What do you do in HO scale?

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
Hello everyone!

Come here and tell us about your model railroad, and post pictures!

My model railroad depicts the area around South Amboy and Newark NJ. I'm putting up catenary for electric operations. Its really just a modest 4x8, but its quickly growing. I hope to use tall buildings as a way to divide the scenes without useing a board or some other odd thing.

tell us about your model railroad! maybe a moderator could make this a sticky, so that new comers can always come and see other's work.

btw, my site is finaly unfrozen if anyone wants to take a look.
 
GEC, I've always admired your efforts in this hobby, as I try to follow along. Hehehe. I visit your website periodically, as I have a freewebs account myself. As many Gaugers can tell you here, I've been unrealiable in the past, coming onto the Gauge when I've had "railroading spurts" or when I've gotten off my lazy bum enough to post! :p

Anyway, not to stray off-topic, I'm a 16 year old modeler who is fictionally creating the Black River Subdivision in HO scale. The layout measures 4'x7', and the benchwork is a sturdy table atop two sawhorses for relocation. (It ain't moving anywhere!)

The Black River Sub (BRS) is a fictional subdivision of the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railway, located just west of Chicago. The name is derived from the town the branch serves--Black River. (I got the name from my childhood... The Black River & Western in NJ was right there with the New Hope and Ivyland. The NH&I had it's right-of-way nearly adjacent to my house. I was 4 minutes from the depot in town.)

The layout is a complex oval, with the main feature of Black River's Union Depot. The depot has three tracks, two of which are stubs, the third the mainline. I'm a big fan of passenger operations.

On the "other side of town" are some industries. The actual town itself is located off-scene due to lack of modeling space and experience.

Time frame is late 1940's, early 50's, and the motive power for the BRS includes a 2-8-0, SW1, GP7 (both in Zebra), F7 "in the shop" (Warbonnet), and a Amtrak Pepsi Dash 8-32BHW when I want to pull away from the 50's and run my modern American Orient Express. All locos are DCC equipped.:)

Updated pictures will come soon, but you can find a few pics of my layout here and there. Due to lack of, er, activity on my part, the threads have disappeared, but new ones will move in soon, I promise you that.

The BRS is back under construction, and trains are running more smoothly than ever with DCC! :D
 

Clark A.

Member
Interesting to hear from you train whiz. I am nearing 15 years old, and a beginning model railroader.

I've always admired steam trains, and I've also liked designing and mapping out imaginary cities. So combine the two and you have a train layout! I've built RC model boats as well.

So far my layout has not begun, I am still very much in the research phase. Basically it will be composed of two mainlines; one for passenger and one for freight. Two or more cities will complete it and an industry.

I have a Bachmann HO Frontiersman as well as an old LifeLike somewhere. The Bachmann is a 2-8-0. I have a LifeLike 0-4-0 as well, and is she fast! It looks much like my avatar pic. I've always particularly liked the very LARGE and very small trains.

The layout will be set in the 40's or present.
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
I to am 15, but i'll be 16 this sunday.

I'm building my railroad based on NJ Transit's North Jersey Coast line because through out my life i have passed over it a hundred times on the Outer Bridge Crossing. It turns out to be a good choice because North Jersey railroading has just about anything i could want on a model.

It basicly starts out with a yard in Newark that i named Port reading yard, because the real thing seems similar enough to mine. I use large and tall buildings like American Hardware Supply, Plastic Pellet transfer and the Bralick Building to hide the other side of the tracks, instead of a scenic divider. on the other side is my industrial park, which is operated mostly by a small GE 44 tonner (although you can bare squeeze an EMD switcher on there if you have to) the Plastic pellet hoppers get backed onto their track, and the rest of the cars onto the interchange for the industrial park. out bound cars are picked up, and the freight returns to the yard.

meanwhile i run NJ transit commuter trains on the mainline. I wish i had a ALP-44, but i can't get a hold of one. i may be able to get a NJ DOT GG-1. otherwise my catenary isn't going to get as much use as i hoped. i still have a E-33 and a bunch of electrics, so i guess its ok.

I'm still in the phase of building the sturctures, and detailing random things. i just recently finished hand painting all the rails and ties ( i need an air brush!) so now all of that looks better.


this is an older picture, but thats ok because you can't see most of the layout anyway! i might take more up to date pictures later. I also thought this was cool with a moveing commuter train. i have my Pennsy GG-1 up in the lead.

picturelibrary0880to.jpg
 
i have now turned 14 but i am on my way with my layout it is only a 8'x8' but i love working on it. although i do not have a camra right now i hope to post pics soon.
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Wow, this is great, modelers MY age! I'm 16 years old, and model HO scale. My railroad is the Mission Valley& Pacific, or The Central Valley and Pacific, which ever I choose in the future.

My layout is a 4'X8' Layout depicting Central Coastal California in 1958. There is still steam on this layout, if only because the steam engines I have aquired interest me more. It's a Small bridge line connecting the ATSF in the Central Valley of CA with Espee's coast line on the Pacific Ocean.

Most of the power is retired SP Steam and occasionally borrows a diesel switcher to handle the jobs. Most of the rolling stock owned by this railroad is antiquated, such as wood-side boxcars, old-time coaches, and bobber cabooses.

There are a couple of pictures of my layout, which is under construction at the moment, but the quality of the photos are rathrer poor. You can check out this work in progress here:
http://www.the-gauge.com/thread16287-the-mission-valleyamp-pacific--i-would-like-some-feedback-and-advice.html
enjoy! :D
 

Clark A.

Member
Ha this thread should be called young builders instead.

Great work, especially downtown. Awesome stuff.

BTW- Miles is an cool name. :)
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Thanks, Clark! :)

Why don't we make this thread ONLY for those under 18 year old?

I've wanted a tread like this for quite awhile, but never really did it. Why not do that here!
 

green_elite_cab

Keep It Moving!
well, i was hopeing that some of you older guys would pitch in and show your stuff off to, but sure, why not? it would deffinitely encourgae the younger peoples
 
Although suggestive, I don't think we should limit the thread to us "youngun's", even though some of the older gentlemen haven't made an appearance. *coughcoughwinkwink*;)

If anything, maybe create some sort of, er, display of what us younger modelers have accomplished? Such as one post containing details about each modeler (for example, under 18), and thorough pictures of their work. I'd be game, most definately.

For someone like me, you guys are an amazing inspiration. I hope I'm of some help. :thumb:
 
L

lester perry

Not so young blood

OK young bloods I am not a teen. But you wanted some pics of layouts and information. I model the C&O. I have been working on this layout for about 9 years now. As of right now I am concentrating on DCC and a saw mill. I am new at DCC and have 2 decoder equiped locos. One steeam (T1) and one diesel (GP38). I have 50 +- locos and 300 + cars. I operate on a car card system, have 2 hidden yards one large yard on layout and a short line. Now for the pics.

http://photobucket.com/albums/b254/lesterperry/

Have a Merry Christmas (remember what it is all about)
Les.//photobucket.com/albums/b254/lesterperry/
 

shaygetz

Active Member
Welcome to The Gauge, Lester :wave: What part of Delawhere are you from? I lived in Georgetown for some years and model Selbyville as the northern end of my B&MC.

Great to see youngbloods in the hobby. I started when I was 14 and haven't looked back. Many of the construction principles learned in those early years carried me into the construction trades. While I don't have my original AHM/Rivarossi 4-4-0 Genoa or my Tyco Birney streetcar, I do have their replacements as part of my fleet. My modeling reflects those early daze (read that: low or no cash flow ;) ), so I learned to make do with what was available. While I can better afford the new stuff out there, I much prefer cobbling most of my work together from whatever's available and tweeking the older equipment to run better. Check out my website :wave:

Have a Merry and Blessed Christmas :thumb:
 
Lester, that is an incredible layout. Thanks for sharing. The amount of detail is something I envy!

Glad to hear you're converting to DCC. Even though I don't know the full complexity of it, I will never go back on my small 4'x7'. An older gentlemen from my grandparent's community train club, who I became good friends with, purchased an Atlas Master DCC Commander and Generator, along with a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Western Maryland Consolidation. I didn't know what the Atlas thing was at the time, and he presented it to me, claiming no use for it. (The system is well worth over $200, I believe.) I thanked him graciously, only to learn he was also handing over the 2-8-0. It was new, but it didn't run. He didn't want the hastle of sending it back to Bachmann, so he gave it to me.

By golly, I sent it back, and good ol' Bachmann sent me a brand spanking new ATSF 2-8-0 in the box. All I had to invest in was the Soundtraxx decoder/sound once I figured out what I had... and I was off to a start!

Ever since, I've been building my fleet of DCC equipped locos. I'm glad I have a job, otherwise I'd not have the finances to purchase them off Ebay and the like.

But, not only was DCC helpful for my layout, I was convinced because it was no cost to me! (Instead of what I was planning to buy... a $100 DC MRC powerpack.. at the time...)

Ooops, I've been rambling too long.

Pictures of the Black River to come soon. I'm mighty impressed lately, and it's motivated me, since I have the station platform almost complete... and with lights as well! :D

Shaygetz... a visit to your site is always an inspiration. And yes, MERRY CHRISTMAS!
 

MilesWestern

Active Member
Yes, shaygetz, You site is a huge insparation to me, I built your Nudin Special out of a recently aquried Model Power hearse, and I restored acouple of old steamers that were headed for my scrap pile. Unfortunately I scapeed a huge Broken Rivarossi 2-6-6-2 without even checking if it worked or not, oops!

Preservation is fun!
 

shaygetz

Active Member
Thanks, guys, I'm working on another major update that includes a roster page with pictures. Hafta admit my head swells a bit when asked, "Who makes that kit?"

Miles, that only happens once around me then you're cast into a 20 lap helix made up of brass Snap Track with nothing to run but Tyco chrome Silver Streak diesels and cars lettered for popcicles, cereals, cartoon characters and pet foods.... :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:
 
L

lester perry

shaygetz said:
Welcome to The Gauge, Lester :wave: What part of Delawhere are you from? I lived in Georgetown for some years and model Selbyville as the northern end of my B&MC.
Shaygetz,I am in Townsend (rural) Lived here about 10 years. I just checked out your web site and am very impressed :thumb: .
 
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