My layout is a set for photos and movies.  Here are some scenes created.  Also, don't forget to visit my YouTube channel.  See links below.

Period Vehicles - 1948-1952

My layout is set in a relatively narrow time period of 1948 to 1952.  That provides for plenty of steam as well as first-generation diesels.  I limit my motive power and rolling stock to what would have appeared during that period.  Since my layout is largely complete, I can spend time on details such as vehicles.  What is on the roads should also match the 1948-1952 time period, so I am always looking for interesting vehicles from that period and the prior years.  Some of my vehicles date back to the 1930s, but the majority are 1940s until 1952.  Most of the vehicles are either resin kits, 3D printed, or kitbashed and detailed commercial vehicles.

1941-47 Ford COE, 1941-47 Chevy COE

1949+ White 3000 COE tractor (GHQ metal kit) and gas tanker (Trainworx)

1950 Nash 2-door sedan, 1951 Nash 4-door sedan

1951 Cadillacs, 1948 Chevy Woody wagon, 1951 Pontiac Chieftain (all Madaboutcars on Shapeways)

1940+ White Super Power tractor (Sylvan Scale Models)

Revive this blog.

 Although I have been away from this blog for a long time, I have been busy working on rolling stock, a few new structures, vehicles, and other details.  Although this is a small layout, basically complete for about twenty years, there is always things to do to make improvements.  Among the changes was a switch to DCC that could not have been easier.  The DC system with two cabs already had selector to switch any sector between the two cab controls.  I simply replaced one cab with a Digitrax DCC station and the other cab remains DC.  Any track or sector of the layout can be switched back a forth between DC or DCC, so I can run either DCC equipped locomotives or my older DC locomotives at the same time (on separate tracks).  

I have also added a Woodland Scenics Just Plug lighting system for some of the structures.  This lighting system is not inexpensive, however it is very well designed.  Since the layout is basically a photo and video set, the lighting level adjustment on each part of the lighting system is very useful for adjusting light levels for photographs.   

Most of the layout photography is now done with my iPhone.  I use Helicon Focus to stack photos with different focal points into one photo with good depth of field.  This can be done with an iPhone by touch focusing throughout the screen to select any number of focus areas.  It works so well that I have several magazine articles published with photography solely with iPhone photos.  An example is below.

New video in HD

Here is a new video shot, edited, and uploaded with my iPhone.

New Video Posted

A new 5-minute video has been posted to the blog. The quality of much better than my previous video, and the amazing thing is that this video was completely shot and edited on my IPhone 4.

Welcome to the PRR Middle Division in N Scale

This is my time machine to the 1950s for some trackside railfanning. The layout is small (30 inches by 10 feet) but it is well detailed and I use it like a movie set for photos and videos to recreate long lost railfan images. I like prototype modeling and most of what is on the layout is accurate for the PRR of the 1950s. I give myself some latitude in dates as I include both steam and first generation diesels. Passenger equipment includes some two-tone Fleet of Modernism paint scheme, but mostly tuscan cars. Freight equipment is mostly Circle-Keystone scheme, but there is some Shadow-Keystone. The freight equipment includes a prototypical mix of PRR and off-line roads. I am in the process of weathering most of the freight equipment (factory-air loving collectors turn away now!).

The layout consists of a double track mainline (yes, it should be four-track) and six staging tracks in the hidden rear half of the layout. The curved tracks at either end are also hidden to avoid viewing unprototypical sharp curves. The foreground tracks includes an interlocking plant, and pass through a town loosely modeled on Huntingdon, PA. I have scratch-built HUNT Tower. If I ever get around to rebuilding the layout, I will probably model Huntingdon more accurately including the tower, station, 4th Street grade crossing, and the Huntingdon & Broad Top interchange at the station.

Enjoy the photos and let me know your comments.