You've got to see this fantastic layout!

Awesome!!!!  Thanks for sharing.

 

Kurt

Alan, all I can say is thanks so much for the photography work. You make my layout look much better than it really is.

 

I have had a few questions about some of the items I used on the layout. If any of you want to know more about my layout, please contact me.

 

It was our pleasure to host you Alan.

 

Thanks again Alan for posting this.

BEAUTIFUL,

 

Nicely detailed coal tipple area, always one of my favorite features.

Noticed the oil loading rack at the refinery, a detail often overlooked.

 

Thank you for all the photos

Very nice layout, Roger.

I enjoyed your website very much this past winter, particularly the adventure of why and how your underground railroad came to be.

 

Very nice detail everywhere. I second pennsyk4's comment on the filling rack.

Looks like a splendid candidate for a magazine feature!  I'll be sure to get in touch with Roger to see if he might be interested.

Roger....it was my pleasure to take the photos and be your guest.  It really helped to be able to get up early in the morning and do a final "study" before the 7:30A.M. test.

 

Allan.... I have a bunch of pictures and can take more specific ones for a magazine article.  There are some nice layouts in this part of the country...sort of hidden gems.  As a matter of fact, Vernon Hart lives just a few blocks from Roger.  I live about two hours southeast of both of them....

 

Alan

Great photos, great layout.

Outstanding. Can't wait to see the new mountains after your recent Trainworx class.

Beautiful layout and great craftsmanship, Alan very nice photography.

Like Allan Miller said, layout feature.

 

Alex

Very impressive, love the overall look of the layout. 

WOW beautiful work.

now, there's a reason to visit Springfield! beautiful, detailed work and some great mini-scenes, Roger. 

 

jerrman

I'll take you up on that, Alan!  Send me an e-mail when you have a chance describing the possibilities.

 

No need to worry about Vernon!  I have him appearing as the cover feature in our Oct. issue.  Just about wore Vernon out with my persistent requests for "fine tuning" the cover image!  

Roger, I need to get down from columbia some day to see your layout and meet you.your layout Looks great. Wow! Just need a place to spend the night. Would love to bring some engines and run some trains with you.

Rodger WONDERFUL LAYOUT!!!! Alan thanks for sharing the pictures.

Alan, it was very nice of you to photograph Roger's fabulous layout. Roger you know how to do it right!!!!!!

I love the Campbell Express HQ.

Snortin' Norton lives!

 

Who made those trucks?

I was lucky enough to get the truck, trailer and flatcar set Lionel made for one of the clubs in St.Louis I think those trucks are different.

 

Great job on the whole layout.

 Wow, my favorite would be that first turntable shot. Very impressive. Something about the lighting makes even it more dramatic.

Roger’s layout indeed is a sight to behold, and must be seen in person to be truly appreciated. But there is a lot more to the layout than meets the eye.

Hopefully someday, Allan Miller will have an article of the layout in OGR magazine, and Roger will have the opportunity to share ‘the-rest-of-the-story’ with everyone. Believe me, it is an incredible and very inspiring story.

Alex

 

Roger your doing great work!

Really great layout, I especially like the Springfield Station. Not sure why but the layout has an old school feel about.

 

Jerry

Guys, I want to first thank all of you for your posts and your compliments on my layout. I had a lot of help from Vernon Hart that lives a few blocks from me. He would give me the ideas and several $$$$'s later we would have what he thought would look great. I am sorry to reply to this so late, but because of some family matters, I just got home. I could not believe all of the fine words you have for this layout.

 

Alan - Once again, thanks for posting this and the photography work you did.

 

Pennsyk4 - The coaling tipple was my first kit that I put together and I love building kits.

 

Allen Miller - Thanks for your kind words, but I do not think that the layout is "magazine ready" yet...give me a few months or so.

 

Jerrman - Thanks for your wonderful compliments

 

Lionelzwl 2012 - Come and visit any time, you are only about 3 hours away. We have a bed that you can use anytime that we are home. And bring your engines to run. That is the fun of layouts...seeing the trains run on different layouts.

 

Garfield - Dave at Crescent Locomotive Works did the custom 5 sided Campbell 66 truck terminal. Springfield, Mo was the home of Campbell 66 trucking and the FRISCO Railroad. If you did not work for the railroad, then you worked for Campbell 66.

 

Ingeniero No1 (Alex) - Thanks for your comments. Someday they might print as you say "the-rest-of-the-story". It is interesting to note that most folks come in, look at the layout and NEVER realize what you have seen.

 

baltimoretrain works - The Springfield Station is an exact 1/4" to 1' scale model of the Frisco Springfield Depot that I grew up in....as my father was head of the dining car dept. right after the war for the FRISCO.

 

Once again, thanks to everyone for their kind words.

Everyone.....if you visit Roger's website at www.solidrockrailroad.webs.com you will be able to read the story about how the layout was constructed under the house.  It is a very interesting story and for those of you that read it AND are old enough to remember John Allen, will be reminded of what he did to build his Gorre and Daphetid railroad. 

 

Alan

THE Campbell Dock, I saw to be of great fascination, due to my 29 yrs at Roadway:

Think about the demise of many trucking enterprises,: Hennis Frt, McLean, Pilot Frt,

Associated Transport, Consolidated; and then  look at what Alan does with the light.  Looks like about 08:30, at night and those trucks are getting ready to leave, and make the run.

Super presentation !

---

Thanks to all of you for the compliments!!

 

Terry...you mention the light above in your post....  I used a high intensity sealed beam light in order to give dramatic shadows.  I wanted the pictures to look as though it was early  morning or late afternoon / early evening.  By the way, the light is part of the equipment my father used when photography was his hobby over 60 years ago!

 

Alan

Spectacular.............Roger, I love how you used OGR building kits to create a building where the track enters to service the freight cars.......shades of Frank Ellison and the Oblong Box Company! Bravo!

Peter

Terrific layout and great pictures!

Thanks!

Very nice layout and some really great pictures to show it off!

I didn't see the Missouri Pacific or Route 66 represented. 

 

 

 

 

What, me worry?

The layout is great and the photography really highlights the varied aspects of Roger's scenes.  Love the backdrops.  Thanks to you both for posting!  

 

- Mike

Very nice layout with a strong Frisco influence as would be appropriate for a Springfield, Missouri model railroad.  This piece gives great testament to the sheer will of the layout builder who had to first dig or mine out the space underneath his house.  What he has built since making the space is the stuff of many a modeler's dreams!

Alfred E Neuman - Thanks for your comments, you probably will not see any MoPac, but I have another 6 to 18 months of work and I guarantee you will see some route 66 scenery and buildings,

 

Mike Caruso - thanks for the comments on the backdrops, by the time I did everything that Backdrop Warehouse ask for the discounts, they costs less than a good locomotive.There are 13 backdrops that are 13 feet in length. I was scared to death to start putting them up, but by the time I started them I could almost drop kick the last one up on the wall.

 

The Portland Rose, thanks to you also on your comments. Looking back, if I knew how much work it was going to be, I doubt if I would do it again. BUT, now it is well worth it and I love working down in my "man cave"

Here is another picture!!

 

Alan

Of course, it's always the layout owner's call to determine when a layout is ready for prime time, but based on the photos I've seen (and the comments made), your layout is well prepared.  No layout is truly ever complete, but it doesn't take a completed layout--far from it--to merit coverage in the magazine.

 

Just let me know when you feel comfortable with the opportunity to present your craftsmanship to our wider base of readers.  I will be happy to work with you to complete a fine feature.

Allan...I will keep working on him!!

 

Alan

Alan,

 

Thanks for sharing, that is surely one spectacular layout!

 

Cesar

Beautiful layout.  The Springfield station is wonderful.

Very impressive, lots of really nice detailing there!