Welcome to the
N scale model railroad
 |
|
|
IF I COULD TURN BACK TIME... this is where I'd go |
After having worked on close to 40-odd layouts, dioramas and other assorted modeling projects, I will assert that this project (my ninth, if that's of any consequence) remains the most successful of them all—not in terms of how much of it got finished, or how long it existed, or any other modeling metric, but instead based on the satisfaction it provided. Sure, I went on to do much more remarkable modeling, but that was mostly due to what technology brought to bear for the hobby. As I was to learn only after my career was well and truly over, increasingly my focus had become misplaced: I was going for the gimmicks, and that's not what the hobby is about. All I can do now is shine a light on the lessons learned.
CHAPTERS |
White River & Northern III Layout Summary
Setting: |
New Jersey steam tourist line, 1970s-80s |
Scale: |
N |
Size: |
10.5 feet diameter (round) |
Track: |
handlaid Code 40 and Code 55 turnouts, ME flex |
Control: |
not selected |
Benchwork: |
extruded foam insulation over steel 2x4s |
Scenery: |
Sculptamold over extruded foam insulation |
Inception: |
1992 |
Status: |
~25% complete |
Disposition: |
gone |
White River & Northern IV Layout Summary
Setting: |
New Jersey steam tourist line, 1970s-80s |
Scale: |
N |
Size: |
7 by 11 foot L-shaped shelf |
Track: |
ME Code 40 & 55 flex |
Control: |
homemade PWM |
Benchwork: |
extruded foam insulation on shelf brackets |
Scenery: |
Scultpamold over extruded foam insulation |
Inception: |
1995 |
Status: |
~75% complete |
Disposition: |
gone |
LAYOUT INDEX
Copyright © 1996-2026 by David K. Smith. All Rights Reserved.