Wendell1976

Nice Soo Line layout, Noah! Keep up the good work! What scale is this layout and what are the dimensions(length and width)? Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice picture of that Lark Gray and Scarlet switcher, Paul. Wendell Idaho, USA

Kevo, I love the nice pictures of your US based layout. What part of The States you are modeling? Keep up the good work! Wendell Idaho, USA

Chris, your revamped yard area looks nice and great for switching opportunities. Keep up the good work! Wendell Idaho, USA

Long live the Espee! I used to live about four blocks away from one of their tracks in my hometown of Compton, California(suburb of Los Angeles). I still remember counting the cars on many of their trains behind those Lark Gray and Scarlet locomotives(as a little boy). Wendell Idaho, USA

Jerry, also type the phrase "Inglenook layout" in the search box on YouTube. There are plenty of layout examples on YouTube. Wendell Idaho, USA

Jerry, if you are still interested in building a US Inglenook layout with some real switching opportunities, Google or Bing "Chicago Fork layout", "Fiddlestick Switch Job layout", "Tilley Yard South layout", "Seaford Lumber layout", and "Dawson Station layout." You can also check out www.model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30075 for more information about real Inglenook switching opportunities. I had just built a 4-3-2 Inglenook layout with a switching(shunting) lead capacity of a locomotive plus two cars. I use six cars on my layout. The layout is 4 feet long, 1 foot wide and it is in N scale. Wendell Idaho, USA

I had just found this thread this last weekend. I have read the last few comments about 4X8 layouts. As an American who was born and raised an urbanite(Los Angeles area), I have mixed feelings about 4X8 layouts. If a person has the room to build a 4X8 layout with a continuous run of track, go for it. If I had the extra room to build a 4X8 layout in the home that I am living in, I would build that layout in N scale using Kato Unitrack. Building a 4X8 layout in N scale would give a person a longer main line plus room for staging tracks. However, not everyone has the extra space to build a 4X8 in their living quarters. Most urbanites here in The States and Canada(e.g.- Angelenos, New Yorkers, Vancouverites(B.C.), Torontonians) do not have the extra room to build a 4X8, not even a 4X6. The mainstream paper magazines such as Model Railroader need to help more beginners understand that there are other alternatives to having a layout besides a 4X6 or a 4X8. Shelf switching layouts such as Inglenooks are the way to go for most urbanites and people that don't have the extra space for a large layout. Wendell Idaho, USA

It's a Illinois Central in "Solid Orange." I forgot that the former Illinois Central and Illinois Central Gulf railroads used to have solid orange colored locomotives back in the day. Coincidentally, the Canadian National Railway bought the IC, ICG, and EJ&E in the last 20 years. Wendell Idaho, USA

This orange locomotive looks like a former Elgin, Joliet, and Eastern Railway unit(now part of Canadian National Railway's subsidiary Wisconsin Central Ltd.). Wendell Idaho, USA

This is a very nice video of the Delaware & Hudson Railroad layout. Beautiful Upstate New York scenery! Today, the Canadian Pacific Railway(CP) traverses this part of America. Wendell Idaho, USA

Another nice layout representing my hometown of the Los Angeles area. Keep up the good work! Wendell Idaho, USA

Seb, you are doing a good job modeling the Northeastern United States. What state are you modeling? I can tell that Locomotive #200 is a former Conrail unit. Keep up the good work! Wendell Idaho, USA

Milano, good for you in wanting to build a N scale, 3-2-2 Inglenook layout. Over here in The States, I had built a 4-3-2 Inglenook layout in N scale(with a 2-car plus locomotive capacity for the switching/shunting lead). I use six cars on my layout. Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice Inglenook-looking layout, Chris! Wendell Idaho, USA

Rob, if I was you, I would build a 3-2-2(with 5 cars) or a 4-3-2(with 6 cars) Inglenook layout. Both of these versions have a two-car plus locomotive capacity for the switching(or shunting) lead. Wendell Idaho, USA

Sometimes the BNSF Railway interchanges with the Canadian National Railway(CN) in Everett, Washington(suburb of Seattle). Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice Inglenook layout! I have a 4-3-2 Inglenook layout(with a two-car plus locomotive capacity for the switching lead) using six cars. While living in The States, I love Inglenook layouts better than Timesaver layouts. Wendell Idaho, USA

I know of one(and only ONE) HO scale layout Kalmbach has ever published that's a 1X8(1 foot by 8 foot): Sherman Paper Company(titled "Industrial Switching Layout") in the 2006 Model Railroad Planning magazine. Linda Sand created this track plan. Wendell Idaho, USA

"The antidote to all that is the modelling & writings of modellers like Lance Mindheim. I am forever looking at the peninsular on his Downtown Spur layout. It measures something like 8' x 2', yet it has just one long spur running down the middle. Now that takes self-discipline, since the 'obvious' thing to do with such a space would be to put more track in it!!!" That is why model railroaders need to follow prototypical examples instead of just a magazine. A real railroad does not cram every nook and cranny with turnouts. Turnouts cost a real railroad a lot of money. Wendell Idaho, USA

Or 8 feet long by 1 foot wide in HO scale! Twelve(12) feet by 8 inches can get you a good one-turnout layout in HO scale(by Lance Mindheim). I had just read this thread today. Wendell Idaho, USA

Mal, I am building a track plan database for small/micro layouts that are within 16 square feet on my Model Railroad Hobbyist thread. You are welcome to share your track plan and pictures of your layout at this website: http://www.model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/30394 Wendell Idaho, USA

Nice railroad pictures of the City of Vernon, California. I was born and raised not too far from this Los Angeles suburb. Wendell Idaho, USA

Amen, Ed! I really think Mal should ask Model Railroader to feature his layout in their magazine. If that doesn't work, then definitely Model Railroad Hobbyist will absolutely be interested. Not only building a large basement-filled layout takes a lot of time, but it takes a lot of money to build. Add in the cost for all the turnouts/switches that are being used on that layout and most people cannot afford to build a layout that vast. Wendell Idaho, USA

Earwicker, I had just found this thread today. I had just joined www.rmweb.co.uk a few days ago. Anyways, I have enjoyed looking at the pictures of your layout. You have done a really good job. Williams, Arizona and Needles, California is along the Interstate 40 freeway in the American Southwest. I have traversed along that highway a lot of times as a truck driver. You have captured the scenery aspect of that part of America. Keep up the good work! Wendell Idaho, USA