Minot, ND - Souris River N Scalers

cjleigh · Jan 4, 2011

I'm just throwing this out there, but there is a rather large layout being constructed at the Railroad Museum of Minot, now home of the Souris River Model Railroad Club (or N-Scalers depending on who you talk to).

The track plan is pretty much complete, but scenery still awaits.

Let me know if you want more information or a tour or something...

Rico · Jan 5, 2011

Would love to see pics if you have any?

cjleigh · Jan 5, 2011

I actually don't have many pictures of the layout, I had NO IDEA! I am heading down there this weekend, so I will snap some good overall shots for you, but for now, these are going to have to do. It's all I have.

That's me BTW, working on this or that or the other thing.

The problem we are running into during the construction process is that the layout is now "functional", meaning that trains operate on it. Now whenever we go down to actually do some scenery or other work, it only takes about 45 seconds before a locomotive starts up and we are all standing around with DCC controllers in our hands rather than paint brushes...

Rico · Jan 6, 2011

Yeah our club went thru that also, you need to have a designated work night.
Looks like a good size room tho!
Hoping to get down that way this summer. we'll see.....

cjleigh · Jan 8, 2011

Here are the photo's I promised. I was down there Saturday morning playing a little. The guy in some of the pictures is the VP of the Club.

Most of the rolling stock and locomotives belong to the club. The Pres. and VP have a few items on the layout, and the SP Daylight on the trestle is some of the photos is mine.

It is all DCC, and about half of the loco's have sound chips in them. You can imagine that operating is a little noisy.

Hopefully we can take the suggestion of a build night and get some more work rolling on this. Like I said, after the trackwork was done, everything pretty much came to a standstill. We need to get back to work.

RW&C · Jan 10, 2011

The Daylight on the bridge... beautiful.

Looks like a great start, and one hell of a layout in the works.

Rico · Jan 10, 2011

I have to agree, love the track to scenery ratio!
I think I've been past that bridge a few hundred times but never went over it...

John P · Jan 10, 2011

I agree you're in the Great Plains there, but that is one very flat railroad. Are you sure there isn't too much plywood, as opposed to track laid on cookie-cutter plywood strips, or splines? My feeling is that it's more visually interesting if the scenery extends above and below the track. Whatever scenery you build will feature a lot of fields, that's certain.

But that's an extremely elegant layout edge and fascia!

cjleigh · Jan 17, 2011

John P said:
Are you sure there isn't too much plywood, as opposed to track laid on cookie-cutter plywood strips, or splines? My feeling is that it's more visually interesting if the scenery extends above and below the track.

This is exactly what I say everytime we get together. We need a few grades and at least Hilly (if not mountainous) terrain to really make this layout interesting. I really wish I could talk them into it.

I am getting ready to start a layout at home, in HO scale, and it's going to be a logging themed layout, so a lot of mountains for the shay's to climb.

AmericaWestLines · Oct 10, 2014

cjleigh said:
This is exactly what I say everytime we get together. We need a few grades and at least Hilly (if not mountainous) terrain to really make this layout interesting. I really wish I could talk them into it.

How about adding Tressle Valley ski area?

SVJim · May 15, 2015

Just an update to the Souris River Model Railroad club layout.

Scenery has been started and the layout is expanding into a second room.

The first picture is of an abandon mining area that as not recovered. Only the base scenery has been applied to this point. A background hill has been placed behind the trestle to add depth. A second room is having benchwork added to expand the railroad through a mountain area and to a port which will be located on the bench work in the last photo.

montanan · May 15, 2015

That's a pretty impressive layout. I can see a lot of possibilities. Looking good.

logandsawman · May 15, 2015

Really nice layout, I can see why you would want to run trains...

SVJim · May 16, 2015

A few more photos of recent work:

Burlington Bob · May 16, 2015

That's a layout with a lot of possibilities! I would love to see more pictures of it, along with regular updates. I wish there was a club close to where I live that was even half the size of that. Really like it

montanan · May 16, 2015

I am like Bob, and plan to look forward to updates on your clubs layout. I can see so much potential with the area you guys have to work with. I was in N scale back in the 70's, but had to move on to HO sclae because the locomotives of that time period were so crude and unreliable.

Also like Bob, I wish there were a club close by. There is a group of N scalers that set up their modular layout around the area, but no formal club. I don't think there are many people into HO sclae in my area. Years back I used to help the model railroad club in Great Falls operate during state fair, which was their rent payment for the space their layout is in. Unfortunately, great Falls is about 180 miles away.