Kevin,

Between your forum posts, your website, and this write-up, I for one am really inspired by the work you have done.  great job on capturing the modern look of western Washington.

Kevin's put together a fine example of what can be attainable on the average model railroader's budget of space, time and dollars. He shows well that you don't need a basement full of multi-decks, helixes and massive staging yards to have a great model railroad. The amount of detail on his room-sized pike is difficult to pull off on a larger scale anyway - and most of us cannot devote the full-time effort needed regardless.

I like how he took the Pike City Belt Line plan (Model Railroader magazine, Sept. 1998) and not only flipped it but also radically changed the topography by adding the waterfront scenery. It just shows how you can take either a portion of a published plan or one in its entirety and make it your own. Kevin also demonstrates how to realistically proto-freelance - creating his own railroad company, yet keeping with reality at the same time.

Great article, and hopefully one of many in the future that demonstrates what can be done within the limitations that 99.5% of most modelers face. If it gets just one more modeler out of the armchair and building a layout it is a 100% success.

Kevin,

This is a great layout and you have demonstrated what can be done with a small space.  Background is great, in that it makes the room twice as big as it actually is.  

Joe,  You are have finally arrived, This is the best article I have seen so far.  Video was great.  This should get everyone to start their own layout or get to work on what they have.  Kevin is a great modeler and just one of the many people out thier who have tallent.

Art

Good modeling and great use of a small space that captures the atmosphere of a Pacific port. Your craftsmanship and planning prove that good execution makes a layout - not size and money.

Thanks for sharing.

Mat

...kind of favorite layout.  First in class build, not too bigg so you can call it  "finished" one day and enjoy it to it's fullest. Like I said before Kevin...."VERY NICE!!!!!" (and that's an understatement). 

Also the article and the video are top notch.....so...  to the vid. crew and I'll even add a bigg  to it , na...

Great modeling, which demonstrates that you do not need to have a "basement empire" to have a great layout.

Great article that I enjoyed reading very much. So much detail in such a small space. Well done, Kevin. The video and pictures were first class.

Roy

 Good job MRH staff on this fine article on Kevin Klettke's WNR. I am a big fan of small layouts and this one is a winner. Kevin's emphasis on using whats' available from old layouts and turning it into something really superb is just plain inspiring.  I enjoyed the close up photo's as well as the 360 deg panorama. It gives me a sense of the space RR the is in, how it fits in the room, the deck height, etc. The WNR and Kevin is a breath of fresh air.

Tom

Auburn, Ca.

A really nice article and it's cool to see someone "plucked" from the ranks of forum poster and into the published magazine.  A great read!

One suggestion:  for Charlie's video piece I think it might be better handled with clip on microphone's rather than the hand held "reporter on the scene" one that you use in the video.  I think it might be a bit more natural for both the participants and the audience as the conversation seems to center on making sure everyone is talking right into the microphone.  With mic packs you could more easily point out things on the layout and have a looser, conversational style.  Not a big deal at all, I enjoyed it and watched the entire video (I'm still trying to figure out how Kevin thinks he doesn't know how to weather based on the look of his buildings).

thanks!

~rb

Great article. I am planning a small (10X8) shelf switching layout and this is great information. Shows what can be done in a small space with good planning.

I hope your Wife's name is Carol (as on the Tugboat photo).  In the photo of you with the Beer in hand, it says you live with your Wife and Dog Bentley.  Doesn't your Wife's name deserve mentioning?  Oh boy, are you in trouble or what?

Rick

Very nice size for practical consideration by those of us without a basement!  Wonderful compromize between the basement sized empires and the typical 4x8 that seem to be the norm for most of the hobby press!  Nice job, Kevin.

 Really nice layout. An ideal size for many of us here in the UK. The buildings look great, especially as they don't look like every one else's kits. 

I agree with having sound fitted locos, they make such a difference when switching.

Are the buildings and streets lit? That would make for great night time operations.

Mike

Thanks to everyone for your positive comments and kind words. I'm glad the layout has been well received and has helped point out that you don't need a huge space to have fun in this great hobby. If it has been an encouragement to anybody debating the merits of a layout in a small space, then I am happy. The MRH staff did a great job putting the article together and deserve all the credit. 

To answer some specific questions:

Mike: Yes, the plan is for the layout to be totally lighted. There is some already in place on the Raven Pulp & Paper Mill. I'll be sure to share when the lighting becomes more complete. Also, a recent fantastic forum post by Trent (LMACKATTACK) on lighting vehicles with fiber optics, is going to have to be incoporated into this effort as well.

RIck: Trust me! I have taken a little bit of flack from the Mrs.  My lovely and talented wife is named Jodi and she deserves so much credit for putting up with me and my hobbies, or in this case, obsession.

Great layout, and great article! But...

MRH: What about the sagebrush trees,
did you put spikes in them too?
Kevin: No, I drill large enough holes in
the plywood to hold the trunks. I tried
doing drilling a hole in the trunk for a
spike and found that sagebrush trunks
are pretty delicate –

"I tried doing drilling..." what huh? 

Anyways.  I'm loving the layout photos.  The paint scheme on the locomotives is very believable.

I really enjoyed the layout spread in the magazine and the video coverage with Charlie and Kevin. This is so much more coverage than what you get in a typical print magazine layout spread, and I especially like the way the layout is shown how it fits in its surroundings in the video (not just close-up photos). This layout has a very high "realism" factor; good use of colors and textures from scene to scene. My favorite parts: the working traffic light in the video (very subtle yet suggests this is a live scene) and the opening photo in the article.

Can never get tired of layouts like this or the multimedia coverage.

Jamie

I didn't even notice the 3-D panorama...super cool! Jamie

Thanks for publishing this layout article.  I really enjoy such articles about layouts where it is reasonable that one person can complete it in several years' time, without breaking the bank.  I get so frustrated reading glowing articles featuring layouts that fill a basement (they don't exist on the West Coast) or a separate building.  Simply not achievable by a single person with moderate means.

We will be refining our panorama technique in the future. The WN pano was photographed with the camera in a fixed position, pivoted in overlapping increments. Any suggestions? Moving the camera horizontally but keeping it at a fixed height and a fixed distance from the railroad might result in a more useful photo.

Visiting the WN and talking to Kevin was a real pleasure.

 I was soo surprised to see a video of this layout(usaully just pictures)I love the detail of this layout,kinda what i'll be going for on my future "switching" layout.I was impressed to see a Dash 8 40b model shuffling the rolling stock.Of course i'm sure a few modelist are scratching their heads wondering why a 4,000 HP loco was being used for switching?

Being that it is freelanced,I say use what ever ya want,does it really matter?That's what i plan on using for my switch engines(one in Conrail paint and one in CSX)I have always loved this loco,it looks radical,and it's a 4 cycle GE diesel(sounds awesome).The weathered rolling stock adds alot of realism to the layout and the fact that it is what i call inner city/urban type scenery(what i'm going for also).I personally get tired of seeing the mountain based model  railroads,ya seen one ya seen em all(rocks,trees,trees,and more trees,more rock).This layout is built for operation...that i like.It sure would be nice to see more videos of members and others layouts on MRH.

This is a great article - not just because Kevin's Washington Northern is a very well-executed, engaging layout, but because it's not your typical basement-filling monstrosity.  Kudos to those who have the time, the resources, and the patience to build such master works, but reasonably-sized, more focused layouts like Kevin's are more representative of the majority of model railroaders out there today. Articles focusing on smaller layouts - in terms of size, but not interest - are much more interesting to me.  While I aspire to have the space, the time and the resources to build a basement-filling monstrosity of my own, that just isn't possible for me (and, I suspect, many others out there as well).  I appreciate that MRH dedicated a sizable chunk of their publication to the Washington Northern, showing how involving such a layout can be. Thanks!

Rich

      My first time on the blog and I want to say i like the magazine. I copied the articl on the Washington Northern and think the guy did a great job. I am working on a Great Northern in the 1940s and early 50s. That way i can have steam along with those new diesels,like I want. I have a section about 1/3 of our basement and have a large loop so I have part of Everett, Monroe (my wife wanted a big creamery) and of course Skykomish. I have most of the track laid and am working out the kinks when I get a chance to work on it.The problem is I am going back to school and time is a  problem.  i saw some relatively cheep switch machines under the bench work in the ads so when I can swing it I'll get some (Bullfrog type). As I said before I appreciate that layout in the magazine. It seems to me to catch the look of the area that I am going to model. Will close for now from an ex-SP guy who now is totally into GN stay railroading. John T.

The U.P. mainline into Los Angeles was directly behind the shop in the City of Industry in So. Cal.  As the name of the city implies, there is a lot of industry and industrial switching in that area.  At least 50% of the time, and maybe even 75% the U.P. used not only Dash8-40B units for switching, those were some of the smaller units that they used.  There was one Gp40-2 that was occasionally used for switching prior to the big economic downturn of 2008, but it was sold to a leasing company and leased back.  I don't know if the U.P. even rosters the smaller units that other railroads typically use for local switching.  I don't model modern class one railroads, so I don't know all of the designations, but frequently the U.P. would use some of the latest "super power" 6 axle units for local switching in the City of Industry.  Amtrak is now using the Dash8-32BWH units that they got from GE when the original Genesis production was delayed exclusively for passenger coach switching in the coach yard at Redondo Junction, and probably elsewhere as well.  Kevin is not going against prototypical practice using a Dash8-40B for local switching service.

I have been seeing teasers on the forum of Kevin's work and his layout, so it's great to finally get to see it all and take an MRH guided tour!

I had imagined this layout to be much larger than it is but it's a fantastic layout all the same!  I really like the use of the photo backdrop to extend the road.  On my first pass through the magazine, looking at pictures, I didn't even pick up on the photo trickery, I just assumed the intersection and cars were layout, not backdrop!  On my second trip through, where I actually read stuff, I discovered the secret.  It looks great!

It's an added bonus that Kevin is a well known regular in the MRH forums and now his layout is featured in the magazine!

A very inspiring layout for me as I try to come to terms with the space limitations that prevent me from building the large layout I dream of.

I liked your panorama, but kept trying to zoom in places to get a better look.  Is it possible to add zoomming to a panoramic photo?

Bob Hayes

A fine article on a great layout!  After seeing Kevin's pictures on his pulp mill posted here and then hearing it was to be featured in an issue of MRH I couldn't wait to see it. 

To Kevin if you ever wanted to do a follow up article how about one on your photo backdrops?  I have never been a fan of them but yours were very well done.

Steve

'Blue' said: "A very inspiring layout for me as I try to come to terms with the space limitations that prevent me from building the large layout I dream of."

Most of us have less time, space and money for model railroading than we might want.

Looks like one answer is to make the railroad operationally large, even if it isn't physically large. The Washington Northern, and some of Lance Mindheim's designs, and others have enough going on to occupy a couple of people for several hours. No, it's not the Moffatt Road scaling the Rockies, but it's legitimate railroading.

Looks like one answer is to make the railroad operationally large, even if it isn't physically large. The Washington Northern, and some of Lance Mindheim's designs, and others have enough going on to occupy a couple of people for several hours.

Exactly!  I am looking at Byron Henderson's plan, Alco's in the Alcove, featured in a previous issue of MRH as one solution to my space problem.  While the layout is small, the potential for satisfying operations makes it seem much bigger to me.  Since I have a bit more space than the plan calls for I will look to expand with a visible staging area, to begin with.

I join the readers expressing pleasure at seing a room-size high quality layout.  I was also impressed  that much of the layout came from previous layouts.  This could lead to another forum thread on building layout components to be re-usable.  Structures are the most obvious but some articles have already mentioned re-cycling yards. Yards and points of interest such as scenic highlights could be constructed and wired to be moved - not quite modular railroading - just focused on some of the elements.

Artarms

This is a great layout which shows what can be done in a modest space. I've operated on large layouts and I'm always thinking, "man this must have taken an army of people to build" and of course that's usually the case. I personally have resigned myself to the fact that for model railroad modeling I'm pretty much a lone wolf. I enjoyed the article and would like to see more like this.

2slim

Rabid Rio Grande Fan