Bob Watched on You Tube

Great looking layout, I would love to visit one day. There are videos of layout on you tube.

Larger than life scale

What a great layout. You've accomplished so much in a realitifly short time. All that scenery must have been a little intimidating! That picture of you by the trestle,  I'll bet you could probably stand on it. Very well done article.  I am weaning off N and just started operations on a new HO layout.  Sort of wished I had the space to use O gauge. Nice work, thanks for the article.  Dave

That trestle is impressive

Why O scale?

The author states in the sidebar that he considered and rejected HO and N scales.  Then he says "That left O scale."  Did I miss something?  Has S scale been officially buried?  I'm not critical of his choice, only his omission .

Has S scale been officially buried?

It probably had to do with the selection of large steam models available in S scale?  O scale offers more choices of large steam in various roads. I've modeled in both scales and find it easier to find what I want in O scale. The downside is the space required and the physical size of the models which make it hard to fit in realistically proportioned buildings and surrounding scenery. Using three rail only makes the turns tighter, it doesn't help with the basic size problem. Deciding between S and O is really a choice that must be decided case by case depending on the rolling stock needed to build the desired layout versus the space available..DaveB

S scale equipment

S scale is definitely a great size for an operating railroad.  I never considered it because, as DaveB stated above, the availability of signature Pennsy locomotives simply wasn't there.  I was going to need several H10s 2-8-0's, L1s 2-8-2's and I1s 2-10-0's at a minimum in order to move freight.  None of these were available in S but all had been produced between the mid 1980's and mid 1990's in O.  With the magnitude of layout, scenery and structure construction facing me, I really needed readily available locomotives and rolling stock to make the project feasible.

Thanks to all for the kind comments.  Yes, you could sit on the trestle.  It is made of poplar lumber (ripped from 1x3's on a table saw) held together with Elmer's carpenter's wood glue.

Bob Bartizek

smooth couplers 3 rail?

Great!! RR...  love what U have done in 3 rail.  My 42 year old son & I are trying to do a switching layout, 3 RAIL, at his home and we cannot get the lionel couplers to  work smooth (like a KD) Anyways, HOW & What, do you do to them???  Would love to see the secrets THANKS   BILL & MIKE P.    

we cannot get the lionel couplers to work smooth (like a KD)

You can always just put Kadees on 3 rail equipment. I had a trolley layout years ago that used three rail sharp curves and the body mounted Kadees worked fine on O-31 curves.Along with better performance you also get better looks......DaveB

Masterpiece of a layout Bob!

I know the "rivet counters" don't care for 3 rail O. This layout regardless of its 3 rails is a masterpiece in my opinion and we are all entitled to our opinions. 3 rail has the large "Lobster claw" couplers but with command control offered the engines can remotely drop off freight or passenger cars to a siding and or add a remote uncoupler unit into the tracks. Plus you can always modify to kadee coupler if need be. 

The selection of 3 rail engines that operate with blind flanges is far larger than S gauge offerings and you can run large scale steam locomotives (i.e. Sunset Models brass in 3 rail, MTH, Weaver, Lionel and Atlas) that offer superb detailing and operation. Plus the advantage of 3 rail over 2 rail O scale is that you do not need the huge 10'+ curves as the owner of the layout explains. I am sold.  I enjoy all scales but this layout is an exceptionally done masterpiece. I congratulate MRH for putting this layout into its magazine. I am impressed and a Possible convert after reading this article.

Great Looking Layout Bob

Hoping to accomplish something nearly as good in S in a 20 x 20 attic.  Not as easily done as said and 36" radius is out of the question even in S. Am squeaking by with one 39" radius curve that is historic and regretted. But well operating S is a very "natural" scale to model. You have done marvels with O three rail nonetheless. I see a lot of my S brethren are posting here, and thinking........Chris

one 39" radius curve that is historic and regretted.

What are you running that needs those big curves? I had an O layout that used 42 inch radius with no problems so 39 inch seems plenty generous to me for S scale, of course I was running diesels.....DaveB 

PRR in S

By now they may be hard to get, but over the years, S has had many PRR prototype steam available in imported brass.

That's all right, though, we're used to being skipped over or ignored.