Just read the article - Hidden 50 foot room with train layout included? How do I sign up for that lottery? That's like striking oil in the backyard for an O gauger! 
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Hi, I'm the author, the door is tucked away and I guess over looked. There is a bit more to the story but I could not get in contact with the original owner. LHS knew him, did not know the outfit that built it.
Hi Henry, (@necrails) I really enjoyed the story. Its a must read. Looks like a must read article. How old was the house? many homes built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, had bomb shelters built and would generally not be easily detected by casual visitors, for obvious reasons.
Glad the new owner, Denis, is embracing the hobby. Hopfully, by getting this article published, we can learn who the layout builder was.
Best, Dave
@necrails posted:Hi, I'm the author, the door is tucked away and I guess over looked. There is a bit more to the story but I could not get in contact with the original owner. LHS knew him, did not know the outfit that built it.
Great story…….and, mystery!
Peter
I wonder if the layout builder left a "signature" anywhere -- underneath, maybe? I also wonder if reaching out to layout builders in that geographic region, or some of the ones who work nation-wide might at least get the answer to "who built it?"
Time for a new TV/YouTube series -- "Unsolved Mysteries: The O Gauge Files" 
Andy
@DL Brunette posted:Hopfully, by getting this article published, we can learn who the layout builder was.Best, Dave
That is a distinct possibility. At least worth a shot. Definitely was/is an "out-of-the usual" type of article, and I hope our readers enjoy it.
If the hidden room was a fallout shelter, the original owner had his priorities in order. We only had spare batteries and military rations. Very cool story.
I hope that means the most recent issue of OGR will be delivered soon, as I have no idea what you all are talking about!
@DL Brunette posted:Hi Henry, (@necrails) I really enjoyed the story. Its a must read. Looks like a must read article. How old was the house? many homes built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, had bomb shelters built and would generally not be easily detected by casual visitors, for obvious reasons.
Glad the new owner, Denis, is embracing the hobby. Hopfully, by getting this article published, we can learn who the layout builder was.
Best, Dave
Dave
The house was built in 1997. Very nicely done with a big pool and a huge koi pond. The original owner spared no expense. I cannot in good conscience disclose the owners name since I was unable to make contact for permission. If was a fun find, i get to run some stuff that never sees track time on my layout and with the help and guidance from ORG got to publish something. That never happened during my professional career.
How huge is that house for the new owner to NOT NOTICE that the basement was missing a 32x50 foot chunk?
Amazing article! As someone who recently purchased a new home with finished walk-out lower level plus a door to a crawl space, I cannot fathom how you could miss this. Actually, I don't understand how an inspector would have missed it! I would have opened that door and thought it was the gates to paradise. It does have me wondering how many model rr homeowners try to sell their home with the layout intact and IF they have success.
Mikki
Excellent article Henry and Allan!!! Thank you very much for writing and printing the story!
When we moved back to Western Pennsylvania from West Virginia in 1996, one of the houses we looked at had a hidden, basement room. The owners had it open so house hunters could easily find it. Ironically, I knew the family growing up, but had never been in the house before. There was a doorway in the basement that led to a short underground hallway to an extra underground room; certainly not 50 feet long, but quite sizable. Bomb shelter? Could have been.
Henry,
Very nice article. Something that you don't usually hear of. I'm excited that we have an addition to our model railroad community. Who cares if it's by default. Also, you now have made a new friend and have a place to run long trains. If that's not the ideal situation I don't know what is. Have fun and enjoy. Keep us posted on how things progress as the new owner makes his stamp on the layout.
Dave
Great article Henry. Thanks for sharing your adventures and to the new owner for allowing you to share the story.
I can actually relate with a similar experience.
Back when I was a contractor, I was asked by a GC I did work for to come a look at a house on the north shore of Long Island that he had won the bid to renovate. The house was a large 4 bedroom contemporary on a beautiful lot with panoramic views of Long Island sound from the Throgs Neck Bridge to the horizon to the east. The new owner was a big time banker and this was going to be their weekend/ summer home (yea, you read that right).
Anyway- I'm touring the house with the GC and we made our way to the basement to look at the electrical service. No work was planned in the basement but I was wandering around and opened what I thought was a closet door.
Needless to say what I found was similar to what you describe in the article. A large bonus room, a couple steps down from the basement level with about a 20x30 multi level O gauge layout! No trains but the layout was in tact otherwise. Once I started the job I would spend a little time drooling over it and starting to figure out the track plan and control system just as you did.
Unlike your new friend, they did know about the layout when they bought the house. They had a couple young kids and thought it would be fun to keep.
The layout was all O tubular with 022 switches, block control and 2 ZW's for power. There were to large panels under the table with rows of electro-mechanical relays that would allow for semi-automatic control of the layout. I figured out eventually that 4 trains could run simultaneously on 4 lines, or trains could run on the same line and the signals and block controls would move them along from block to block without crashing into each other.
I did get to know the homeowner and he was planning to get the layout restored and modernized. He did bring some trains eventually and I helped him get the basics of the operations. I finished the job but didn't keep in touch with the owner.
Fond memories for sure but no photos. In the days before cellphones with cameras it just wasn't something I thought to take pictures of.
Bob
Agree, good article
I just renewed my subscription so I can see this story. Thanks for posting about it.
Great article. Kinda sad that the original owner didn't share it with more people. Gotta wonder how many more "unknown" layouts are out there.
Is anyone else puzzled as to why the interest in the former owner's name??
As with many hobbies there are 'lone wolves'. They choose to go it alone for various reasons, all of which are valid, and very personal. Their participation in the hobby may not be as 'grand' as found in this story, but it was one man/woman's (couple's?) private haven of fun...apparently.
In assisting local residents (mostly widows/heirs) in the dismantling of layouts...big and small...during my years at the LHS, the stories are somewhat the same...a source of relaxation, reminiscing, solitary 'escape', ...very private, known only to immediate family, maybe fear of embarrassment, ertc., etc.. I might be shown a photo of the deceased. You'd think in the 20+ years behind the counter I'd recognize the hobbyist. But, no. Even the name was a mystery...as per pre-orders, repair requests, bull sessions...
I think the story has plenty of intrigue and admiration without delving into identities, But, hey, that's just one guy's opinion.
Reminds me of a couple tear-downs that we did where the real estate agent selling the property was literally adamant and relentless in demanding the elimination of the layout be a priority before they would even have a first open house. Sad to think that might have alternatively happened in this story's situation. Talk about a lost invitation to a remaining lifetime of pleasure!
Really enjoyed reading about the discovery!
KD
@Mallard4468 posted:Gotta wonder how many more "unknown" layouts are out there.
Believe me, there are a good many. I know about some of them via information provided over the years by reliable sources, but in some/most cases the layout owners prefer to remain anonymous and are not interested in any publicity for one reason or another. That's perfectly fine, but I truly do enjoy leads provided by our readers--YOU, if you're reading this--who steer me to previously unknown layouts that will appeal to our readers. All I need is the owner's name and contact info (a sample photo or two is also helpful), and I will contact him or her to get the ball rolling.
I also use various social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and others to provide me with leads to good layout and how-to-do-it features for the magazine. I prefer original material, of course, meaning that the article has not been published elsewhere, including online, but even those authors often have new approaches and projects in mind that they are happy to submit to the magazine. They also earn some $ for their efforts, which is something they don't get by posting online.
Sharing the hobby with others is vital to the continued growth of our great hobby, and I am always grateful to every individual who is willing to put forth the effort to share knowledge and experience via our print and digital pages.
When was this issue mailed out?
