Follow Train NTSW-29, affectionately known as the "Tramp", as it delivers a carload to Beisser Lumber on my IAIS Grimes Line layout.

James

To All: I deleted my previous post on this car. This is now the correct photo of this car. I got the idea for this scheme from an ad in Model Railroader magazine for an N scale boxcar. To get the herald for my version in HO I reduced a picture from a book by 50% and glued it on the car with super glue. I will not weather the car so as to represent a new car from the manufacturer. Yours, Elvin Howland/E. St.Louis Rail Group Layout

Hey MRH readers!

I'm currently building a 13'x23' HO layout. The theme is coal hauling on the Norfolk and Western, somewhere on the West Virginia, Kentucky border in the late 1960s era. The track plan is a freelanced multi-level design with lower level staging. Operationally, trains will leave the lower level staging, drop cuts off at the small division point yard, where they will be sorted into way freights for delivery to the various mines and industries along the main and a one track hidden branchline. 

There has been a bit of a discussion on carving foam rocks on the Forum at:

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/9085

This gave me the impetus to start working on some mountainous areas of my layout that had been bare beadboard waiting for plaster rock moulds for a long time.

There has been a bit of a learning curve involved in the carving, but I'm at the point now that I might never use plaster again.

Here are a few photos of some of my favorite layouts I had the pleasure of touring at the 32nd National Narrow Gauge Convention this past week in Seattle. This should help wet your appetite for more that I'm sure will come from Joe and Les once they get the opportunity to post them. Great convention and wonderful folks! Enjoy!

The first four are of Dave Woodrell's RGS Northern District.

As a damn (proud) Yankee, one of the things that often defines the North East, and especially my home (which is also the area which I'm modeling) are (field) stone walls. Long before some states were, well, states, folks in the North East had cleared their lands, and used the unfortunate primary crop from their fields (stone) to create walls.

These walls were used to mark out the field, and also as property markers.

One of the signature scenes on the Great Western in northern Colorado is the spot where the GW crosses I-25 just south of US 34 near Loveland. It is named Birds after a local farmer.  Besides the really neat overpass that the GW runs across, there is a fairly unique grain elevator.  No commercial models of this type exist (I think) so I scratch built a version of it.  As far as I know, there were two on the GW, maybe more.  I’m sure they may be more in Colorado.

Prototype photos taken in 1985. 

HELP!!!!! I just recived 2 very nice athern GP 38-2s . The problem is I am so used to the newer DCC plug installed units that when I took the shell off I was kind of suprised to see all this brass contact stuff and no wires! I am clueless as to putting DCC and sound into these units. Any help would be greatly appreceated. Thanks in advance.

Check out some images on my new Z-scale (1:220) Silver Creek Zmod Layout. I have just finished the modeling and made some images to share.

http://www.platelayer.com/silver-creek-zmod-layout-1.aspx

I've been reading about Shays again, and it got me thinking..