Our Railroads:

Welcome to our layout page, please keep in mind some of these model railroads are still in their infancy stages and some have been somewhat completed ,while others are in a more completed state. As modelers we all know a model railroad goes through many stages and things are always changing, so in reality I don't think the railroad is ever completed, but that's ok, we wouldn't have it any other way. As Webmaster and fellow modeler/operator I guess I'll take this little section to highlight some of the things about the group. First I would like to personally thank all the fellow modelers and operators, you have made the hobby in my life much more rewarding and I'm proud to call you all my friends. The hobby is so much more to all of us, in a way it’s a form of therapy, it takes us away from the hustle and bustle of our busy lives of working, paying the bills, fixing the house, watching the kids grow and can take us back in time to a quitter place. Collectively amongst operators and modelers we all share a common love for railroading and have all contributed to the group. We have included a small personal bio on the modelers page with links to their actual railroad pages. Please feel free to browse through all our hard work, it only gets better from here and the story continues….

Ward Ruland

     wwrr@optonline.net

Howard Dwyer's  " Island Central Railroad"

ICRR has an urban setting during the steam to diesel transition era. Most switching is performed by diesel road switchers. OPS sessions include main line, coal hauling, yard operations, and limited branch line runs. The ICRR is freelanced and 100% scenicked. The layout is NCE DCC equipped. The ICRR was featured in the May 2012 edition of Model Railroader. A track plan of the layout is included in the article.

 To see pictures of Howard's "Island Central Railroad" Click Here

Dave Barraza " New York & Atlantic

has an urban setting during the steam to diesel transition era. Most switching is performed by diesel road switchers. OPS sessions include main line, coal hauling, yard operations, and limited branch line runs. The ICRR is freelanced and 100% scenicked. The layout is NCE DCC equipped. The ICRR was featured in the May 2012 edition of Model Railroader. A track plan of the layout is included in the article.

To see pictures of  Dave's "Railroad" Click Here 

Ron Engel's - "Great Northern Railroad"

My layout is a freelanced design loosely based on the Great Northern RR in Minnesota late 50s really 60s. The main yard is St. Cloud with towns of Hinkley and Elk River. I use the standard car cards and 4 position waybills along with a train order card. My operating session is laid back and consists of one east bound turn from Minneapolis (staging) to St. Cloud and one west bound turn from Duluth (staging) to St. Cloud. Operations consist of local and yard switching. I also have a mine branch run and swap, along with passenger and reefer runs. I dispatch vocally. Jobs would be - yard master (local pickups and delay, sort arrival and departures and turn locos on Turntable). Road turn - (local pickups and drops at two towns). Third job includes - mine run (empties and loads) , reefers, passenger.

To see pictures of Ron's "Great Northern Railroad"  Click Here

John Feraca's " Stone Canyon Railroad"

John’s model railroading experience started around age 10 when he built a 4’ x 8’ HO scale layout in the middle of his den. His parents put up with it for about a year and made him take it down. After that came a 2’ x 4’ N scale layout in his bedroom. These early experiences never left him even though he did not get back into model railroading until 30 years later. In 2001 he decided to build a small L shaped HO scale layout with his three boys. He was amazed at what was available to the modeler and quickly fell back into the hobby. After 2 years John dismantled the layout and began building his dream layout, currently about 90% complete. The Stone Canyon Railroad is 25’ x 39’, 1950’s era set in the western US. Predominate roads are UP and the ATSF. John’s love of big steam and mountainous terrain are evident throughout the layout. The railroad includes a full service locomotive facility, large freight yard, and coal mine, several towns with multiple industries, a large staging area and a fully lighted city scene.  John’s main reason for building the layout was to satisfy his artistic side so he focused on realistic scenery.

To see pictures of John's Stone Canyon Railroad Click Here

John Jaklitsch's "New York Connecting Railroad"

John started modeling the LIRR in 1981, using plywood and table parts dating back to his old Lionel train sets! His concept was to model the railroad in its prime, when the high ways and roads of the island had yet to be fully developed. The railroad was kept busy with freight trains, often with leased Pennsylvania locomotives, delivering goods for nearby New York City, while carting produce from the heavily farmed areas of Long Island in the '50s. While John's North Shore Division is purely fictional, the genuine feel of his modeling derives from the fact that his two major destinations, Hunters point in Queens, and Oyster Bay in Nassau County, really do exist.

To See pictures of John's "New York Connecting Railroad" Click Here