Allow me to introduce my layout, the Southern Pacific Burbank Branch. It's small and portable since I rent, but also designed to be expanded. Some things I've modeled as close to exact as possible, while artistic license was used on others. Mostly, I try to find low cost ways and quick results, so scratchbuilding is preferred.

I've documented this build from day one, and much more is posted on my Youtube and Flickr pages.

Here are links to the newest videos, So sit back, relax, and enjoy the scenery!


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The new Athearn N scale Big Boys are out, listed for $370 at MB Klein. By coincidence, I opened the June 1996 issue of Model Railroader (remember those?) to the Standard Hobby Supply ad. Listed there is the Con-Cor Big Boy model for $226. Some have no use for DCC or sound. Fine. But I contend that $144 is a worthwhile investment for factory-equipped DCC and sound on a large and complex steam locomotive. An online inflation calculator tells me that $226 in 1996 is worth about $352 today. That makes the difference just $18. Maybe some of the progress within the hobby in the past two decades isn't so bad.

WPMA-29 at Whiskey Point.

Bruce

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Not strictly train related.....but I thought someone might be interested.

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While a new basement is just on the horizon and after building my previous New York & Atlantic inspired ISL I realized how much I wanted to model the Northern Railroad of NJ's Northern Branch in Bergen County NJ from the 1950s to the present day. This will include Erie railroad era mid 1950's, Erie Lackawanna era mid 1970's, Conrail era mid 1990's and CSX era 2005+. I'd like to attempt a multi era layout just for locomotive variety. I have a very crude track plan that I drew without measurements just to get an idea of the layout (a more detailed version will be made soon). I realize I can't quite replicate this branch line so extreme compression and influence from model railroaders Huron Terminal will be factored in with customers of the northern.

If you can read my rough draft The planned industries will include...(following photos shown were all taken on the northern)

WR Grace in North Bergen (chemicals)



JJ Demarest building supplies (lumber) and Weyerhaeuser (corrugated paper rolls) in Closter




Supreme Oil in Englewood (vegetable oils and plastics)




Colorite Polymers in Ridgefield (plastics)






Cove Industries in Northvale (corrugated paper rolls)




There's also 4 passenger station still left standing and would like to include one on the layout and maybe even a town of Tenafly based business district scene.



And to round it all up there's plenty of rent-a-wrecks, switching on the fly and shoving platform operations to keep it all interesting

I want to wish everyone in the wonderful country of Canada a Happy and safe Canada Day.

Charlie

All Scale Rails

Issue #15

July / August 2017

has just hit the internet!

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All Scale Rails

Issue #15

July / August 2017

has just hit the internet!

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Every day (except Sundays and Mondays) between June 26 and August 19, NRK (the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) are sending live from their Summer Train, which will travel across (almost) the entire Norwegian Railroad network, from Bodø in the far north, visiting both Western and Southern Norway, before ending at the Swedish border in the southeast.

You can follow the train live on https://www.nrk.no/sommer/ (sorry, in Norwegian only), or watch the different episodes on https://tv.nrk.no/serie/sommertoget-minutt-for-minutt.