I’d
like to think that there are still a few of us around who remember the
late Doug Jones, a well-known local musician (timpanist) as well as an
O scale modeler. He provided one of my first experiences with O scale
in the 1970’s shortly after we moved here, and I’ve been impressed (and
intimidated) by it ever since. So when the opportunity arises to visit
one, (and on the 17th of December 2016 we had scheduled visits for two
of them), I try to take advantage of it.
I started at John Sethian’s PRR Nassau Division for logistical
convenience - a less than ideal day for riding around Fairfax County,
and experience - I’d been there for the previous tour in 2014 and it’s
always big plus if you know what to look for in advance. It also allows
you to use some of your original observations in the new write-up as
well. There were sure to be changes and additions during the interim
between the tours when one is as ambitious as John Sethian (yes, he
still is up and working on his layout early in the morning while I’m
ensconced in bed), but rather than reinvent the wheel trying to find
them, I took the easy way out and just asked him. He had added some new
buildings – models based on Edward Hopper paintings - with a small copy
of the painting close-by for confirmation. There were also Woodland
‘Scenics’ - full sized buildings (the backs of them, anyway) in a
corner area because he felt that flats just didn’t look right, and a
clock tower adjoining one of his factories with operating clocks. He
has installed more four-foot LED lighting strips to replace his
original fluorescents because they’re equally bright, but also dimmable
to enhance the illumination in his street lighting, signals, and layout
structures; including a paraphrased “Trenton Makes, the World Takes.”
sign on the landmark Whitford Bridge. Unfortunately, those LED strips
are not easy to find and fairly expensive. John bases his operations on
the PRR Nassau Division through the New Jersey countryside in the mid
1950’s, and has placed models of vehicles he had personally owned
around the layout with 1956 NJ license plates. On this day, he had two
P5 electrics and a set of ABBA Baldwin Sharks on freight trains, a
complete Aero Train, and a Tuscan Red GG1 with seven Sunset stainless
steel cars (The Congressional?), each lighted and with full interiors.
Rapido makes similar cars in HO, but the interior details are a whole
lot easier to see in O Scale, as is everything else which is why I find
O Scale both impressive and intimidating. He also had some M class
4-8-2s and other steam locomotives on the layout. He uses equipment
from MTH, Lionel, Atlas, and anyone else that looks like it belongs,
all controlled by the MTH Digital Control System. Finally, a really
interesting highlight is a scenery elevator powered by a lifting device
nominally used to raise large flat-screen TVs from behind furniture
into viewing position. He uses it to raise a large completed section of
scenery to access the area behind it, but when it’s returned to its
usual position the separation points disappear. John’s railroad is a
beautifully done work of art, and it was too bad that the unfortunate
weather conditions (that early morning ice storm) held down the number
of visitors, even though the sun had come out by the time we
left.
Moving on to Richard Wright’s layout. Richard, a Retired Naval Line
Officer, took the name of his O gauge Three-rail ‘Conus Lines’ from the
Navy’s acronym for the Continental United States; and it takes up most
of his 24’ by 35’ basement. Based on a John Armstrong track plan
(John’s forte was utilizing every bit of space that was available and,
if necessary, encroaching into space that really wasn’t), Richard runs
a variety of equipment from several different railroads and
periodically changes the era and region; on this day he was operating
Union Pacific equipment that featured twin E8s pulling an eight car
Armour Yellow streamlined “City of St. Louis,” three CGW F units
running in the opposite direction, and a long freight hauled by a Big
Boy that was eventually swapped for a Challenger that had been parked
in the extensive engine facilities on a large peninsula along with a
round house and turntable. There were also two FEF-3s in
greyhound décor parked there, some yellow F units, and a 9000 series
4-12-2 sitting on the turntable itself. There were three-light signals
for the UP, but there were position light signals as well and some
catenary for the electrics, no doubt for Pennsy day; and he has been
known to run VGN and Milwaukee electrics from time to time as
well. And if that isn’t enough, he has NS, CSX, SRR,
B&M, NYC L-3 and L-4 Mohawks, J class Hudsons, an RS 1, a
B&A A1a Berkshire, and even some New Haven electrics - an EP-3,
an EF-3, which looks like an EP-4, and a set of Alco FAs (how did I
miss that day?). New England is duly represented on the Conus Lines.
With respect to motive power, Richard, like John, uses whatever looks
good and runs well. His locomotives are mainly MTH, but also Lionel,
Athearn, Atlas, brass, or any other manufacturer that makes what he
wants. All run with MTH’s proprietary DCS. The scenery is completed,
with most of the structures and surroundings illuminated for a very
nice visual effect. One of the big advantages of O scale is the weight
of both the locomotives and the rolling stock. Standard sized freight
cars run about a pound apiece. Full length passenger cars weigh
considerably more; and with regard to some of the locomotives, try
really hard not to drop one on your foot. All this additional weight
makes it nearly impossible to derail something and makes the tendency
to run trains at too high a speed much less of a problem.
Those of us that were able to make it to the division home tours that
day had the opportunity to see two first-class model railroads in
virtually crowd free settings, inasmuch as the local media weather
reports had spooked most everyone else into staying at home. In all
fairness to the rest of the division however, we should try to
reschedule them both for a future date, maybe in the summer when ice
and snow are much less of a problem.