# My former N scale layout - just for kicks



## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

The Valley Steam; 1950s New York Central.
Over all dimensions were about 9.5 ft by 30 ft. 95% of the track had been installed, with only the service area yard tracks remaining incomplete. Scenery on the doorway side was about 40% done. It went through a bedroom closet into an adjacent bedroom. The turnouts slated to be in the closet were moved to the staging area over the work bench. 99% kato track, with 1 atlas diamond & 1 piece of flex used. The curved tracks at the “forested loop” followed a bend in a river. The mainline there “disappeared” behind a hill, kind of like an open top tunnel. You couldn’t see the train from the main aisle until it reached the town at the corner, but from the doorway, peeking over abundant view-blocking trees, you could see it… in case of derailment.

Track plan page 1 & 2.

and a vintage filtered video


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## Mark C (Jul 11, 2020)

I love the vintage filter look. How long did you have the layout, and were you able to salvage a lot from it? I've just taken apart a 7 x 15 Kato layout and about to start over in a larger space


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

It was fully operational for about 4 or 5 years I’d say. It suffered in terms of switching. Continuous running wasn’t a problem. But trying to switch a furniture factor, slaughter house, and grain elevator were infuriating. I lost interest, stopped scenery work, and just ran long N scale trains on the main while weathering HO stuff for clients (mostly brick & mortar stores and Mike Chapmon’s former online business in TX)… and plotted the acquisition of a basement for HO or acreage for doing the OVR in G.
Essentially everything was salvaged, including the benchwork, overhead lighting, etc. I still have the lighting bus coiled up. The forested loop area was left intact but disconnected with a reciprocating saw. My dad wanted it. He also took the hill along the backdrop (which has a vertical back and is the “open top tunnel.”

Interesting side note though, my HO layout which preceded the above N… called The Michigan & Elsewhere, I ended up selling most of the structures on that at a local train show. A couple months ago I spotted 2 of them on a blog from some guy in Ontario, who bought them from a friend of his…. Probably the guy who bought them from me. I spotted a weathered N scale tanker that I weathered somewhere, I don’t think it was here though. Probably in some youtube vid. I always get a tickle when my work pops up unexpectedly online somewhere.


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## Raege (Jan 7, 2022)

Nice blast from the past. Must be cool seeing your work going on from one person to another. How many smiles and how many miles on them.


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## OilValleyRy (Oct 3, 2021)

Yeah. I keep my eyes peeled for a loco I did long ago for Brakie (infamous guy on multiple forums). No idea where it is today but I’d wager the club near Columbus/Bucyrus. It was a simple P2K SW900 but it had a distinctive scratch built spark arrestor on the exhaust; a 5 gallon “home depot orange” bucket.


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