What area(s) do you model?

[Crazytrain]

What is included, or would you like to be included on your layout?

For me, I would like to build something like J.D. Smith's famous Southern(Rathole Division). The article on his layout in the Feb 97 Railmodel Journal had me thinking how it could be done in NS times. King's Mountain and Danville, KY would be a must.

For now I'll have to just practice on the old 2x7. And keep planning!

[ccaranna]

Mine may not be scenically exciting, but I would like to model the Columbus and Sandusky districts in Ohio from Portsmouth to Bellevue or maybe up to Lake Erie at Sandusky, only because its a couple of lines that I know the most about.  I think replicating mainline railroading would require me to either switch to N scale, or buy a mansion with a huge basement, so we'll see if this idea ever happens.     My time period would be the present.

In the meantime, all I have is a shelf layout that's good for switching, and that's about it.  All my 6 axel models will have to wait!

[jcmark4501]

Currently I model nowhere, lol. I am debating on weather to model the 2nd Division as it is today or to freelance a railroad set in the 1945-1950 that runs between London, KY and Bowling Green.

I am even still debating on which scale to go with so, as you can tell I haven't quite made my mind up yet.

[Chris7092]

I'm in n-scale, and right now am leaning on modelling the ex-CR Chicago Line between Toledo and Elkhart.  Time period: 2001-2002.

Chris
K8CRQ

[nssd70]

I am working on modeling the NS KC to Ft.Wayne and Chicago to Ft. Wayne. If anyone can point me the direction of what trains run between Ft.Wayne and Chicago I would be grateful.

[stillbre]

Right now I've got a small 5-1/2'x8' L-shaped switching layout loosely based on industries in Charlotte NC.  My future basement empire will one day encompass the NS Charlotte District mainline from Charlotte Jct to New Spencer Yard circa 2003-2004.  Key features of the layout will be Charlotte Yard and the many locals based out of there, Cannon Mills in Kannapolis, the wye at Salisbury, and the Yadkin River crossing at the entrance to Spencer Yard.
I chose this line because I know it well and it offers a good mix of local switching and mainline freights to keep a group of operators busy for an entire operating session.

[lethbridgeNSFan]

Right now, I have nothing but am working on a layout representing the MD section of the NEC, from DC to Perryville.

Current era- post Conrail. I have CR/Amtrak/NS equipment, as well as some excellent information about the region that I intend to use.

SM

[nsnscalerailfan]

My 18 by 12 is based on the NS Hagerstown District (Vardo Yard in particularly) and the ex-CR Lurgan Branch.  Time period is set about 2002-present.  I am building a Maryland Midland line (with something similar to Farqhuar St. ) plus a CSX line with CSX coal trains coming out of staging and onto NS along with a small CSX branchline.  In other words Midland, CSX and NS.  

I am getting my NS trains as close to prototype as possible.  People can identify trains by looking at the cars.  Currently I have: 37/38Q, 15/16T, 11/12R, 211/212, 213/214, 227/228.  I have enough cars to run extras and also have locals and yard jobs.  Eventually I may do 35/36Q and 203/204.  Of course I can also run coal....eventually maybe Triple Crown and grain.....  plus occasional autorack extras.  

Intermodals are generally between 35 and 40 cars unless the prototype is shorter for that train......  manifests range from 30-35 cars for extras to 75 cars for some regular freights.  I generally stick to 50 or 60 though.   CSX coal is 60 cars...NS coal is 30 but that's due to my shortage of hoppers.

[kerbs]

My layout is a free lance NS layout some where in central to south central KY.  I am basing it off of where I have watched NS in KY.

[NSyorktown]

I model the NS line from Bellevue Yard to Chattanooga (DeButts Yard).  That's 550 miles, running through the Buckeye state (Columbus, Springfield, Cincy). then south down the Rathole Division.  Of course, it includes an Ohio River bridge, a Kings Mountain scene (shown here), and Nemo Tunnel.  My HO scale mainline is only 40-plus feet long so there's a lot of compression of sites / scenery.  Still, it's a beautiful area to model.

[E.M. Bell]

Yorktown...Outstanding!

You have any more shots of your layout? If so, please share..

[J-man]

+1

Show us more Yorktown!

[NSyorktown]

Here's a few more pics.  I don't mind sharing since a lot of the scenery on my layout eas developed using photographs from the administrators and regulars of this Board.  Over the years, they've posted  numerous photo's of the beautiful regions of central KY and TN, with all the rail action.  I've simply tried to replicate the scenes at 1/87th scale.

First here's a photograph (of mine) taken a few summers ago showing the large NS bridge across the Ohio River, from Gest Street Yard out of Cincy over to Ludlow, KY.

[NSyorktown]

This is a crappy photo, but you can see my Ohio River in the distance, with the coal barge under the span.  The left side of the picture is the tree-lined hills of KY.  Obviously, to the right (i.e., the north side of the river) is the flatlands of Ohio.

I had to compress the river basin area, including custom-building a bridge.  An HO-scale version of the real structure would be HUGE!

The next photo is a close-up of the factory complex seen here in the lower part of this photogaph.

[NSyorktown]

This is among my favorite scenes on the layout.  And it didn't start that way, as I was more or less filling-in a blank area of the central KY woodlands.

For perspective, I figured that an iron foundry would be perfect deep in the KY countryside.  There would be plenty of local resources to support that type of business.  Plus even a small industry creates numerous carloads, so I ran a short siding off the busy north/south mainline. The lighting, depth of field, etc. all turned out pretty good in this photograph.

[E.M. Bell]

very nice work. That shot of your Kings Mountain cut is great..almost dead on.

[NSyorktown]

Thanks, E.M. Bell!

It was fun setting up the photo of my Kings Mountain area, as we got the same duel power and cut of autoracks in a line. 

The scene duplicates this photograph from the 1994 N.S. Annual Report. 

[E.M. Bell]

Do you per chance happen to have the abandoned tunnel entrance at both ends of Kings Mountain? There are a bunch of the old tunnels that are right next to the current RofW. That might be a neat feature to include on your layout, in the places you are still working one. There is a tunnel entrance just south to the emory river bridge at Nemo...35 feet or so on the East side of the tracks, and several feet lower..

[NSyorktown]

I wish that I had more room for both mountain scenes. 

The best I could do with Nemo Tunnel was to create a pretty detailed south entrance to the mountain.  I'm also working on the bridge and river below.  On the "north" end I immediately go to a double track as the line exits the tunnel (like the prototype).

The area around my Kings Mtn. didn't allow for the old entrance on the west side of the tracks.  I do need to add a defect detector, though.  Plus the pedestrian / road bridge didn't make it (sadly, since I'm spent a lot of time on that structure railfanning).

[Ron Plichta]

I'm joining Northern Virginia NTRAK since musical instruments have taken over my basement.  I plan on modeling a coal mine, an intermodal terminal and something whimsical for the kids.  One addition that I want to do on one of the modules is a moonshiner with shotgun shack, outhouse and satellite dish.

[R Federle]

Currently I dont have a layout constructed (this will be my third) but I would like to model the areas between Sharonville Ohio, Hamilton / New Miami, and Middletown. But I like the Rathole too. An earlier post mentioned London Ky. I have family around that area.

Robert Federle

[R Federle]

Just revisited this page again and viewed the pics from NSYorktown. I didn't look that far back when I originally visited but those look pretty good.

I too like the Kings Mtn Cut. Nice modeling. Are you from the area?

Robert Federle

[ssw9662]

I model a fictional railroad in N scale running from Harrisburg, PA, to Cumberland, MD, that is supposedly jointly owned by CSX and Conrail (Later NS). Traffic consists of mostly coal with some run through intermodal and freight. The power is (For now) a mix of CSX and Conrail, though I may eventually have some engines custom painted, or I'll just paint some myself.  ;D

[R Federle]

I too will be freelancing. I try to follow CSX and predecessor roads (B&O, C&O, Western Maryland) and the NS (Southern Rwy). No specific time frame in mind but in the area of the late 70's and into the 80's. With todays run through power, foreign power on the line can be justifed. One of these days I might get some track down.

Robert Federle