Stoves & Model Trains

Very nice layout SPC !! After years doing HO I just jumped in to 3-rail O and found a huge new hole to dump money into with the $1500 steam loco's...

Chris M way cool home made trains!!


http://norm.beesky.com/ I think this fellow is one of the ultimate detail builders. it's just unreal..

Nice pics. Great looking load in that hopper car. Is it destined for the coal bin after the holidays?

This is my foray into homebuilt trains. The engine was a piece of junk that I restored. The cars are all scratch built. I used some old lionel cars for the trucks, everything else is basswood, tree branches, sawdust from my chop saw and cut up grape vines.

Poconoeagle, I never saw three rail done up with that much detail before. Wow that guy is good.

Great logging crew layout there Bill W. Good detail there.

Norm's detail work is just profound.

Chris , nice looking train built buy hand. SPC , the Ho layout is well done. very nice. Bill , thats pretty creative logging setup. John , well you will never run out of coal with that stock pile. I'm just building the benchwork now in the kitchen. Should have it done and the foam on top buy next week. Buddy has to get the ply and foam for me.

Thanks guys.

Devil505 wrote:Do you still have/work on the layout?

Yes I still have the layout but haven't worked on it in a while. The most enjoyable part for me was building it & since then other projects don't seem as intimidating.

billw wrote:Is it hydrocal? The first pic of the roundhouse. Are the trees to the upper right a painting or are they a group of trees. I can't tell from the picture.

The rock shapes are made by spraying foam insulation & covering with aluminum foil. Those trees are painted as are the trees behind the HOOD car. Whats cool is both of those areas are in the corners of the room, I rounded the corners using vinyl flooring.

I couldn get other picture to load but this is some of my Lionel collection I set up for christmas. 12'x4 total, a 4'x4' table at each end and a 4' span of track connecting the two tables, most of my stuff is post war, I am not big on scenery being that I take it down every year. My daughter will be 3 and loves them, I will do a different configuration next year. O Scale 3 Rail!!!!

I use fixed voltage and insulated rails to operate signals and accessories, I love 3 rail for the simplicity of using insulated rails for triggers and what not

My tree is a little one I picked up artificial in the center I didnt have time this year to get a live one but you can see it in the photo, my platform is constructed about 36" off the floor

Thats a real nice layout LC I bet your 3 yr old's eyes lite up when it runs

Poconoeagle wrote:Thats a real nice layout LC I bet your 3 yr old's eyes lite up when it runs

oh yes she follows them and runs beside the platform, its almost eye level for her, she likes seeing my 1946 lionel 671 churn around, lol

I only have 3 O-gauge sets but I helped my dad set up his 12'x16' layout in his basement. I have to get up there and take some pics. It has an inner loop connecting to 2 reversing loops. Then from the outer connection it rises 12" to a 3 rail outer loop in which all 3 loops are conntected together. They all go through a mountain he built. Off the outer most upper rail, he has a 3 rail siding/ switching yard. He built all the landscape with my mom's help. Lots of hydrocal and trees. He likes the realistic look.

He uses 2 ZW and 1 Z 4000 transformers. Most of his engines have proto sound. He has also installed capacitors and charging plugs on his engines to keep them charged up without having to put them on the rails.

It all started a few years ago when a customer came in for A/C repairs to his car and had his business card laying on the seat. That began my dad's weekly trips to the train store. He'd cash his paycheck and then go see Al. He has several thousand $ just in engines alone. And of course I bought a few for him.

A great hobby and money pit. I just wish I had the room here to start my own layout. I'm sure he could loan me some rolling stock. And maybe even let me run my mom's Shay engine that she bought herself.......



Rick