John Shankland Layout

Boy a blast from the past. A few years ago we started going to Florida for a winter break. I thought of that layout and looked for some info. on it to see if it was anywhere near where we were staying. I couldn’t find any info. . The layout I believe featured Proto 1 engines with an elaborate computer setup that switched powered blocks automatically. With the arrival of DCS before completion I wonder if it just got bogged down. It was kind of obsolete control wise before it was finished.

There was another layout that was near our friends that we visited. North of Tampa. It was being built in a Quonset hut. Visible from the road and being built in stages. Then being reassembled in a future permanent location. High end with all craftsman like structures. I believe it was called the Fowler Dream Layout. My friend sent me a link to a local TV news station that did a feature on it. You can Google it but looks like the page never changes.

John Shankland was one of the people who implemented Dr. Bruce Chubb's Computer/Model Railroad Interface (C/MRI) on his layout.  (One of the very few among 3-rail O scalers, I believe.)   He did some innovative work with C/MRI and was very helpful to other members of the group.  His last post to the group was in November of 2006.  Although the details are foggy in my memory, I recall that he ran into a problem using TMCC with C/MRI.  IIRC, when he turned on the TMCC signal (connected the base to the track), it caused glitches in the functioning of the C/MRI (which worked perfectly until he also tried to use TMCC).  I may be wrong, but something is knocking around in my memory that he got discouraged from the incompatibility problems and not being able to find a workable solution.

The info. I gathered from an internet search is that John moved to Melbourne, FL. Most of the pictures appear to be of his original Chicago layout - and the track plan is much larger than what was shown in the TM video; there's also photos I didn't recognize from the video.

I heard of the Bruce Chubb's model rr interface, maybe it was from the video. The internet photos show some of the circuitry - very complicated looking, yet from what I learned from the video the system was state of the art. As I think about the advantages of such a system, perhaps an operator can power a train more realistically, though I would think any speed control system would need to be deactivated.

Wow, Paul……..thank you for making my brain re-insert a 5.25” floppy…….that was a great layout and I will get it out this weekend to look at it again!

Peter

Digital Subscriber's can see OGR's coverage of John's layout (before he moved). It was the cover feature on OGR Run 227 (Feb./March 2008), photographed by Jim Barrett.

@Paul Kallus posted:

The info. I gathered from an internet search is that John moved to Melbourne, FL. Most of the pictures appear to be of his original Chicago layout - and the track plan is much larger than what was shown in the TM video; there's also photos I didn't recognize from the video.

I heard of the Bruce Chubb's model rr interface, maybe it was from the video. The internet photos show some of the circuitry - very complicated looking, yet from what I learned from the video the system was state of the art. As I think about the advantages of such a system, perhaps an operator can power a train more realistically, though I would think any speed control system would need to be deactivated.

C/MRI is primarily used for dispatching and signaling. allowing a model railroad to use CTC (centralized traffic control) that faithfully replicates prototype CTC to operate a railroad.  That said, it could be used for related functions such as progressive cab control where the program automatically connects and disconnects blocks as the train proceeds along its route.  C/MRI greatly simplifies wiring since  modules can be placed close to the track or control panel as needed and everything is tied together with a four-wire shielded cable.  In other words, no need to run wires from detection devices, switches, and signals back to the control panel.  Everything is connected to the local module and the modules are tied together with the four-wire shielded cable.

Dr. Chubb is still active and helping with the group but the business end of C/MRI (JLC Enterprises) is now being very capably handled by Scott Schrader who is continuing to update, upgrade, expand and modernize the system.  Two recent examples: he has put the manuals online for free download with real-time updates and additions, and he has brought out an improved grade crossing control card with expanded options for sounds both in sound files available and how they work in conjunction with the gates and signals.

C/MRI is widely used with DCC as the locomotive control system, so it seems using TMCC and DCS with it should be possible.   

When John moved to Florida, he bought a commercial building, about 7500 sq ft.  He leased half of it to a business and built his new layout in the other half.  Benchwork and track was installed, and he could run trains in conventional mode.  He wanted to install the signal system and run the trains using TMCC.  The building has a very high (25 feet or so) ceiling, and TMCC reception was not great.  He was strongly opposed to solutions like installing "telephone" wires that would carry earth ground and help the TMCC.  Plus, as stated above, he was having trouble with the signal system.  Needless to day, this was EXTREMELY disappointing.

He gradually lost interest in the new layout, and took up a new hobby of offroad Jeep adventures.  Every year, he tows a Jeep behind his motor home out to Utah or some such place and drives in offroad rallies.  He had a concrete parking slab installed outside the building in Florida, including electric, water and sewer connections for the motor home.  He spends the winters there.  I last saw John about four years ago when he stopped here on his way to Florida in October.

Thanks for informing Bob.

A shame John lost interest in the hobby, but it is understandable.

He had a great wealth of knowledge about railroad operations that he absorbed through a lot of researching and learning, and it showed in his Chicago layout in spades.

Bob, roger on the update, I appreciate it.

FWIW:; there are pictures of John's Floridian layout under construction via a simple internet search -  it seemed massive in scope with a lot of work put into it. In a way, I can relate to giving up such a project due to complications when there's more enjoyable activities; heck even in Pennsylvania it's sometimes depressing going downstairs, notwithstanding a nice, finished atmosphere, to get something done...when that sun is shining outside it's calling me .

@Bob posted:

When John moved to Florida, he bought a commercial building, about 7500 sq ft.  He leased half of it to a business and built his new layout in the other half.  Benchwork and track was installed, and he could run trains in conventional mode.  He wanted to install the signal system and run the trains using TMCC.  The building has a very high (25 feet or so) ceiling, and TMCC reception was not great.  He was strongly opposed to solutions like installing "telephone" wires that would carry earth ground and help the TMCC.  Plus, as stated above, he was having trouble with the signal system.  Needless to day, this was EXTREMELY disappointing.

He gradually lost interest in the new layout, and took up a new hobby of offroad Jeep adventures.  Every year, he tows a Jeep behind his motor home out to Utah or some such place and drives in offroad rallies.  He had a concrete parking slab installed outside the building in Florida, including electric, water and sewer connections for the motor home.  He spends the winters there.  I last saw John about four years ago when he stopped here on his way to Florida in October.

Did he dismantle the Florida layout, and has he left the hobby entirely?

As part of digging into this, I stumbled upon https://www.hirailers.org/.  Looks like a neat website, but appears to be no activity for a long time.  Is anyone on it still active?

I'm not sure if the layout is still there or not.  John did tell me during our visit 4 years ago that he was "done with trains."

I'm amazed that the dormant hirailers' website is still up.  Almost everyone mentioned on the site (other than Neal Schorr and me) has passed away.  It was a great group in the mid-90's to mid-00's decade.

@Mallard4468 posted:

As part of digging into this, I stumbled upon https://www.hirailers.org/.  Looks like a neat website, but appears to be no activity for a long time.  Is anyone on it still active?

…..and, if I remember correctly, there was a newsletter called the “HiRailers Buzz”……..

Peter

@Bob posted:

Almost everyone mentioned on the site (other than Neal Schorr and me) has passed away.  It was a great group in the mid-90's to mid-00's decade.

And both of you guys better **** well plan on being around and active for a good long time to come!

Bob, I see Larry Lajambe and Herb Lindsay's name on the now many decade old hirailers website, are they still around (hopefully) or did they part with the hirailers.org? I used to correspond with Larry long ago as we became long-distant friends - his artistic skills were top notch.

Re: Herb's layout, I recall reading his articles in the 90s and his layout may have been one of the first hi-rail layouts. I have a DVD by someone...may have been Tracks Ahead that featured it. He was certainly a ground-breaker in realistic 3-rail.

Paul, I believe Herb Lindsey passed away a few years ago in the Greenville,S.C. area.

Brad

Paul, couldn’t agree more on Herb Lindsay. After seeing his layout focusing on modeling just 2 roads with realistic scenery. I knew that was the direction I wanted to go.

@Allan Miller posted:

And both of you guys better **** well plan on being around and active for a good long time to come!

As well as a certain magazine editor...