NEW Wabash & Union Belt (HO)

• C&NW Lakeshore Division (HO) - Pewaukee, WI
• C&NW Geneva Sub. (HO) - Kenosha, WI
• Lakefront Engine Facility (HO) - Milwaukee, WI
• Tehachapi Loop (N) - Milwaukee, WI
• Wabash & Union Belt (HO) - Milwaukee, WI
• C&S Gunnison City (Gn3)

Chicago, Wisconsin & Pacific (N)

All Friday evening sessions start at 7:00 p.m. and go until 10:00 p.m. Please arrive between 6:30 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. so you have time to familiarize yourself with the railroad before the session begins.

The Ashland, Superior and Pacific (AS&P) Railroad is a fictitious line and an early diesel, late steam road. Time frame for this layout is the early fifties to the late sixties. I am not concerned with exact detail to timeframe but rather with overall effect, artistic license and good operation. The railroad is a point to point scheme running from the division point of Superior, Wisconsin through the division point of Grand Forks, North Dakota to points west (terminating yard). At Superior Yard the AS&P interchanges with its subsidiary road, the Duluth Terminal Railway. The DT serves the ore, grain, petroleum, container and transfer docks as well as local industry. DT trackage is used to turn AS&P equipment terminating at Superior.

Superintendent: Ken Jaglinski

Location: Whitefish Bay, Wis.

Web site: N/A

Scale: HO

Era: 1945-1955

Modeled Locale: Superior, Wis. to Grand Forks, ND

Interchanges with: NP and SOO

Layout Size: 11' x 37' and 10' x 21', single deck

Mainline: 300 ft.

Scenery: 100% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam and first-generation diesel

Control System: NCE DCC

Wireless Enabled: No

Communication: Operator to Operator (i.e. verbal)

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Tri-color signals

Car Routing: Car cards

Listed Jobs: Two yardmastesr, three road crews

Duckunder: No

Pets: Dog

1.

An HO layout that models the BN's Peoria Subdivision between Galesburg
and Peoria, in North Central Illinois, in 1985. The track arrangements at stations closely follow or duplicate the prototype. Last year this was a 1964 CB&Q era layout.

Superintendent: Ken Thompson

Location: South Milwaukee

Web site: N/A

Scale: HO

Era: May 1985

Modeled Locale: BN between Galesburg and Peoria, Ill.

Interchanges with: P&PU

Layout Size: 22′ x 36′, single deck

Mainline: 130 ft.

Scenery: 95% sceniced

Motive Power: First and second-generation diesel

Control System: RailPro radio control w/ sound in BN locomotives and Rail-Lynx infrared wireless control for P&PU locomotives.

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Telephone system

Fast Clock: 4:1

Dispatching Method: TT&TO

Car Routing: JMRI Operations Pro

Listed Jobs: BN and P&PU train crews.

Duckunder: No

Pets: Mini, the dog, will be two years old on Halloween.

1.

The Four Corners and Five Lakes Railway is a Class I transcontinental railroad descended from the fictional Four Corners Railroad and Five Lakes Railway and Steamship Company. The former was a timber and mineral road in the Southwest; the latter was a grain hauler terminating at the Port of Milwaukee, with a fleet of bulk carriers extending its reach across the Great Lakes.

The Four Corners grew east, the Five Lakes grew west, and eventually they met. In 2002 the roads merged to form FCFL Transportation. Today FCFL operates 15,569 miles of track between its headquarters in Milwaukee and the Port of San Diego. The company’s lake freighters and ocean-going vessels give FCFL Transportation a truly global presence.

The layout models the FCFL’s Four Corners Division – from Durango, CO, where Midwest freight is mustered, to Phoenix, AZ, where the line turns west for the final push to San Diego. The division is responsible for mainline through freight, as well as local service to Gallup, NM, Globe, AZ and Flagstaff, AZ.

The Four Corners Division is headquartered in Salvation Point, AZ, a tourist town on the edge of Many Lost Ways National Park. FCFL crews are treated to stunning vistas of the Southwest’s distinctive red landscape before descending into the rugged Benjamin-Henry Canyon, where tourists frolic and locals scratch a living from the desert.

Work on the FCFL includes plenty of mainline running, passenger service, and some moderately challenging switching. Sessions are laid back, kid-friendly and welcoming to novice operators.

Superintendent: John Tindall

Location: Milwaukee

Web site: www.fcflrailway.com and YouTube videos

Scale: N

Era: Contemporary

Modeled Locale: Four Corners region of the United States

Interchanges with: Cascade Northern (my kid's fictional version of the BNSF), UP trains have trackage rights

Layout Size: 30 x 20 L-shaped shelf layout

Mainline: 90'

Scenery: 90% sceniced

Motive Power: Modern diesel-electric, steam excursion

Control System: Digitrax DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Operator to Operator (i.e. verbal)

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Verbal

Car Routing: Car cards transcribed into switchlists, eliminating need for operators to carry stacks of cards

Listed Jobs: Yardmaster, dispatcher, local and through freight crews, Amtrak and steam excursion crews

Duckunder: No

Pets: None

  The Rock Harbor Railroad (RHR) is a fictional railroad located on an island and wholly owned by the equally fictional Rock Harbor Transportation Company (RHTC).
  Most of the Class A roads of the 1950’s share access to the mainland yard of the RHTC.  At this yard, all other railroads would drop off or pick-up cars.
  There are eight identical floats that I use for transporting freight cars to the island and all floats are switched out during operating sessions. Of the eight floats used, one is for the logging operations, three for interchange and four are set up as staging tracks.
  There are five towns on the island that the railroad serves: Oak Ridge, Richmond Heights, Mt. Carmel, Jamestown and Rock Harbor. I don’t have very long runs between towns but if you like to switch cars this is the layout. JMRI program is used for operations and it is set up so every car must leave the island after it has been to an industry. 

Superintendent: Mark Willmering

Location: Wauwatosa, Wis.

Web site: NA

Scale: HO

Era: 1940-1950

Modeled Locale: Rock Harbor

Interchanges with: Milw, GN, C&NW, SOO

Layout Size: 15' x 30'

Mainline:

Scenery: 70% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam and diesel on the road, diesel in the yard.

Control System: NCE DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: None

Car Routing: JMRI computer generated switch lists

Listed Jobs: Yardmaster, Yard Helper, Harbor Switcher and three road crews

Duckunder: No

Pets: None

My railroad is a proto-freelance interpretation of a very limited area of Detroit, primarily the Delray and West Detroit neighborhoods. The rail traffic supports both automobile component manufacturing industries as well as consumer based product distribution warehousing. The time period represents the post WWII economic boom, thus rail traffic is at a peak regarding the modeled industries. I am also a freight car enthusiast, finding the mix of equipment seen on the rails in 1953 to my liking. Motive power manufactures are represented by Alco, Baldwin and EMD. Operations are centered out of the Wabash Oakwood yard (staging).

Wabash internal transfers run from Oakwood to the Boat Yard as a turn job delivering cars too and returning cars to Oakwood. Transfer runs delivering to/from foreign yards at West Detroit Junction, can only deliver cars returning cab light to their home yards. Transfers represent the through traffic over the railroad.

Two local Wabash switch jobs also run out of Oakwood. The West Detroit job works the industries along the West Detroit branch, there are thirty possible car spots. The other local is the Jefferson Ave. job with twelve possible spots, one industry it works is the Detroit Union Produce terminal.

The Union Belt is jointly owned by the Wabash, C&O, and Pennsy thus motive power from any of its owners may be assigned to this yard job. The Union Belt job works out of its own yard, Delray yard, moving pulls and spots to/from the yard. Twenty-three spots exist along the Belt, primarily auto parts plants. Cars are set out and picked up from Delray yard by the Wabash transfer to West Detroit Junction.

Car forwarding is done with JMRI operations software. Industrial spots and pulls are controlled by spot dwell times. They vary from one-cycle to as many as four. As on the prototype, car delivery is also controlled by availably of a car subtype i.e. XAP-axle are different than XAP-wheels. Because of these variables the number of cars to be handled at any time will vary for each session. Sessions nominally last two hours.

Short sleeve shirts are required!

[Coordinator's Note: Due to ceiling height issues in part of the basement, only one operator over 5'11" will be on the crew at a time. If you are under 5'10" you're good. This will also be reflected in the registration form. Those who question that policy can visit the layout on the Saturday night tour and experience it in person. Also, familiarity with Protothrottles and complex switching is recommended.]

Superintendent: David Karkoski

Location: Milwaukee

Web site: Facebook pics

Scale: HO

Era: 1953

Modeled Locale: West Detroit and Delray Michigan

Interchanges with: West Detroit Junction; MC/NYC, GTW, C&O/PM, Boat Yard; WAB (east), Oakwood; WAB (west), PRR, D&TSL

Layout Size: 10’ x 25’ Point to point, industrial switching

Mainline:Union Belt 25', West Detroit Branch 50'

Scenery: 100% sceniced, all structures are scratch built, having both illumination and appropriate sound effects. And...six color LED lighting utilizing theatrical DMX lighting control software.

Motive Power: NCE command station, ProtoThrottles, Power-on-board (dead rail)

Control System: NCE DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No. Each session covers a six hour time period.

Dispatching Method: Verbal (all within yard limits) 

Car Routing: JMRI generated industrial car demand lists.

Listed Jobs: Transfer crew, Union Belt crew, Wabash Local crew

Duckunder: Lift-out

Pets: Cats

Other: Hand washing required

All morning sessions start at 9:00 a.m. and go until noonish. Please arrive between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. so you have time to familiarize yourself with the railroad before the session begins.

An HO freelanced railroad between Denver and Kansas City set in the early 1960s. The fully sceniced layout features motive power from the UP, RI, and CB&Q. It uses Lenz DCC and computerized switchlists with radios provided for communication with the dispatcher. The layout was featured on the PBS series Tracks Ahead (fourth season, episode #408 in 1998).

Superintendent: Rich Plachter

Superintendent Emeritus: Rolf Plachter

Location: Racine

Web site: Facebook pics

Scale: HO

Era: 1960-1965

Modeled Locale: Kansas City, MO to Denver, CO

Interchanges with: CB&Q, Rock Island, Union Pacific

Layout Size: 500 sq. ft. in three rooms, single deck

Mainline: 300 ft.

Scenery: 100% sceniced

Motive Power: First-generation diesel

Control System: Lenz Digital Plus DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Radios

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Dispatcher via radio

Car Routing: JMRI computer generated switch lists

Listed Jobs: Dispatcher, stagemaster, 5 yardmasters, road crews

Duckunder: Yes. Two.

Pets: No

  The Missabe Junction Railway is a freelance N-scale layout depicting train operations in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. The time period is 1960 to 1990 and is focused on the transition of the Soo Line Lake States Division as its ownership moved to Wisconsin Central and CN. The power is a variety of equipment that includes the old and new Soo, WC, CN, Algoma Central, DMIR and Missabe Junction equipment.
  The walk-around layout is 25’ x 25’ and scenery is 100% complete. Mainline is approximately 350’. Control is Digitrax DCC with tethered throttles for two major switching locations and wireless throttles for the mainline running. Operations include 23 jobs for six two-man crews. Scheduled trains include four unit trains, six switch jobs, two passenger trains, three manifest freights, six local/turn/transfer jobs and two extras. Operations are done with train order sheets for each job (not JMRI or car cards). You can find pictures of the layout on the NMRA layout directory or in the September 2018 issue of Model Railroader magazine.

Superintendent: Steve Miazga

Location: Waukesha, Wis.

Web site: N/A

Scale: N

Era: 1960-1990

Modeled Locale: Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota

Interchanges with: CN and DMIR

Layout Size: 25' x 25'

Mainline: 350'

Scenery: 100% sceniced

Motive Power: Early diesel

Control System: Digitrax DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: Yes

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Roving dispatcher

Car Routing: Train order sheets

Listed Jobs: Four unit trains, six switch jobs, two passenger trains, three manifest freights, and six local/turn/transfer jobs

Duckunder: No

Pets: No

The Norfolk & Whey Railroad, also referred to as the NFW after its reporting marks, is a prototype-based freelance model railroad inspired by Norfolk Southern’s Pocahontas Division in the coal country of southern West Virginia.

Superintendent: Tim Hensch

Location: Milwaukee

Web site: Facebook page

Scale: HO

Era: Present

Modeled Locale: Bluefield to Williamson, WV

Interchanges with: NS

Layout Size: 26’ x 36’ Double Deck

Mainline: 360 ft.

Scenery: 65% sceniced

Motive Power: Modern diesel

Control System: NCE DCC

Wireless Enabled: Yes, and operators are encouraged to use their phones as throttles using Engine Driver or WiThrottle apps.

Dispatching Method: JMRI PanelPro or Modern CATS (Computer Screen CTC) control the fully signaled mainline.

Communication: Radios

Fast Clock: No

Car Routing: JMRI switchlists

Listed Jobs: Dispatcher, yardmaster, 1 industry switcher, 1 branchline crew, road crews

Duckunder: No

Pets: No

My railroad is a proto-freelance interpretation of a very limited area of Detroit, primarily the Delray and West Detroit neighborhoods. The rail traffic supports both automobile component manufacturing industries as well as consumer based product distribution warehousing. The time period represents the post WWII economic boom, thus rail traffic is at a peak regarding the modeled industries. I am also a freight car enthusiast, finding the mix of equipment seen on the rails in 1953 to my liking. Motive power manufactures are represented by Alco, Baldwin and EMD. Operations are centered out of the Wabash Oakwood yard (staging).

Wabash internal transfers run from Oakwood to the Boat Yard as a turn job delivering cars too and returning cars to Oakwood. Transfer runs delivering to/from foreign yards at West Detroit Junction, can only deliver cars returning cab light to their home yards. Transfers represent the through traffic over the railroad.

Two local Wabash switch jobs also run out of Oakwood. The West Detroit job works the industries along the West Detroit branch, there are thirty possible car spots. The other local is the Jefferson Ave. job with twelve possible spots, one industry it works is the Detroit Union Produce terminal.

The Union Belt is jointly owned by the Wabash, C&O, and Pennsy thus motive power from any of its owners may be assigned to this yard job. The Union Belt job works out of its own yard, Delray yard, moving pulls and spots to/from the yard. Twenty-three spots exist along the Belt, primarily auto parts plants. Cars are set out and picked up from Delray yard by the Wabash transfer to West Detroit Junction.

Car forwarding is done with JMRI operations software. Industrial spots and pulls are controlled by spot dwell times. They vary from one-cycle to as many as four. As on the prototype, car delivery is also controlled by availably of a car subtype i.e. XAP-axle are different than XAP-wheels. Because of these variables the number of cars to be handled at any time will vary for each session. Sessions nominally last two hours.

Short sleeve shirts are required!

[Coordinator's Note: Due to ceiling height issues in part of the basement, only one operator over 5'11" will be on the crew at a time. If you are under 5'10" you're good. This will also be reflected in the registration form. Those who question that policy can visit the layout on the Saturday night tour and experience it in person. Also, familiarity with Protothrottles and complex switching is recommended.]

Superintendent: David Karkoski

Location: Milwaukee

Web site: Facebook pics

Scale: HO

Era: 1953

Modeled Locale: West Detroit and Delray Michigan

Interchanges with: West Detroit Junction; MC/NYC, GTW, C&O/PM, Boat Yard; WAB (east), Oakwood; WAB (west), PRR, D&TSL

Layout Size: 10’ x 25’ Point to point, industrial switching

Mainline:Union Belt 25', West Detroit Branch 50'

Scenery: 100% sceniced, all structures are scratch built, having both illumination and appropriate sound effects. And...six color LED lighting utilizing theatrical DMX lighting control software.

Motive Power: NCE command station, ProtoThrottles, Power-on-board (dead rail)

Control System: NCE DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No. Each session covers a six hour time period.

Dispatching Method: Verbal (all within yard limits) 

Car Routing: JMRI generated industrial car demand lists.

Listed Jobs: Transfer crew, Union Belt crew, Wabash Local crew

Duckunder: Lift-out

Pets: Cats

Other: Hand washing required

All afternoon sessions start at 2:00 p.m. and go until 5:00 p.m.ish. Please arrive between 1:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. so you have time to familiarize yourself with the railroad before the session begins.

The Blue Mountain & Cascade is based on the Union Pacific in the Blue Mountains of Oregon. The railroad is operated point to point and features two large terminal yards, a division point yard, an active branch line and a functional interchange with the Milwaukee Road. In addition, there are two staging yards which represent Huntington, Portland, and Seattle.

Operational emphasis is on industrial switching and interchange traffic. There are six towns between the main terminals that provide a variety challenges to the operator.

Superintendent: Dennis Glynn

Location: Kenosha

Web site: None

Scale: HO

Era: 1950

Modeled Locale: Freelanced between Huntington, Ore. to Portland, Ore.

Interchanges with: Milwaukee Road, Northern Pacific and Southern Pacific

Layout Size: 900 sq. ft.

Mainline: 400'

Scenery: 80% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam and first-generation diesel

Control System: Easy DCC with plug-in and wireless throttles

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Squawk boxes

Fast Clock: Yes

Dispatching Method: Dispatcher via station OS

Car Routing: RMS for Windows for computer generated switch lists

Listed Jobs: Dispatcher, 3 yardmasters, 2 local station operators and road crews

Duckunder: Yes, but only needed for two operating positions

Pets: Cats

The Chicago Wisconsin & Pacific is a fictional railroad which is(supposedly) a jointly owned subsidiary of the C&NW and NP. It is located in a Wisconsin-like area between Chicago and Minneapolis and west of Lake Michigan, but I made no attempt to model actual trackage, cities, or geography. Its design reflects the fact that I like operating way freights. It is N scale with about 150’ of main line and a 40’ branch line. The era is early ‘50s steam and first generation diesels (mostly). Scenery is 25%. Dispatching is verbal. Car forwarding is by JMRI Operations Pro. Control is by Digitrax and JMRI WI throttle. Participation will be limited to five operators this time and I would welcome opinions as to whether that could or should be changed. There is a dog in the house: a small cockapoo who will think you all came just to play with her.

Superintendent: Carl Priepke

Location: Germantown, Wis.

Web site: N/A

Scale: N

Era: Mid-1950's

Modeled Locale: Locale is a fictional version of Wisconsin.

Interchanges with: SOO, freelanced WCP and GTW via car ferry

Layout Size: N/A

Mainline: N/A

Scenery: 15% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam and First Generation Diesel

Control System: Digitrac DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: Yes

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Roving dispatcher

Car Routing: JMRI

Listed Jobs:

Duckunder: Yes

Pets: Dog

1.

  The GUNNISON CITY layout is the result of many years of model railroading in other scales and trying something new. It is a LGB layout with a model railroader's touch. I've worked at making it as much of a realistic looking railroad as one would with HO, N or any other scale. I was impressed with the size of G scale equipment and thought how much more impressive the engines and rolling stock would look up on a layout instead of on the ground.
  I love switching! And my railroad reflects this. When a four car train with caboose takes up around 9' of railroad you don't run very far. Hence the layout is only a small part of a big city and what the railroad does in that city is servicing industry.
  This is a "what if" the COLORADO & SOUTHERN R.R. didn't close its doors in 1939 before WWII, and big money helped by keeping it running. AND a "what if" the town of Gunnison did become the next Pittsburg of the west like the town fathers were predicting in a local paper in 1888! So that's my back story for the GUNNISON CITY layout. 
  If you're not big on switching this layout is not for you. While there is some run-thru traffic, it is limited, and switching is the name of the game. Everything is slow! The throttles take some getting used to. This is prototype as close as I can get it to the real thing. SAFETY FIRST! Take your time and do it right the first time.
  If you would like to see some picturues, the layout is featured in Model Railroader's 2023 issue of GREAT MODEL RAILROADS which should be out any day now.

Superintendent: Ken Rodig

Location: Sussex, WI

Web site: NA

Scale: Gn3

Era: 1949-1950

Modeled Locale: Colorado & Southern in Gunnison, CO

Interchanges with: DRG&W

Layout Size: 22' x 38'

Mainline: 109'

Scenery: 100% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam

Control System: NCE DCC wireless

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Verbal train orders and track warrants

Car Routing: Switch lists

Listed Jobs: Two road crews (switching) and one branchline crew

Duckunder: No

Pets: No

  The Rock Harbor Railroad (RHR) is a fictional railroad located on an island and wholly owned by the equally fictional Rock Harbor Transportation Company (RHTC).
  Most of the Class A roads of the 1950’s share access to the mainland yard of the RHTC.  At this yard, all other railroads would drop off or pick-up cars.
  There are eight identical floats that I use for transporting freight cars to the island and all floats are switched out during operating sessions. Of the eight floats used, one is for the logging operations, three for interchange and four are set up as staging tracks.
  There are five towns on the island that the railroad serves: Oak Ridge, Richmond Heights, Mt. Carmel, Jamestown and Rock Harbor. I don’t have very long runs between towns but if you like to switch cars this is the layout. JMRI program is used for operations and it is set up so every car must leave the island after it has been to an industry. 

Superintendent: Mark Willmering

Location: Wauwatosa, Wis.

Web site: NA

Scale: HO

Era: 1940-1950

Modeled Locale: Rock Harbor

Interchanges with: Milw, GN, C&NW, SOO

Layout Size: 15' x 30'

Mainline:

Scenery: 70% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam and diesel on the road, diesel in the yard.

Control System: NCE DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: None

Car Routing: JMRI computer generated switch lists

Listed Jobs: Yardmaster, Yard Helper, Harbor Switcher and three road crews

Duckunder: No

Pets: Dog

The HO Tomah, Portage & Mauston has operated for 20 years and hosted 140 operating sessions. It has entertained the likes of Jim Hediger, John Tews, Larry Sukup, Ken Rodig to name a few. It is 100% sceniced, a lot of switching and trains with first-generation power and I know that you will be pleased after operating on the TP&M.

Superintendent: Bill Pfister

Location: Sussex, WI

Web site: N/A

Scale: HO

Era: 1974

Modeled Locale: Central Wisconsin

Interchanges with: Milwaukee Road, Chicago & Northwestern, and Green Bay & Western.

Layout Size: 30' x 40'

Mainline: 200 ft.

Scenery: 90%

Motive Power: Diesel

Control System: Easy DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Operator to Operator (i.e. verbal)

Fast Clock: Yes for passenger train only

Dispatching Method: Verbal

Car Routing: Job information cards - no need to read car numbers.

Listed Jobs: Tomah yard master, Port Edwards paper mill yard master and four road engineers

Duckunder: No

Pets: No

Self-guided layout tours will run from 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. unless noted. Your name badge must be worn and operators (and a handful of registrants) will get the addresses. All layouts are in Milwaukee, Kenosha and Waukesha Counties. Layouts will include:

• John Lehnen's C&NW Lakeshore Division (HO)

• Dave Mielke's C&NW Geneva Sub. (HO)

• Dave Karkoski's Wabash & Union Belt (HO)

• Dave Poquette's Lakefront Engine Facility (HO)

• Jim Kelly's Tehachapi Loop (N)

• Ken Rodig's C&S Gunnison City (Gn3)

All morning sessions start at 9:00 a.m. and go until noonish. Please arrive between 8:30 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. so you have time to familiarize yourself with the railroad before the session begins.

The layout is set in Northern Wisconsin circa 1953 and is "Protolance" layout so towns are named as a representation of some of the towns "Uppa nort'". I have been working on my railroad for about 30 years, and I pride myself on my scenery and detailing. The railroad has been featured in Model Railroader three times and in Model Railroad Craftsman once. We are new to operation but find it a lot of fun. For more information check out my Facebook group CNW Northern Memories.

Superintendent: John Mueller

Location: DeForest

Web site: Facebook

Scale: HO

Era: 1953

Modeled Locale: Northern Wisconsin

Interchanges with: SOO

Layout Size: 32' x 39'

Mainline: 230'

Scenery: 100% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam and first-generation diesel

Control System: NCE DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Verbal

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Written orders

Car Routing: Car cards

Listed Jobs: Road crews

Duckunder: Yes

Pets: Cat

  The layout is based on the original RLD&M which was in northwest Wisconsin in the 1890s. It was then absorbed by the Soo Line.
  My layout is set in the early 1950s as a “what might have been” arrangement. The HO RLD&M is the third layout I’ve built over the past 40 years with that moniker.
  The 8’ x 30’ point-to-point layout features Shipit switchlists, a fast clock, CMRI signaling, Digitrax DCC and self-dispatching. In the session we’ll run up to 30 trains of various types: interchange, through, local, passenger, branch and tramp (extra switcher).
  Check out the Rice Lake, Dallas & Menomonie Railroad Facebook page and my (Bob Wundrock) YouTube page for recent photos and ops videos.

Superintendent: Bob Wundrock

Location: DeForest, Wis.

Web site: None, but the layout has a Facebook page and I have a YouTube page

Scale: HO

Era: Early 1950s

Modeled Locale: Northwest Wisconsin

Interchanges with: Railroads in Minneapolis and Duluth.

Layout Size: 8' x 30'

Mainline: 50 ft.

Scenery: 100%

Motive Power: Soo Line steam and diesel

Control System: Digitrax wireless and phone throttles

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: Yes

Communication: Verbal with ABS signals

Fast Clock: Yes

Dispatching Method: Verbal

Car Routing: Shipit switchlists

Listed Jobs: Crew sign-up sheet for various trains

Duckunder: No

Pets: No

  The layout is HO gauge that is 44’ x 30’ with over half being two levels. It is set in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s with steam as the main motive power. It runs from North Denver-Denver-Salt Lake City-thru the Keddie Wye to Oro-Bieber staging.
  The dispatcher controls the mainline switches and the layout is computer controlled with over 70 dispatcher controlled switches and approximately 40 switches locally controlled by the yard master or engineer/conductor. There are 52 industries to be served.
  I have added a great deal of building lights, industrial platform lights, railroad crossing lights and a fair amount of Martin Welberg scenic mats to the edges of the layout and several Ngineering sounds:  City sounds in Downtown Denver, Sawmill sounds in Aversa Milling and Planing and appropriate music namely the Can-Can and the Entertainer to the Burlesque Theater in McClimmon.
   The June 2022 issue of Model Railroader magazine features our layout. Reading a copy of this article will make it a lot easier to run the layout. 
  For those with cell phones it would be very advantageous if you would download the free app prior to coming. For those with an iPhone, download the free app WiFi Throttle Lite and not the upgraded app which has a fee and is not necessary. For those with an Android phone, download the free app Engine Driver. For those without a smartphone, I have several phones that have the appropriate app already in place. These have no sim card so they are used only as throttles. As a last resort, I have several DT402D throttles which do not consistently work.

Superintendent: Dr. Bill Clancy

Location: Verona, WI

Web site: NA

Scale: HO

Era: 1940-1950

Modeled Locale: Denver to Salt Lake to Keddie Wye to Oro-Bieber

Interchanges with: Rio Grande, WP, UP, GN and SP&S

Layout Size: 44' x 30'

Mainline: 544'

Scenery: 99% sceniced

Motive Power: Steam

Control System: Digitrax

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: Yes

Communication: Radio headsets

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Dispatcher with computer control of turnouts and signals

Car Routing: Ship It!

Listed Jobs: Need 10 engineers/conductors.  All yardmasters and dispatcher are from our own crew.

Duckunder: No

Pets: One dog always upstairs.

Heading south to points in Illinois and want a session on the way? This layout will have you covered. Session starts at 9:00 a.m.

The prototype FM&P ran 67 miles from a junction at the south end of Connellsville yard to Fairmont WV. At one point it produced more traffic than the main line over the mountains to Cumberland did. Heavy on glass, chemicals, production and coal it also hosted Western Maryland traffic headed for the Pittsburgh region. Interchange traffic and branch lines are scattered over the line. Incorrect main line passenger trains are included to feed my version of Pittsburgh. There was only a single local passenger train 65/66 that traversed the FM&P. This division was the first to attempt radio communication, including passenger traffic for train orders on the B&O. It failed due to union opposition. This division remained ‘dark’ for its entire existence, using TT&TO until it closed.

Superintendent: Art Jones

Location: Lindenhurst, Ill.

Web site: N/A

Scale: HO

Era: Steam/Diesel 1947 to 1951

Modeled Locale: Southwest Pennsylvania

Interchanges with: PRR, Smithfield and Masontown, Morgantown and Kingwood

Layout Size: 36’ x 29’

Mainline: 220'

Scenery: 30%

Motive Power: Steam and first-generation diesel

Control System: Lenz DCC

WiFi for Smartphone Throttles: No

Communication: Party line Telephone

Fast Clock: No

Dispatching Method: Dispatcher with telephones

Car Routing: Car cards

Listed Jobs: Staging YM at Pittsburgh, Union and Smithfield. There are 21 trains of all types, passenger, locals, switch jobs, manifest, coal drags

Duckunder: For staging access only

Pets: No

Catch a quick layout tour on your way home. Self-guided layout tours will run from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. unless noted. Your name badge must be worn and operators (and a handful of registrants) will get the addresses. All layouts are in Dane County. Layouts will include:

• Dr. Bill Clancy's Rio Grande Pacific (HO)

• John Krueger's Great Northern - Wenatchee West (HO)