I have to say I don’t' remember too much about the G&D, (Gorie and Dafatti?), the Canandaigua Southern, (John Allen I think), or the other greats. They were impressive articles in MR about those but I just don’t remember them.. The two I remember the most were: 1) I don't remember the name but it was 25+ years ago and centered around Canadian Pacific Unit Trains, Long long bright red trains with CP multi mark and dummy SD45s in the middle and end. If I recall correctly he had made “couplers” that were rings like the prototype and designed not to be uncoupled except for maintenance. There was a model of a device that turned the cars upside-down to empty them. Mostly I remember the scenes of long trains in the mountains and talk of how SD45’s were king and we would never need bigger engines. 2) "Sierra Pintada" mostly for the name. It was a logging railroad set in California, (well I think it was). 3) As mentioned in many of my other post a track plan in 101 Track Plans by Kalmbach. The “Detroit, Toledo and Iornton”. This is a small point to point Would someone please correct my references and spelling to the G&D and the Canandaigua Southern. What say you? BTW: this thread was inspired by the "top 10 reasons" thread. [ 15. December 2004, 22:50: Message edited by: Grey Gryphin ]
As a teen, I enjoyed the MR series on Bruce Chubb's Sunset Valley. I enjoyed Tony Koester's Allegheny Midland. Some aspects of the track plan left something to be desired, but the sheer quantity and variety of coal mines that had to be serviced and marshalled was awesome! For shear size, Ken McCorry's massive PRR layout. Ken inspired me to use plywood benchwork and to find ways to make all junctions active into staging. As a passenger buff, I have to make mention of the Argentine Divisionby Chuck Hitchcock. Up and coming: Rich Weyand's Pocohontas Division will be another coal marvel.
So many layouts influenced me in so many different ways that I don't even remember all of them. But if I had to pick one, it would also be MR's Clinchfield layout. I believe the "correct" spelling of John Allen's line is "Gorre & Daphetid". ---jps
McClelland's "V&O," Koester's "AM," Allen's "G&D," Younkin's "Mud Bay & Southern," the Reid Brothers "Cumberland Valley System," Hayden & Frary with their "C&DR," Nighswonger's "Milwaukee Road Coast Division." Many model empires have had an influence. A little here, more there. It all adds up! Boxcab E50
The Tehachapi layout (HO) at the San Diego Model Railroad museum. It's awesome - the best railroad I've ever seen, and getting better with a big expansion!
San Diego's RR Museum #1 (Both the HO and N layouts) #2 - Joskeys Department store, San Antonio, TX had this winter mountain (guessing 10 x 10) setup that they brought out each Christmas season - working ski lifts, passenger treminal lighting (lighted up as trains approached and boarded dimmed as they left) and I think there was working traffic signals too. As a kid, that was always something to look forward too. For recent inspiration - Loco's [ 16. December 2004, 16:45: Message edited by: nscale_lover ]
Good point. I have to say Fluid Dynamics layout made it look simple enough for me to try along with his just "throw some track down" attitude. The thread on Kato track got me past the fear instilled by all of the "how to test track and how to fix track" threads. Someone's point on Kato is not that much more expensive if you include the price of road bed etc... So yes between the awe of Pete's nolix, the beuty of Colonel's system, FD's just do it and loco's scenery in a cornor..... all of those and the memory of the CP unit train. Can anyone give me an idea of who's layout that was??
Above all was Armstrong's Realistic Track Planning for Operations. It set the tone for what I wanted to build. His concepts of "squares" helped me build many layouts without compromises of track curves. Second in influence was was Linn Wescott's 101 Track Plans. I adapted many of his smaller layouts into my larger ones. Beyond that, I have to say McClelland's V&O inspired me the most. There were some track planning features there that caught my eye, and that I copied from one layout to the next. I have to add that my present multi-deck nolix design had no predescessors that I know of; it was just a happy circumstance of my playing with concepts on a blank sheet of paper--in this case, a computer screen. At the time of design, about four years ago now, I had no idea of how it would work out, especially since I wanted full-height (no duck-unders!) access to the train room. I now have a workable 850-feet of tack (600 feet mainline) in a single garage. I have no idea from whom I stole concepts; it just worked for me. I considered other schemes, such as a mushroom--that didn't work, due to the narrow width (11 feet) of the room. I'm going to say this: my hat's off to the pioneers of design! I've "stolen" from every one of you to create my own empire.
I've got to say Dave Barrow's Cat Mountain & Santa fe, before he got into this "domino" business. I like the concept of modeling only the area adjacent to the tracks and only having the railroad pass through a scene once. I also greatly admire the Reid brothers' Cumberland Valley layout because the scenery is so realistic, it looks like the Cumberland Valley between Hagerstown and Harrisburg!
As Thirdrail already stated, it was definately the Reid brothers layout that got me into N scale. It was John Allen's Gorre and Daphetid and my grandfathers HO scale layout that got me into model railroading though! Russ
The Iowa Interstate layout that was in the August 1995 Model Railroader convinced me to get back into the hobby, and to do it in N-Scale as well. Besides that one, the Burlington Northern project layout is one the made a big impression on me.
The book on John Allen's layout by Kalmbach is well worth reading. It covers John Allen's model railroad life and how the Gore & Daphaetid eventually was completed (almost). He has some surprising opinions on things that are contrary to what he actually did. He felt that he had started and he could not change direction. Interesting. He excavated one corner of his basement to put in a long planned expansion of the layout. Problem was, as observed by one of his helpers, the wiring had to be run under the existing layout and that was no longer possible. John Allen produced, buried along side the new construction area, a mass of several hundred wires that had been installed under the old layout some ten years before in anticipation of the expansion. That is a lot better planning than I can do. There are many stories like this in the book. Recommended. "Model Railroading with John Allen," or something like that.
I would have to second the Cat Mountain & Santa Fe. When it was featured in the May 1984 issue of MR. My brother and I wore that thing out. I finally found a new issue a few years ago at a GATS show. I've always modeled the ATSF (now BNSF) and the pics and article that came along with it were tops in our eyes. There have been others but that one always stands out in my mind. The Layouts in Balboa Park are great to see in person and as long as your going to dream... take a look at the new layout at The Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. Hopefully they have started to run longer trains.
For me it was Daryl Kruse's Rochelle layout that inspired me to build mine. I recall back in 1996 finding Daryl's site and saving a lot of pics from his original layout.
Over 45 years of building model railways I have been influenced by countless layouts and builders. Several already mentioned stand out, including the V&O. I also remember being fascinated by Malcolm Furlow's weathering techniques. Many layouts still give inspiration, but it is an accumulation of the many layouts seen over the years which is the overall inspiration for me. A current inspiration is Paul Templar, seeing his work at first hand, you have to control your urge to rush home and start building an On30 logging layout
Some of my influences so far have been the late David Haine's Raton Pass. His layout has ignited a passion for Santa Fe passenger and freight operations in the early 50s (of course after I have already committed a lot of resources to present day BNSF, but there's always NTRAK). As far as my own design and where I want to head with it, I have had the great forture of getting to both operate and discuss design aspects (Code 55 track and handlaid turnouts) of Daryl Kruse's Rochelle Division. So I am trying to follow in his footsteps.
