Ken’s been in touch with his old west town layout:
“It has been some time since I added any pictures to the blog.
After a long period of time where I struggled with motivation I finally went back to work assisted by my 7 year old grand daughter Brittany who has developed an interest in working with me to create scenery.
While we have a long ways to go (we are actually half way through with our basic layout) I thought that I would share the progression made on a snowy Saturday morning.
Unlike many, I do not have the video capabilities yet and I still do not have the rail up and running. I hope you enjoy my old west town layout.
Kenneth”
A big thanks to Rob
I couldn’t find Kenneth’s orginal post for his old west town layout, but while looking for it I found another American West layout from another chap called Ken (pretty sure it’s not the same one).
It’s got bags of character so here it is.
That’s all for today folks.
Please do keep ’em coming.
And if today is the day you get started on your layout, 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.
Very nice Ken, The pictures are great and I’m sure you will have trains running soon.
Dave, Thoroughly enjoyed the video, especially the trains running.
Cary
Do like the theme of the old time railroad. Modeling is very well done and looks as one could have a lot of fun with this. And “Dave’s world, awesome”. That’s a saying from a well known local air conditioner commercial (Maine, USA). But it works here also lol.
Rich
You surely do keep us entertained Dave. You could do a weekly story line.Thank you, enjoyed greatly.
Very nice layout. I will be working on a layout in about a year after I retire from my job the railroad here in Boston Ma. Thank you for the nice tips you showed me in your story line. I own American Flyer.
I am working on a w3stern layout also. In N scale. I am also having motivation trouble and now eye trouble. Where do you find the scenery. I am having trouble finding characters to populate the lay out animals are also a problem. I have found buildings to build a town or two but people are scarce. I like what you are doing. Looks great. I like to run trains so my set up is over tracked and I do run modern trains for entertainment. I do like the early engines and trains though. Great to see what you have. Motivates me to get going. All aboard. Orv
Kenneth……I think your early America layout is so cool. Nice to see something different. Very nice work. Thanks for sharing! Paul
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Hi Ken;
Love the theme of railroading in the old west.
I would love to see a picture of the layout in its entirety once it is complete.
Thus far the scenery is top notch.
Bravo Ken.
Hi Kenneth, Nice layout, what a great time period to model. I love to hear about model railroaders getting their families involved. Hope you and your grand daughter are having fun and building memories. Cary in KY
Impressive layout,I’d like to see more pictures.
Hi Kenneth, what size tracks are those? I’m going to try my hands on railway modeling!!!!! First time, wish me luck……
Thanks Dave i now know a lot more about the Peco side mounted point system and how it connects up. I will now be purchasing seven of them for a new layout I am working on.
Ken,
I love the old west theme, the horse drawn wagons, the old west steam engine and the tepees.
I love the Wild West layout. Looks like something i would like to do.
Kenneth, I so like your Wild West layout, and it’s great that you have Brittany there to help you create such fun scenery. Please tell her for me that I, too, was very interested in what she is doing with you when I was much younger. I was just four when I told Santa that I would like a piano and a train for Christmas. The piano came to me when I was 32, and my husband gave me my first train set at age 76! I am now 81, and trying to complete the layout. Brittany, you are so fortunate to have someone like your grandfather to “play” with. I had a brother, who had a train, but when he outgrew it, my parents gave it to another boy. I was broken-hearted to think I couldn’t have it. Had I been a lot less shy, I would have told them how interested I was in it, but back then it was not “normal’ for girls to play with such things! You already realize that it’s more than just playing; it’s a real adventure, and one NEVER outgrows it. I know you will continue to enjoy the world’s most popular hobby the rest of your life. I put away money each month to support this hobby, and hopefully, you will, as well. I do that before I pay any bills or spend it for anything else, and that way when I see something I like, or need supplies to continue the build, I have it. If you pay yourself first, it’s not selfishness, but just good business.
I’ll think of you often!
Miss Marion in Mississippi
Dave,
Good changes to the iayout Question where did you get the new retaining walls from been trying to find ready made walls that size and colour for ages
Love your train modeling Dave, always look forward to it when my husband opens your videos even though it is at 5 am in the morning. I was disappointed today as some was out of focus, but thanks for your amazing work, Happy holidays!
What a fantastic layout Dave has got. I only wish i could make mine like it, but i guess it takes years of progress and experience to produce a layout with such detail. I have been trying to build my layout for the last six months since i retired, but have had and are still having so many problems getting it to work like Dave’s.
As i live in China my biggest stumbling block is getting everything i need to build a great layout. I know most people on here will say, (but everything is made in China)
That is very true, but you simply cannot buy things here, everything that is produced is exported out to the companies and countries it is ordered by. While in the UK recently i purchased a Gauge Master digital controller,
(The Prodigy 2 system) brought it back to China only to find it was faulty, so i sent it back to Gauge Master to be checked. They agreed that it was indeed faulty ( though they never disclosed exactly what the fault was) sent it back to me in China and low and behold i still cannot get it to work. I guess i won’t be buying anything else produced by Gauge Master. I was wondering if dangerous Dave would come out here and help me build a layout and get it all working on digital if i paid for a return flight ticket for him. (No?) ah well it just a thought.
Thank you all for your comments …..just to answer re the retaining walls , I got them on line from … Sherwood Models Online ….they are based in Nottingham here in the UK …plenty of choices , so just google Sherwood Models and you can see what they have too offer ……..Not sure what the lady meant by out of focus ? ..have just watched again and not noticed ..but thank you for saying you enjoy the videos even at 5 am in the morning ..the Peco side mounted points motors are very easy to install , but be sure you have a good connection to the auxiliary on your controller as just 12v is not sufficient mine is giving 14.5 v …as for the trip to China ..yes got my suitcase packed LOL …Dangerous Dave
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Out of focus …just go to the cog on the bottom and click it them move it to 1080..think a few times its opening at 480 as auto ..so manually move it …solve the problem ….Dangerous Dave
Beautiful layout Ken. I will never get to where you and your grand daughter are. That is very impressive. Love it.Thanks for sharing with us.
Great layout Ken. I hope to be able to get to where you and your grand daughter are. That is very impressive. Thanks for sharing with us. I am getting ready to start my layout and will be modeling the same time period. All of my rolling stock carries the Virginia & Truckee name. I would like to know where you found the western accessories, wagons, horses and people from that era. I would appreciate any advice that you have to offer.
Alastair has my permission to forward my email to you if you have any hints and advice.
Nice job Dave, takes me back to my childhood, we had what was known as the black ash path (never a shortage of ash in steam days, and it drained quite well and seemed to deter weeds) running right along the railway fence at the foot of the embankment for a mile or so from Radyr station to a bridge over the Taff where the footpath went up concrete steps to a walkway right beside the down main with just a wire fence. Great route for going to see the trains at Radyr Junction, trouble was, the bike seemed twice as heavy when you went to lug it up the steps on the way home. Merry Christmas,
Rod
Alistair, looking at the earlier link pictures I think that’s surely the same Ken with the western layout, same style.
Re China, just wondering what the mains voltage is there? Ours in the UK is supposed to be 240 although it varies slightly, but I believe China uses 220 and Hong Kong as low as 200, might be worth mailing Gaugemaster to ask if this would upset the outputs. I’ve always found them very good, had long service from several of their units and two no cost, no quibble repairs which any other firm would have said “this is out of warranty.”
Rod
Nice scenery Brittany and Kenneth!!
Ken and Rob……great layouts…….fantastic detail.
Nice ! I bought a layout from a guy who put a lot of time and money placing over 500 figures to make up his Wild West
Layout !! I fortunately got it for 175 bucks
65 percent of the figures and detail parts are cast white metal.
God willing I plan to rebuild the layout it was called the copper mountain railroad..
Wish I could send pics there is not one inch of space on the 5×9’ layout that didn’t have a figure on it
Good Workmanship? I hope mine comes out that goods
Now I am confused (Which can be easy). The video I got above is from Rob, but all the comments above are about a video from Dave. Did my email wires get crossed on its way to Australia?
Love the creativity always on display here!