“World Class Hi-Rail Layouts, Part 4” features truly impressive layouts by John Muller, Norm Charbonneau, and Charles Griffith. John Muller’s 40 x 35 layout features extensive trestles and bridges, and large classification yards. Gargraves track was combined with detailed scenery modeled after northernIllinois andWisconsin. John, however, does not consider the layout as ‘scale’. Traditional accessories have been incorporated for character and fun. The whole enterprise is backed by a collection of over 1,100 locomotives and six thousand pieces of rolling stock including virtually every Atlas O scale billboard reefer ever made.
The Misty Mountain Railroad of Charles Griffin is thought to be the largest in-home layout at over 3100 sq. ft. The detailed ‘slice-of–life’ scenery is evocative of the Georgia landscape with both real and imagined landmarks of architectural diversity ranging from the Georgia Statehouse to Tara of “Gone with the Wind” fame. Fourteen O gauge trains operate on over a mile of track traversing through 15 tunnels and over 16 bridges, the largest of which is probably the largest scratch-built model lift bridge in the world.
Bookended by the Muller and Misty Mountain empires is a return visit to check out the latest layout by Norm Charbonneau. Whereas most use their trains in box-stock form, Norm’s layout features meticulous weathering and detailing of scenery, structures, and trains to give a uniformly realistic and holistic overall effect. Norm models north central Pennsylvania and upstate New York during the late steam and early diesel period. This segment is now a valued historical record because Norm’s layout is now being dismantled and moved to a new home for which a much larger layout is planned.
All three hi-rail enthusiasts featured in Hi-Rail Part 4 started out with a toy train thoughtfully gifted to them in their youth. This nostalgic aspect of the hobby is joyously portrayed in TM’s “The Golden Age of Toy Trains 1945 - 1966”. Nowhere else will one find shown in sequential segments the various brands of American toy trains from the 1950’s and 60’s: Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, and Kusan/AMT. Postwar Lionel has its rugged substantial looks and Marx its litho tinplate charm. Gilbert 2-rail S gauge American Flyer knuckle coupler sets are shown gliding effortlessly across the screen with their scale-like proportions, sleek looks, and ever popular smoke and choo-choo. Operating accessories from all of the toy train brands abound. Commentary from several nostalgic kibitzers is fun, too. Relive those exciting days of yesteryear, or find out what all of the shouting was about. In HD and stereo.
Godspeed to those enduring Sandy’s wrath.
Bob
Some kind words were offered about 'Golden Age' while attending S-Fest in Waukesha, WI this past weekend.