June 23 to July 23, 2004 Tom Troughton, MMR says, "Welcome to the Sn3 Cimarron and Tall Timbers Railroad, a 1950's representation of my imagineered Cimarron Division of the D&RGW railroad. The layout is 17' x 22' and contains over 180' of mainline and about 150' of branch line. The main support structure is made from 2 x 6" lumber, with 3/4" plywood risers supporting 5/8" Industrial Particle Board. The roadbed is beveled Homasote with hand cut and laid basswood ties. Rail Craft, Code 70 weathered rail was used throughout the layout and all switches were built in place and have built in easements. I've modeled a free-lanced D&RGW area called the Cimarron Division, which features a helper engine facility located in the community of Tall Timbers, CO. Its prime function is to provide helper service for trains climbing the 3% grade over Cimarron Summit. The facility features a two stall engine house, coaling tower, one storage track and a car repair shed with its associated blacksmith shop." From layout history to the layout tour and photos to a large number of construction articles, Tom has a layout and a web site to be proud of, so let's visit the Sn3 Cimarron and Tall Timbers Railroad. July 23 to August 23, 2004 Santa Fe FM Trainmasters - The Untold Story "Listen, if you can, to the sound of the cold winter wind, whistling across the high desert and Ponderosa pine-covered mountains of northern Arizona, USA. You're there, in Winslow, Flagstaff, Riordan, Ash Fork, Williams; and in these small Arizona towns, you can still today witness high speed modern intermodal railroading on what was once the Third District, Albuquerque Division, of the former Santa Fe's transcontinental mainline across northern Arizona. In this part of the high desert of Arizona, knowledgeable railfans still gather, and among those who know, the talk turns quietly to whispers. It is said that here, hidden in the shadows of time, is a long held secret about the true origins of intermodal railroading on the Santa Fe's Arizona Divide. They say there was a mysterious locomotive, stuck on a crossing in Flagstaff, in the spring of 1955. They speak in hushed tones about suspicions in that year, of secret railroad and government 'black ops' in remote railroad canyons; and they quietly discuss tales of a far-off locomotive whistle in those nights long ago, from a freight train that never existed on any timetable… " And here is that story in photos and text and a visit that you may never forget! Be sure to read the final page of the Santa Fe FM Trainmasters - The Untold Story. August 23 to September 23, 2004 It's Northwest Montana in the late 1950's on Gerry Hopkins MMR's Great Northern - Down Under. Let's take a ride on train #728 (GP9) as it gets its train up and away from Shelby yard to service a few industries along the line. Train #262 is a through freight, St Paul to Seattle. It will set out a cut of cars on the arrival track at Shelby. These cars will be sorted and added to the relevant locals to continue their journey to the correct industry. Unlike many of the layouts in the USA that are built purely for operation and require a handful of operators, Gerry can operate the layout on his own or with up to 8 operators. 95% of the time he is the only operator. He finds it quite relaxing to drive a loco out of the yard with 6-8 cars and drop off and pick up as the train moves around the layout. The layout is Great Falls and is built for walk around operation with DCC (Digital Command Control). It is housed in a custom built building measuring 6m X 7.2m (20'x24') located an hours drive north of Sydney, Australia. Ok, that said, let's pay a visit to Australia and the Great Northern - Down Under. September 23 to October 23, 2004 Bob Frey's U.P. & Western HO layout, set in the Summer of 1950, is located in a 30' by 40' basement in a suburb of Milwaukee. A significant amount of switching is done between these two model railroads. The Union Pacific is in one 30' by 26' room, and the Western branch line railroad's 10' by 12' layout is in another room. Bob's U.P. layout began in 1978, the Western layout was started by his son Steve in 1988. To keep the two layouts busy, a computer generated preprinted switching operation is used. This program doesn't just move cars around; it moves freight from point to point based on the products shipped by the industries the railroad serves. With ten cities, there are now more than 140 Industries that could be switched from two main yards, and two small city yards. With 190 cars, Switching Lists are preprinted for Grain, Beer, Ice Reefer, Tank and Box Freights, four Mixed Freights and four Local Switchers. It's time to take a trip back to 1950 and visit Bob Frey's U.P. & Western HO layout October 23 to November 23, 2004 Silicon Valley Lines (SVL) is an HO Scale Model Railroad Club located in the heart of Silicon Valley, in San Jose, California. It was formed in 1979 as a modular club. In 1984, SVL acquired four commercial coaches and assembled a permanent layout during the early 1990s in the 1600 square foot space. In 1999, the group moved to the current location in San Jose, where the new 23' x 72' layout is now in operation. SVL operates trains using digital command control (DCC), which allows engineers to control locomotives independently on the same track. Members are given train orders and must coordinate with the dispatcher to obtain track warrants to complete their switching tasks in a timely fashion. The train orders are generated using Albion Software's ShipIt! software. The layout is constructed using some unique benchwork building techniques, with much of the layout supported by structural steel components. All of this makes the SVL worth a visit. So sit back and let's head west to the Silicon Valley Lines. November 23 to December 23, 2004 Marty Edwards' "The 400 Route" (Chicago North Western) has a single track mainline in Southeastern Wisconsin that meanders thru the rural countryside in a Northwesterly direction. Some manufacturing and plenty of agricultural activities provide a healthy blend for the economies of the five towns and villages (West to East - Clyman Junction, Adams/Friendship, Grand Marsh, South Beaver Dam and Wyeville) along the way. Structures, both kit and kit-bashed, along with privet hedge cuttings (for trees), plenty of Woodland Scenic materials, people and vehicles populate the countryside. Marty has painted backdrops for a large number of Southeast Wisconsin layouts and is considered a very talented artist. So, let's take a look at Marty's "The 400 Route"