Small Layout Design Catalog

Discussion in 'General' started by yardmaster, Nov 10, 2009.

  1. Joseph Toth

    Joseph Toth Member

    Geology, Mining, Railroading and History?

    You gotta be kiddin´! All in one easy lesson? Try the Kalmbach classic by the late Bill McClanahan. Bill lived in Dallas, was employed with the Dallas Morning News and started modeling in HO in the early 1950s. His first layout was featured in the old Model Trains magazine. He later built the Texas & Rio Grande Western. It was an HO scale freelanced railroad that he constructed in his attic and ran through West Texas, common to the Big Bend country I would say. He used Tru-Scale Ready Track which featured milled wood roadbed. It was also offered as self-gauging roadbed with the ties cut to gauge so you could lay the rail and spike down same or as plain roadbed so you could lay Atlas or other popular track of the period and then apply liquid ballast to improve the appearance. Turnouts and crossings were also catalogued and was available with brass or nickel silver rail.

    He published the excellent book "Scenery for Model Railroads". It has all of the above subjects covered between covers! It was published by Kalmbach from 1958 until 1986. It more or less became the "bible" on these subjects thus the many reprintings. It
    is easy to find on all the major book dealer sites. It carries ISBN 0-89024-508-8.

    Lance Mindheim´s excellent layout books has brought model railroading into the 21st Century and his www.shelflayouts.com is a great visit anytime! Bill´s book still remains a must and combined with Lance´s combines the best of scenery and railroading in small places. All are worth obtaining!

    My favorite small layouts remain John Allen´s original Gorre & Daphetid and the Atlas Simplicity & Great Plains. Both can be easily constructed with a Frisco theme in mind and both can be expanded when space becomes available. If one doesn´t want to model the Frisco proper they can be so built to feature the AT&N or the QA&P as well. A wealth of structures and industries are on the market today to suit any modeling interest be it the wood and lumber business, cement or just a simple team track to serve non-rail customers. Add people and vehichles and you are in like Flynn!

    If you must provide passenger service and the era permits, a gas electric or mixed train will work perfectly. Even a Budd RDC on a demonstrator run would add great interest to provide more than just a local freight. And once in a while a visit from the Sperry Rail Service folks to check the track in one of their yellow converted gas electrics is approperate.

    This Small Layout Design Catalog is fantastic, thanks to the great bunch of Frisco Folks!

    Joe Toth
    The Trinity River Bottoms Boomer
     

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