Show us your layout

[Jerrys HO]

Very nice work Les. Thanks for sharing those pics.
Looking through your photo's I noticed your battleship and sub, very nice work.

Jerry

[Desertdweller]

Thankyou, Jerry.

Model ships are a secondary hobby of mine.

The destroyer and the U-boat are in the same scale, 1/350.  That is a very common model ship scale.  Most of my ships are either 1/350 or 1/600.  The 1/600 ships are mostly from Airfix kits, but not entirely.

1/700 is a more common scale, but that is just too small for me.

Did you see the airplanes above the railroad?  They are 1/144 scale, only 10% larger than N scale.

"The sky is crowded, take the train."

Stapleton International Airport was located next to Commerce City.  It is now hotels and shopping malls.
The airplanes themselves are period-correct.

I'm glad you liked them.  After all the bloviating I've done about my model railroad, it's good to be able to show it really exists!

I'm now in the process of going through an operating "day", taking pictures of each train arrival and departure.  That is going to take awhile.

Les

[Jerrys HO]

Les

I must not be seeing your whole album, I went back and looked and did not see the planes. Try angling your camera a little more up.
My grandfather and dad were in the Navy and my grandfather built a bunch of Navy boats and your destroyer reminded me of one. I had tried to collect them after he passed but with him in California and me in Louisiana my cousins beat me to them and they have no idea what happened to them.
Really enjoyed touring your layout. If possible take a panoramic shot and post.


Jerry

[Desertdweller]

Thanks, Sid.

I planned the layout while I was working in Connecticut, and started it in 2007.  But the equipment I had been collecting since 1978.  I had a general idea of what I wanted to build, but had a hard time choosing what terminal I would model.  Kansas City and Omaha came in close seconds, but I wanted to include the Rio Grande.  Pueblo was also considered, but it would have meant leaving out most of the Burlington action and all the UP.

Denver meant giving up running most of my Milwaukee Road train equipment, but some finds its way to Denver in UP trains, including pool passenger power.

The large collection of older model locomotives influenced me to go with DC instead of DCC.  I think it was the right decision.

As it is set in the early 1960's, it hosts trains from seven railroads: CB&Q; C&S; UP; D&RGW; AT&SF; RI; and MP.  I fudged a little and included a Rio Grande train that was discontinued in 1959, the "Mountaineer".  I already had a set of custom-painted cars for it.

Jerry,

My ships (and planes) are on my Photobucket site, but in other abums.
I'll try to find and post the pictures you want.

Les 

[Desertdweller]

I may have to reshoot some plane photos, but here are a couple for now:




I don't want to get too far off-topic.

Les

[GG1onFordsDTandI]

E5 on Rice turntable.

Very pretty! Carbodies, the more they slope, the less I mope . 

Denver Police question notorious Chicago pimp LeRoy Brown.

Indians, and hippies!     (Is the cops name Jim?...I wouldn't mess around with him! ).

I may have to reshoot some plane photos, but here are a couple for now:

Whoa! Looks like an Air Traffic Controller strike! 

It all looks great. Thanks for showing it all off!

[M1FredQ]

Desertdweller

Nice Train room!

I like the idea of hanging the model airplanes up above.

Frank Sinatra did the same thing with his layout!!

Thanks for sharing!

[Desertdweller]

Thanks, Fred!

I didn't know Frank Sinatra was into this stuff.

I'll bet he had a nice outfit.

Les

[Brewman]

I watched a show that did a story on Frank's Lionel layout at his home in Palm Springs. The show indicated at the time the current property owner had left the layout intact, don't know if that is still the case. Nice layout you have

[Desertdweller]

Here are some pictures you guys have been requesting.

I'll start with overall views of the railroad room.






Here are some more airplanes:
US Coast Guard R5D (military version of DC4)


KC-97 "D-Cup" refueling tanker.



B-52H "Urban Renewal".


B-52H "Calamity Jane".



I'll post some more later.

Les

[Desertdweller]

Brewman,

Thanks.

I'll bet that layout was a honey!

Hope the new owner leaves it intact.  It has historical significance even if the new owner isn't into model trains.

Les

[rogertra]

Nice model railroad.

[Chessie1971]

Here is a video of my n scale layout. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQUhmN4vJX4&feature=share&list=UU6FlQJDXlHIayXVtC4L0xIg

[Desertdweller]

Chessie,

Backing up is the acid test!

Reminded me of my Bonanza Borax Railroad.  It used the same mainline layout.

Thanks for sharing that video.


Les

[Jerrys HO]

Chessie
How do you sleep with such a nice layout.
Very nice.

Jerry