A pair of CF7s toil away on The Palmetto Spur, a layout designed for acquiring the most crucial asset we need to embark on a model railroad layout: basic skills. Going back in time and getting a redo on some of our past life decisions, the thought crosses all of our minds. Unfortunately, the harsh […]
Category: Opinion
Lost Civilizations
A duo of Geep 15’s rolls through the Philadelphia suburbs on the proto-freelance Chester Valley Railroad. Now a Genesee and Wyoming shortline, the line was originally conceived by modeler Hardold Geisell in the 1930s. Last fall, I was streaming one of these quasi-conspiracy series on Netflix. The premise of this particular show was that the […]
What the Hobby Greats Do Differently
Mastery of scene composition is probably the foremost skill Mike Confalone employs to put him on the list of all-time hobby greats. Throughout any given year, there’s the recurring thread of what makes a model railroad great. Given the subjective nature of the topic, everybody’s answer will be different. Not discussed that often is what […]
Time & Memory
Dolton Junction number 3, an Athearn SW7, was my first serious effort at building a decent model. I was sixteen at the time, which puts it at almost five decades old. Note the faded lettering on the grill and the custom logo. Time, and our recollection of it, is a funny thing. I’ll be 65 […]
The New Layout Room
The “new” LAJ layout room, renovated into a Mid-Century Modern (MCM) interior design style. Mid-century modern elements are the bullet planter and faux succulent (from Hip Haven), Z chair (Wayfair), painting (Bed, Bath, and Beyond), and lamp (MCM Gal). A better title tag for today’s post would be “renovated” layout room. There is no new […]