My current layout was begun in 1996 when we moved to South-Central PA. I bought a ranch house with a decent sized basement which has yielded a 29’ X 45’ S scale layout. I’ve made several improvements over the years. The track plan as it existed in 1999 is at:
http://www.trains.com/mrr/default.aspx?c=a&id=1343. There have been several changes since then, but the basic footprint is the same.
Currently, I’m working on an extension to the East Broad Top section, which is in Sn3. I’m only a half hour from the EBT and have been interested in the railroad for some time now and wanted to do more modeling of it. I have an HO Heljan turntable that was used for the S standard gauge and was OK for diesels, but not so good for steam. It was the natural thing to convert the roundhouse and turntable to Sn3 for the EBT. I’ll be able to build lots of new structures for the EBT as well. I just completed the coal tipple used at Orbisonia.
The background scenery was temporary. I replaced several backdrop panels that had been water damaged. I then took two of them and changed them by painting over some structures in order to show basic PA terrain. I then had my wife hold them in place while I took the photos. I plan to use them whenever I want a shot in a spot where there are no backdrops. They are painted in acrylics on standard 18" X 24" canvas panels.
You can view all of the backdrops used on the Penn Western at:
http://royhoffman.com/pwrr/background.html
Roy Hoffman
The S/Sn3 Scale Penn Western Railroad -
