Layout Update Mondays: Final Edition

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.  Due to a (good) change in my schedule, my available hobby time is going to be shrinking.  This leaves less time to work on the layout and blog so I decided it was time to end regular posting to the blog.

For the time being, I plan to leave the blog in place for folks to come back and enjoy the story of the construction of the Tribute to Springfield layout plus the history of the Railroad Hobby Show I've managed to collect. I plan to still update with posts from time to time with updates about the layout.

I am still looking forward to attending the show this coming January with the Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad Club and hope to see you there. As a reminder, below are some links to official show sites if you need up to the minute information about the show.

• Railroad Hobby Show Official Website
• List of Exhibitors
• Show Map
• Amherst Railway Society Facebook Page (for real time updates)

So thanks again for following along over the last year or so and see you next year on January 28 and 29th, 2017 at the Railroad Hobby Show!

Module Monday: The Streets of Bethlehem

The Streets of Bethlehem city module.

Over the year's I've had a chance to photograph numerous modular layouts at the Railroad Hobby Show and interview the module builders.  Here is a look back at one of these module profiles which was compiled during the 2009 Railroad Hobby Show.

Module Spotlight Scale: HO Size: 28"x72" Standards: Club Years Constructed: 2003 Features: Swamp, Beaver Dams Era: 1950s Club: Central New York Modelers Owner: Bill Brown, MMR

For this week's Module Monday, we return to the Central New York Modelers and look at another one of their modules.  This month we look at the award winning "The Streets of Bethlehem" built by Bill Brown, MMR.  The module features a spectacular city scene from the 1950s complete with tremendous detail and animation.  On the module, Bill shows off his structure building ability with lots of kit, kitbashed, and scratchbuilt structures each weathered and detailed.  The module has lots of lighting with street lights, interior building lights, and flashing traffic signals.  A high line on the module is animated with a reversing circuit that allows a train to move in and out of the scene, capturing the viewers attention.

To make transportation easier, the entire back portion of the module which features the bulk of the city lifts off as a separate piece.  When the module was first constructed this allowed the city portion of the module to be placed into the home layout Bill had.

Bill has one numerous awards with the module.  The first award won was the Baldwin Award for Best in Show during the June 2003 NMRA Northeast Regional Convention held in Fishkill, NY.  In 2006, the module won the DPM Module Award for the best use of DPM City Classics structures on a module as well as the Best Module in Show at the 2006 National Train Show in Philadelphia, PA.  Of course, the module also received Best in Show in 2010 at the Railroad Hobby Show.

A repair shop on the front of the module.

Showtime: Layout Media Credits

Model Railroader Video Plus segment.

Want to see the Tribute to Springfield layout in action? During the National Train Show in Indianapolis, IN, I was fortunate to be interviewed by the Model Railroader Video Plus crew as well as TrainMasters.TV.  Cody Grivno stopped by for a discussion about the layout and the final product can be see in Part 2 of their National Train Show report. (segment starts at about the 10:30 mark at the link here.)  The layout was also covered in Part 2 of Trainmaster.TV's National Train Show coverage. (If you are a subscriber, the link is here.) My thanks to Miles Hale and Barry Silverthorn for including the layout in their show as well.

In addition, this YouTube video has a clip of the layout: NMRA 2016 National Model Train Show (starts at 31:25)

Exhibitor Thursday: Amherst Rail Store

The Amherst Railway Society Store inside the Better Living Center.

Exhibitor Spotlight Name: Amherst Rail Store Display Style: Tables Type: Organization Size: 16'x24' Present Location: Better Living Center Home Location: Amherst, MA Website: www.amherstrail-store.org Social Media:

One of the vendors at the show is also the show's host: the Amherst Railway Society.  The organization has several tables where they have flyers and literature as well as numerous items for sale inside the Better Living Center near their HO scale Amherst Belt Lines modular layout.

At these tables, you can find all kinds of Amherst Railway Society and Railroad Hobby Show apparel - like shirts, aprons, sweatshirts, and hats.  In addition, the group has sponsored several books which can be found at these tables along with show cars in both HO and N scale.  If you are interested in joining the group, the fine folks running the table will be happy to process your application.

All of the items which are available at the show are also available online.  Visit the Amherst Railway Society store at: www.amherstrail-store.org

Wordless Wednesday: MPRR G Scale Switcher

Module Monday: NYC Adirondack Division

Charlie's Adirondack Division of the New York Central.

Module Spotlight Scale: HO Size: 24"x48" modules - 15 total Standards: Club Years Constructed: 2000 Features: NYC Adirondack Division Era: 1925-1927 Club: Atlanta Interlocking MR Owner: Charlie Crawford

At the 2009 National Train Show in Hartford, I had an opportunity to meet Charlie Crawford and photograph his modular layout featuring the Adirondack Division of the New York Central.  The layout started with just a single 2'x4' module featuring an icehouse then was expanded to 15 sections making up 66 linear feet of modules.

The theme for the layout was inspired by a trip to upstate New York in the early 1970s during a vacation.  After seeing some photos of the prototype in the area, Charlie had the bug and began the process of planning the railroad.  The current layout models areas from Thendara (Old Forge) to White Rock Curve.  The model follows the prototype with its main traffic coming from passengers, forest products, ice, and general freight for the area.  With the layout set in the mid-1920's the motive power and equipment is generally small steam engines such as Moguls, Consolidations, USRA Mikados and Ten-Wheelers.  Over half of the rolling stock on the layout had to be custom decorated to match the railroad.

Despite living in Georgia, Charlie brought the layout to the NMRA National Train Show in Hartford, CT.  The module set was packed up in a minivan for the 1000 mile trek and Charlie set it up and operated the layout solo for the three days of the show.  That is an impressive feat!  To top off the trip, several modules also earned Honorable Mentions in the module contest.

A passenger train passes Wood Lake Inn.

Showtime: 2016 National Train Show

The Tribute to Springfield layout at the National Train Show.

The second show is in the books for the Tribute to Springfield layout!  Last weekend, the layout was on display at the National Train Show held in Indianapolis, IN.  Obviously with the theme of the layout being the Railroad Hobby Show and based in Massachusetts, I was a bit concerned it would seem out of place in the Midwest.  However, there are plenty of folks who attend both shows or have at least heard of the legend that is "Springfield." 

Outside the Indiana Convention Center.

The show was open to the public from Friday July 8 through Sunday July 10, 2016 - but the trip for me (and the Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad Club) began on Tuesday morning July 5.  We spent most of the day enjoying the Pennsylvania and Ohio countrysides with our caravan of minivans and a trailer before arriving in Indianapolis Wednesday morning for setup day.  While the National Train Show is fairly large - about half the square footage of Springfield - it's all packed into one building instead of four.  This means there are some logistical hurtles requiring the extra time to spend setting up.  Fortunately, we were there early, so it made the pace of setup leisurely.

Friday was probably the busiest day for me.  It began early in the morning at 7 am with judging for the module contest.  During the early hours of the show (which opened at 9 am), the layout caught the attention of many different people and I participated in several interviews which will hopefully air in the not-to-distant future.  Friday morning is also only a soft opening to NMRA convention attendees.  There are a lot of folks in this group who travel around the country to shows - so many were familiar with Springfield and had even attended.

Overall the feedback for the layout was positive and the module judges seemed to agree awarding the layout 2nd Place in the Individual Module Category.  The rules had changed a bit since we last competed in the contest back in 2014 but in some ways I think for the better.  For example, it didn't seem like many people were interested in competing back in 2014 due to the amount of paperwork required to enter the contest and the rigid scoring structure.  This year, any layout could enter and there wasn't any particular scoring requirements.  This means a lot of modules and layouts entered which might not have otherwise.  So I feel good that the folks running the contest thought that highly of the layout considering there were so many more entries.

The layout ran smoothly all weekend - with just a few breaks to clean the track and locomotive wheels.  Most of the club members stopped by and tried their hand at operating the layout.  Most succeed but the average time was around a half an hour to complete one cycle through the operation scheme.

Another view of the Tribute to Springfield layout setup at the NTS.

Speaking of the club, we also brought along our HO scale modular layout setup in a 20'x44' loop.  We had 26 modules - of which 15 were new since we went to the 2014 National Train Show in Cleveland.  I spent a lot of time preparing that layout as well as the O scale layout over the last few months.  I'm happy to report the HO layout also ran well all weekend and was also well received.

These trips are a lot of fun - but also a lot of work.  We still have two more days ahead of us for the ride home - plus another evening of unloading the trailer and vehicles.  I want to the thank all the folks at the NTS for being great hosts again as well as all my fellow club members who worked their rear ends off over the last year getting ready for this event.

And with that, the clock starts for the next showing of the layout at the 49th Railroad Hobby Show in just 201 days!

The Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad Club's HO layout.

The travel team for the Mohegan Pequot layout.

Showtime: 2016 National Train Show Preview

Highball to Indy 2016!

Tomorrow the Tribute to Springfield layout will be on display at the 2016 National Train Show which will be held July 8-10, 2016, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis, IN.  The railroad will be setup with the Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad Club's HO scale modular railroad in the 3000 block of the layout exhibits. (L3015 for the Tribute to Springfield layout and L3018 for the HO layout)

If you can make it out to the event, here are a couple of links to get you ready for the show:

• National Train Show - The official show site where you can get up to the minute information about the entire show.
• 2016 Highball to Indy! - The official NMRA convention website.
• NMRA 2016 Facebook page - A place to get real time updates from the organization holding the convention.

Hope to see you at the Indiana Convention Center on July 8-10, 2016 in Indianapolis!

Layout Update Mondays: Dress Rehearsal

The front of the Young Building.

In just a couple of hours, the layout is going to be packed up and on its way out to Indiana. I've spent the last week grooming the layout for the big show and adding some last minute details around the layout.  Here are just a few photos from around the layout I took during its "dress rehearsal" last night before it all gets packed away. If you are heading out to the National Train Show, the layout will be located in the 3000 block of layout displays (along with my club's HO modular layout).  Stop by and say hi!

A few building utilities added and some loading dock details.

Some park benches arrived for the Mallary Pavilion scene.

Toll booths painted and weathered - just need the LEDs installed.

Another view of the toll booths with a view of the working police car lights.

Not much has changed since Springfield at the M.O.W. area.

A look at the new signage along Memorial Avenue.

A new sign for the RR HQ building courtesy of the Amherst Railway Society.

Wordless Wednesday: National Train Show 2014

Layout Update Mondays: Centennial Caboose

The Big E Centennial Caboose at Mallary Pavilion.

We are entering the home stretch in the run up to the National Train Show in just eleven short days.  I have been very busy making sure everything is ready to go.  Just a few quick photos today from projects completed over the last week.  Above, the finished display caboose was painted up for The Big E's Centennial Celebration.  It has been fun figuring out how to make and install custom decals.  In addition, I finished scratch building several grade crossing signs as well as did a little more detailing around the Young Building.

Grade Crossing signs.

Details around Young Building.

Wordless Wednesday: Ntrak Ore Dock Bridge

Layout Update Mondays: Details, Details, Details

Mallary Pavilion in progress.

In two weeks, the layout will be packed up in a trailer and on its way to Indianapolis, IN for this year's National Train Show.  I've been working non-stop to have the layout ready for the event and have been adding numerous details all around the layout. In the photo above, the Mallary Pavilion has been mostly landscaped - the remaining pieces are to add leaves to the trees, plant a few flowers, and finish painting a caboose for the display track.  Below is a photo of some of the interior details added to the Railroad Headquarters building.  It's not quite finished but you can see where it is headed.

A few interior details for the Railroad Headquarters building.

Details on the loading dock.

The loading dock has also received a few empty pallets and crates to create the illusion of freight being unloaded.  In addition, the scenery has also been spruced up with some of the grass tufts from Walthers.  The final photo below is of the weathering on Memorial Avenue.  I used some chalk and the effect is subtle but makes a big difference when looking at the layout in person.

Finished weathering on the road.

Wordless Wednesday: Steve's Swamp

Module Monday: Logging Module

The Logging Module with Valley Ntrak.

Over the year's I've had a chance to photograph numerous modular layouts at the Railroad Hobby Show and interview the module builders.  Here is a look back at one of these module profiles which was compiled during the 2009 Railroad Hobby Show.

Module Spotlight Scale: N Size: 2'x8' Standards: Ntrak Years Constructed: 2006-2008 Features: Logging Camp, Switchbacks, Waterfall Era: 1950s-Present Club: Valley Ntrak Owner: Bill Pontin

FBill Pontin's Ntrak Logging Module was the winner of the Best in Show Module Award as part of the 2009 Ntrak Winterfest Convention held in conjunction with the Railroad Hobby Show.  The module made its debut in 2008 after two years of construction.

The module features a logging camp scene with several switchbacks to reach the logging area.  Bill scratchbuilt everything on the module including most of the equipment.  Details are numerous on the module with lots of small scenes to see.  One of the neat effects is how the tree line changes from the left side of the module to the right.  Full pine trees fill the hill on the left side while only stumps cover the right side of the module where the logging area is.  To add to this effect, there are painted backdrops which help to extend the scene.  Bill also added animation with a waterfall that "works."  By using rotating light behind the static water fall, he is able to make it look as though the stream is actually running.

An overview of the module.

Wordless Wednesday: Big Boy

Module Monday: Chenango Branch

A freight rounds into town on the Chenango Branch.

Over the year's I've had a chance to photograph numerous modular layouts at the Railroad Hobby Show and interview the module builders.  Here is a look back at one of these module profiles which was compiled during the 2009 Railroad Hobby Show.

Module Spotlight Scale: HO Size: 28"x144" Standards: Club Years Constructed: 2005 Features: Bridge, Town, Tunnel Era: 1930s-1940s Club: Central New York Modelers Owner: Russ Gills

The Chenango Branch of the New York Central Railroad rambled through upstate New York and served milk plants and stations, gravel pits, ice, and passenger stations during its existence.  While the branch was abandoned in 1944, Russ Gills has kept the legacy of the branch alive with his 28"x12' module set with the Central New York Modelers.  Only a single mainline track is visible, with the other hidden under the back hills, to capture the feel of the branch.

The module captures many scenes from along the branchline including a depot, milk station, stores, and bridges.  On the left side of the module trains emerge into the scene through he south portal under Palmer Hill.  The mainline then makes it way over the Chittenango Creek stone arch bridge.  The line then snakes its way into town past several stores and buildings based upon those in Lebanon, NY.  The buildings are mostly scratchbuilt with the exception of the depot which is a modified Branchline kit.  The scenery on the module is dramatic with a creek running along most of the module and vertical scenery along the back of the module.  A photo backdrop helps extend the scene.  Also, lots of period vehicles and details set the time frame of the module in the 1930s and 1940s.

Russ received help on portions of the construction of the module by several club members.  This included Louis Frees and Bernard Watkins (benchwork), Bill Brown (rocks and backdrop), and Mike Fuller (vehicles).

Arriving at the station.

History Fridays: 2006 Willimantic Train Show

Stu Dom tests the new Staging Yard at the Fall 2006 Willimantic Train Show.

For a 20 year period - starting in 1994 and ending in 2013 - the club would display layouts in support of the Connecticut Eastern Railroad Museum's semi-annual spring and fall shows. This was a fun show for the club as it was close to our home base and supported a nearby railroad museum.

One of the more memorable year's for the club at this event was the fall of 2006.  We were in the midst of a massive rebuild of the HO layout and had - accidentally - double booked the show weekend - committing to the show in Willmantic as well as supporting A Day Out With Thomas at the Valley Railroad in Essex, CT.  This created some logistical hurdles but actually gave us a lot of incentive to use the weekend as one last hurrah for our old layout and have a test run for some of our newest modules before the 2007 Railroad Hobby Show.

The activity for the weekend started on the prior Wednesday evening setting up the old modules at the Valley Railroad - where we would operate for two weekends.  On Saturday morning of the weekend of the show, most of the club members met in Essex to help ensure operations were off to a good start at the Thomas event before a smaller group traveled over to Willimantic to set up the new modules for a test run at Windham High School for the show on Sunday. Sunday, the club members were split as one group was once again at Essex for the day while the other crew went to Willimantic to shake down the new modules.

We were able to test run the club's new Staging Yard as well as the Delany Yard complex and Brookside Farm modules. The show in Willimantic ended at 3 pm and the layout was quickly broken down and then hauled over to Essex. After the final train returned at the Valley Railroad, the club members spent a long Sunday evening taking down and setting up a larger layout for the following weekend in Essex with several modules which had spent the day operating in Willimantic.

While it was busy, playing the double header was a fun experience for the club and most likely a one time occurrence as we generally don't have eight corners available at any given time. The Willimantic show, unfortunately, has most likely come to end as the person in charge of the show passed away a few years ago. While it was there, it was certainly fun for the club and provided some great memories.

Exhibitor Thursday: Scenic Express

The Scenic Express booth at the Railroad Hobby Show.

Exhibitor Spotlight Name: Scenic Express Display Style: Tables Type: Retailer Size: 27'x34' Present Location: Better Living Center Home Location: Delmont, PA Website: Scenic Express

For the last week, I've been busy working on scenery on the layout - using many materials purchased at the Scenic Express booth this past Springfield.  For many years Scenic Express has set up a large display inside the Better Living Center which includes working layouts showcasing the scenic materials the company sells.  The setup takes up the equivalent of fourteen tables - which fills a space larger than some of the modular layouts at the show. 

Recently, the company has been featuring live demos at their booth - providing an up close look at how the scenery materials can be used to enhance a layout.  The company has a busy road schedule and is slated to be at the upcoming National Train Show in Indianapolis next month...a good opportunity to pick up some more scenery materials and details for the Tribute to Springfield layout!

To learn more, visit the Scenic Express website at: www.scenicexpress.com

Layout Update Mondays: Pavement Markings

Masking for lane lines and stop bars.

One of the big tasks remaining for the model of Memorial Avenue was to complete the numerous pavement markings needed on the road surface.  There are a total of four lanes in this area with a double yellow center line and white dashed markings for the two travel lanes in each direction.  These were masked off and then hand painted in the appropriate color.  In addition, a set of railroad crossing pavement markings was added to each lane along with a stop bar in front of the railroad tracks.  The railroad crossing pavement marking was painted with the aid of a template which I created and is available here at Shapeways.  Everything came out fairly nice and the last step will be to weather the road surface and add some vehicles and barrels.

Painting the double yellow center line of Memorial Avenue.

The finished pavement markings.

History Fridays: 2011 Durham Train Show

2011 Durham Train Show

On October 2, 2011, the club participated in the New Haven Society of Model Engineer's Fall Train Show held at the Durham Fairgrounds in Durham, CT.  The club displayed a 14'x46' HO modular railroad at the show.  The layout included two large yard module sets - Pennsy Yard and Delany Yard - plus included the debut of the two foot Rivulet module.  This module was built in less than 90 hours during the week leading up to the show (see the time lapse video below).

Attendance was steady throughout the overcast day and most of the vendors and exhibitors seemed to enjoy the show.  Besides the club HO layout, there were numerous other layouts at the show including the Central Connecticut G Gaugers and the Connecticut Shoreliners On30 and Hn30 layouts.  The host's O scale layout with its well known bascule drawbridge was setup at the show along with their HO scale modular layout.

To see more photos from the show, visit: http://mprr.org/trainshow/nhsmetrainshow2011

Exhibitor Thursday: New England Short Lines

Larry Kemp's New England Short Lines display.

Exhibitor Spotlight Name: New England Short Lines Years at the Show: 20+ Size: 30"x8' Display Style: HO Scale Display Type: Locomotive Models Present Location: Better Living Center

One of the more interesting static setups at the show is Larry Kemp's New England Short Lines display.  The display features numerous custom painted and detailed HO scale locomotives and rolling stock from present day New England shortline railroading. Each year, there are always new models which have been created based on the rosters of railroads in the northeast.  For example, this past year's display included the newly acquired ex-Florida East Coast Providence and Worcester SD70M-2s as well as the First Responders Norfolk Southern units.

In addition to these new locomotives, a variety of other New England shortlines were on display.  Numerous Genesse & Wyoming roads filled one of the shelves and several scenic railroad's locomotives were also on display.  In addition, some equipment from abandoned roads - like the Narragansett Pier Railroad and New Haven Terminal - were custom painted and detailed.

Every year it's a lot of fun to check out the changes in the collection and what new projects have been completed.  You can typically find the display inside the Better Living Center near the Dunkin Donuts stand.

Wordless Wednesday: Valley Ntrak

Module Monday: Ntrak Ore Dock Module

Ntrak Ore Dock Module.

Over the year's I've had a chance to photograph numerous modular layouts at the Railroad Hobby Show and interview the module builders.  Here is a look back at one of these module profiles which was compiled during the 2009 Railroad Hobby Show.

Module Spotlight Scale: N Size: 3'x12' Standards: Ntrak Years Constructed: 1999 Features: Ore Dock, Lighthouse Era: 1950s-1960s Club: Salt City Ntrak Owner: Harry Smith

Harry Smith's impressive Ntrak Ore Dock module set is 3'x12' made up of three sections each four feet in length.  The focal point of the module is the ore dock and ore ship at the center of the middle module.  The yard and dock are at the front of the module.  This means that the mainlines were swung towards the back of the module.

On the right module there is a small city and on the left module there is a bridge over a river.  The river appears to be heading off into the distance as Harry used mirrors to expand the scene.  He conducts clinics at various conventions on all the techniques he used to build these scenes from the water, to the rocks, and to the mirrors.  Also, this module features a lighthouse made using a plastic thread spool and probably one of smallest attention grabbing items on the module, flying birds!  Harry discovered a way to make birds from small pieces of styrene and suspend them in the air using filament wire. In the pictures to the right and on the bottom right show the birds in flight.

This module is also one of the most traveled modules.  Harry brings this module all over the country to participate in Ntrak meets.  Over the past summer, he was in Kentucky for the annual N Scale Collector's National Convention and set up his module with the gigantic Ntrak layout there.

History Fridays: Amtrak 40th Anniversary Show

Club members watch over the mainline during the Amtrak 40th Anniversary Show.

A couple of years ago, the club was asked to setup a layout as part of the Amtrak 40th Anniversary celebration. On the scorching hot weekend of July 23-24, 2011, the Amtrak 40th Anniversary Train was parked out in front of New London Union Station as part of a nationwide tour for folks to learn more about the history of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation.

The club displayed a 12'x20' HO scale layout which featured Amtrak equipment cruising around the layout for the duration of the weekend. We had good participation from the membership with plenty of help to setup and operate the layout. The crowds were steady all weekend long as many locals came out to see the Amtrak 40th Anniversary train. The train featured a number of exhibit cars filled with photos, models, and memorabilia since the start of Amtrak operations in 1971.

Besides the club's layout and the exhibit train, the show featured display's from the Amtrak Police Department, Operation Lifesaver, as well as a Chugginton Display.

Exhibitor Thursday: JL Innovative Design

JL Innovative Design's tables inside the Young Building.

Exhibitor Spotlight Name: JL Innovative Design Display Style: Tables Type: Retailer Size: 2.5'x24' Present Location: Young Building Home Location: Sauk Rapids, MN Website: www.jlinnovative.com

JL Innovative Design is a manufacturer of HO and N scale structure kits, details, and vehicles.  This year marks 25 years of product manufacturing for the company - which has recently expanded with the purchased the Durango Press product line.  Most of the kits and details focus on the transition era - the 1930s through the 1950s. 

At the show, the JL Innovative Design tables are setup inside the Young Building - next to the G scale Mohegan Pequot Model Railroad Club's modular layout.  The brightly lit red tables are lined with numerous dioramas of the kits produced by the company.  The display is well done and shows off the high level of craftsmanship which goes into the kits. 

To learn more, visit the JL Innovative Design website at: www.jlinnovative.com

Wordless Wednesday: Mystic Cannery