The Railyard

[Anonymous]

Michigan native, moved to Maryland at age 13. Currently living in the quiet little town of Woodstock, MD, near the B&O [now CSX] Old Main Line. Have always loved heavy industry (especially steel manufacturing), coal mining, and harbor scenes. Also like rural single-track main lines quite a bit. I'm hoping to fit 'pieces' of all these on my contemporary-era HO scale garage layout.

[Anonymous]

HAHA! Well thats awesome. Ive always been interested in working around locomotives. But im still in the military, so i cant quite do that! We have what looks to be either a SD-40 or a GP-38 at the base that moves coal hoppers around the power plant here, it facinates me! Plus i love it when the Alaska RR brings in the new loads of coal and fuel.. ill stand by the tracks and just watch.. ill get some pics soon if you guys would like

[Walter Clot]

I can't believe this topic. I was thinking about something like this a few days ago. Thanks for getting it started. I have lived in Miami, Ft. Worth, Covington, Va, Bluefield, WV, St. Clairsville, OH and Bluefield, VA
I have now lived in Columbia, TN since Dec. 2001. I'm a retired pastor. I've messed with HO off and on since 1968. I got serious in 1991 when I finished working on a D-Min. I realized that if I was able to keep up with my ministry and go to school, I could still keep up on my ministry and use some of the time for model railroading. I joined the Pocahontas Chapter of the NRHS in Bluefield, WV - VA and met some great guys who knew a great deal about modelig. That helped me a lot. My railroad is the Appalachain and Southern. The period of time is 40-60. I have locos and rolling stock from everywhere as I tend to buy what is on sale. My last few years I focused on Seaboard, Atlantic Coast and Florida East Coast, becuase I was born in Miami and lived there until I was 28. I know it doesn't make sense, but I have fun. My two grandsons, help me run by 18 X 8 + 4x4 layout. Today I guided them in putting their first Athearn kits to gether.
I am now 70.

[Anonymous]

Thats great, im still a pretty young guy, but i love railroading. You wont find that much! I guess i just look back at me helping out my father, and i love those days! I think model railroading is a great way for people with great minds to get together and put multiple hobbies into one, you cant beat it! Well I was doing some thinking... so here i go haha!

I was looking at doing a southern section of the CSX line, with NS and Seaboard System having rights on their tracks. Set in the mid 80's.
But picture this.. im having a dual layout.. about 6 ft on the right side of a corner of my basement.. and 6 feet on the left.
Well, on the left im looking at doing like a 50s area layout of something.. just to have some variety.. maybe intertwine the two.. in an almost ficticious way. But never sharing track with either layout, just mixing it up a little.

I dont know how this sounds to you guys.. but i think it sounds like a fun project. Tell me what you think!

John

[dhilyer]

Waverly, Alabama; Anybody ever heard of it? It's a small town with a population of 183. We are about 100 miles southwest of Atlanta, 100 miles south, southeast of Birmingham. We are 10 miles north of Auburn, home of Auburn University, War Eagle. I am relatively new to MRR. I have been working on a 4x8 HO layout for a few months. Trains are running and some scenery is in place. Currently working on structures. I am also working on preliminary plans for a 13' x 23' HO layout. I am basing it partly on what is now the CSX line and NS line that intersect in Opelika where I grew up (12 miles from Waverly). Plenty of trackage and industries (textile mills, tire plant, lumber yards, quarries, scrap yard, etc) to model, but the scenery is somewhat lacking. I am considering freelancing the towns and scenery but using the prototype track and industries. Any thoughts or suggestions welcome.

[trolleyboy]

I live in Brantford Ontario, I'm a store dept manager. I've been HOing for more years than I can count. Currently I'm putting togehter an attic train layout,going to be mostly traction with a bit of CP thrown in for giggles. Trying to negotiate the land and air rights for an outdoor G scale layout as well. [:-^]. When I'm not working I restore and run the real thing at the local (1 hour away local ) streetcar museum.

Rob

[Anonymous]

I'm originally from Houston, Texas (actually, a bit north of there, from a town called The Woodlands) but relocated to Amarillo, Texas, about 4 years ago. I modeled the U.P. until they started all their pay-royalties-or-be-sued nonsense, whereupon I ditched all my engines and now model the W.P. circa 1954 in HO. Yes, I know it's still technically modeling the U.P. but I've grown to like The Feather River Route.

[wetidlerjr]

I'm in Tipton IN (LE&W and Nickel Plate-now NS) and I'm a Construction Gang Signalman for the NS. I model in both N and HO. N is "modern shortline" and HO is "logging in the '40s". N layout is in the early stages (no track down) while HO is still in planning and research (lumber bought for benchwork though!). I plan to work on both slowly for the next twenty months till I retire and then I plan on "picking up the pace" and getting them running. [:D]

[1train1]

Hey everyone ! I live in Paris, Ontario - and work for our provincial gov't. I grew up in Brantford ( a stones throw from the RR station) have been fascinated with proto and model trains since I was a kid (first N Scale Minitrix trainset in the early 70's).
Now I REALLY live a stones throw from the Canadian National Toronto - Windsor corridor; --in fact it's in my backyard.
I currently belong to both HO and N Scale clubs; and am working on a good sized N scale layout at home. Even though I'm really busy with my little guy I still find time to build and detail things and of course, buy more things to work on. Eventually I would like Model railroading to become more than just a hobby.

[spidge]

My name is John, as you can see on your left I am in the Inland Empire. I have been married 19 years and have 2 children. I am on my 5th layout which the family is looking forward to helping me with after I get the electrical done. They really got on me for taking down a layout that was small but almost finished.My current layout is 15x13 L shaped with yard , passing siding at the summitt , a town for extra work , and a three track staging yard.It WILL be dcc soon.N-scale.

Sure would be nice to find some Modelrailroaders in the area for a round robin group. Clubs are ok, but round robin clubs would get more done on each layout.

MY handle; Southern Pacific In Dads Garage.

[Anonymous]

Hey DHILYAR, i noticed your from the same area. I grew up in Chelsea, Alabama. Bout 30 mins south of Birmingham. You seem to be doing the same type of layout that i am. I sure would like to see what you are doing, ive got the same ideas. Plus your an Auburn fan., WAR *** EAGLE

[MickEnright]

I live in Saginaw, Mi., but I am originally from Marquette, in Upper Michigan. With family ties to the DSS&A/Soo Line, and the LS&I practically running in our back yard, it was inevitable that I would be fascinated with trains. I had the good fortune to work as a steam locomotive fireman/mechanic for the now defunct Marquette & Huron Mountain Railroad, and through the Saginaw Valley Railroad Museum, have been a contract employee in moving trains of sugar beets into a sugar plant in Bay City , Mi., using an ex-GTW GP-9. My "real" job is a maintenace supervisor at a healthcare facility.
I've built up a fleet of motive power and equipment that will be used on a layout depicting the Marquete Iron Range in the 60's and 70's. Lots of Soo Line, LS&I and CNW power, and of course, LOTS of ore cars. I am currently finishing two rooms of my basement for a layout, and hope to be starting benchwork by summer. I cut a hole in the wall that separates the two rooms. On one side will be the ore dock, and the other will be the mine loaders. This will allow for what I call "Perpetual Operation".
I sure do like these forums. I've found solutions to problems I never planned on encountering!

Mick Enright

[Anonymous]

Thats gonna be a huge layout! Where are you going to get your benchwork plans? Ive yet to decide on how i want to build my benchwork, so many choices

[Anonymous]

I do have something.. benchwork. Do you guys use treated wood, or just plain lumber. What is the best plan for benchwork that has worked for you guys?

[Anonymous]

I only use plain lumber, in the pass always went the good old plywood with homosota?
but now I have done some areas with pink foam and I like it. You can get by with only using 1X3's for the frame, every thing is glued down, don't have to worry about weather changes in the basement. ( live in Wis. 90's in summer with 90% hum. -10 in the winter with no hum.) I am going to add on again soon plan on going with the 2in thick foam.

[Anonymous]

If any of you want to see shots of my old layout check out the July 1999 MR cover and inside.
Dave

[Anonymous]

Hey Texan, mend to ask you Texas get to crowded for you, that you had to go to the next largest state?

[Anonymous]

I live in the Fox River Valley of Wisconsin, or as it is now being known as the Death River Valley. The largest concetration of paper mills in the world, and the whole *** industry is crumbling now. Numerous plants closing, we also have some other industries, with printing and packaging still going strong, but doesn't pay as well. Meade, Kimberly- Clark , and Glatfelter recently announced or closed plants here. International Papers sold several plants here to foreign buyers., along with some other companies selling to foreign ownership. Numerous railyards and spurs across the entire area going to industries from ductile iron foundary's, paper, printing, warehousing, even a milk plant, and coal hauled into power electric plants. Once served by the Milwaukee Road, Chicago Northwestern, and Soo Line all on seperate lines here in the same area during the same era. Times are really changing! Pretty soon Canadian National will rumble past without any stops in the area if manufacturing keeps leaving.

[Anonymous]

Hello,Im 39 years old and live in a small town(pop.1100)in central Missouri along the bank of the Missouri River.I live in a 100+year old house just over the bluff from a UP mainline that paralells the river.Every few hours I hear trains!!The "downtown" area is between the tracks and the river.It kind of looks like the Merchants Row I and II +an old mill with silos at one end and an old lumber co. at the other.This will be modelled on my HO layout I started about a year ago.Oh there goes another train!!First you hear the horn then the RUMBLE.Love that ,anyway,the layout is a self that goes around the parimenter of my second story.Basically its two rooms 13.5' x 13.5' each.Each room will be a phase.Phase one is ready for track laying.Ive cut one of the portals into phase 2 which runs behind my closet as it enters the room.I plan on pretty much finishing phase one before I start on phase 2. The layout will be,for the most part,freelance.Set in the 1950's and will run UP and Santa Fe.
As for me,my other hobbies are: Building large R/C ships
History
Singing 50's-90's rock music
Playing guitar
Restoring a 100+ year old house

[Anonymous]

Here Rik from Amsterdam Netherlands, historian by training, presently text writer and production manager for festivals, but done a thousand different jobs including fireman on tourist steam train. Photography, birding, piano and North East transition era railroading. Layout will be modular for setting up in the 40 ft living room. Double track main line with loops and staging tracks at either end. I found trains are at their most impressive when slamming through a long superelevated curve, or even better, s-curve. I also figured I'd better try to make something simple for this my first layout, better have these trains running quick!

[Pdragon]

I retired from the USAF in '84. After a year or two, we (wife and I) started a studio, Pen Dragon Productions, specializing in animation and effects for business and industry. It's still going strong. After our sons were born in '67, I thought when they got older they'd like model railroading - wrong. They weren't interested but I sure got hooked. Though we reside in Champaign, Illinios, we're originally from the Boston area and I have always liked New England railroading. So, I've loosely based my railroad on the B&M and call it the Hahid Yahd & White River RR. It's set in the mid-forties. What can I say, I was born too late ('44) and I like the music. Having a New England layout in the Midwest, I feel a bit isolated. I'd like to meet and gab with some like-minded railroads.
***


It's a cold morning in White River Junction

[Anonymous]

I am a Electrical Integration / Test Engineer.... My grandfather got me intrested in trains as soon I was able to sit in a chair. Now my son got me to come back to the hobby so we have fun together. We put up our layout at Thanksgiving and take it down after Superbowl. Every year it is differnet track plan.

[waltersrails]

pdragon nice layout pic

[scubaterry]

My wife and I live in the FLorida Keys where she is a State Trooper. We kind of got sent here 15 months ago. Hopefully will be back up to north Florida in our own home again by this fall. I model HO 1950's NYC/NKP. My layout is in an ajoining shed (that gets awful darned hot) and is about a 14 x 12 ATR. I plan on dismantling it when we move so I have no scenery at all. But with no scenery I can put in allot more track. This layout is my third and really is a test bed for differant aspects of the hobby. I am currently building Signal lights from scatch. Putting sound in 20 loco's (10 done so far) and of course running trains. Can't wait to get into our own home again so I can get to building the final layout and actually get to scenic it. Oh by the way forgot to mention I am retired Navy and a scuba Instructor for the last fifteen years.
Terry[8D]

[GAPPLEG]

That explains the screen name scubaterry , Wow she's a trooper huh, Did she ever bust ya ?

[Anonymous]

Pdragon,

I really like that scene, I can almost see my own breath. Nice! ( better than my breath that is.)

[Pdragon]

Waltersrails - Thanks. Maybe I'll post another.

swdave - You should have been there in the winter!!

***

[Anonymous]

Pdragon,
Is that the new Walthers Delx. turntable? If it is how much did you pay for it and where did you get it?

[Pdragon]

SWDave,
You guessed it. I got it through First Hobby in Illinois and believe at about $239.00.
And, it works just like advertised and handles even my biggest (H-8) on those cold Vermont nights!

[Anonymous]

Born in Brantford Ontario (relatives in Paris Ont). Living, raising 4 children, and modeling in HO scale in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Corporate lawyer by day, and part-time helix seller in my spare time. Great hobby with great people and thank you for the opportunity to participate.