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Allegheny & Western
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West Island Club
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Hicksville, NY
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Large club layout based on prototype scenes in NY, NJ and PA
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7 mi, 20 min
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HO
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Proto-Freelance
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Layout Website
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Scenery: 45%
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5600 sq ft
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Mainline: 660 ft
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Walkaround, Multideck
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CTC
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NCE DCC with radio/WiFi
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No hazards
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1955 - 1965
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The railroad is based on a "what if?" scenario where the Alphabet Route railroads were allowed to combine into a system as an efficiency move during WW II. (This is similar to the Family Lines during the 1980s where several railroads painted equipment in the same scheme even though they were not legally one entity.) There is equipment of the combined Allegheny & Western system along with equipment of the member roads. The modeled A&W mainline runs from New York Harbor to Harrisburg, PA. There are two major subdivisions branching off from the main. One goes from Easton, PA to Maybrook, NY. The other goes from Topton, PA to Scranton, PA and beyond to Buffalo, NY. The system hub is Allentown, PA, a midsize city with a large manufacturing base. This is a large and diverse territory; We model representative parts of it. Major modeled locations are: - Greenville in Jersey City, NJ - Busy waterfront car float operations
- Bethlehem, PA - The main Bethlehem Steel works
- Allentown, PA - Our company offices and our main yard, a modern rider hump. It is also the terminus for short-distance passenger service to New York.
- Fleetwood, PA - original location of the "Body by Fleetwood" plant
- Hershey, PA - Home of Hershey Chocolate "The sweetest place on Earth"
- Palmerton, PA - Home of the main NJ Zinc plant
- Wilkes-Barre, PA - A rich source of traffic in anthracite
- Plainfield, NJ - Suburban area with substantial local industry
It takes a lot of people diligently working to keep a Class One railroad fluid. From the switcher slowly dragging hot metal cars at the steel mill to the dispatcher overseeing it all, there are a wide variety of jobs for everyone.
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Bath & Hammondsport
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Stephen Vaughan Jr
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Shirley, NY
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Finger Lakes shortline
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46 mi, 50 min
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S
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Proto-Freelance
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Scenery: 2%
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12' X 20'
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Mainline: 0 ft
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Walkaround
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Verbal
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TCS Command Control
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Ordinary steps
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: Transitional
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Inspired by the 9 mile New York railroad "The Champagne Trail" connecting its two namesake towns and serving the famous Finger Lakes wine industry. A day begins departing Hammondsport working the industries while making its way to Bath to pick up the cars that the Erie's Rochester Branch trains set out for customers between Bath and Hammondsport. Returning to Hammondsport and working where the inbound cars need to be delivered. Bulk wine from California, sugar, cardboard, coal, lumber, grain, fertilizers, and other supplies are vital to support the vineyards growing season, harvest, and the furnishing of unique Finger Lakes wine. Carloads of bulk grapes, bulk wine, and kegged and bottled table wine get set out at the Bath interchange to reach the distributor network. This S scale around the room shelf layout gets inspiration from this particular short line and take creative liberties, but is inspired to give the feel of a small railroad with a "big barrel" of purpose. Construction of the layout began in 2021 and is slowly expanding through the basement, as any short line would. Scenery is minimal and industrial structures are coming on line when track gang is on hiatus.
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Chichester & Sweet Hollow
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Steve Gittelman
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Huntington, NY
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Outdoor layout representing a Connecticut secondary mainline
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14 mi, 25 min
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G
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Freelance
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Scenery: 100%
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Approx 2 acres
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Mainline: 2000 ft
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Walkaround
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Timetable and Train Orders
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AirWire Radio Throttles
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Walking over moderately hilly terrain
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1958
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Host requires vaccinated guests
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The Chichester and Sweet Hollow RR is loosely based upon the Middletown to Willimantic segment of the New Haven RR. This 1:29 scale railroad is designed for true timetable and train order operations. You can't see the next siding from most locations, so you have to be sharp! A reservoir under construction near Barnesville is providing a small percentage of its spoils to assist the C & SH in converting an old trestle into a fill. Until the trestle over Sweet Hollow gorge is back in action, much freight traffic is being offloaded at Sweet Hollow Industrial Transfer Co. where trucks swarm around the loading platforms. (This model is some twelve feet long with its own sound system. ) Traffic is heavy here and demands much of the crews. The sounds of a busy transfer depot are heard throughout the valley. The year is 1958 and the important terminal grain elevator at Middletown is struggling to handle the burgeoning traffic. Local collection elevators fear giving up their forty-foot boxcars out of concern that they will not be replaced. Covered hoppers are being transloaded at a rapid pace, allowing the now more primitive boxcars to be returned to smaller local elevators. Grain is being sorted and transferred to brand new 100 ton hoppers, while grain doors are being removed from the forty footers that will soon be taken out of grain service. But it is the harvest and there are never enough cars to handle demand. This layout, now in its eighth year, has pioneered many new construction methods. It is 2000 feet long with new terminal facilities at Barnesville, our connection to the rest of the national rail network. In case of inclement weather, we will operate the Great Lakes & Iron Range indoor layout. Please see that description for details.
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Conrail Boston Line
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Lou DiRosso Jr
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Smithtown, NY
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Conrail over the Berkshires
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29 mi, 35 min
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HO
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Proto-Freelance
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Scenery: 10%
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30 x 9
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Mainline: 250 ft
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CTC
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NCE/WiFi
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Ordinary steps
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1990s
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Conrail's Boston Line is an HO scale layout built in a 30 x 9 room. The layout runs from the NY/MA state line to Hinsdale, MA in the 1990s. It is double tracked and fully signaled; Control is via the NCE system. Ops jobs include run through, local switching, yard work, and transfer runs. Scenery is about 10% complete. Room for 4 to 6 operators.
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Delaware & Susquehanna
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Phil Monat
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Bronx, NY
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Modern Regional Railroad with CTC
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28 mi, 40 min
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HO
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Proto-Freelance
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Scenery: 85%
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36 x 38
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Mainline: 500 ft
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Walkaround with staging on separate level
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CTC
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WiFi plus NCE tethered throttles
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Ordinary steps
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Has Cat(s) and Dog(s)
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Era: Today
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Host requires vaccinated guests
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The D&S is a proto/freelance layout loosely based on the Lehigh Gorge area in Pennsylvania. The railroad is centered between Wilkes-Barre and Allentown ,Pennsylvania with each city having a large classification yard. The single track main line is fully CTC controlled with US&S Type S signals (searchlight). Communications is via FRS radio when needed. Traffic is widely based, dense, and typical of the modern era of double stacks, TOFC, unit coal, ethanol, and trash trains along with heavy manifest traffic going into the New Jersey, Philadelphia, and south eastern US from New England and points north west. There are many locals and serious switching, as well as block swapping and other work.
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Erie 28th St
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Vince Lee
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Manhasset, NY
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Switching the urban canyon
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7 mi, 15 min
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HO
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Prototype
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Scenery: 100%
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15 x 2
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Mainline: 0 ft
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Walkaround
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None
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NCE DCC
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Ordinary steps
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Era: 1953
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New York City had many pocket terminals that served the needs of the metropolis. One of Erie's pocket terminals was on West 28th St in Manhattan. Plenty of business flowed in and out of this terminal to points on the Erie Railroad and beyond. A crew was on duty 24 hours a day to meet the floats hauled across from New Jersey by tugboats and to shuffle cars around the congested trackage. Since the track plan is very similar to the prototype 28th Street Terminal's plan, and the arrival and departure of carfloats is based on the actual schedules, operators will develop a feel for how it was to be a member of a switcher crew for the Erie here during its heyday. This layout was featured in the July, 2010 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
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Great Lakes & Iron Range
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Steve Gittelman
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Huntington, NY
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Heavy haul iron ore and coal with a busy harbor district
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14 mi, 25 min
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HO
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Freelance
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Scenery: 85%
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30 x 30
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Mainline: 120 ft
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Walkaround
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Dispatcher instructions
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WiFi and NCE DCC tethered throttles
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Ordinary steps
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1960
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Host requires vaccinated guests
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The Great Lakes & Iron Range is a freelanced iron ore and coal hauler based on the Upper Midwest with some urban flair thrown in. A huge ore dock with giant lake boats alongside is one of the highlights of this layout. We are John Deere fans, so a plant is located online as well as many other substantial industries, including a busy urban waterfront. We use NCE DCC for train control and the scenery is 75% complete. There are three yards and ample staging to keep operators on this layout happily busy. The pandemic made for lots of time in the basement, so there is much new scenery and lighting effects.
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Great Northern
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Ron Engel
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St James, NY
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Great Northern/Burlington Northern in Minnesota
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31 mi, 40 min
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HO
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Proto-Freelance
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Scenery: 85%
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15 x 6 and 6 x 15
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Mainline: 180 ft
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Connected, but separate, multideck walkaround
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Timetable
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WiFi Throttles
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No steps, except to toilet
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Era: 1962 and 1972
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My layout is a freelanced design with two separate, but connected, parts in different rooms. The first part is loosely based on the Great Northern RR in Minnesota late '50s and '60s. The main yard is St. Cloud with additional towns of Hinkley and Elk River. I use the standard car cards and 4 position waybills along with a train order card. My operating session is laid back and consists of one east bound turn from Minneapolis (staging) to St. Cloud and one westbound turn from Duluth (staging) to St. Cloud. Operations consist of local and yard switching. I also have a mine branch run, along with passenger and reefer runs. I dispatch with verbal train orders. Jobs would be: 1)yard master (local pickups and delay, sort arrival and departures and turn locos on Turntable); 2) Road turn - (local pickups and drops at two towns); and 3) mine run (empties and loads), reefer run, and passenger train. The second part is loosely based on the Burlington Northern in the same area, but ten years later. It also consists of a helix and three decks. The Superior, WI yard on the lower deck interchanges with the GN yard in the other room. It has an eight car barge, interchanges with CN and Milwaukee Road. And two local turns from Winnipeg thru 5 towns also using 4 step waybills and car cards with pictures. Scenery is progressing well on this part of the layout and is about 70% done.
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Island Central
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Howard Dwyer
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Farmingville, NY
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Fully finished operational classic
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36 mi, 40 min
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HO
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Freelance
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Layout Website
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Scenery: 99%
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15 x 29
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Mainline: 0 ft
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Semi-walkaround
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Voice Control
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NCE DCC
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Ordinary steps
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Era: 1950s
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ICRR has an urban setting during the steam to diesel transition era. Most switching is performed by diesel road switchers. Operating session jobs include main line , coal hauling, yard operations, and limited branch line runs. The ICRR is freelanced and 100% scenicked. The layout is NCE DCC equipped. The ICRR was featured in the May 2012 edition of Model Railroader. A track plan of the layout is included in the article.rnThe layout has been expanded and improved since the Model Railroader article appeared.
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LIRR Long Beach Branch
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Mike Miciotta
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Long Beach, NY
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LIRR in the 1920s to the sea
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19 mi, 30 min
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HO
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Proto-Freelance
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Scenery: 0%
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Mainline: 0 ft
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Walkaround, Multideck
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Timetable/251
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NCE
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Ordinary steps
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Era: 1926
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The Long Beach Branch of the Long Island Rail Road (yes, the space in the name is correct since the corporation is still running under the original 1834 charter) was built to carry passengers to the seashore. It served the typical lineside customers of the era, but also served the brand-new Long Island Lighting Co power plant in Island Park, NY that received trainloads of coal. This steam-era representation models the Jazz Age with plenty of passenger trains, a wayfreight or two, and a coal train to power the new seashore hotels built in the Roaring 20s boom. There is also a parallel section that models the famous subterranean meatpacking terminal adjacent to Flatbush Ave in Brooklyn. This is switched by DD-1 electrics.
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New York & Atlantic
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Dave Barraza
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Wading River, NY
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New York & Atlantic freight action with necessary LIRR moving scenery
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52 mi, 60 min
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HO
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Prototype
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Layout Website
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Scenery: 1%
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35 x 60
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Mainline: 700 ft
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Walkaround with a lift gate
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Visual Rule 251 on multiple track; CTC or Timetable/Train Order with Manual Block overlay on single track.
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WiFi Throttles (Digitrax base system)
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No steps, except to toilet
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Has Cat(s)
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Era: 1997-2017
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Host requires vaccinated guests
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The HO scale New York & Atlantic focuses on freight operations run by contractor New York & Atlantic Railway over the Long Island Rail Road. Given the LIRR setting, there are commuter passenger trains as well. The era modeled is 1997 to 2017; beginning after the arrival of NYAR and ending before the addition of the second track to Ronkonkoma. With that said, there are a number of Alco’s about because… “model railroading is fun.” The current passenger fleet might best be described as being in a time warp. The railroad is under active construction with 0.97% scenery complete. The verdant landscape so closely associated with Long Island has been represented at this stage by a vibrant hue of dark grey paint. Monthly operating sessions have been hosted since 2019 using the current run of about 700 feet of 1, 2 and 4 track main line which includes LI City to Fresh Pond, Jamaica to Floral Park, and Westbury to Greenport. Freight Jobs run out of Fresh Pond Yard and Pine Aire. Diesel Passenger trains run to/from Long Island City and Electrics run to NY Penn which is staging. The Port Jefferson, Atlantic, and Hempstead Branches are represented. Train Directors at Jay (Jamaica) and Divide (Hicksville) control train movements under the direction of the Dispatcher. Primary communication is using a PBX telephone system supplemented by FRS radios. At this time, multiple-track main line is run as Quasi-Rule-251 “Right hand running and lookout ahead”. CTC (Rule 261) signals are installed to protect the single main line track from Farmingdale to Deer Park. The layout is partially signaled using the distinctive LIRR position light signals with more getting cut in as things progress. Jobs: Dispatcher (Room 204) Jay Train Director Divide Train Director and Operator Fresh Pond Yard: 2 people Road Crews: 6 people, (2-man freight crews or 1-man passenger crews)
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NPSF
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Nicolo Platas
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New Hyde Park, NY
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Regional spinoff in New Mexico with some urban flair
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4 mi, 15 min
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HO
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Proto-Freelance
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Scenery: 100%
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25 x 36
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Mainline: 100 ft
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Walkaround
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Verbal Track Warrants
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NCE DCC Radio
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Ordinary steps
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Era: 2022
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It's 2022 and the NPSF has purchased a secondary line in New Mexico from the BNSF. The NPSF has a substantial subset of all modern railroad traffic running across its well maintained route through the desert and the city of Albuquerque, NM. Passenger trains from Amtrak and RailRunner compete for track space with unit trains, mixed manifests, coal drags, ethanol trains, and local switch runs. The NPSF is proto-freelanced, based on the practices of BNSF. The layout is double decked and the desert scenery is 95% complete. The railroad uses NCE DCC with radio. Trains are dispatched via verbal train orders and local freights use switchlists to direct car movements.
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NS KP Sub
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John Barone
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Kings Park, NY
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NS in Northeast PA
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28 mi, 40 min
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HO
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Freelance
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Scenery: 65%
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Mainline: 75 ft
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Walkaround multideck
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Verbal Authority
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WiFi Throttles
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Ordinary steps
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Era: 1980s/2000s
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A freelance railroad loosely based on freight operations in the northeastern PA area. The time period is 80s to current time. Scenery is about 65% completed. The NSKP uses switch lists and manifests and JMRI ops pro to generate them. Trains are controlled using the EngineDriver app on smartphones and tablets.
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NY Harbor
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Dave Ramos
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Clifton, NJ
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Westside Manhattan and the High Line
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43 mi, 55 min
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HO
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Prototype
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Layout Website
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Scenery: 0%
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25 x 25
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Mainline: 0 ft
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Walkaround
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Yard Limits
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WiFi and NCE DCC tethered throttles
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Ordinary steps
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1955
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This is one of the more interesting layouts you will operate on. Dave models the waterfront terminals of the Erie RR and the Lehigh Valley RR as well as the NY Central 33rd St Yard and the famous NYC High Line. The Erie, LV, and NYC 33rd St all work the block-long Terminal Stores warehouse - and possibly at the same time. Sessions have the energy and density of New York City and you have to hustle to keep up. It is a lot of fun and you leave with a real sense of accomplishment at the end of a session.
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Riverside Transfer
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Heath Hurwitz
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New York, NY
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Terminal Railroad in Manhattan
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29 mi, 45 min
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N
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Freelance
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Layout Website
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Scenery: 10%
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28' x 1' (Perimeter)
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Mainline: 30 ft
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Walkaround
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Yard Limits
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WiFi Throttles
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No hazards
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1968 - 1973
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The Riverside Transfer Short Line Railroad (RTSL) is a freelanced N-scale model railroad designed to offer a fun and engaging operating experience. While the layout draws inspiration from real-world railroading practices, it prioritizes creative problem-solving, teamwork, and a sense of accomplishment over strict adherence to prototypical rules. Whether you're a seasoned operator or new to the hobby, the RTSL provides a welcoming and enjoyable environment for all.
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Stone Canyon
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John Feraca
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Shirley, NY
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Intermountain West in all its splendor
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44 mi, 50 min
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HO
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Freelance
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Layout Website
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Scenery: 100%
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25 x 28
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Mainline: 120 ft
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Walkaround
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Dispatcher instructions
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WiFI (Digitrax base)
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Handicapped hostile
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Has Dog(s)
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Era: 1950s
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Host requires vaccinated guests
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The Stone Canyon Railroad is a fully operational freelanced single deck layout based in the western U.S. Timeframe is 1950s in the steam/diesel transition era. UP and ATSF are the predominant roads. Overall layout size is 26' x 39' including staging. The mainline is 200' double track closed loop plus 120' of hidden staging that can accommodate up to 10 pre-staged trains. Scenery is 100% complete and ranges from rugged mountains to a completely lighted city scene. The SCRR has expanded with a new logging branchline and sawmill complex. DCC is Digitrax Super Chief Duplex Radio. Throttles will be provided. Motive power includes a variety of steam engines as large as 4-8-8-4 Big Boys. Diesels include switcher and road units along with E and F units for passenger operation. Operations include passenger, local freight, coal and, through freight. Switching opportunities include a coal mine, six towns, a large freight yard, lumber branchline for a total of more than 30 industries. An interesting industry is a full service steam/diesel engine facility that includes a 130 ft. turntable, 12 stall roundhouse, and diesel shop. A typical three hour operating session involves the movement of approx. 200 cars, 18 locomotives and up to 12 trains. Operator positions include: Dispatcher (layout owner), Yardmaster, Motive Power Hostler, Engineer and Conductor. Communications between dispatcher and operators are via radio/headsets (provided). Car forwarding is done with car cards and waybills. In addition to the dispatcher, a minimum of 5 and maximum of 9 operators are required. The layout has hosted over 75 operating sessions since 2013 and has participated in every IslandOps weekend. It's proven to be enjoyable for everyone who's visited.
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