New Jersey modelers post here.

[myowngod]

Well, since everyone else is doing it...

I would like to find some fellow modelers in my home state.  I'm 35yrs old and been into model railroading for over 30 of those years.  I am currently building a 13'x16' HO layout with my Dad down in South Jersey (for some reason we are unofficially 2 states, North and South Jersey ) and I'm a member of a Model railroad club in North Jersey where I live, Somerset County.  Working at a hardware store in Warren, I meet alot of modelers coming in for parts for their layouts or engines.  I've had N, HO, O, Lionel, Live Steam Modelers stop in my store in the past.  In fact there is a very nice live steam club right in Warren hidden in the woods, full of extremely skilled and nice craftmans.  They always joke around with me, saying they use my HO boxcars for fuel in their engines... HA Ha ha guys .  I Unfortunately don't have enough room for a layout in my Condo... Hmm, scratch that.  I have managed to get a 18" x 72" switching layout in here and a 4'x4' complete loop, with a passing siding, engine service facility(small, very small), a coaling station, and even a small interchange (enough room for one engine. This is a videos of my son and I running trains on the 4x4  http://youtube.com/watch?v=JJrCNyMaM8U .  If you click on "More from this user", to the right of the video, you can see all my videos of the layout my Dad and I are building.

So I know you're out there... post here and let other know.  The club I  belong to is starting a new layout, in a new space and new members would be great.  As of now we only have the benchwork finished.  It's in Bound Brook, NJ.

[BigBlueConrail]

Although I dont live there I am from New Jersey and my layout is heavily influenced by it. I model CSX in the northeast(no specific area) and have NJ transit and Acela trains on my layout.

[johnnyx]

where are you and your dad building this layout?  You said south Jersey..... where in SJ?   Looks good so far!!!

 

[steemtrayn]

Jersey City here.

  Does the Bound Brook club have a website? Maybe I can stop in one night on my way back from Dunellen.

[SteamFreak]

Hi, Ron. I'm not very far from you, and I was in your store recently trying to find that CRC 2-26 spray (you didn't have it ). I don't currently have a layout, so I keep myself busy tinkering with the equipment I do have, and exploring the abandoned ROW of the old iron mine railroads of northern NJ, in which I've developed an interest over the past few years. Fascinating history.

I hope your club has floatation devices mounted under the layout (I worked in Franklin when Floyd hit). Is that the club that was in a church?

The layout you're building with your dad looks great - love the backdrops.

[myowngod]

where are you and your dad building this layout?  You said south Jersey..... where in SJ?   Looks good so far!!!

 

  He lives in Mayslanding NJ, near the Atlantic City Race Track, RT.40.

[myowngod]

Jersey City here.

  Does the Bound Brook club have a website? Maybe I can stop in one night on my way back from Dunellen.

Unfortunately we don't have a website yet.  We're located at the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church, The large stone church on the corner of Rt.28 and Mountain Ave.  Copy this address into Google maps to get you there  "RT-28 & Mountain Ave, Bound Brook, Somerset, New Jersey 08805, United States".  It's actually in the basement of the cemetary build across the street now... the neighbors don't complain a bit .  About a year ago we moved out of the church because of renovation, but it gave us a great opportunity to build a much better quality layout that is much bigger and a nice size crew room.

Stop on by on friday nights from 7-9pm.  Go in the front door of the cemetary building and go down the stairs, you'll here the comotion.  I won't be there for the next couple weeks because I'm finishing up my classes on friday, but the guys will probably say "Hi" and shove a screwdriver in your hand. 

[myowngod]

Hi, Ron. I'm not very far from you, and I was in your store recently trying to find that CRC 2-26 spray (you didn't have it ). I hope your club has floatation devices mounted under the layout (I worked in Franklin when Floyd hit). Is that the club that was in a church?

Sorry about the CRC spray, we usually have that in stock.

We're lucky the club is in a dry part of Bound Brook.  They were just hit with floods again, about 2 months ago.  I guess the name of the town says it all... Bound Brook.  After many years of bounding the brook it's fighting back ever once in awhile.

Thanks for checking out the layout Dad and I are building.  I wish I could get down there more often.

 

[SteamFreak]

Sorry about the CRC spray, we usually have that in stock.

You had something by CRC, but it wasn't 2-26.

We're lucky the club is in a dry part of Bound Brook.  They were just hit with floods again, about 2 months ago.  I guess the name of the town says it all... Bound Brook.  After many years of bounding the brook it's fighting back ever once in awhile.

I used to sit at the traffic light every morning with the church on one side of me and the cemetery on the other when I commuted that way. I know the flooding didn't reach that high, but you mentioned a new space, so I thought you'd relocated. There was an article in the paper about your club 4 or 5 years ago.

Thanks for checking out the layout Dad and I are building.  I wish I could get down there more often.

As if you needed any extra incentive to go down to the shore!

[topcopdoc]

Hi Ron,

Nice videos! I live in Monmouth County and model the Pennsylvania Railroad with a time stamp of November 1967. This allows me to have a mix of steam, diesel and electric power.

At this point the layout is 50% completed. It has 4 passenger, 1 freight and 1 commuter line. All the scenery is made from pink foam. Five bridges extend over my version of the Raritan River.

I have included some PRR points of interest such as South Amboy engine yard, Horseshoe Curve, Galitzin Tunnels and a Pennsylvania station with 5 tracks below and 1 commuter line above at street level. Once most of the scenery is completed I will take some pictures. 

Good luck Doc

[myowngod]

Thanks Doc,

You're modeling my favorite RR.  If any of you are open to visiting each others layout, how about posting or PM each other to get together.  Share layouts and ideas is good on a forum but beyond great in person.  I'm sure everyones layout are in different stages of completeness, so it would be beneficial to see different techniques and styles of layout. 

I live in Basking Ridge 07920, and my Dad is in Mayslanding 08330.  Again all I have is the switching layout and the 4x4 layout.  My Dad's house is where the action is at... the 13x16 layout.  My clubs layout is in Bound Brook 08805.

 

[steemtrayn]

Ron,

I was at the club Friday night. Great bunch of guys.

If you ever find yourself in the Hudson County area, stop in. Just PM me first...I hate surprises.

[ElectricMotive]

I don't have a layout, and the club I belong to is basically freelance (it started off as more of a protolance thing, but lately it's basically (d)evolved into a "run whatever you want" layout), but I do model some NJ stuff. I have a couple of CNJ units, some Conrail (which sort of counts, I guess), lots of NJT stuff (U34CH, couple of F40s, and a bunch of coaches) and some Amtrak.

I hope to someday model the Hoboken Shore Railroad, when I have room, and I've got two 44-tonners waiting to be painted into the HBS scheme.

[myowngod]

Ron,

I was at the club Friday night. Great bunch of guys.

Thanks for stopping by.  As you could see we are at the very beginning of the layout stage.  The basic benchwork.  One of the guys mentioned that a guy stopped by from some where... that must of been you.  In a couple months we should be running some trains on at least the basic main line... have to keep the guys interested in it and running is the best way.  We still haven't decided on the sidings and industrial area yet, but the mainline route is pretty much set

A dockside switching layout sound like a great idea for the Hoboken area.  You can pack alot of switching in a small area.

[myowngod]

*Bump*

I would still like to know of any other NJ  model railroaders out there.?

Update on the layouts.

The Clubs mainlines are up and running. Run night is the first friday of every month.  A lot of the scenery is underway.  The yard and engine service area is pretty well established also.

My Dad's layout is 95% trackwork complete.  I am now into the scenery and structure building stage.  You can see a complete progress report in my signature link below.  A lot of picutres and videos are there.

 

New Jersey is one of the birthplaces of model railroading.  There are many clubs and private layouts out there... let's here from you.

 

[Pruitt]

Brunton here -

I live in Merchantville, adjacent to Pennsauken and Cherry Hill. In fact, I'm a member of Council here (yes, that's right, I'm a ... urgh! ... politician!  Actually, I'm just someone who got fed up with the way some things were being done, and decided I could do it better. Heck, a dead man could do it better than some of these folks!).

But about the trains - I'm building the CB&Q in Wyoming (where I'm from). Progress has always been slow, what with all the work we're doing to the house, but with the Council, it's positively glacial!

There's a link to my website in my sig. I operate on one or two local private layouts once a month. This area has quite an active group of operators who meet at each other's homes. My own layout isn't far enough ahead to host session yet, though.

[PASMITH]

I spent 45 years in North Jersey ( Harrington Park, Hackensack, Dumont, and Demarest) but, only 2 years in South Jersey ( Riverside). How do you pronounce Schuylkill again?

Peter Smith, Memphis

[RDG1519]

Howdy,I was born in Philly but now live in the Houston Tx area.

I model RDG, CNJ, PRSL, and CONRAIL.

For Peter, Schuylkill is a Dutch term pronounced Skoo Kill. It is a large river which empties into the Delaware River in Philly.

A famous expressway which was constructed in the 50's is the Schuylkill Expressway or more affectionately reffered to as the Sure Kill Distressway.

I like modeling these local railroads. My great Grandfather was an engineman on the Philadelphia & Reading in Philadelphia.

Chris

[SecretWeapon]

Near Paramus.

I can model from Erie & DL&W days to today with NS,NJT,Amtrak,CSX,& a couple of EL fantasy units. N scale,of course. The REAL modellers scale !!!!

http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php/cat/500/ppuser/2604

 

[swoodnj]

I'm in Great Meadows, near Hackettstown and Belvidere. Have nothing but a small HO switching layout, have been seeking out a club in the area for a long time. Modeling interests are NYS&W, D&H, and early Conrail.

[myowngod]

Brunton here -

I live in Merchantville, adjacent to Pennsauken and Cherry Hill. 

I lived in Lumberton about 4 yrs ago.  I use to belong to the MRR club in Cinnaminson,  BCMRRC.  I really miss that club.

I won't hold the politician thing against you.  I think the MRR thig overrides any other paradigm.

How's Satler's? Is Bruce still chugging along there?

Also, one big thanks.  I found your website about 2yrs ago.  Once I started the layout with my Dad we used your idea for the cork road bed cutting chig.  I love that thing.  In fact you can see it on the post about the layout HERE.  It's about half way down the page.  One 12' roll of cork was enough for the whole layout, and a little extra for pads under buildings.  Thanks again.

[swoodnj]

Lumberton, that brings back memories. Got my commercial pilot's license and flight instructor certificate at Flying W airport. Coolest thing at that airport was the airplane shaped built in pool!

[steemtrayn]

Coolest thing at that airport was the airplane shaped built in pool!

For seaplanes?

[myowngod]

Coolest thing at that airport was the airplane shaped built in pool!

Cool, I heard about that pool, but never saw it.  I've seen similar pix on Google Earth.  Say, were  you the one doing loop-da-loops over my house that day?

[myowngod]

Howdy,I was born in Philly but now live in the Houston Tx area.

I model RDG, CNJ, PRSL, and CONRAIL.

For Peter, Schuylkill is a Dutch term pronounced Skoo Kill. It is a large river which empties into the Delaware River in Philly.

A famous expressway which was constructed in the 50's is the Schuylkill Expressway or more affectionately reffered to as the Sure Kill Distressway.

I like modeling these local railroads. My great Grandfather was an engineman on the Philadelphia & Reading in Philadelphia.

Chris

I was born in Philly, too.  But now live in North Jersey.  That's almost like Texas...

And yes "School Kill" is how you pronounce it.  And the expressway is still a death trap... but hey it's got a nice view of the river and the PRR mainline.  Really close to Zoo Tower also.

My Grandfather was an engineer for the PRR, Penn Central and then Conrail.  He once let my engineer a GG1 in the yard, my one and only time in the seat.

[myowngod]

I'm in Great Meadows, near Hackettstown and Belvidere. Have nothing but a small HO switching layout, have been seeking out a club in the area for a long time. Modeling interests are NYS&W, D&H, and early Conrail.

I use to live in Budd Lake.  I use to frequent Hackettstown often.  Yes I've been up and down the state of New Jersey.  I don't know of any clubs in that area.  Did you check out MRR's directory?

[trainfan1221]

I'm in Elmwood Park, from Fair Lawn next town over.  Nice to have a thread we can call our own for a bit.  I keep busy with my 3 x 6 N scale layout.

   I see there are quite a few of us here, if we play it right, we can take over this whole site! (Evil laughter here)...

[myowngod]

I use to have a 2-1/2' x 4' N scale layout set up on one of my old apartments.  I really like that layout.  Right now it's packed away in my father-in-laws barn.  I think the last time I saw it the racoons used some of the mountains as bedding.  It was one of the Atlas plans, a figure 8 with an outside loop, a small yard and passing siding.  I managed to fit a lot of nice scenery on that thing.  One great advantage of N scale.  I guess I could bring that thing back to life in the future, but I'm busy enough with my Dad's layout and my club.

[SteamFreak]

Anyone going to the Greenberg show next weekend?

[myowngod]

Anyone going to the Greenberg show next weekend?

 

I have to work next week.

Say, is that avatar of your's at the Whippany museum?