Looking east down 22nd Street on my Downtown Spur layout. The layout is located in an eighteen by eighteen foot room and has thirteen turnouts. Switching layouts and moderate-size branch line railroads aren’t about “settling”. They aren’t the sole province of the space-deprived or financially strapped. They’re about access. They provide an easy entry portal […]
Ben Sullivan stands in front of his masterful rendition of the Georgetown Branch’s Rock Creek Viaduct. Results like this come from being in the game long term, making mistakes, learning from them, and moving forward. Attitude and approach to the hobby goes a long way. The last two weekends were particularly enjoyable for me, both […]
One of my earliest efforts, “8 Track Plans For a Spare Room” got panned by reviewers. With the detachment that comes with time, I consider the plans within it some of my better lifetime designs. Go figure. “If you can’t stand the heat…..then get out of the oven”. It’s a good adage to keep in […]
The Big Hole Lead in Miami’s East Rail industrial park serves as the inspiration for the left leg of the layout. While only two blocks long, it’s still way too large to fit on a ten foot long layout shelf. Decisions need to be made to compose a scene that A) fits B) is recognizable […]
Our chances of attaining an end result are higher if we can, at least in rough terms, define what it is we’re actually after. Before that can happen, we need to develop an awareness that it’s an issue in the first place. This brings me to today’s topic, defining hobby success. The actual definition doesn’t matter […]