2022 Chicago O Scale Show – Layout Tour: Rockford O Scalers

Posted on April 16, 2022 by George Losse

One of the nice things about going to the Chicago Show over the years has been going out on layout tours. I have had the chance to see a bunch over the years. This year we rode out to the Rockford O Scalers’ layout.

Even though the Rockford O Scalers have been a regular on the layout tour, I had not been to the layout before. Usually worked out that that the group I was riding with didn’t want to travel that far to see the layout. It was about an hour drive to get there. I have to say that it was absolutely well worth the drive.

The layout is 57×30 plus a staging area and is basically two double-track mainlines. One on the outside of the room and another loop on the inside of the room. The “club” started in the 1990’s as a modular group. The modules were used to make up the inner loop.

While some may find the track plan too basic, I think the simplicity of the plan allows the railroad to be completed and enjoyed. For me, the most impressive thing about the layout was how it was brought to life by the small everyday scenes modeled. The use of people and vehicles makes you feel like the models are alive.

You really get the sense that the railroad is moving through the towns modeled, not like a lot of layouts where the everyday life is a second thought.

I want to thank our hosts for taking the time to share their railroad with us. We arrived close to the end of the scheduled open house and they found the energy to explain and showcase the railroad to us.

John Handlogten discussing the railroad with us.

Frank McCabe talking with Rich Yoder about the models on display on the first floor.

The first floor was equally amazing to see all the models displayed. Everywhere you looked there were models displayed.

Layout Visit: Gary Smith, 2015 Cleveland O Scale Show

Posted on November 21, 2015 by George Losse

The second layout on our tour was that of Gary Smith. I first met Gary back when I was a part of the Cherry Valley Club. He was visiting Fran Piefl and came to one of the club’s swap meets. He wanted to go down to Pemberton, NJ to see the PRR station.

I remember driving him the twenty or so miles from the club to Pemberton during the meet so he could measure and photograph the station because he wanted to model it. I had to go see Gary’s layout to see the model that came from those efforts. I wasn’t disappointed.

Gary’s layout is plan is simple, three loops one as a fly-over, but the quality of the build is excellent. Only a couple of the scenes are completed, but they are very nicely done and the layout ran flawlessly during the open-house.

Gary is a fine gentleman and a great host, when we arrived he was letting one of the visitors test a locomotive on the layout during the open house. And shortly after we arrived he placed his Overland Reading T-1 on the layout and let some of those beautifully super-detailed PRR brass locomotives take a break. The T-1 can be seen running behind Gary in the first photo.

Layout Visit: Cleveland O Scale Club, 2015 Cleveland O Scale Show

Posted on November 12, 2015 by George Losse

We had the pleasure of visiting two layouts in the Cleveland area this year. The first was the Cleveland O Scale Model Railroad Club. They are housed in a cool looking building that almost looked like a freight house as we pulled up. They are a loose knit group that is more concerned with having fun and sharing the joys of model railroading than getting caught up in the BS of most clubs.

The railroad started out as a private railroad which they relocated to their location. They are in the process of expanding it to better utilize the available space in the building. The guys who were there that night were very friendly and are very passionate about the joy of operating their railroad.

Layout Visit: Warner Clark, 2011 O Scale National

Posted on October 11, 2011 by George Losse

Warner Clark in front of his layout.

In posting about the layouts we visited during the National, I’ve saved the best for last. Warner Clark has built a Proto48 railroad that is a wonferful joy to see. Just like the other two basements, Warner also has a large basement, but he chose to only use a small portion of it for the railroad. Warner explained while we were there, “I wanted to finish the railroad in this lifetime.”

While the size of the railroad may be modest, the modeling is not modest at all, it’s first rate. There were no unfinished models displayed on the layout. Instead we saw finished scenes and finished models. Even with the new addition under construction, there was a greater level of finish to the modeling. Everything fit together to tell different stories.

Warner has also embraced some modern layout design concepts of modeling between the fencelines. Most of the railroad is on a shallow shelf around the walls. A new area of a town is being built on a second level over the backside of the railroad.

The next day we saw that O Scale Kings was using images of Warner’s layout to promote O Scale in their booth. Proto48 being used to promote O Scale.

I should point out that I went to the National with three other guys from the Eastern Pennsylvania. We talked about Warner’s layout a lot on the drive back and since returning. His layout was a wonderful example of what can be done with Proto48 and O Scale, but so often isn’t.

We have all said the San Juan trucks have enough detail to be a model by themselves, Warner did it.

A wider view of the wheel service area.

The details make the scene.

I’ve seen bigger NKP scenes, none better.

This is modeling between the fences on a shelf at its best.

The most photographed part of Warner’s layout for a reason

A longer view of the junction scene.

Beautiful track work!

A simple scene that captures the feel of two different railroads.

I’m not a fan of gates to enter a rialroad, but this one was nicely done.

Warner’s sense of story telling comes through in this scene with the police car.

Layout Visit: Cherry Valley Model Railroad Club, 2010

Posted on July 5, 2010 by George Losse

I had to meet up with a couple of the members of the Cherry Valley Model Railroad Club in Merchantville, NJ. So it was a good chance to take a look at the club layout. They continue making improvements as always.

John Dunn sitting at the main control panel.

A Nice Junction scene on the lower level

You know I like to look at hopper cars. Here is a nice old cast car done very nicely.

View from the end of the passenger station (that wasn’t there)

Tom Mapes recently replaced the bench work on the loop. Looks like they are planning to cover this. I sure hope so.

Layout Visit: Roy Dietz, 2009 PRR in Harrisburg and West

Posted on November 24, 2009 by George Losse

Roy Dietz operating the M1 making setouts.

Roy Dietz’s layout was on the 2009 National tour, I had planned to visit it on the ride North after the National. Just as I was approaching the area to get off of 95 a rather large thunder storm began. I really did not want to follow a bad map in the storm, so I stayed on 95 and figured I’d see the layout some other time.

About three months passed and I was over buying from an estate in Delaware and guess who was also in the basement that night, Roy Dietz. After I was introduced, I told him the story about not getting to see the layout because of the storm. He was nice enough to invite me over. But he said rather than just, see the layout like you would have after the National, why not come over and operate the layout?

I tried to round up a few folks to go with me but only one brave sole that day Matt Forsyth. We drove down to Maryland and found the home that housed the railroad. Roy had moved into the house just a couple of years before and built this new railroad. As you descend into the room the first scene you are confronted with is Harrisburg Passenger station. He has modeled the exchange of power at Harrisburg, which is the furthest point West that the electrics worked on the PRR. There is also a couple of smaller rural towns modeled which allow for the bulk of the freight operations.

Yes, I did say operations. We operated a PRR RS-3 switcher pulling cars out of sidings placing car out for interchange and setting new cars back into the industries. I have to say that afternoon moved me. I had more fun with a simple switcher shifting cars around then I ever did while a member of a club. Trains are not meant to run in circles they are meant to deliver goods to and from industries.

This has caused me to rethink a lot of what I was planning.

Setouts dropped, now picking up cars.

The Simple Weaver Switcher that caused all the FUN!

Another industry to switch. the other side of the industries

Roy’s switch point design.

A GG1 brings a passenger train into Harrisburg

Roy cuts off the GG1 and moves it out of position

A pair of E7a’s move to couple up to the train.

The E7’s take the train West.

The train headed west

Layout Visit: Pat Mitchel, 2009 O Scale National

Posted on July 16, 2009 by George Losse

Pat Mitchell

As I was leaving the National, I went to visit Pat Mitchel’s layout. While only in the beginning bench work stage, it still out-did many layouts I’ve seen and left me questioning things that I had decided against for my own railroad.

Pat designed his layout using a 3D PlanIt (a model railroad based CAD program). He had the sub-roadbed cut by a local business on a CNC machine using the drawing he made with 3D PlanIt. Chris Smith had spoken about this approach the day before as he had his sub-roadbed cut the same way.

The layout is influenced by John Armstrong, but is not nearly as crowded as most of his design followers. Only a small portion of the railroad had track laid. Pat did operate a locomotive through the room for us. Including using his “elevator” to raise an entire length of train from one level to the another.

There are no feeder wires attached to his rails as there is no power going through them. His locomotives carry their own power in battery pack and receive their commands through the air using the Airwire system. I have to admit to reading everything I could find in the weeks after the National about Airwire. I was very impressed, and when the batteries get a little smaller I think it will become the standard for Command Control.

Pat was a great host answering questions and talking about what he had done so far. This was one of the layouts I wanted to see and I was very impressed even in its beginning stages.

Some of the Benchwork

The benchwork that caused me to re-think the number of levels that are possible with O scale.

Pat discussing the layout with Matt

One of Pat’s models equipped with an AirWire system

One of Pat’s models showing the installation of a new motor and sound system.

The electronics in the tender. The white thing is the battery.

One of Pat’s beautiful Proto48 turnouts.

Close up of the points.

Everywhere you looked there were nicely built solutions to common problems.

The elevator

The elevator in the “Up” position.

Layout Visit: Chris Smith, 2009 O Scale National

Posted on July 15, 2009 by George Losse

On the second night of the National, we went to visit Chris Smith’s layout. While only a small portion of the layout had scenery, you could see the passion Chris has for building scenery. The layout is based on a John Armstrong design. It winds and twists it way up through three levels of railroad, moving a lot of open hoppers up and down the railroad.

While we were there we saw a beautiful pair of Kohs Y6b’s pulling a nice open hopper train filled with a bunch of Rich Yoder’s hoppers. Turns out an MTH locomotive had to be put into service later that night when the Kohs engine had some trouble. The MTH locomotive was impressive in it performance. Overall the layout was nicely built and ran very well. Based on the scenery in place and how well the railroad operated, this is going to be a must see layout for the region.

Chris was a great host answering question well past the end time for the open house. This was one of the layouts I wanted to see and I was even more impressed than I thought I might be.

Chris Smith

A Kohs Y6b waiting in front of the tunnel portal

Chris’ rather nice brackets

Using one of two Atlas bridges for a duckunder

The upper yard with Chris in the background

Chris’ art

You can tell what he has a passion for

You have to like a nice string of open hoppers.

Another nice brass piece sitting in the upper yard.

another nice model

The before part of the corner

continuing down the outside wall

The entrance into the upper yard with sceanery started

Looking across at the lower level yard with the two upper levels going over the top.

You can learn a lot by seeing how its built.

All that wiring back to a movable control stand.

Layout Visit: Dave Vaughn, 2009 O Scale National

Posted on July 14, 2009 by George Losse

On the first night of the National, we had an invite to visit Dave Vaughn’s layout before it was open to the public and the crowds. I wish to thank Dave for the invite and the early look at the layout.

The layout is going through some changes. Dave has begun to incorporate parts of John Armstrong’s layout into his layout. And in John’s style, the layout winds and twists up through three levels of railroad. Some of the older portions of the railroad have not changed and reflect what was there in sceanery and structures.

Dave was a great host answering questions and telling stories about the influence of John Armstrong on himself and other local railroaders.

Dave Vaughn

Some very nice scenes in the older section of the layout

Dave had some very nice equipment parked on the sidings

A wartime NKP caboose that Dave brught in as a brass model.

More nice cabooses in Dave’s NKP yard

A veiw looking back towars the NKP yard

A view looking back at the NKP yard which clearly shows the second level.

A couple of gondolas on the second level.

A view of the upper level support through the telephone pole.

another nice NKP model

One of John Armstrong’s locomotives

A view of the “new” expansion

This is the entrance to the lower level reverse loops.

Dave is working parts of John Armstrong’s layout into his.

The curve continues

Layout Visit: Steve Staffieri, 2009, Elmira Branch in HO

Posted on May 26, 2009 by George Losse

Buzz Burnley, John Dunn and Steve Staffieri

Last Thursday night, I had the pleasure of visiting Steve Staffieri’s HO scale Elmira Branch layout. John Dunn and Buzz Burnley had been invited to see the layout and they were kind enough to extend me an invitation.

It’s a nicely done railroad in a wonderful environment. The basement is nice and comfortable. The railroad has a finished feel to it even in areas that are still a work-in-progress.

The layout is based on the branch from Williamsport to Sodus Point, although it focuses on the run from Williamsport to Southport Yard in Elmira, NY.

An I1sa working in Williamsport Yard.

The Wye at Ralston.

Southport Yard

Engine Facility at Southport Yard

Sodus Point

Closeup of the I1sa working Sodus Point.

Modeling the Reading in Proto48

Modeling the Reading in the Summer of '52

Category Archives: Layout Visits