Details: Written by Josh Baakko; Category: Layout Tours; Published: 05 August 2022; Hits: 1362

Quincy Mine Layout Tour

This small layout was on display in the Quincy Mine gift shop and ticket office, in 2019.

The layout depicts the Quincy Mine historical site, and the current Quincy & Torch Lake cog railway that takes you from the Mine site on top of Quincy hill, to a Mine shaft opening on the lower side of the hill. This is where tours go underground by foot to explore the mine.

Winter on the Old Town Model Railroad Depot Layout (part 2)

Winter comes but once a year here. Usually lasting from Mid-November until Mid-January. This photo essay is part 2 of a 2 part Winter special.

Created in 2014 by an enterprising, experienced, and motivated group of friends, headed and financed by O gauge enthusiast Gary Hickock, the layout at the Old Town Model Railroad Depot (OTMRD) was in danger of being scrapped forever at the end of 2019. Then in walked a family, David, Mana, and their son Miles. To their dismay Gary explained to them in his normal introduction to everyone who walked in, that the Depot was closing at the end of November, just shy of Christmas! This couple ended up making an offer days later, saving the Depot, and along the way finding me to help run the business, and the layout.

2020 has not been nice to most every model railroad club, museum, and group worldwide, OTMRD none the less faced shutdown after shutdown. From Mid-August until the first few weeks of November, we enjoyed some visitors "like normal." Once again we added snow to the city scene as had been done for the previous 5 years, but we don't get to share it with the public! Read along in this multi-part series showing some intricate scenes on our 'normally open to the public' O gauge layout.

As with any museum, OTMRD depends on the generosity of the viewing pubic. Please, if you can do so, made a donation though OTMRD's website, or purchase some products! https://www.oldtowntrains.com/

"Get your news paper!" Even with the winter weather, the local newspaper men are still out!

Details: Written by Josh Baakko; Category: Layout Tours; Published: 24 March 2019; Hits: 1487

Details: Written by Phillip; Category: Layout Tours; Published: 10 February 2019; Hits: 1605

New Layout 2 (Australia)

The photos are of the progress of the cutting on the other side of the bridge and the level crossing before the tunnel and next to the siding for the grain silo and ballast siding.

Winter on the Old Town Model Railroad Depot Layout

Winter comes but once a year here. Usually lasting from Mid-November until Mid-January. This photo essay is part 1 of a 2 part Winter special.

As with any museum, OTMRD depends on the generosity of the viewing pubic. Please, if you can do so, made a donation though OTMRD's website, or purchase some products! https://www.oldtowntrains.com/

Shop workers inspect a Santa Fe SD24 diesel, in for light repairs.

Details: Written by Neva F.; Category: Layout Tours; Published: 23 February 2019; Hits: 1539

Our Train Layout Room

Located in Harmon Senior Recreation Center, 4090 South 3600 West, Salt Lake City, Utah

-By Neva F.

A few years ago, our senior center in Salt Lake City, Utah created a train club room for their members aged 60 years and older. Local model train enthusiasts designed and began working on the room, but the sounds of train whistles were silenced last year when the man in charge of the project passed away.

My husband and I went to the center to find out about joining the train club and were told “you are now the club, enjoy.” We’ve accepted the challenge to continue the train room’s legacy of bringing enjoyment to the center’s members.

Like many children growing up in the 1940’s, Lee loved playing with his model trains and naturally I played with dolls. When our boys were old enough, they developed a love for trains and our daughters placed their Barbie dolls on the tracks to bug them. Now the grandchildren are sharing our love for the hobby and come with us to all the area train shows. Lee has promised to help build their model railroad sets like the N scale he built recently for himself.

The senior center HO scale DCC train room measures 11 feet wide by 15 1/2 feet long. There are two helixes with a diameter of 5 feet each with 5 ½ spirals that raise the two tracks to a 2 foot elevated level. There is a total of 273 feet of track in the layout.

Our primary concern has been fixing basic problems that didn’t allow the trains to run, such as huge gaps in the rails, finishing wiring not completed, repairing turnouts and adding manual ground throws. We look forward to posting future pictures as we work on building or completing scenes that depict a Park City ski hill, the Kennecott mine, and other vignettes of everyday life in Utah.

Model Railroad Tips would like to note that the senior center is open to those aged 60 or older. It is a registered 501(c), so donation may be tax deductible. Contact user “nevafels” through our forum for more information on membership, or donating to the layout.

My Old Layout (Australia)

Here are some photos of my old layout that took me about a year and a half to make. What I did on this layout has helped me do stuff on this layout. Last photo is of my boy Alex he was 6 at the time helping dad out.

California Southern Model Railroad Club

My personal experiences with the club

The California Southern Model RR Club is located in what was a vacant building in the center of Norwalk's historical downtown, adjacent to an old Southern Pacific (now U.P.) branchline that runs down to Anaheim, CA. This string of downtown stores, dating back to the 1890s, are now some of Norwalk's oldest and are registered Historical Landmarks. Originally, this was one of Norwalk's local Markets and Drug Store. In the late 1940s the market closed down and the room was turned into a dance studio. A few pieces of the dance floor are still visible around the layout area.

I visited the club a few times in late 2010 and the first half of 2011, thanks to one of my old friends, Tyler Brett. Tyler is a friend who is a member of the club.

Details: Written by Josh Baakko; Category: Layout Tours; Published: 18 February 2019; Hits: 1602

Bruce's HO scale 1960's era Southern Pacific

Yesterday I had an opportunity to visit Bruce Deck's home layout. Bruce models the Southern Pacific, currently in the 1960's with plans to model the 1970's up to the delivery of the SD40T-2 tunnel motors in the future.

Large photos to follow the break.

Details: Written by Phillip; Category: Layout Tours; Published: 05 February 2019; Hits: 1533

This is my first time putting what I do on to a model railroad page . I have been doing model railways now for 4 1/2 years and this is my 3rd layout . I live in Australia and model ho scale NSWGR modern era.

I have only in the past 2 months chosen an era. before I just got what ever I liked and that ended up being and expensive choice.

The first lot of photos I will put up are of my new layout that I started 12 months ago. I will start from what the layout went from to what it looks like now and how I do what I do. I will later put up photos of locos and rolling stock I have weathered.