“It has taken the last year to complete the Erie Railroad Layout.
I first sent you pictures back in July of the bench work on casters. There are two main lines, two levels, sixteen commercial buildings, a coal mine, three cities, over two hundred people, 95 vehicles, 40 rail cars, 3 Erie engines and all the trains can service all the cities on both levels.
Some who remember the Erie will recognize Salamanca, Meadville, and Jamestown which this layout services. Enjoy the pictures.
Bill”
(images are clickable)
A fantastic layout! Thanks to Bill for sharing.
That’s all for today my friends.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you say goodbye to boredom, 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.
VERT NICE LAYOUT.
Well done , looks very good
Very good lay out. What size and scale. Is it? Really looks nice. Way to go hope mine will be half as good
Great layout! Do you have any video you can share?
The realism of the buildings, roads, and track plan is great, The Erie used to run
Obviously a labor of love. You did a great job Bill, definitely something to be proud of….
Finishing up my first comment. The Erie used to run in my area when I was considerably younger. This brings back fond memories. The two levels are blended very well. The layout brought me a lot of excitement Bill. You’ve accomplished a great feat. Keep the pictures coming.
Hi Bill.Nice layout.I like your coal factory.If your interested in making a bunch of stuff for your layout.Do you have nonworking railway signal’s can help with that.How about power poles.not plastic.Either contact me or I will send in a bunch of how too’s to Al so he can put on here.Been on this build the traffic signal kick.Before I realised it I had made up 20 signal’s.thanks for the photo’s of your layout.like it very much
Hi Bill, Great job. I’m from the Wilkes Barre area of PA. My Dad, Grandfather and other relatives were miners in the 40’s and 50’s. I now live in Colorado and am rebuilding my O gauge. Its all PA and NY railroads including the Phoebe Snow, Erie-Lackawanna , NYC etc. Really got a good feel for the PA towns and mining areas from your layout. Keep up the good work.
Would love to see the track plans
Last pic guy at the bottom of the stairs laying on his face… hope hes got insurance.
I love your layout! (I too am curious about the scale.) The scenery is not too complicated in this phase, but looks very good. The people are outstanding, very life-like. I’m sure you will be doing more detailing as time goes by…I can just imagine how cool the layout would look with backdrops. My scale is American Flyer and I have a simple 4 x 8 ft. layout that I will be tippling in size this winter. You have given me some ideas and have challenged me to create something close to the level you’ve displayed here. Bravo!
From: Vashon Island, Washington State (Near Seattle)
Bill
I am always amazed at how great the layouts are. Since I’m from PA I can see many familiar scenes that remind me of the area. Great job.
Hi Bill,
WoW! I like the way that you’ve placed the mine on the Upper Layer, macking it the Center of attraction for your layout, without taking anything away from the rest of the Layout overall. Great job, now untill you decide to fiddle with it here and there, enjoy running trains on it for a while first.
nice railway
I have a question please.Anyone who own’s the plastic telegragh poles with the 5 insulators on each side.Do me a favor.And give me the measurement’s length,diameter,and length of cross beam.Im working on making them of wood not cheap plastic.Will give them to Al after to post.thanks lots.
Bill,
A job well done!!!!
regards,
What a marvelous layout, I must agree the inclusion of mines or timber industries seem to add atmosphere , I suppose any “sleeves up” sort of activity going on would add interest to any layout, the basic purpose of a railway is to carry loads that are useful to somebody.
a great layout love the greenery and trees unbelievable work gone into the building.
lovely layout, particularly the coal depot
Excellent
Just one question
Have the para medics been called for the man who has fallen down the mine office steps?
If you don’t have room for the whole coal mine, I’ve seen the odd place where the coal comes over a hill from the mine to a loading bunker in telfer buckets, like a cable-car. Gives you the atmosphere but saves a lot of space.
Rod
On The Second Picture,The Elevation Of The Sidewalk To The Street Looks WAY Out Of Scale. Why Is This?
Great layout lots of shutting could go on there, keep up to good work!
Find this to read over picture why ? The picture doesn’t help
Superb layout. Great detailing.
The buildings are fantastic. The coal mine especially. Since I run O scale, I would need another room to add those buildings is O. Great job.
Enjoyed the pics of the Erie. I worked in Hornell NY for 30 years, an old Erie hub. They now have a small Erie museum which is well done. Currently working on my O scale layout which features many Erie locomotives and rolling stock. Keep up the good work!
Jim
Pittsford, NY
Very nice. Now have fun running trains.
Jim AZ
Like the layout. I have many of the same items in my layout. Coal mine, powerhouse, freight terminal. Mine also has an oil field with motorized horse head pumps. storage tanks and double oil car loading platform. Really like the weathering on the coal mine. Gives me ideas as to how weather mine.
In answer to question about telephone/electric poles. HO scale, 2 sizes polled Long is 35 scale foot/3 scale stem for mounting. Shorter pole 27 scale foot/same length stem. One scale foot diameter. Cross bars are bottom 10 scale foot and top are 5 scale foot.
Post the track layout design . I am always amazed how creative people are w small areas!
Nice, I’m putting in a similar mine. I like your weathering. Did you follow Model Man Mike on youtube?
Great layout Bill!It would be nice to see a video of the trains running!! 🚂
Bill, Did you show your track plan earlier? If so I missed it. I like what I see in the pic’s. I would like to see the whole track plan. The O to D, mine to power plant is great.
we have 3 things in common. Trains,golf and beer chillers/cooler. Great layout Bill.
Wonderful job, Bill, even to the leaves in the street. It is fall after all. I was “edumacated” in upper central PA, and often traveled with my dad ( I was his “uber”) on his speaking engagements, and these scenes are very reminiscent of those journeys.
Bill, the Erie, DL&W, and E-L are some of my favorite roads to medel. Nice job. You’ve done the Erie proud.
It may be the size of a sheet of plywood but this layout is anything but flat. The big scenery and tiny trains combine to make a dramatic yet compact model railroad. Narrow gauge railroading is a path less traveled in the hobby, but it is a challenge with great rewards.
bill
Great layout my wife and I grew up in dunkirk and fredonia new york you brought
back great memories and thank you for that
Bill, You have a very good layout. It interested me as we llive just out side Meadville. I wonder if pic #2 is on Chestnut St? Looking to see more.
Bien aprovechado el espacio!!!
Hi Bill , I love your layout ,it looks awesome , great job , well done ,I am trying to finish my ho layout ,I still have to lay the cork and nail everything down and wire it up and scenery with tunnels and models , I will be busy this weekend working on it , thanks for the pictures ,they are very nice and give me plenty of ideas 😎👍
Very nice layout Bill. Nice track work too. By the way your mine buildings need to be pressure cleaned. I’ll do the job for five grand. Ha!
none better Gino
Bill , that appears to be a well thought and executed display . I really like the old buildings and mine theme . I grew up in Pittsburgh so I’m familiar with that line and the soot . Great job , brings back fine memories , thank you for sharing your work , you never know what chord you’ll strike with such a thing . I can hear those whistles blowing .