The very talented Tom has been in touch again with his On30 layout.
Sadly, he’s getting ready to hang up his boots when it comes to model railroads – but my word, he’s going out in style.
Here’s his latest pics and a youtube of his stunning layout:
“The Golden spike has been driven in on the Narragansett RR!
If folks question about the trees, is just roots of various trees and shrubs, washed, the extra small branches (HOT GULED ON) then extra roots (there are always extra roots.)
They can be sprayed various colors of green and used a VINES! Drill a small hole in the bottom the stump stick in a straight pin with the head cut or then depending on what your surface is just stick the pin and tree on the ground, Hot glue can be added.
Hot glue IS HOT but if you need to glue several branches to make up a stump just take your fingers squeeze the base together apply the glue …wait about a count to 3 the squeeze the hot glue and the branches together, it will feel hot but won’t burn!
You will know if its too hot, if it is just let go for a second and squeeze it again and hold for a few seconds more,
Later Tom da ole guy
Tom Staton Pres. CEO & mostly janitor”
A huge big thanks to Tom, I absolutely love the scenes he puts together, they almost tell a story on their own.
Hope you enjoyed Tom’s latest pics and vid as much as I did.
David’s been in touch with his HO scale train layout.
His journey is one many of us will be familiar with.
“Al:
I thoroughly enjoy your blog; reading it is a part of my morning ritual.
I have learned a lot from your contributors. Thank you for all you do to promote our hobby. You provide a great service to all of us train buffs.
These photos are a long time coming. It has been a journey for me.
It started 63 years ago, when my dad bought me a Lionel 027 train set, featuring a steam engine and tender. As you might expect it had smoke pellets.
Over time he bought me a switch engine and operating accessories. Then him and Mom decided I deserved to have a nice layout.
He built a 16’ x 8’ double track layout with switch track allowing the trains to switch loops.
The main feature, however, was an L-shaped 2 track tunnel made from wood and screen frame stuffed with newspaper and covered in an old sheet, which Mom painted with earth colors and Dad installed red and green lights hooked up to a 2-way switch at the entry of the tunnel. I was the envy of the neighborhood.
In my thirties, a friend and train enthusiast encouraged me to unpack my 2 trains and set them up.
This began a 35-year adventure, which resulted in a 20’ x 30’ basement filled with 14 O-27 trains and a bouser trolley and a Lionel bumper car trolley. Oh yes, the layout was filled with operating accessories. For me, the fun of the hobby became modeling.
Operating the trains did not have the thrill I had when I was a child. I moved 8 times during this period, so my benchwork had to become portable.
I used standard 2” x 4” legs bolted to ½” plywood framed by 2” x 4” frames.
The key lesson from multiple teardowns and rebuilds was that getting the track work right was critical. As a result, I used a lot of half-straight track in my curves to avoid derailments.
When I turned 70, I realized that my railroad empire was no longer fun, because I did all the modeling and building that my basement allowed.
I ended up selling my collection to an eBay trader for about 45% of the collection’s original value. The only thing I retained was my original steam engine and tender, in memory of my dad. It did not take long for me to have “seller’s remorse.”
After giving the idea of starting a new layout, I decided to convert to HO scale. I think, the pictures tell the story of my new adventure.
I love the realism of the HO scale and the building and scenery options are far more extensive Than O-gauge.
What I have found is that I am spending more time and detail in creating the scenery for my layout.
I hope your readers enjoy the pictures.
Best Wishes,
Dave”
A huge big thank you to David for sharing his HO scale train layout – I did enjoy his narrative.
So many of us started this journey with a Christmas gift when we were young and full of wonder.
Bill’s been in touch with some vintage model railroad pics.
Well, perhaps not too vintage but it’s amazing how black and white pics add to a theme:
“Hi Al
Hope this finds you well. I had a friend make a comment about scenes on my O Scale layout wondering how scenes would look if captured in black and white.
His question was if in black and white, could you tell they are models?
I thought it an interesting question so I took a number of photographs on my iPhone and went into the photo edit function and change them to black and white.
Certainly some look like models still but there are some that really look like a scene from long ago.
It was fun and I thought I’d share the end results.
Best
Bill”
A huge big thanks to Bill – it’s amazing how much a black and white pic adds to the nostalgia.
But in the same light, black and white pics also mask the amazing detail of Bill’s layout.
So let’s grab some pics and from a few of his previous posts so you can see them in all their glory.
In this one – On30 layout – Bill wanted to create a vertical cliff – I think he can put a tick in that box. Amazing work:
