Thanks again guys!
Dave....I started construction late 2008. I am in the scenery and lighting stage now. The layout is above my garage approximately 1500 total square feet when one includes the different levels including the aisles.
Here is a peek at the subway under the main part of downtown....
Update on the OGR Fishing Trip and Layout Tour.
As Alan notes above; I have been tasked with organizing the fishing part of this soirée. After discussion at our club meeting last night; it appears there is definite interest in putting together a fishing trip and layout tour in north central Arkansas and south central Missouri to occur sometime in spring (after York) or early summer 2019.
Under consideration would be a weekend program that includes a full day trout fishing float trip on the White River out of Cotter, AR (about 20 minutes west of Alan's home in Mountain Home, AR) and a full day of layout tours. The exact juxtaposition of fishing and layout tour will depend on which weekend day works best for our layout hosts. Mountain Home has a good selection of hotels and restaurants so no one will have to pitch a tent on Alan's front lawn or starve.
Although prices may adjust in 2019; I can tell you that the approximate cost of the fishing would be $275/per boat with two fisherman per boat. This figure would cover the guide, boat, bait and all necessary tackle. For an additional $22.50 per person; the guides will prepare a hot shore lunch during our noon meal break.
If a trip of this nature would be of interest to you - and again, this would take place in late spring / early summer 2019 - please send an e-mail to me at the address shown in my Forum profile.
Thanks,
Curt
I'm in.....!!!!!
Curt, Great job on organizing this.
No, I won't be able to participate, but my dad would have loved it! He still fished, drove, mowed his grass with a walk behind mower up until he was 86. Now, both he and Mom are in a personal care home. Though not a model railroader, he would have been glad to see Alan's layout and other layouts as well! He never helped me with my layout as a kid, but he taught me how to use tools and encouraged me. I was able to build one from scraps he had in his shop when I was 12. I hope a nice group is able to take advantage of this outing!!
I just had to look at this layout one more time. It is amazing.
Sincerely, John Rowlen
juniata guy posted:Update on the OGR Fishing Trip and Layout Tour.
As Alan notes above; I have been tasked with organizing the fishing part of this soirée. After discussion at our club meeting last night; it appears there is definite interest in putting together a fishing trip and layout tour in north central Arkansas and south central Missouri to occur sometime in spring (after York) or early summer 2019.
Under consideration would be a weekend program that includes a full day trout fishing float trip on the White River out of Cotter, AR (about 20 minutes west of Alan's home in Mountain Home, AR) and a full day of layout tours. The exact juxtaposition of fishing and layout tour will depend on which weekend day works best for our layout hosts. Mountain Home has a good selection of hotels and restaurants so no one will have to pitch a tent on Alan's front lawn or starve.
Although prices may adjust in 2019; I can tell you that the approximate cost of the fishing would be $275/per boat with two fisherman per boat. This figure would cover the guide, boat, bait and all necessary tackle. For an additional $22.50 per person; the guides will prepare a hot shore lunch during our noon meal break.
If a trip of this nature would be of interest to you - and again, this would take place in late spring / early summer 2019 - please send an e-mail to me at the address shown in my Forum profile.
Thanks,
Curt
Curt...just checking to see if there are any updates...we are fast approaching time to make plans, reservations, etc.....hope this happens as I am looking forward to it!
Alan
I am working on a stream on my layout. When you guys go fishing, can I get you fishermen in O Gauge for my layout?
LOL, Arnold
PS: Hope you all have a great time.
I didn’t see the resurrection of this thread but; Alan emailed me requesting an update.
We are looking at several weekend dates in early May and early June at the moment. Once it is confirmed Alan and Roger are available on those dates; arrangements will be made with a guided fishing service in the area for the trout fishing float trip on the White River.
I’ll post another update once all plans have been finalized.
Curt
Great layout
WOW WOW WOW....incredible incredible incredible....would love to visit this layout!
I am awe-struck! I wonder now about my simple circles of track, the time to build what I have, and then, Alan's magnificent layout. If I had started a layout like his when I was a teenager, I still wouldn't been able to achieve something like this. Kudos Alan, I am not envious, because I know my limitations.
Ok, did the OGR fishing trip and layout tour occur?
It's always been one of the best ever.
John
@shredmandan posted:WOW WOW WOW....incredible incredible incredible....would love to visit this layout!
Dan...you are welcome to visit! In fact, we recently had some folks visit that live in your part of the country.
@Mark V. Spadaro posted:Ok, did the OGR fishing trip and layout tour occur?
Absolutely and in fact there have been two such trips. Fish were caught and trains ran too!
Since this thread was started, there have been quite a few changes on the layout along with more areas finished. I know I need to post some pictures but my Editor sometimes gets on to me to save the pictures for the magazine!
@Mark V. Spadaro posted:Ok, did the OGR fishing trip and layout tour occur?
Mark; absolutely and, as Alan notes there have actually been two fishing and trains trips that have occurred.
The first trip was in May 2019 and in addition to a productive day’s trout fishing on the White River, our group enjoyed visiting Alan’s beautiful home and layout in Mountain Home along with the layouts of Roger Wasson and Jerry Murray in Springfield, MO.
In late April of this year a second fishing/trains trip took place with another visit to see Alan and Lakeeta along with what was the best day of fishing I’ve had on the White River in 30 years of trout fishing trips to Arkansas!
If you can get to north central Arkansas, you must make arrangements with Alan to see his layout. Alan and Lakeeta are wonderful hosts and I guarantee you will not be disappointed!
And if you like to fish, you’d be hard pressed to find a better part of the country in which to enjoy this sport whether your preference is trout or largemouth bass.
Curt
It’s beautiful Mr Arnold ! ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks, Alan and Curt. Sounds like a lot of good times. Hard to beat pan fried trout, too!
@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:Absolutely and in fact there have been two such trips. Fish were caught and trains ran too!
Alan, wasn't the fishing highlighted on a topic about the trip and trains? I seem to remember it but don't remember what the topic was called.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Alan, wasn't the fishing highlighted on a topic about the trip and trains? I seem to remember it but don't remember what the topic was called.
Don would be better at remembering that!! Seems to me you are correct but I slept since last night...LOL!
@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:Thanks again guys!
Here is a peek at the subway under the main part of downtown....
I just saw this thread and am quite impressed with the scenes. What is the source of that excellent arch bridge? It kind of reminds me of a road bridge that I saw from I-95 in NYC.
Note: I have seen some random shots in OGR before.
@Dave NYC Hudson PRR K4 posted:Alan, wasn't the fishing highlighted on a topic about the trip and trains? I seem to remember it but don't remember what the topic was called.
Dave; there was. I’ve pasted in the link to the layout tour and fishing trip post below.
Curt
I’m late to this wonderful thread but will review the video soon, and I am honored to know Alan and the great OGR Staff. I’ll watch this great video this weekend. Thank you very much. Happy Railroading Everyone
I must have posted back when this thread first appeared, since it came up on my email again. I looked back at the photographs of Alan's great layout!
My dad tried to make a trout fisherman out of me, but it didn't take. 
When we sold the house, I kept a select number of Dad's fly rods, reels, and his handmade flies. I gave the rest to my brother-in-law who shared them with his friend. Maybe I should take it up again since I am now retired. The last year I had a license was 1980; it was in the license holder on my vest. My in-laws lived in Fort Smith the last 10 years he worked, and we used to visit once a year. The closest we got to north central Arkansas was Eureka Springs. Maybe we need to make a trip out that way again someday.
@PRRMP54 posted:I just saw this thread and am quite impressed with the scenes. What is the source of that excellent arch bridge? It kind of reminds me of a road bridge that I saw from I-95 in NYC.
Note: I have seen some random shots in OGR before.
Dave....that bridge structure was made by East Coast Enterprises....one of our sponsors and advertisers.
@Mark Boyce posted:I must have posted back when this thread first appeared, since it came up on my email again. I looked back at the photographs of Alan's great layout!
My dad tried to make a trout fisherman out of me, but it didn't take.
Mark....you all are welcome to come see the layout. Just let me know if/when you decide!
@juniata guy posted:Dave; there was. I’ve pasted in the link to the layout tour and fishing trip post below.
Curt
Yup, I do recall seeing it back in 2019, just commented back there(and edited my comment, silly me).
Alan is truly a humble person. What he does not discuss is that prior to his career in advertising and ultimately a magazine editor is his skills in architectural design. He was friends with one of my architectural heros in Faye Jones who was one of less than a dozen Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture students who went on to truly create architectural landmarks that touch the soul. I credit Faye Jones with the reason why I stayed in architecture school after hearing him lecture at my college in 1988.
Alan's layout, while I have not yet had the privilege of seeing it in person, is the kind of layout that inspires the younger generation of architect / model railroaders such as myself.
One day, and hopefully not in the too distant future, I hope to see Alan's layout in person.
@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:Mark....you all are welcome to come see the layout. Just let me know if/when you decide!
Very much appreciated, Alan!
@GG1 4877 Jonathan, I would have liked taking up architecture, but jobs paid well with a two-year electronics degree, so I chose that. Later on, I got my Bachelors on the company's dime. Sometimes, I wonder what could have been. Now retired, I realize, "What does it matter?"
Alan
We have about 100 people coming to see the layout tomorrow Will you supply lunch We will bring the beer
@GG1 4877 posted:Alan is truly a humble person. I certainly look forward to a visit from you! What he does not discuss is that prior to his career in advertising and ultimately a magazine editor is his skills in architectural design. He was friends with one of my architectural heros in Faye Jones who was one of less than a dozen Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture students who went on to truly create architectural landmarks that touch the soul. I credit Faye Jones with the reason why I stayed in architecture school after hearing him lecture at my college in 1988.
Alan's layout, while I have not yet had the privilege of seeing it in person, is the kind of layout that inspires the younger generation of architect / model railroaders such as myself.
One day, and hopefully not in the too distant future, I hope to see Alan's layout in person.
Thanks my friend! Faye Jones was the kind of person that, unlike Frank Lloyd Wright, didn't want to be in the "limelight". I remember one time when my wife and I were ready to build a house on a local mountain top that had a magnificent view from which you could see the lights of a city 50 miles away. I wanted Faye to design it so I gave him a call. During the call I expressed how much I would be honored to have him as my Architect. Faye seemed puzzled by this and his response to me was: "Why Alan, you are an Architect and are completely capable of designing a wonderful home ... why would you not want to be the creator of your own living space?" He truly could not understand why I wanted him as my Architect over myself! Anyone that has seen what came from his brilliant mind would understand but Faye never overrated himself. He was a fine man and is one reason why to this day I enjoy the details and architecture that our hobby allows us to express. By the way, check out Thorn Crown Chapel which is a fine example of Faye Jones' work.
@PRRMP54 posted:I just saw this thread and am quite impressed with the scenes. What is the source of that excellent arch bridge? It kind of reminds me of a road bridge that I saw from I-95 in NYC.
Note: I have seen some random shots in OGR before.
You may be thinking of the Alexander Hamilton Bridge over the Harlem River.
I'll add to the chorus regarding Alan's beautiful layout.
And I'm up for some fly fishing anytime.....
Bob
@bluelinec4 posted:Alan
We have about 100 people coming to see the layout tomorrow Will you supply lunch We will bring the beer
You don't know how much I wish that were true my friend!! You bring em and I will feed them!!
@bluelinec4 posted:Alan
We have about 100 people coming to see the layout tomorrow Will you supply lunch We will bring the beer
You have to RSVP and pay for lodging accomodations. I'm sure one of the hotels on Alan's layout will fit you all nicely.
@OGR CEO-PUBLISHER posted:You don't know how much I wish that were true my friend!! You bring em and I will feed them!!
That would work, right Alan? You have something similar to the Hotel Ritz, right?
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
