normally I post on the CTT side but this project layout could offer benefits to anyone using any scale.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

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Posted by Outsailing86 on Thursday, December 26, 2019 3:42 PM

I always liked the track plan. Now... how to incorporate it into my layout....

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Thursday, December 26, 2019 9:09 PM

carl425
I measured him, the door frame behind him and did the math (obviously I don't have enough to do). If the door frame is a standard 80", he is 5' 9 1/2" tall.

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Posted by dknelson on Friday, December 27, 2019 11:17 AM

cheapclassics

Good evening all,

I am glad to see someone have a thread on this topic.  That particular article had to be one of the best ever I have read in MR or CTT or Trains.  There were so many areas so well in one piece.  Researching prototype history, using an Indiana scene, having a relatively simple track plan, and modeling an area that I can use the landscaping topics for when I start that aspect of railroading.   Normally I post on the CTT side but this project layout could offer benefits to anyone using any scale.  I hope everyone has a good day.

Keep on training,

Mike C. from Indiana

 

If you do not have the issue, I strongly suggest getting the inaugural issue of Model Railroad Planning for 1995, because Tony's article in that issue has more good photos of Wingate as well as info from a retired Nickle Plate railroader about how Wingate nd other Indiana towns on the line were switched.  Also more variants on the track plan.  

Dave Nelson

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Posted by AntonioFP45 on Sunday, December 29, 2019 10:09 PM

Please forgive my ignorance as I've been out of touch.

Does Tony still have the "Allegheny Midland Railroad" layout?

"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"

 


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Posted by Mark R. on Sunday, December 29, 2019 10:19 PM

AntonioFP45

Please forgive my ignorance as I've been out of touch.

Does Tony still have the "Allegheny Midland Railroad" layout?

 

Tony tore the Allegheny Midland down in 2000 and has since built a double deck version of the Nickel Plate Road set in the 50s.

Mark.

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Posted by Idaho Narrow Gauge News on Thursday, February 27, 2020 1:19 PM

Wow, Carl, I love your sig line! An interesting reminder of the difference between the Real World and our Model Railroad World where we can make everything the way WE like it!

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