The Top Ten Wonders of the O-Gauge World

My additions:

Roadside America

B&O Railroad Museum Holiday Festival of Trains

Steamtown

The NYC walking train and toy tour

The Miniature Railroad & Village at the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA (especially during their annual Locomotion Weekend events in December).

PatrickH's layout (see his layout thread over on the layout building section of the forum or the recent thread about his video here on this section).

The Lionel Service Center open house events.

OGR World Headquarters. 

Andy

>The National Toy Train Museum

>The place in Frankfurt? Germany that has the huge building with trains

>Alex Mallaie's layout (sorry Alex if I butchered your name again)

>Any Christmas tree layout with a couple of little (or big) kids gathered around

If we are talking about true wonders, then meeting Mike Reagan must be included, for he truly must be one of the 10 great wonders of the 0-gauge world. 

I'd add meeting Richard Kughn and Neil Young as well to that

I believe the RR museum of Long Island has the former Lionel Showroom display from Mt. Clemens.

And while maybe not one of the top 10, my Christmas display at the Redford Theater here in Detroit is quite popular in this area.  This coming Christmas will be my 3rd year doing the display and we've been trying to make it better every year.  Kids of all ages crowd in front of the Orchestra pit to see the action.  The Theater itself is part of the fun though.

My top three:

1. Frank 53's Layout.

2. NJHR Layout.

Too late now, but...

3. Norm Charbonneau's layout.

Pete

Scott,

What a great thread,

Well for me I've seen number 1,2,8. but I still would love to see 3,4,5,6.

Also would like to see, Patrick H , Alex Ingeniro, Alan Leaving tracks, Marty Fitzhenry,Jim Policastro, Don Klose, Rich 883, Chugman, Steve Corsair, and so many more forum member's layout's

Alex

#1 Misty Mountain Railroad

Norm will be building a new one shortly.  And I'd put that on my short list!

">The place in Frankfurt? Germany that has the huge building with trains"

That would be in Hamburg, Germany. That's not O but still worth seeing.

Also the PAL layout in Rochester, NY.

The OP listed #7, the Cal-Stewart show. I would add to that the RMD-TCA show in Denver twice a year. Having been to both I would rank the two very similar size wise and while the Cal-Stewart show may have more extras, train races and demolition derby and so forth, Denver is a lot closer to a lot of you.

I would also add to the list O Scale West.

Although the majority is 'G' scale around 1/24 - 1/29 scale.....they have a O scale 3 rail layout too....so it counts. EnterTrainment Junction is my favorite scale train place to visit yet. Even at G scale there is so much insperation for our home layout....and it's SO well done!!!! Never go by and not stop.

http://www.entertrainmentjunction.com/

Scale models supplied by Weaver, Williams and MTH at competitive pricing which helped break Lionel's monopolistic domination of three rail O gauge.

Bob  

why was it torn down?

shame it couldn't have been moved. truely a work of art.

I would like to see Patrick H's layout and Entertrainment in Ohio. 

Rick

I doubt it was disposed of--I heard it was moved.

Scott Smith

I've been to York TCA meet

I've visited the NJ Highrailers

I've visited the National Toy Train Museum,

and I agree with all three.

I've also visited the home layouts of Jim Policastro, Alex Malliae, Eliot Scher and others.

These, and many others are wonders alright.

But, I want to tell you about my club layout in Sydney Australia, AMRA.

It was first built 50 years ago, and a couple of these first members are still involved.

It's not the biggest club layout, but it's not small.

It is pretty much all hand made. All the track and switches of the original layout, 80% in total, is hand made and can run 2 rail, 3 rail, AC, DC, DCS, TMCC, DCC. All the signalling is hand made, and actually works through a relay system interlinked to blocks, switches, etc.We recently expanded the layout to accommodate US style 2 and 3 rail, using Atlas track, but with all handmade switches. And they are faultless in operation. All the original buildings, structures, turntables etc were scratch built.

Most of the locos and rolling stock that runs on the original part of the layout are scratch built. One of our very distinguished old members, Col Shepherd, is now 92 years of age, has been there from the start, and has built more than 50 engines in his life and countless pieces of rolling stock. (He still skates every week). Col even built loco models for the government state railways of the day. Over time, when older members passed away, many of their collections of scratch built trains were donated to the club, and are on permanent display.

This club, and it's older members are indeed wonders of our O gauge train world.

Hi Dave, Thanks

I must add your club layout to my list!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOW does that look great

I also have been to Eliot Scher's and the NJ Highrailers layouts, they are magnificent

Alex

Leave it to Dave Allen to show us the wonders of O Gauge elsewhere in the world. Man I would love to see more of the club layout!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even better to be there and operate some trains!!!!!!!!!!!

Hey, you guys are missing Marty Fitzhenry's layout.

Phil Klopp's layout.

Joe Mania's recreation of the PW Lionel Showroom.

The B&O 0 scale layout at that Bank in Cincinatti.

Hi Eddie, I mentioned Marty Fitzhenry's layout in my first post. I couldn't forgot him, that's a must see layout.

Alex

Any of the above?

Not sure there is any "O" gauge venues to visit here in Oregon/the Northwest. There are a couple of mighty fine HO scale layouts.

I think the San Diego Model Railroad Museum should be on the top 10 list.  Amongst the largest indoor model railroad display layouts in the world.

http://www.sdmrm.org/

If we are talking about true wonders, then meeting Mike Reagan must be included, for he truly must be one of the 10 great wonders of the 0-gauge world. 

Mike is truly a stand up guy.  He took the time to answer many questions from everyone that approached him and even repaired some engines while at the TrainWorx Open House.

 I really missed out years ago when we didn't get to the land down under. Would have loved to see the club!

 I have been to a few of these places!!

I still want to see the insides of Scott's new doghouse. I heard there's glass cases w/shelves full of engines in a climate controlled environment......

 for the dog of course

Sorry Alex, I read too fast sometimes. I thought there were only 7 wonders of the world. York, York, York, York, York, York & York.

And Eddie G is the 8th wonder.

Artyoung

The B&O layout has moved from its historic home in the Cincinnati Gas and Electric building, each Christmas, to the lower level of the Cincinnati Museum Center during the Christmas season, along with several nice PW Lionel dealer displays and about a dozen huge oil paintings of the PRR. On the main level they also, have a year round S scale model of the city ca 1940, and the entire Museum Center is in the Art Deco masterpiece that is Cincinnati Union Station. It is easy to find, served as the model for Marvel's Hall of Justice. Entertrainment junction is just up I75 in West Chester. 

Well, long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was the Lionel Train Museum in Sarasota . . .  always loved that place.

Misty Mountain Railroad

I guess I have a different perspective on the "Top Ten Wonders of the O Gauge World"...

As awesome as the huge, popular, published, renowned, incredibly crafted layouts are, and the giants of this forum and the O gauge business, past and present, I would suggest that some of the most 'wonderful' parts of this hobby segment lie in the lesser known inspired creations of younger hobbyists, those hobbyists who work with severe physical disabilities or limitations, those who have created much to be admired with an income that would be classified as poverty or below, those for whom the hobby has been life-changing, life-extending, introducing them to friends they otherwise would have never met.  Or, in my case, finding a wife who actually shares in the hobby...will wonders never cease???

Actually, everytime I go down to the basement to my own O gauge world, I am in wonder...what to do next!...so many choices, so little time, so much fun. 

KD

One that was and "ain't" no more .. The Lionel showroom layout in the early '60's on E26th st.. The hub of it all 

There a guy who has his 3 rail o gauge trains out side.Something to see double headed steam locomotiveAnd model day locomotives pulling  double stack trains with a pusher on the end.He runs some pretty long trains freight and passnger.Tomstrains on youtube 60 something sheets of 4by 8 plywood.He has freight trains with a hundred plus cars.He was on a news talk about train overload.My eyes just about poped out of my head.

Hey guys,

How about TW Design in Dallas....some of you from the east coast need to come to the midwest to see what is out here.

Good thread!  My suggestions are as follows:

Every layout (public & private) that introduces children to trains

The Train Factory (formerly Railroad Hall) in The Franklin Institute, Philadelphia, where visitors can ride in the cab of Baldwin 3-cylinder compound 4-10-2 No. 60000

Tom & Linda Groff's CHOO CHOO BARN at Strasburg

Bob Board's S gauge ALL ABOARD RAILROAD (www.bartspneumatics.com)

The Christmas Putz in The Lutheran Home at Topton, PA

And Norfolk Southern's Reading Heritage Unit