Scheduled 2026 Layout Tours
Maryland/ DC Potomac Division B AND O Meet Layout Tour
September 12, 2026 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM.
On Saturday, September 12, 2026, as part of the Division Meet at the B&O Station in Silver Spring, Maryland, the Potomac Division will have four layouts open in the afternoon (1 PM to 4 PM) after the meet concludes. Location of and directions to the layouts will be provided via the Division's email distribution list and provided at the meet.
The layouts that will be open are:
1. James Anderson 2. Glen Olsen 3. Bill Demas 4. Ken Nesper
1. James Anderson - The layout is a 1930's era switching layout set in North Philadelphia PA Camden and Newwark, NJ. Primarily a layout that focuses on urban scenery which has been 20 years in the making. The layout contains over 250 structures with small switching locomotives navigating a number of urban canyons.
2. Glen Olsen- The layout is G scale standard gauge, nominally 1:32-1:29 using 45 mm gauge track (in G scale everything runs on the same gauge track, standard gauge and narrow gauge, just the scale changes). The layout consists of about 300 feet of single track main with various passing sidings and return loops. Layout is dead-rail, all engines have on board batteries and radio control. Currently,he has only diesels operating on the layout. The layout is loosely operated as the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad operated at one time with trains originating at both ends and meeting in the middle (Herndon, VA) to swap cars. The layout is located in the back yard, down a gently sloping walkway and across a dry stream bed on a small bridge, one step up and one step down. All visitors are welcome to operate one of the trains to learn more about Garden railways. The house is at the end of a cul-de-sac with a path leading around to the back yard on the left side of the driveway. Parking is on the street. There will be some chairs in the yard, if you just want to come and sit and watch the trains fun. Of course, as with any Garden railway event, the open house is dependent upon the weather, if it is raining, the trains don't run.
3. Bill Demas - The Westmoreland Railroad layout is an HO scale layout, set during the 1950's era and is build on two peninsulas connected by wall shelves and is approximately 14' by 15' in size. It uses Digitrax DCC as the control system with Code 100 Atlas flex track and Atlas Custom Line and Peco turnouts. There is a significant amount of operational capacity ina small space with around 20 switching locations on the layout. In addition, Bill's layout also pays tribute to the late Potomac Division members Marshall ABrams and Tom Brodrick, both of whom were part ot the original operating group.
4. Ken Nesper - Access to the layout is via a basement entrance with stairs and no handrail; not wheelchair accessible. Three separate railroads have been shoe horned into a 20' x 16' basement space by going vertical.
The Shepherd Branch, a conventional O-scale 2- railroad is built at 60 inches; the O-gauge Potomac And Patuxent Railroad (P&P) is viewed at 44 inches; and the On30 Ohio River& Western Railroad (OR&W) is placed at desktop level. The Shepherd branch is base on the former B&O Railroad trackage in southeast Washington, DC.. To improve operational interest, the number of businesses served along the branch were substantially increased. The layout features hand-laid code 125 and 100 rail to depict the lighter weight rail used on branches and sidings. The rebuilt Old Pullman turnouts are powered by Circuitron Tortoise switch machines. The urban scenery is about 95% complete. The all-diesel operations are set in early 1958. Car forwarding is managed by switch lists, and the first-generation yard and road switchers are controlled by Digitrax.B&O operational practices are generally followed.
The P&P is a folded dog bone of Atlas O-gauge track used by Ken and his friends to run their heritage Lionel, American Flyer, and Marx trains. There are three long passing sidings to hold trains between runs.
The Ohio River & Western (OR&W) seeks to replicate narrow gauge operations in southeast Ohio, circa 1912. The focus is on the representational county seat of Westfield, loosely based on Woodsfield, OH. The On30 locomotives and rolling stock are from Bachmann. Soundtraxx decoders and keep alive devices were added in the tenders of the steam locomotives. Micro-Engineering code 83 flextrack and number 5 turnouts were used exclusively. Turnouts are powered by Circuitron Tortoise switch machines. Car forwarding is managed by switch lists generated by JMRI Operations Pro and locomotives are controlled by Digitrax. The level of scenic development increased dramatically in 2020/2021 with the addition of nearly a dozen structures.
Click here to learn about our prior tours here.
If you would like to have your layout included as part of a
division layout tour please email the Layout Tour Coordinator
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Last modified: August 31 2026 16:26:55.