Although I am by no means a master modeler, I still love this hobby, and it has driven me to build a few model railroads in the past. First, I should point out that I do not have a lot of experiences when compared to those that have been in the hobby for 50-60 years, but I do have a lot of knowledge of different scales and their benefits and limits. I have built at least one layout in the following scales: N, HO, O, G, On30, Gn15. However, this page is not about my experience or knowledge, but rather more about my past. So below, I have my best projects in chronological order.
The first railroad that I built by myself was a 2'x4' N scale layout that was seen in one train show before being dismantled. I did built a 4'x4' railroad previously, but not photos survive of that layout. There wasn't much in this layout; a bridge, pond, tunnel, and four switches with two industries. This railroad was also built on a very tight budget. In today's prices, the railroad would cost about $250 to build from ready made materials.
About the same time I started building the railroad that I photographed the most. It was an HO scale layout that was built on a door measuring 36''x 80''. The layout used 15'' radius curves, which are very tight. But with 6 turnouts and three industries the layout had a little more operational potential. What was really different, and new for me was that this layout was indeed a model instead of a display. The layout modeled Rock Springs, Wisconsin. The town and nearby area have a gravel quarry, a station, and a grain elevator. This railroad survived until 2013 when I had to take it down that February.
I had also built a 4'x8' O scale layout to showcase my buildings and trains. Not much to say about this one other than it was portable and could fit in the trunk of a car. It was fun to sit back and watch the train go around in a circle though, and so it survived tow years before being taken down recently. Oh, and it was featured in the South Dakota State Railroad Museum's Trees and Trains 2012 exhibit.
Finally, We can get to my garden railroads. In total, I've built three garden railroads, but i will showcase my latest one below. Although originally named 'Smoking Timber Logging Co.' I changed the name to 'Lonewell Logging' in honor of the road my family and I live on.
So there is a basic history of my modeling endeavors. Like I had said, there is variety, but not very many experiences. To see a full history and mass photo page, please visit the 'Archived' page.
The first railroad that I built by myself was a 2'x4' N scale layout that was seen in one train show before being dismantled. I did built a 4'x4' railroad previously, but not photos survive of that layout. There wasn't much in this layout; a bridge, pond, tunnel, and four switches with two industries. This railroad was also built on a very tight budget. In today's prices, the railroad would cost about $250 to build from ready made materials.
About the same time I started building the railroad that I photographed the most. It was an HO scale layout that was built on a door measuring 36''x 80''. The layout used 15'' radius curves, which are very tight. But with 6 turnouts and three industries the layout had a little more operational potential. What was really different, and new for me was that this layout was indeed a model instead of a display. The layout modeled Rock Springs, Wisconsin. The town and nearby area have a gravel quarry, a station, and a grain elevator. This railroad survived until 2013 when I had to take it down that February.
I had also built a 4'x8' O scale layout to showcase my buildings and trains. Not much to say about this one other than it was portable and could fit in the trunk of a car. It was fun to sit back and watch the train go around in a circle though, and so it survived tow years before being taken down recently. Oh, and it was featured in the South Dakota State Railroad Museum's Trees and Trains 2012 exhibit.
