For me it's Harry Clark's Indian Creek Valley and Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley.
With Harry Clark's layout; I am fascinated that most of items within the layout including trees and track work are scratch-built yet it's as beautiful as any layout that uses the products available today.
I like Dick Elwell's layout because of the composition of the various scenes, a good balance of detail and weathering and his theme.
I am dating myself here but I have always favored John Allens G&D. I have never seen a track plan but that man worked wonders with scenes and modelling expertise.
73
Bruce in the Peg
Blind Bruce I am dating myself here but I have always favored John Allens G&D. I have never seen a track plan but that man worked wonders with scenes and modelling expertise.
That's always been one my favorites too. I also always like John Armstrongs' Canandaigua Southern and Bob Hegge's Crooked Mountain Lines.
Enjoy
Paul
Southern Pacific Lines Shasta Division. Owned by Otis McGee Jr., designed by John Armstrong. Check it out in the April 2005 MR; it's spectacular.
Stu
Streamlined steam, oh, what a dream!!
I noticed that the G&D is the inspiration for other great model railroaders.
The one I currently use, my own.
-Crandell
selector The one I currently use, my own. -Crandell
You got that right, Crandell. My favorite is the one I am currently reworking.
It's not that I don't appreciate the work of Armstrong, Allen, or others, but those layouts were the favorites of their creator/operators.
Joe
The LM&E in my basement as it is easier to operate than any other..
But for others it would have to be Cliff Powers, MA&G. He is a Master Modeller, I only wish I could come close to him.
Johnboy out...................
from Saskatchewan, in the Great White North..
We have met the enemy, and he is us............ (Pogo)
My favorite would have to be the miniature wonderland in Germany. It is amazing, they have working ships that operate in real water on the layout , and the water level raises and lowers to simulate the tide. The also go through a day/night cycle every 30 minutes, they have working cars (tons of them), and an operating airport. They also have "fires" around the layout that fire trucks tespind to. If you every visit Europe, be sure to visit Hamburg to see it.
Kudos to Crandell.
To each his own, I love my layout the best, then Motley's, ollevon's, and mobilman44's.
Also doctorwayne's and mlehman's.
Does my Dream Layout count?
Rich
Alton Junction
russ_q4b Blind Bruce I am dating myself here but I have always favored John Allens G&D. I have never seen a track plan but that man worked wonders with scenes and modelling expertise. I noticed that the G&D is the inspiration for other great model railroaders.
His is and always will be my favorite of someone elses layout. Along those same lines would be the V&O, The Crooked Mountain Lines, Alturas and Lone Pine, and the Sunset Lines.
Over and above those is of course my own.
Carey
Keep it between the Rails
Alabama Central Homepage
Nara member #128
NMRA &SER Life member
Gidday, W.Allen McClellands Virginian & Ohio, perhaps by default because it happened to be in the first North American model railroad magazine I was given to read, an issue of RMC, and where I realised that there was more to model railways than just "roundy- roundy".
As far as inspiration goes, there are a fair few folk on this forum who I draw from.
Cheers, the Bear.
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Somehow, I always learn something new from each layout that i see-- either in person or by way of published photos , that I can use to enhance that small bit of railroading delight in the back end of my cluttered basement. Even layouts , done in styles and settings quite different than the modeling that I do, seem to add to the layout that I know best.
Don H.
glutrain Somehow, I always learn something new from each layout that i see-- either in person or by way of published photos , that I can use to enhance that small bit of railroading delight in the back end of my cluttered basement. Even layouts , done in styles and settings quite different than the modeling that I do, seem to add to the layout that I know best. Don H.
I too, get a lot out of looking at and studying many different layouts. I see how they solved some of the problems that I had on previous layouts. I check out the track plan also to see what LDE I can use on either my own, or someone else's layout I'm planning. I have on my own layout several LDE's that Lynn Westcott designed for small railroads in MR. I just took them and made them wider, longer, shorter or used as is.
I always have studied trackplans for ideas. I think that I have almost every track plan book published, as well as many I pulled from mags, and put in a planning book. I've even designed layouts that were nothing but snips from published plans, with some connecting tracks between the snips, and the clients were very satisfied with how their layout came out.
One thing that I noticed was no matter how elaborate or plain the layout was, there always was a definite concept to the railroad, as expressed in the "history" of the layout. Not a history like, "On Dec 29, 1979 I started construction, laid the track 2 weeks later and soon I finished the scenery." The history I have all my clients develop is along these lines; "On September 28, 1872 J.O. Britton Esq, a local cotton baron saw the profits he was loosing by having to ship his products out via the XYZ RR. Theirs was a long, steeply graded route with lots of sharp tight curves. He instead, after talking with some of the banker barons in NY, he secured a loan that would allow him to build a shorter RR route to the markets he really desired. After obtaining the needed land he proceded to build the ABC RR..." A paragraph or two was all that was needed. If you click on the link in my signature, you can go to my layout and read its "history".
What this did was to get the client to think in terms of a definite goal, and from this develop his Givens and Druthers as John Armstrong called them. I personally have found that a history also helps me in designing a layout, as I can now see at least some of what the client has in his head of what he wants out of his model rr hobby.
I just have to say that I think Rich has the best layout. After all what else would you expect from this forums greatest member. ( He told me I had to say that if I wanted to continue to be posted on his friends list)
Of course after Riches wonderful pike comes mine. Just something in the way the morning Sun catches all that pink foam in the morning.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
A&LPrr, (Altura's and Lone Pine Railroad), The late John Allen's friends.
Cheers,
Frank
Kyle My favorite would have to be the miniature wonderland in Germany. It is amazing, they have working ships that operate in real water on the layout , and the water level raises and lowers to simulate the tide. The also go through a day/night cycle every 30 minutes, they have working cars (tons of them), and an operating airport. They also have "fires" around the layout that fire trucks tespind to. If you every visit Europe, be sure to visit Hamburg to see it.
... drop me a note if you do!
Miniatur Wunderland is a fantastic show layout, but it would not be on my list of favorites. I have seen so much great model work presented here, which certainly surpasses Miniatur Wunderland in terms of craftsmanship, detail and atmosphere. Just to list a few, Ray´s S.L.O.W RR and Garry´s Heartland Division are among them. Not to forget McFunkeyMonkey´s wonderful Freemo N scale modules.
However, my personal choice of "best layout in the world" is Marcel Ackle´s "Rymenzburger Chnollebahn". It´s a small G scale switching layout with a wealth of detail you won´t be able to tell it´s a model.
Just a few pics:
... and a little video:
watch?v=zfdPXHmBIeU
Ulrich,
Thanks! For sharing,that was great. I like the sound,of that little critter.
My favorite all time layout is Lance Mindheim's East Rail simply because of its simplicity and believability.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
BATMAN Of course after Riches wonderful pike comes mine. Just something in the way the morning Sun catches all that pink foam in the morning.
I love the smell of pink foam in the morning.
Hi,
Well, I have to agree with some of the previous posters. My favorite layout is the one I built and have now. Believe me, there are probably thousands of "better" layouts, but this one was designed and built by me.
Its kind of like wives............. you can drool over others, but the one you like best is yours!
You may quote me on that.
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
I find it interesting for most of you guys, that your own layout is your favorite. Currently my layout is a bunch of rough sketches on graph paper. I had a 12' x 15' "oval" layout depicting the B&O mainline in Eastern West Virginia. It had a lot of nice scratch built structures and decent fall scenery. As for operations I could run 2 trains in a circle with 3 "customers" to service. That layout was sectional so I can add a yard and more "customers". However that layout was not my favorite layout, now it's a fallen flag.
This new layout will be a point to point; single track mainline; has staging; will have several small towns with several customers each. The bulk of my efforts will be the structures and scenery but this time I should be able to have a half way decent operating session. The goal of this layout is to be a time machine taking people to a B&O branch line in Virginia in the 1920s. I hoping by the time I have my first operating session, my layout will be my favorite layout.
mobilman44 Its kind of like wives............. you can drool over others, but the one you like best is yours!
So true!
The Franklin & South Manchester by George Selios.
http://www.horailroad.com/fsm/fsmlayout0.html
I've had the pleasure to see this layout in person, and the photos don't even do it justice. It's a very large layout, and every square inch is densely covered with scenery.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
I guess my favorite layout is my own.
Beyond that...I would say the Reading Society of Model Engineers 'O' scale layout. The RSME is just outside of Reading PA. I worked with those guys often in the early and mid 1980's and I don't hesitate giving them credit as being teachers...of sorts. Many of my modeling techniques now are based on things I learned from them.
Mark H
Modeling in HO...Reading and Conrail together in an alternate history.
Irv Schultz's St Clair & Northern and Rev Jerry McGee's Pyui & Phui (any of its incarnations).
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Yep, I would have to say mine. No way I'd spend so much money and time on something that I didnt love. Wait, or would I?
tallcapt Yep, I would have to say mine. No way I'd spend so much money and time on something that I didnt love. Wait, or would I?
A lot of us have forked a lot of money and spent time on layouts that we end up dismantling. I am now starting my fifth, and hopefully final, layout. My intent is to build this layout in phases, so it will be an ongoing effort. I hope that I will not end up dismantling this layout due to lack of interest or change of interests.
I don't think he's been mentioned yet but I really like Iain Rice's designs. "Steeltown U.S.A." is probably one of my favorites.
Tom
https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling
Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.