Andy’s really in to his Pennsylvania model train layout – and it really shows too:
“Hi, my name is Andy, and this is my train layout.
I really love the Pennsylvania Railroad and it’s history and own a few books on it. I am also into CSX AND CONRAIL.
My model railroad is based on an imaginary town named Brookfield, a Small Town in Northwestern, New Jersey, where the mainline travels through.
The Pennsylvania railroad model trains that run through are Amtrak, New York Central, Pennsylvania Railroad, Reading, Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, CNJ, CSX, Conrail, Santa Fe, Burlington, and even the occasional Atlantic Coastline or Burlington Northern and from time to time.
Just about anything can go through there, depending on trackage rights, giving me the freedom to run any road I want!
My hobbies are Model Railroading, Chasing Trains and photographing and video taping them for my personal collection.
I also enjoy collecting CD’s, DVD’s, Die Cast Cars, Model Trains, Magazines, Listening to music, Playing with my computer, Going to concerts, Cats, Taking walks, and looking at the night sky.
I was born and grew up in Vineland, New Jersey, where my father took me for long walks on my uncle’s farm on Wheat Road in same town, and we watched the last of the steam engines rolling down the tracks on the central railroad.
Perhaps this has had a lot to do with me being into trains as I am. I also watched the diesels travel through Vineland, that would be Central Railroad of New Jersey, Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines, Conrail, Winchester and Western, and for the remainder of my growing from childhood to adulthood and had my first model railroad layout at the age of 13.
Nowadays it’s CSX, NS and Winchester and Western.
I gave it up when I was 18 and got onto other things, only to return to the hobby at the age of 37, when I got bit once again by the bug after purchasing a G Scale Christmas train for under my Christmas tree.
Andy”
A big thanks to Andy. What a layout! It’s not hard to see why people choose a Pennsylvania model train theme.
Just me, but I really do think picking a theme for a layout makes a huge difference.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you stop dreaming and start doing, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Best
Al
PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.
PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.
nice layout Andy has built there …dangerous Dave
Andy…. Nice detail in your scenes. Good looking layout
Andrew, I’m assuming this is HO scale and it is very alluring . Would like to see a broader perspective to get a handle of your landscape and town. My layout is from the New York Hudson river line. I’m also an Amtrak and CSX guy.
The Critic
Pretty Kool.!!!! Nice workmanship
Andy, Thanks for the memories. I also grew up in the area and remember those same rail lines. good sharing
I am impressed by the attention to detail. Everything is to scale size or near so. Beautiful job! I too am from northern NJ, eastern though. And I too watched the evolution from steam to diesel and I too was bitten by the bug that has endured for 87 years. The theme of my layout is “Memories” Some day I’ll have to take some pictures and send them to Al.
Bii
Very nice Andy, looks like you got lots going on there.
Keep on Model Railroading 👍👍🚂🚉
Cary B
Andy
can you provide a copy of your layout plan?
Nicely done. Would like to see more of the overall layout as well.
Jim AZ
Great detail, nice work.
Ever see any locomotives or rolling stock for Pennsylvania-Reading Seashore Lines. I haven’t seen any and can’t even find decals. Someday I’ll get my HO project started.
Andy, let’s see, isn’t Vineland a suburb of Millville? Haha from a former Soutb Jersey guy. Nice work and lots of enjoyment there I am sure. Thanks for sharing with us.
Mn Dan
Nice looking layout!! well done.
To Ed, Williamstown,
Google mountvernonshops.com
They have the decals you are looking for plus many others.
I’m not connected with them in any way; just trying to help a fellow modeler.
I, also can appreciate the transitional time period, as i spent numerous enjoyable hours on Grannies front porch watching the activities on the B&O yard in Rowelsburg, WV.
Really nice layout, but why don’t we see any Pennsylvania railroad trains or other train companies from your State? But your layout is really good! Keep up the good work!
Amtrak 901. I took that locomotive and its train from New York to New Haven many times.
Andy, you built a beautiful narrative for your lifelong passion of supporting this exciting North NJ theme but you left us flat when you didn’t show us more than a few tantalizing vignettes. But like Billy Ray Mills, Jim Az and The Critic say, “Where’s the Beef”? Let’s see the entire layout and some Pennsy stock! Don’t worry about boring us. More is better. We’re model railroad guys!
Smilin’ Jack in Naples, FL
Andy , you’ve done a great job with your layout . Very nicely done , the scenes come to life . Really enjoyed your story , I grew up in PA and like you said being from that general area it’s hard not to be enthusiastic about trains, they dominated, still do, the country side .
I remember the Jersey Central. I was a kid in the late 40s when most of the engines were still steam. We lived in Manhattan and would take the ferry across the Hudson and then board the train to the shore for vacation. I’ll never forget using the bathroom and when you looked in the toilet you saw the tracks! You wouldn’t get away with that today.
Love the photos. That’s a real art getting the depth of field right shooting a model railroad scene. I’ve taken hundreds upon hundreds of photos just to throw out the bad and keep the good ones. My problem with prototyping a specific railway is that if the truth be told, they’re all pretty boring. Don’t take that the wrong way, I’m talking about watching a train of 75 cars go by and they all look the same…dullsville! That’s why I have an assortment of different type of rolling stock with the majority being of the road names of the locomotives. I’d love to see more of your layout though. Good job
Great Layout. One tip however: The U.P.S. Truck needs a camber alignment. Just kidding, of course, congrats on a job well done.
I like this layout and enjoy seeing the pictures but I notice with this group of pictures that much of the scene is out of focus. I would like to offer a method whereby the entire scene is in focus. It appears that the position of the camera is entirely too close to the subject being photographed. so step back a little and if you have a zoom lens on your camera, zoom in to get the desired close-up affect. The alternative is to crop your photo after it is captured with your cameras software. Most smart phones today have this capability. Try it, maybe you will like the results.
This suggestion is for all who want to submit photos for this page. I see this problem with focus in a lot of the posts here and I hope this helps guys who have put a lot of effort into the hobby, to improve their presentations.
Hi Andy … I grew up in Paulsboro.
really good layout, very nice work.
Andy – Thanks for the memories! I grew up In Bayonne, New Jersey in a house overlooking the Jersy Central 5-track mainline. We lived about three blocks from the 33rd Street Station. Steam was king then. Erie, Lackawanna and Lehigh Valley were names you saw every day. The Weehawken Terminal was magnificent (as least to a kid). From there, you took the ferry across to Manhattan. As you can guess, I had my own layout. The Pennsy “steam turbine” was the center piece.
Your pix are great, showing scenes of everyday life. Thanks again and keep up the good work!.. .
great layout & all the cars & trucks look so life like
I grew up on StatenIsland. I used to watch the Steam Engines in the late 40s also fro my parents bedroom window as it chuggg along. Also my Father built our house in 1949 and the bricks were delivered from Ohio Foundery by Rail through Nee Jersey over the bridge that is next to the Goethals Bridge to the Siding in New Dorp. Does we’re da daze my friends.