# Hello -



## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

I've followed this forum on and off for the last year but posted on others. I thought I might spend a bit more time here now and post occasionally. I've been into O-Gauge since 1953 and now have a medium size layout I've been working on for the last nine years.


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Hello! And welcome to the mild insanity.

That looks a lot more impressive than what I'd call a "medium size layout." Looks pretty cool! Hope you post a few more pictures from other angles.


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

Looking very nice, :thumbsup::thumbsup: would hate to see what you consider a large layout. 

More pics for sure. 

Magic


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## rrbill (Mar 11, 2012)

Looks like a largely completed multi-level empire plus locomotive museum starts to describe your project. Very nice.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

WOW............:smilie_daumenpos:
Complete with a highway, RT66?:thumbsup:
The lake looks like real water, do the boats run around too? :thumbsup:
I see the Blue Comet gathering dust up high?
Do show more, the layout must have took years to construct?:smilie_daumenpos:

If you want to insert the pictures instead of having a link here,
(I copied and pasted from another post.)
It is up to you.

Click edit,
Then click advanced edit,
Go back to the paper clip (up top by the white smiley face) and click on it,
Then click on the insert all, (or if you only have one picture click on the link.)

Your picture will then show up as a picture instead of links in the thread.
It makes it easier for all to take a look.

And you only have 24 or maybe 48 hours to edit. I forget what they made it.
After you upload pictures just go back to the paper clip a second time and click insert all.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Thank you for your interest. Here are some more photos of the layout. I've spent nine years on it so far. In truth, it is as much an excuse for doing challenging projects as it is about the layout itself, but I love just running trains and always have them chugging around, even when I am in my workshop doing a project or other.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

The boats do move. :thumbsup:
Love to see a video of that.

A video would be nice to see everything in action.

You "converted" the highway vehicles?
What does that involve?

I never had EZstreets/superstreets.


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## Cycleops (Dec 6, 2014)

Wow, that's some layout. Wish I had that kind of space....and money too!


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

Very impressive. I love the way everything is integrated.


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Lee is a master of understatement. 

Lee has a number of books on Streets and general modeling on Amazon. He does some interesting stuff with those, and custom builds many of his vehicles. 

Streets for O-Gauge Model Railroads, by Lee Willis


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## DonR (Oct 18, 2012)

Totally AWESOME.

Here is a genuine train man. Not just the fantastic layout, but
look at the walls covered by more trains.

You should set this up somewhere that the public could see it.
You have a layout they would marvel over.

We are sure glad you came over to our Forum. You obviously
the the experience that many of our members will want
to take advantage of.

Don


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

great trainroom and layout:smilie_daumenpos:


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## eljefe (Jun 11, 2011)

Well I'm glad I asked for more pictures--that is quite an impressive piece of work! The boat and cars must be something to behold.


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## fcwilt (Sep 27, 2013)

Very nice!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

W ..

O ...

W ....

! ! ! !


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## sjm9911 (Dec 20, 2012)

Welcome to the board Lee! Ive read some of your stuff on other boards but never truly had the chance to see the marvel that you created. It is breathtaking! Good to have you aboard.


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## Patstrains (Jun 13, 2015)

Hey, Lee
Your layout is beautiful! I will have to learn how to use this forum.
Thanks
Pat


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## Guest (Jun 16, 2015)

Having known Lee's work for some time on another Forum, regulars here will really enjoy his projects and insight into our hobby.

Great guy to have on your side!


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## emd Bill (Feb 4, 2014)

*Lee Willis "Guidebook to Operable Model Roadways"*

Lee, I wish you would share your latest published works
to the members of this fine blog for model railroaders.:appl:
Lee's book: "Streets for O-Gauge Model Railroads: A Guide to Operable Model Roadways on O-Gauge Toy Train Layouts" is an outstanding reference guide for anyone considering a model roadway on their layout.
Lee's book is a guidebook to buying, planning and setting up operable model roadways for O gauge". It is available at Amazon, don't miss it.
Lee, would you please post a video of your awesome home layout highlighting your Model roadways for the benefit of the members here at the Model Train Forum.
emd Bill


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

I have the first two Streets books, someone mentioned a third one, I didn't see that.

However Lee, I have to admonish you on your Amazon page, no photo!


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## josef (Jun 20, 2015)

Been months since I been here. But worth coming back and reading Lee's Posts. Until yesterday, I had no idea were he went to. Feels like coming home when I seen Lee's post's.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

josef said:


> Been months since I been here. But worth coming back and reading Lee's Posts. Until yesterday, I had no idea were he went to. Feels like coming home when I seen Lee's post's.


Thank you, I will be here a lot, and only on this forum.


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## Patrick1544 (Apr 27, 2013)

Great layout and photos, Lee!


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## vallieone (Dec 23, 2009)

Welcome Lee!!!!!


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## ilovebridges (Dec 2, 2014)

Hi Lee, Tim W here, the guy from that other forum that specializes in building stone arch bridges. Just wanted to say hi. I knew about this forum for awhile, but was never very active in it due to time constraints.

It does seem a lot free (er) here, that is for sure.

Hi, to the others that I see are on here as well, that I recognize.


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## Guest (Jun 27, 2015)

Hey Lee, great to see you and pictures of your layout again!


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

josef said:


> Been months since I been here. But worth coming back and reading Lee's Posts. Until yesterday, I had no idea were he went to. Feels like coming home when I seen Lee's post's.


Are you the same "Josef" from the OGRE forum run by Adolf Arnold and Rich Mussolini?
Welcome either way!


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## Chugman (Jun 17, 2015)

chipset35 said:


> Are you the same "Josef" from the OGRE forum run by Adolf Arnold and Rich Mussolini?
> Welcome either way!


Chipset - If you insist on this name calling, this forum will be no better than the one that you left. Why do you want to keep it going and drag down this forum?

Art


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## MOVL (Aug 23, 2015)

Chugman said:


> Chipset - If you insist on this name calling, this forum will be no better than the one that you left. Why do you want to keep it going and drag down this forum?
> 
> Art


Agreed. At some point you have to let it go. Just enjoy posting here and talking trains.
Potential new members are going to be reluctant to join in, if they constantly see OGR bashing...especially when it has nothing to do with a current thread.


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## bruette (Feb 13, 2013)

Hey Lee!

I saw your layout in CTT. You have a fantastic layout, an abundance of talent and best of all you are a humble man who is always willing to help others! 

I remember you from the other forum I was very happy to see you here. You are one of the reasons I will be on here more often now.

Happy Halloween!


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

Great to hear from you Bruette. This is a great forum. I've been here for five months now and love it!


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

Yes, much better than the OGRE site and as you can see many of us have moved here to MTF with more coming over each day!


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

Guys, it's really not constructive to keep disparaging other forums. They have their way of running things, and we have ours. The whole point of freedom is you have freedom to choose where you spend your time, right?


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## DMASSO (Jul 25, 2015)

gunrunnerjohn said:


> Guys, it's really not constructive to keep disparaging other forums. They have their way of running things, and we have ours. The whole point of freedom is you have freedom to choose where you spend your time, right?


Thank you for that important point.


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## Bill Webb (Sep 14, 2015)

Thank you John. The bashing needs to stop; it is not being done over there and is not positive or necessary here. The differences in each are evident.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

While I was disgusted with the OGR forum, magazine, and business practices by the time I left the forum and stopped being an advertiser, I've made a point to show no rancor toward anyone at OGR, simply because I don't think that does anyone any good, most of all me. But I have no respect for the people running it, having dealt directly with them and watched their decision-making process over several years. The word that comes to mind is bizarre - but its not my problem. I'd rather focus on the good here rather than the bad at a site I plan to never have anything to do with again. 

Still, I'm not going to stop anyone who wants to vent. You get treated kind of shabbily, and I think you earned a right to a certain amount of that: at least enough to get it out of your system.


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

I just refuse to give them any publicity, hence "OGRE".
Plus Brian thinks its funny and appropriate!
Also Alan and Rich read these forums and/or have their cronies report back to them.
We would not want them to think their Nazi form of censorship has an effect on this forum thru their proxies and their fake accounts.


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## L0stS0ul (Feb 6, 2015)

I've belonged to many forums over the years and almost all of them have had policies against discussing or linking to other forums on the same topic. It's great that new members are coming online here but this forum category is for discussing 0 gauge trains. Union Station would be better suited to discussions about OGRE IMO.


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## Lee Willis (Jan 1, 2014)

L0stS0ul said:


> . . . almost all of them have had policies against discussing or linking to other forums on the same topic. .


That has been my experience on many other forums, and I find the attitude here refreshing. Its not like every member isn't aware of all the other forums, so why pretend? 

When I was into 'vettes I moderated one of the 'vette forums where the owners said you couldn't mention one of the others on any. . I knew about all of the forums as did all the members, but since the owners had that policy of "no one else exists" I went along with it. That always struck me as sort of pretentious and phony-just silly. If the members know, might as well admit it and permit it.


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## chipset35 (Sep 4, 2015)

Lee Willis said:


> That has been my experience on many other forums, and I find the attitude here refreshing. Its not like every member isn't aware of all the other forums, so why pretend?
> 
> When I was into 'vettes I moderated one of the 'vette forums where the owners said you couldn't mention one of the others on any. . I knew about all of the forums as did all the members, but since the owners had that policy of "no one else exists" I went along with it. That always struck me as sort of pretentious and phony-just silly. If the members know, might as well admit it and permit it.


Could not have said it better myself Lee!


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