This year I’ve decided to devote 10 minutes a day to working on model railroading. My first post was on FaceBook Live so not sure how to share that here but the next three are online there as well as on YouTube. 
 

Join me in supporting MRH and youth in the hobby by donating toward scholarships subscriptions to MRH & TMTV. 

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I suppose that I’m not unlike others who want to get started with benchwork, roadbed and track, as soon as possible to visualize or operate the layout without really giving thought to overhead lighting (room prep etc.). My rough-in electrical boxes were there since before putting up drywall on the ceiling and walls but things change so putting off the final installation seemed reasonable. 

I was happily surprised to see my name listed on this week’s AML podcast. While I hardly consider myself an “All Star”, it is fun to participate in the “friends of” forum. After listening to my interview a number of ideas came to mind that might be of interest to others so need to put pen to paper or do more videos of progress on my Oahu Railway “Pine Spur Branch”.

I did a little timelapse of wiring my staging yard. It was a fun way to get motivated and finish this section. Enjoy!

What started out to be a simple new layout with a loop of track, inspired by the one-town layout design concept, has morphed into a railroad that I have become very excited about building. It is still a basic loop that will start and end in a four track staging loop and pass through the town of Waipahu (pronounced “why pa who”) where cars will be left for the branch line. 

I’m inclined toward doing a double deck layout that would provide some railfaning on the lower level with an interchange to a branch line on the upper deck. 

My room has some limitations but an access door requires that there be 41” clear below the lower deck framing and, because of sloping ceilings, the upper deck might be shallow - right now it is mocked up at 12” deep but could be less. 

My son and his girlfriend took my wife and me to the railway museum while visiting him in Honolulu. 

He is a goof (like his dad?) and we had a great time. The 1944 30’ flat cars were converted to observation cars after being donated to the museum from the Navy. I also got a new Hawaiian shirt to support the cause ;-)

This is a chronical of the restoration of my railway that started in 2000 but has been neglected and become decrepit. The rails were torn up and the right of way taken down to the roadbed. Some thoughts of where to go at this point would be appreciated. 

I’ve updated this with a name that represents my wife and I in the name (Sherrill & Neil Erickson or S&NE). 

Neil

Inspired by the one town layout concept, I want to explore what can be done in my space using On30 locomotives and rolling stock to represent a very small portion of the OR&L (Oahu Railway & Land Company). 

Please share your thoughts and sketches!

I’ve added a “dream space” to keep in mind while developing the first module for future use in a layout.  3/24/18

Neil

10/23/18 Updated plan