A good friend of mine has a hobby of designing layouts. He doesn't model anymore, but enjoys designing layouts just the same. He sent another friend and I a layout last year that I really fell in love with. I LOVE switching, and this layout was perfect for it. Of course, after tweaking it to match my needs, he changed it again, and made it even better, eliminating the complex crossings and switches, some in the middle of streets, that would have necessitated hand laying ALL of them. Not that that is a huge problem for me, I can do it, I'd just rather not. The new design allows me to use Code 70 and Code 55 Micro Engineering flex track and I am debating M.E. switches versus buying the Fast Tracks jigs and making my own, as my current layout features hand laid switches and they are nicer than commercially made ones. So.... I started tweaking this one too. I still have some more work to do in the Residential area, adding for houses and specific residential scenery. I am sure a lot of you are familiar with the scenery too. 
I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but my favorite current show is "King of the Hill". I guess because I can identify with the animated rednecks, I just love it. Since Eugene (track plan designer), friend David and I are a little odd anyway, I decided "what the heck, let's have fun with it" when coming up with a freelanced railroad. I always liked freelancing railroad companies and this one allows me to start a brand new layout some day, after I get my current layout repaired and restored after a long storage. I also need to paint some locomotives, cabooses, passenger varnish and other rolling stock for the current layout, so this new one is a long ways off, but is designed to fit in a spare bedroom. This way, the CNE can stay in the formal living room and the new layout can go in a spare bedroom and unlike the CNE's transition era, this one allows me to run all of my modern day rolling stock after custom painting two locomotives and a caboose.
Welcome to the city of "Arlen Texas". The freelanced "Arlen Traction Company" is a roughly 50 mile short line based loosely on my favorite road, the Central California Traction here in Stockton. The AT is a former interurban running from Arlen Texas, south through Heimlich County, through McMaynerbury to it's connection with the ex- MKT or MP (haven't decided on which one yet) in fictional Durndle Texas, roughly 50 miles away. Main commodities carried include Propane, Pork Products, Grain, Cement, Scrap Metal, Beer, & Food stuffs.
I tried to capture the show's main industries/businesses as faithfully as possible and include most of them. Some, like Tom Landry Middle School are just too much, and may end up being building flats against the backdrop in Arlen.
The industry key is as follows:
A Locomotive Shop
B Railroad Service Area
C Alamo Beer
D Carnation (Closed, spur out of service)
E Sugarfoot BBQ Restaurant
F Bobby's Fruit Pies
G Arlen Traction Co. Offices
H Thatherton Fuels
I VFW Hall
J Wagner Outdoor Products
K Larson Pork Products
L Strickland Propane
M Cargill Grain
N Railroad Training Services - Railroad Training Center
O Mega-lo-Mart Distribution Center
P Heimlich Metal Recyclers
Q Knoll Gas Race Fules Refinery
R Arlen Traction Co. Team Track
S Heimlich Sand & Gravel Quarry
I still need to add "Rainey Street" in to the layout, in "Residential Arlen", so it's still a work in progress.
Lastly, here is the new Locomotive roster for the AT:
Ok, so this is probably pretty juvenile and ridiculous to most, but hey, this hobby is supposed to be fun, so why not? I mean, this design combines a lot of switching and really lets me get creative trying to do what may not have ever been done before, and that is to replicate a fictional place seen on television.
Wish me luck, I think my sanity is gonna need it! sign1
I don't watch a whole lot of TV, but my favorite current show is "King of the Hill". I guess because I can identify with the animated rednecks, I just love it. Since Eugene (track plan designer), friend David and I are a little odd anyway, I decided "what the heck, let's have fun with it" when coming up with a freelanced railroad. I always liked freelancing railroad companies and this one allows me to start a brand new layout some day, after I get my current layout repaired and restored after a long storage. I also need to paint some locomotives, cabooses, passenger varnish and other rolling stock for the current layout, so this new one is a long ways off, but is designed to fit in a spare bedroom. This way, the CNE can stay in the formal living room and the new layout can go in a spare bedroom and unlike the CNE's transition era, this one allows me to run all of my modern day rolling stock after custom painting two locomotives and a caboose.
Welcome to the city of "Arlen Texas". The freelanced "Arlen Traction Company" is a roughly 50 mile short line based loosely on my favorite road, the Central California Traction here in Stockton. The AT is a former interurban running from Arlen Texas, south through Heimlich County, through McMaynerbury to it's connection with the ex- MKT or MP (haven't decided on which one yet) in fictional Durndle Texas, roughly 50 miles away. Main commodities carried include Propane, Pork Products, Grain, Cement, Scrap Metal, Beer, & Food stuffs.
I tried to capture the show's main industries/businesses as faithfully as possible and include most of them. Some, like Tom Landry Middle School are just too much, and may end up being building flats against the backdrop in Arlen.
The industry key is as follows:
A Locomotive Shop
B Railroad Service Area
C Alamo Beer
D Carnation (Closed, spur out of service)
E Sugarfoot BBQ Restaurant
F Bobby's Fruit Pies
G Arlen Traction Co. Offices
H Thatherton Fuels
I VFW Hall
J Wagner Outdoor Products
K Larson Pork Products
L Strickland Propane
M Cargill Grain
N Railroad Training Services - Railroad Training Center
O Mega-lo-Mart Distribution Center
P Heimlich Metal Recyclers
Q Knoll Gas Race Fules Refinery
R Arlen Traction Co. Team Track
S Heimlich Sand & Gravel Quarry
I still need to add "Rainey Street" in to the layout, in "Residential Arlen", so it's still a work in progress.
Lastly, here is the new Locomotive roster for the AT:
Ok, so this is probably pretty juvenile and ridiculous to most, but hey, this hobby is supposed to be fun, so why not?
I mean, this design combines a lot of switching and really lets me get creative trying to do what may not have ever been done before, and that is to replicate a fictional place seen on television. Wish me luck, I think my sanity is gonna need it! sign1
