Great Model Railroads
Correct as of 23.10.22
| No. | Title | Description | Year | Collection | |
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| 1 | The New England Berkshire Western of the Rensselaer Model Railroad Society - 1 | ||||
| 2 | George Sellios' Franklin South Manchester - Part 1 | The Franklin & South Manchester, one of the greatest model railroads ever built, is the creation of professional model builder George Sellios. Because of George's talents you'll see something new each time you watch this fabulous program. You'll ride on board and then go airborne for some helicopter rides over the city of Manchester. That's the best way to see the F&SM where the 20 story buildings are the scenery. You'll tour the layout behind a Mogul powered passenger and a Mountain powered freight, from one end of the 22 x 7 foot layout to the other. Although the F&SM is HO scale, George Sellios, the owner of Fine Scale Miniatures, has created a railroad that exists as surely as Chicago or New York did in the 1930s. George will give you 8 clinics on his time-proven methods. He covers painting and weathering a brick structure, applying printed signs, superdetailing, creating a realistic harbor scene, improving the appearance of flextrack, finding the right spot for a structure, building city streetsl, and quickly making realistic fences. You're sure to enjoy the scenery and trains on the F&SM where the craftsmanship goes beyond superdetailing. You can see our second visit to this fabulous railroad - with even more of the layout completed - in Volume 24, and our THIRD visit in Volume 39. |
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| 3 | The Model Railroads of Dean Freytag and C.J. Riley | ||||
| 4 | Al Lindop's Utah Midland Railway | The Utah Midland of Al Lindop features the dry look of the Utah high country. Al has beautifully modeled a 20 mile coal hauling railroad that's based on the Utah Railway. This HO layout features beautifully detailed steam engines and first generation diesels pulling long strings of hoppers through Spring Canyon and over high trestles. Al will even tell you how he weathers his extensive hopper fleet. The gorgeous canyon scenery goes from knee level to above eye level, and the scenes from onboard the train will take your breath away! Al does not use any rock castings for his sandstone cliffs. Every rock face is carved in place, and Al will show you how he does it. You're sure to enjoy the special segment covering all train action on the Utah Midland from dawn to evening. This is a truly super layout with structures built in place to fit the steep mountain terrain. |
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| 6 | Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley | Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley is a bridge route that interchanges with the Boston & Albany, the Delaware & Hudson, the New Haven and the New York Central. The HO railroad features magnificent New England scenery with lots of rivers and forested mountains. Dick will show you his method for making super-detailed foreground trees. That skill at detailing carries over to the layout's many mini-scenes. These are life-like vignettes that tell a story of a slower era. You'll tour the 40x26 foot Hoosac Valley from one end of the layout to the other behind a GP-7, and then an RS-1. You'll go on board to enjoy a beautiful looking and operating railroad that Dick and his friends have created with exquisitely weathered structures and rolling stock. The 31 year old Hoosac Valley has kept up with changes in the hobby by adding radio control throttles and walkaround design. Although the mainline has changed very little over the years, the scenery itself has been re-done 3 times as new methods came into the hobby. Some changes in the trackplan required more space, so Dick used a practical approach to negotiate for additional right- of-way. You'll be inspired as Dick recounts some of his early pitfalls as a beginner in 1959. And you'll enjoy knowing that this layout evolved from an idea on a piece of paper into a Great Model Railroad. |
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| 8 | Doug Geiger's Granite Mountain Railway | Doug Geiger's Granite Mountain Railway is a three level HO layout made for operation. Doug has modeled an East-West bridge route thru the Colorado Rockies to Washington state with 3% grades in some places. That means helpers on his long freights with diesel and steam power. A helix is the trick that makes a multi-level railroad a reality, and Doug will describe some of his methods for building the 3 on the Granite Mountain. Doug will also show you how to reduce derailments with a few modifications to common boxcar kits. A railroad that fills a 43X23 foot basement needs lots of pine trees, so Doug will share his method of making them from jute and wire. You'll tour the GMRwy behind a modern diesel powered passenger train, and then enjoy an operating session done in the prototype manner. The "Keller-Cam" is our new camera that will take you inside the locomotive cab for a view not possible before. The 10 year-old Granite Mountain is the work of an informal club. Each member adds his or her skills with Doug directing the work. Doug's wife, Barbara is a long-time railfan, who not only understands Doug's love of trains, but assists with construction and operation. You'll enjoy the work of this master layout planner/builder and his Great Model Railroad, the Granite Mountain Railway. |
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| 11 | W. Allen McClelland's Virginian & Ohio | The Virginian & Ohio of W. Allen McClelland needs little introduction to long-time model railroaders. This world class railroad is always included in the list of legendary layouts. Careful planning and fidelity to the prototype are two of the reasons for its fame. This Master Model Railroader has built more than a Great Model Railroad; he has built a following among fellow modelers because of his innovations-walkaround operation/design, interchange with other railroads beyond the basement, the good enough philosophy, and pioneering command control work. By listening to Allen you'll learn that challenging the conventional hobby wisdom of the 1960's was not easy. At times his ideas for prototype design and creating a railroad that did work by actually traveling between two points were considered revolutionary. Allen shows you his weathering and car distressing techniques, and a new method for building open car loads. These techniques stem from his overall philosophy that no facet of the hobby outshines any other. All aspects of the hobby must blend into a cohesive package. Like a real railroad, the 31-year-old V&O, stays current. New operating ideas, track arrangements, and time periods are part of the railroad's continuing growth.. |
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| 13 | Gil Freitag's Stony Creek & Western | The Stony Creek & Western is the work of master structure builder, Gil Freitag. Gil has won many, many NMRA National Contests for his scratchbuilt creations, and you'll learn some of his successful techniques. This Master Model Railroader believes in prototype operation. So the layout and equipment perform flawlessly on handlaid track. His Santa Fe and Denver & Rio Grande Western trains operate over and through beautifully colored Colorado scenery. The HO scale SC&W has been changed, expanded and updated so many times that Gil has lost track. When a better idea for operation comes along Gil is never afraid to rip out entire sections and improve them. He's not afraid to try new aspects of the hobby including a computer that keeps track of all cars and generates switchlists. Gil will show you how to build your own electro-magnetic uncoupling ramps, and how to make scenic landforms using sand instead of plaster. The 26-year-old SC&W is a Great Model Railroad because of its superb operation, gorgeous scenery, and award-winning structures. Howard is one of the partners in the Great Scale Train Shows, and he knows this hobby . . .from brass collecting to scratchbuilding. His skills as an industrial/architectural designer let him build a super-detailed city or landscape a gorgeous rural scene from a plan that's never put on paper. This free form approach to the hobby has resulted in a railroad that is 3-D art. Structures, signals, and trees are selected and placed for color and aesthetic enhancement. Howard loves to share the hobby. He and his friends will show you techniques for building spline roadbed, maintaining locomotives, and painting a scene with ground cover. You'll also get a close-up explanation of the incredible amount of detail on this layout. This Great Model Railroad is one of the hobby's landmark artistic achievements. It is one of the few layouts with such close attention to period detail. |
52 Mins | |
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| 14 | Tony Koester's Allegheny Midland Railroad | The Allegheny Midland of Tony Koester is an operations oriented railroad that hauls coal through Virginia and West Virginia. Although based on the Nickel Plate and the C&O, Tony refers to his style as prototype freelancing.
The HO scale Allegheny Midland has changed era at least 5 times. Tony has now settled on 1958 while steam still reigns in the mountains. Elaborately painted first generation diesels are making inroads. This careful attention to history is evident throughout the layout because Tony really enjoys historical research. An Appalachian railroad needs thousands of trees and lots of tunnels. Tony will show you how to make these elements quickly and realistically. He'll also explain methods of modifying common plastic kits into one-of-a-kind structures. He has succeeded in making the Allegheny Midland a believable railroad that follows standard prototype operating rules. The Allegheny Midland is a Great Model Railroad because of the "Trains of Thought" that its builder has put into it. Tony, the former editor of Railroad Model Craftsman, champions an intellectual approach to the hobby. |
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| 15 | Jack Burgess's The Yosemite Valley | The Yosemite Valley of Jack Burgess is as close as you can get to having a time machine that will transport you back to August of 1939. Jack is a stickler for historical accuracy not only as it relates to railroad equipment, but to life in general. Everything on this multi-level HO layout: the signs, the structures, the people and the automobiles are stamped with authenticity. Being this accurate requires extensive research into the railroad and the era. With this detailed knowledge, his structures and rolling stock are scratchbuilt to exact dimensions. The YV duplicates the passenger, logging, and mining operations that made the railroad possible. Jack will show you little-known sources of prototype information that you can apply to your own railroad. The California Golden Hills are Jack's specialty and he'll show you how he gets the right look for his scenery. Contest winning models grace the layout, and this master will share some of his prized models with you. The Yosemite Valley is a Great Model Railroad because of Jack's unswerving devotion to accuracy and to high modeling standards. Both Jack and his wife, Jacque, enjoy sharing the YV and the fun they have modeling a prototype railroad. |
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| 17 | David Barrow's Cat Mountain & Santa Fe | David Barrow's Cat Mountain & Santa Fe represents the embodiment of 25 years of planning and designing the ultimate linear walk-around track plan. The HO scale Cat Mountain gives operators the feeling of actually traveling with their trains because the construction of the room and layout block everything but only a small part of the railroad at a time. David has continually modified the railroad and the room when a better idea came along. He now believes modular construction, even for a permanent layout, is the best design method because it forces the builder to create a sincere track plan with the train only passing thru a scene once. David will show you his method of creating the dry, barren scenery of west Texas where the Cat Mountain replaces the Atchison Topkea & Santa Fe. And since operation is the main reason for the Cat Mountain, David will share with you some of the materials you need to create a successful, realistic operating session. The CM&SF is a Great Model Railroad because David's expertise as an architect has given him the freedom to incessantly refine his ideas of the perfect railroad track plan. |
59 Mins | |
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| 18 | Harold Werthwein's Erie Railroad | Harold Werthwein's Erie Railroad shows how a lifetime of study and exploration can change an armchair modeler into the owner of an 85 x 30 foot layout. As a young man Harold rode the Erie, watched it, and loved it. Now he and his friends have re-created the Erie's Delaware Division between Port Jervis and Binghamton New York in HO scale. The Delaware Divison is big; it can handle over 40 trains during an operating session. Harold has captured the feel of the Erie on this layout because of careful attention to the structures and scenery of New York and Pennsylvania. Also included is the Erie's famous Starrucca Viaduct. He will show you how he makes up a train for switching and the reasons for blocking the cars in a train. You'll also learn about getting the proper slope to roadbed, and using two different command control systems on the same layout. Harold became infatuated with the Erie Railroad of his youth. He loved the long trains, express reefer runs, and the topography of the area. This re-creation has resulted in a Great Model Railroad. |
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| 20 | Norm Stenzel's Brandywine & Benedictine Railroad serves the coal region between Clearbrook, VA and Ballard WVA in the 1950's. Although the B&B is free-lanced, Norm has given it a prototype feel by building a layout based on the topography of the area, and the railroads (the B&O,WM,N&W, and Clinchfield) that actually served the area. Norm has even written a "history" of the railroad to better fix the layout in time and place. The HO scale B&B is a blended railroad where operation, scenery and details focus attention on the trains not the individual layout elements. The layout is built for operation with 22 trains running during a typical session. The 30x24 foot double-decked B&B uses a 100 foot long helix to make the transition between levels. Yet even the lower level is continually rising to meet the top of the helix. So that means real grades are a prominent part of mountain railroading on this layout. Norm will show you how to lay a turnout, and install a Digitrax decoder in a steam engine. You'll also learn about the paperwork Norm uses for an operating session. Norm has created a Great Model Railroad by focusing on the common elements of a coal-hauling railroad rather than the exceptional. He has refined the appeal of mountain railroading into a layout that represents one of his favorite railfanning regions. |
58 Mins | |
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| 26 | Bob Hayden's Carrabasset & Dead River Railway | Bob Hayden's Carrabasset & Dead River Railway is HO scale and narrow gauge of 2 1/2 feet between the rails. This is a convenient way of modeling the famous Maine two foot gauge railroads. Bob uses N gauge components for track and trucks. He builds the rest of the railroad with HO components. The C&DR is a work of art by one of the hobby's great scenery masters. Bob was instrumental in developing many of the procedures we take for granted today. His scenes give the impression of real distance because of their marvelous depth; shelf-sized scenes just don't appeal to him. The 1941 era C&DR hauls lumber and all kinds of wood products including toothpicks. It features small diesels and a few remaining steam engines. Bob will show you how to rejuvenate scenery, use building mock-ups for planning, make your buildings removable, weather with chalk and model water with gloss medium. Bob's interest in the prototype Maine two footers is a separate hobby from the layout. Usually modelers try to combine the two areas of interest. He's kept them independent so he can freelance and create scenes that are reminiscent of his favorite prototypes rather than model scenes "inch for inch". The C&DR is a Great Model Railroad because of Bob's legendary model building and painting skills and his zeal for a nearly forgotten prototype that he's researched since he was a teenager. |
52 Mins | |
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| 28 | John Armstrong's Canandaigua Southern Railway | John Armstrong's Canandaigua Southern is one of the most famous O scale model railroads ever built. The CS has been under construction since 1950 and belongs to the hobby's premier trackplanning expert. Many of John's ideas were first tested in theory and practice on this layout, such as walking with your train and only allowing a train to pass through a scene in one direction. The Canandaigua Southern has inspired many modelers to build layouts even though John has not finished his layout. As an engineer, John believes in research & development, but once he's figured out how to make or do something, the challenge is gone. He says he has never really finished any project. Of course he explains this with a wink and his gentle sense of humor. John will show you his famous vertical turnout, layout lighting techniques, modifications to cars for coupling on curves, and how to mount locomotive bodies. His structures are highly detailed but few in number. His mammoth scratchbuilt locomotives are impressive especially since he built them more than 50 years ago, when there were few parts other than motors. John has contributed to the hobby for more than 60 years by writing four trackplanning books and over 100 articles. And he offers some unexpected thoughts on the good and bad hobby developments over the years. The CS is a Great Model Railroad because John has used it to continually improve and refine his trackplan ideas and create some distinctive gadgets. |
58 Mins | |
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| 29 | Chuck Hitchcock's Argentine Division of the Santa Fe Railway | Chuck Hitchcock's Argentine Division of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe is a railfan's dream come true! As a young man in the 1950's, Chuck fell under the spell of heavy traffic at Holiday, Kansas. Here, two districts become one, heading to Kansas City's huge Argentine Yard. Chuck dreamed of creating a model railroad based on this spot. This is big-time granger railroading, with 50 trains a day running on fully signalled CTC track. Chuck has also made a serious study of passenger train operations, and is particularly interested in the great name trains of 1953. This model railroad was started in 1972, and has been continually upgraded, improved and modified. Chuck's railroad is one of the best running layouts I've ever seen. Smooth trackwork, clean wheels and a finished layout room. It all adds up to a Great Model Railroad! |
58 Mins | |
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| 30 | Monroe Stewart's Hooch Junction Railroad | Monroe Stewart's Hooch Junction is an Appalachian coal hauler with a special emphasis on water scenes. The N scale layout features CSX and Norfolk Southern trains paralleling each other from east coast harbors to the coal fields. Even though the layout has about 2,000 feet of track, the fabulous scenery is not crowded. The layout is never static, more water scenes seem to pop up in the aisles and even structures are updated with urban renewal. Monroe continually redesigns the layout to maximize his enjoyment of trains and boats. Numerous scratchbuilt ships "float" in the ever expanding harbors. His training as an architect and engineer helps Monroe keep changing the layout. He even designed his house to fit this dream railroad. Yet he rarely does any research before building a structure. He builds what he sees in his mind by breaking down complex, massive structures into geometric shapes. While this approach may not work for everyone, it works for Monroe. He says we don't need building instructions for what we can see. Monroe will show you about painting and ballasting track, using common household items for details, planning structures, and painting realistic brick buildings. Monroe believes anybody can build a large dream layout like the Hooch Junction if they take the time to learn from others. The Hooch Junction is a Great Model Railroad because Monroe has developed a way of both having fun and accomplishing a lot. |
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| 35 | Jim Providenza's Santa Cruz Northern | The Santa Cruz Northern is an operation oriented HO layout set in the early 1970s. Jim Providenza built this double decked railroad as a way to railfan his favorite spots in northern California. The railroad, a subsidiary of the Santa Fe and the Southern Pacific, was built in a double car garage where it shares some space with the family car. To make the most of the available space, the scenes are only 12" to 18" deep. Jim has plans to expand along the only vacant wall. Operation brings the railroad to life with full crews, a dispatcher, and over 12 trains per session. There are no switching puzzles, but only trackwork designed to move freight over the road. Jim and his operators work the railroad much like professionals with paperwork, radios and lots of coffee. Jim is a pioneer in using double decking and command control. When he started on the original SCN in 1977, double decking was a speculative design. Jim proved it practical. In the late 1970s only a few brave souls were using command control, Jim was one of those who found that the old Astrac system met his needs. Now he's using modern Digital Command Control. You will enjoy how-to segments on detailing and weathering cement hoppers, painting a backdrop, using track warrants to control train movements and selecting heights for both decks. The Santa Cruz Northern is a Great Model Railroad because Jim models specific equipment at a fixed time, is willing to try the new and inventive, and enjoys helping others advance in the hobby. |
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| 41 | Cal Winter's Florida East Coast Key West Extension | Cal Winter's Florida East Coast Key West Extension is facing bankruptcy as the depression spreads. But in January of 1930 the road is enjoying enough tourist and freight traffic to and from Cuba to keep the company afloat. This HO scale re-creation of the FEC was built by Railserve's Ross and Gail Allen and represents the line from Miami to Key West. The route required 33 bridges, fills and lots of water to preserve the memory of the prototype's engineering marvel. This double decked layout fits into a single car garage with the staging yard in another garage. The railroad is operated by 10 to 12 people using timetables and consists from January of 1930. Cal tries to duplicate the actual movement of freight between the Keys and Miami. The Florida East Coast is a thoroughly researched effort to keep the memory alive of an unusual railroad that existed mainly for the winter produce and tourist season. Even though Cal is preserving the FEC in miniature he says a model is at best a representation of real life. You will learn about lighting a double deck layout, grinding waves into seawater, casting piers, and removing factory lettering from cars. The Florida East Coast is a Great Model Railroad because of the way it immortalizes a long lost method of working and traveling and because railroad documents are used to make this layout operate as much like the real FEC as space permits. |
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| 43 | John Pryke | ||||
| 44 | Howard Zane Part 2 | ||||
| 45 | Bob Lawson's Southern Railway | Bob Lawson's Southern Railway in Kentucky is a vision of small town Appalachia with coal mines, mountains and trees. Bob is an architect, engineer and builder who is known for creating dioramas that tell stories of life in the late 40s and early 50s. These highly detailed scenes are then added to his HO layout making it a great place to sit back and watch the trains roll. He was fond of the Southern as a youngster and later wound up working as a car designer for the road. He also re-built and operated the Southern Iron and Equipment Company's car shops where he designed many of the SEICO freight cars. So he could be the ultimate nitpicker, but he's not. Bob thinks the overall feel of the railroad is much more important than precise accuracy, and he looks for details that add to the mood of a scene. Bob says we should share and learn from each other to advance the hobby, and that friendships make the hobby more enjoyable. The Southern Railway is full of eye-catching scenes based on years of observation, notes and photos. Most of the structures are scratchbuilt. Bob will show you how to build dioramas to fit the layout, weather cars with oil paints, and build scenery with cloth, Styrofoam and ground foam. The Southern is a Great Model Railroad because Bob has used his skill as a designer to tell stories with beautifully weathered equipment and structures. |
2003 | 60 Mins | |
| 46 | Paul Dolkos's Boston & Maine New Hampshire Division | Paul Dolkos' Boston & Maine New Hampshire Division is a visually intriguing railroad featuring seldom modeled winter scenes. Paul's bare trees get as much detailed attention as everything else on the layout. Another scenic device that he uses is forced perspective to create distance in a small space. He also finds the key structures in a scene and then uses them to give the impression that all other buildings are just as authentic. Even though the HO layout is only 20x20 feet, it has a full blown operating plan using timetable and train orders with a dispatcher, operator and road crews. Paul enjoys seeing his HO railroad operate as much like the prototype as possible rather than just watching the trains roll through a scene. The Boston & Maine is a freelanced railroad based on the prototype in 1952. This lets Paul change the traffic patterns, the structures and the track arrangements to suit his space. Yet he tries to keep the overall flavor of the B&M. As one of the hobby's best known model photographers, Paul carefully arranges his own layout scenes for interesting photos. He will show you how to take model photos, use staging yards, build winter trees, and get more operation in a small space. The B&M New Hampshire Division is a Great Model Railroad because Paul can see the essence of a scene, and because he knows how to get the maximum amount of operation in a small space. |
2004 | 59 Mins | |
| 47 | Lance Mindheim's Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville (Monon) | Lance Mindheim's Chicago, Indianapolis and Louisville or as it's usually known, the Monon, is an N scale layout that was built for reliable operation. Lance created this railroad as a way to remember his childhood and as a stage for full timetable and train order operating sessions. The 20x20 foot layout is based on 25 miles of track in Indiana in 1955. On line industries favor limestone mills and quarries along with team tracks and one major yard. Lance and his friends enjoy full operating sessions that last for up to 3 hours. To keep things fun Lance believes it's critical to take the time to get your trains to run reliably because without dependable operation everything else is futile. He also says his engines and cars have to be reliable too and that is now possible in N scale. The beautiful scenery on the Monon features a perfect setting of hills, realistic creeks and winter grass and trees. The painted backdrop makes the scenes seem even bigger. Weathering is skillfully used to enhance and create detail. As a custom layout builder, Lance will encourage you to get started building a layout. Don't wait to learn everything or you'll never get started. Lance will show you how to model a creek, paint a backdrop, make convincing grass and undergrowth and cast shale rip rap. The Monon is a Great Model Railroad because Lance believes in modeling the ordinary not the unusual, and because he uses weathering to bring out the details on his models. |
57 Mins | |
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| 48 | Ed Lorence | ||||
| 49 | Stephen & Cinthia Priest's Emporia Subdivision of the Santa Fe | The Santa Fe Emporia Subdivision is what you might expect from the authors of many highly regarded books on their favorite railroad. Everything on this railroad indicates that this is the Santa Fe. The Emporia Sub runs through Kansas in 1978. Equipment is weathered to match the terrain that Stephen knows well from his days as an engineer for the Santa Fe and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. He also became knowledgable about the area when he was Assistant Manager of the Track Geometry Department. The 40 x 25 foot railroad is double-decked using a constant grade instead of a helix to change elevation. The staging yard are not hidden but are scenicked like the rest of the layout. Stephen and Cinthia operate the railroad with a CTC machine and signals that control the movements by the road crews. Their operating sessions have ben compared to a chess game, yet the purpose of the railroad is to enjoy the company of others. For them the layout is a social event. Stephen believes in learning something about every part of the hobby, so all aspects of the layout are balanced. He will show you how to build benchwork for a double-deck, install switch motors, build a control panel and detail your track. The Emporia Subdivision is a Great Model Railroad because the Priests have found a way to preserve a 3-D piece of railroad history in their basement. |
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| 52 | Chuck Ellis' Great Northwestern & Pacific | Chuck Ellis' Great Northwestern & Pacific was inspired by a love of the mountainous Pacific Northwest. Chuck has skillfully captured the look of gaping canyons that touch the floor and towering pinnacles with his masterful use of plaster and paint. His walkaround plan takes the viewer on a journey from Duluth, Minnesota to Seattle, Washington in the 1950s. The layout occupies 1500 square feet. This HO layout was designed by Chuck without the use of a formal trackplan. He simply built what he saw in his mind. He knew where he wanted mountains, towns and even a small narrow gauge line--all contribute to the overall scenic effect. Because the GN&P owns no equipment the line runs locomotives and cars from many different roads particularly the Great Northern. Chuck is a master builder of highly detailed structures. He attributes this interest to his family's long history in the construction business. The railroad is full of fabulous craftsman kits. The layout has been expanded into adjacent areas since work began in 1991. Thirty years of trial and error allow Chuck the freedom to tear out what he doesn't like and then start over. Chuck will show you how to paint drivers, make river banks, create peeling paint, and build pine trees. The Great Northwestern & Pacific is a Great Model Railroad because Chuck has created the look and feel of a visit to the Pacific Northwest. |
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| 54 | Gary Hooper | ||||
| 55 | Jerry Macri | Download | |||
| 56 | Cliff Powers' Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf | Cliff Powers' Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf covers a rarely modeled part of the country, the South. His gorgeous HO layout runs from Meridian, Miss. to New Orleans in 1955. This is his 8th layout and contains all the techniques and best practices that he learned with his previous layouts. Freelancing is showcased here with small towns, gnarled oaks and piney woods that capture the essence of the Southland. The railroad is a tribute to small town life with all of its mini-scenes. The MA&G is two decks now, but when finished it will boast 3 decks. All of this in a 14 x 32 foot portable building in his backyard. Cliff uses a unique double track helix that he designed himself to reach the different levels on this railroad. In addition to trains from the MA&G, Cliff runs equipment from the Southern and the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio. His artistic talent with paint and chalks has made not only his scenes but his equipment completely believable. Cliff is a master builder with craftsman kits and kitbashing. He says that model railroading is the most artistic of hobbies because it combines all aspects of creativity into one big project. He particularly enjoys the aesthetic and the problem solving challenges of the hobby. We all can learn from his examples. Cliff will show you how to create plowed fields, add barbed wire to fence posts, customize your buildings and make realistic looking rusty roofs. The MA&G is a Great Model Railroad because Cliff has convincingly recreated the South with his careful use of color, texture and first hand knowledge. |
2007 | 59 Mins | |
| 60 | W. Allen McClelland's Virginian & Ohio | An innovative, pace setting model railroad is no more. W. Allen McClelland's world famous Virginian & Ohio, Gauley Subdivision has come and gone. On March 16th, 2008 Allen held the railroad's last open house. Due to physical limitations Allen and his wife have moved to a retirement home. About 200 V&O fans came to the final viewing to pay tribute to this legendary modeler and his HO layout. Since the late 1960s Allen and his model railroad have been at the forefront of most of the advancements made in the hobby. He took the hobby from spaghetti bowl style layouts into the world of a complete miniature transportation system. Allen is responsible for most of what we take for granted today...linear design, walkaround control, staging yards, command control usage, weathering, computerized CTC , and his famous "good enough" philosophy. This final version of the V&O was started in 2002 after the original V&O was torn out, and Allen moved to a new house. The Gauley Sub was planned as an extension of the old railroad. Although this version of the railroad was never completed, many scenes were finished to a level suitable for photography. However, the ideas illustrated by Allen are worth documenting. Allen will show you a new way to make a fascia, how to operate a staging yard, and how to make rocks out of pine bark. The V&O is a Great Model Railroad because Allen believed that the whole of a layout is greater than the sum of its parts, and that we should model a railroad not just railroad models. |
2008 | 59 Mins | |
| 61 | Harold Werthwein’s Erie Railroad Wyoming Division | Harold Werthwein's Erie Railroad Wyoming Division is one of the largest HO layouts in the country at 85x30 feet. Now he has added a new coal route above the original layout that we documented in Great Model Railroads, Vol. 18. It's the Wyoming Division with three coal branches. This show follow that line from Port Jervis, New York to Lackawanna, where it interchanges with the Erie's Delaware Division. Even though the layout is large, Harold felt that he needed to add more switching work for his 14 to 18 operators. This group meets monthly and operates about 25 trains on an 8 hour schedule using a fast clock. He follows prototype practices as much as possible using official railroad documents. A layout this large requires quite a bit of maintenance. Every week Harold and friends work on the railroad to make adjustments and repair the defects that can prevent successful train operation. It's hard to believe that this is Harold's first layout. Prior to this project he had been an armchair modeler, but after his retirement 28 years ago he began modeling in a big way. Now at 87 Harold shows few signs of slowing down. In fact the hobby helps him keep his body and mind active, and is a main source of social activity. Harold will show you his coal mines, how to use prototype paperwork, block trains for operation and operate less than carload freights. The Wyoming Division is a Great Model Railroad because Harold has captured the feel of the prototype by using official railroad paperwork and by getting help from former railway executives. |
2009 | 59 Mins | |
| 63 | Mike Burgett's Chesapeake & Ohio | Mike Burgett's Chesapeake & Ohio runs along the James River Valley in Virginia in 1965. This HO double deck railroad was built with the prototype always as a guide. The layout is a coal hauling line yet it has no coal mines. The black diamonds are brought to the Clifton Forge Division from subdivisions that serve the mines. Mike is a professional railroader who knows railroad practices firsthand. He is Signal Supervisor for the Canadian National. He has studied the C&O since he was a child and had as his mentor a retired Signal Supervisor for the C&O. Mike built the railroad's signal system and CTC machine before he even built the railroad. His knowledge of the placement and operation of signals has been applied to this layout and has kept the whole system relatively simple yet prototypical. Even though he works full time for a railroad, he loves to operate his model railroad as if it were a real railroad. However, he has not short changed the quality of his scenery, rolling stock or locomotives. The mountains, rock castings and trees are all beautifully done. The layout features a 600 foot mainline in a 24x36 foot basement with two decks. It's based on stories and research that he has gathered from current and retired railroaders and supports his belief that the prototype has the answers for model railroads. The layout is a time machine for Mike and his friends when they run 8 to10 trains during their operating sessions. Mike will show you how to operate an OS Section, install signal details and place right of way phone poles. The C&O was featured in Kalmbach's GMR 2009 Annual. The C&O is a Great Model Railroad because Mike has followed the prototype of the James River Subdivision using photos and oral history as his guide. |
2009 | 59 Mins | |
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| 66 | David Holl's Penn Valley Railroad | |
Collection Wanted
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