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  1. J

    Santa Fe 3751

    Nice!! I rode the '92 train as a 11 year old tyke. I tend to think the Northern looks the most balanced - though I'm also partial to the Hudson and Santa Fe models.
  2. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Thanks! As so often happens with layouts, life gets in the way. I'm now fortunately planning a move for spring 2017 (if not sooner) - unfortunate for any permanent layout goals - but good for me personally. I've also been playing with the idea - and have since decided - that I want to move up...
  3. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    An alternative. This flips Topeka the right way and takes it down to one main - which is accurate - drops Lawrence in favor of going south to Osage City where MoPac and ATSF re-met on the southern route.
  4. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Thanks! I've put in a lot of thought to how I could make it have the look of Topeka yard but run continuously. Right now my only debate is if I have this backwards. Right now the yards are mirrored from how they actually are. I might flip it so that the shops are on the opposite end and move...
  5. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Well I've been tearing my old O gauge layout up - cleaning everything up and getting ready to build an ho layout in my space. Tore the last of the old benchwork out today and began to play with my first 8' x 18" shelf (Pauline section in drawing below). While it's in no way a final product...
  6. J

    Dead Rail HO ?

    I will be pursuing this option as I change scales from O to HO. Bluerail Trains which developed the Bluetooth control in Bachmann's EZ-AP locomotives has just released their first Bluetooth boards. Their boards are specifically designed for HO and come with three options - track power, battery...
  7. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Excellent! I look forward to seeing what you come up with. I've really been struggling with scaling down and deciding how best to utilize the space.
  8. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Playing around with some alternative benchwork arrangements. My time has been limited. Hoping to get back to in the next few weeks and start building benchwork. Anyways, here's a dogbone benchwork plan I'm playing around with that eliminates both duck-unders and long reaches.
  9. J

    Help Me Plan My Layout

    Very Nice! Good looking benchwork.
  10. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    As much as a lift-out duck-under are not my desire, I'm playing with the idea of looping the track in a 25' x 9' oval layout with an 18' operating section extending into the other part of the room. A short industry track could then be added at the very top towards the door. This would allow...
  11. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Funny you mention the society. When I was at Emporia State University, I performed all the digitization, conducted all the research, and created all the metadata for the Walter M. Anderson Collection (it's actually spelled Andersen) which is at the Emporia State University Archives. The...
  12. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Exploring that as a yard. As mentioned earlier in the thread - Topeka's main yard where the railroad shops are is a T shape - the main yard and shops parallel Adams Ave. while the Industries are mostly along 1st St (and later Seward to the east). At 10th there is a wye for the yard and...
  13. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    I'm playing with something along these lines...
  14. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Unfortunately there's plumbing right there I'd prefer not to get into.
  15. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Yea - right now I have entrances in upper right (Southeast) and lower right (Southwest) of drawing. Neither is framed with doors yet. My old O layout traveled through these areas - but I've promised my wife a separate non-train basement space - so I cannot expand outside the L. The landing is...
  16. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Thanks for putting this together. This is helpful. It's an interesting plan. Some thoughts: - I haven't installed the doorways yet - so I could wall off the stairs if I wanted to. - I 100% appreciate that this design doesn't have a lift out - my O layout had a whopping 5 lift outs. I'm...
  17. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    Yup - San Francisco Chief. That was the high-speed route - passing through Amarillo. Super-C also used that track (1968-1976). I'm not sure on the Super-C's route east from Emporia- I suspect it traveled direct to KC - bypassing Topeka.
  18. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    I'm only 10 years into my career - approaching 35 - a young pup. Anyway - I hope youj shared in my laugh - one of the many subjects I teach is using Railroad records for local history and genealogical research. Where I really struggle is in designing a layout that fits the space and is...
  19. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    First - I appreciate your input. This would be very helpful to many people. Second - I thank you for the laugh. Having shared so little about myself, you had no idea when you wrote it - but you just told a professional Librarian and Genealogist - in their area of expertise - to use Google. :D
  20. J

    New Layout - Switching Scales - Topeka ATSF 1970-71

    That's a great track-plan. Some great ideas there. I'll have to follow your progress!




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