AM Tours

David Gaines’ O-Scale Layout

The layout is freelanced and the era is roughly from the 1970s to the present. The layout has two levels, a mainline (lower) and a branch line (upper). Most of the motive power is diesel but I am starting to add steam power as well. The layout is spread across two rooms. The main room features a 6-track yard and a coal tipple. A refinery is also in the yard area. There is a small town reminiscent of a small northern town in the Midwest. There also is a small farm area that travelers pass as they are going into town or to work in the refinery or tipple. The road system, structures, and scenery are all still in the works. Lastly, the main train room has been extended into the neighboring room. The branch line, from the main train room, is extended into the second room. The second room also has an upper level with 2-Rail 0 Scale. This section of the layout features a turntable and eventually a steel mill in a small town. There is no scenery at this point but trains are running. The layout is about 45% complete-. All control systems are in place but some structures and signals still need to be wired. The road system, structures, and scenery are all still in the works and this will give visitors the opportunity to see a work in progress.

This layout is freelance, based on the assumption that Union Pacific constructed a spur starting at Green River and terminating just south of Yellowstone National Park, through the western mountain ranges of Wyoming. The main purpose of the branch line is to transport passengers from all over the country to Yellowstone prior to the completion of interstates and travel by car. In addition, there are a number of small towns serviced by various local freight trains to a variety of different industries. The layout includes a large passenger terminal and yard at Yellowstone. The layout was specifically designed for operation with two decks and a large helix, and with wider aisles and plenty of opportunities for operations. The track work is 100% complete and the scenery is now 75-80% complete. Approximately 80% of the structures are now on the layout. The backdrop is now finished and are multiple photographs taken on site in Wyoming and made into stunning backdrops by a local sign company.

The Waterloo to Wessex line, part of the Southern Region of British Railways, is an HO/OO single level "point to point" with hidden areas to provide continuous operation. You will have an opportunity to see an OO layout set in the English countryside with British steam engines with express Pullman passenger cars, slower commuter passenger trains, and various "goods trains" (freight trains) operating between Waterloo in London and the southwest of England. The layout, with very detailed scenery, is fully complete with a variety 0f English villages and country scenes, including stations, churches, gardens, allotments, farms, village streets, canals, and pubs. This layout was included in the May 2018 edition of the Model Railroader magazine.

The Feather River Route is a modern Union Pacific Class 1 railroad running from the San Francisco Bay Area across California’s fertile Central Valley then up the Feather River Canyon, cutting through the west slope of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the crew change point at Portola, CA. BNSF trains use trackage rights from Stockton to the famous Keddie Wye bridge where it diverts north across the former Western Pacific Inside Gateway line. The modeled portion covers over 300 prototype miles in 400′ of actual mainline, connecting two visible staging yards. The lower level includes much of the industrial switching plus the classification/division point yard at Stockton, while the upper level enjoys more railfanning of long trains through mountain scenery. Operating sessions run approximately 25 revenue trains including through unit trains, 2-4 locals, mixed merchandise with car block pick ups and set outs, plus the occasional historical excursion trains such as the famous F-unit-led California Zephyr. Operating sessions are run by a dispatcher in a separate room, using JMRI software running on a Raspberry Pi and interfaced to Digitrax Signal and Detection hardware. Smartphone WiFi throttles are used exclusively, with Tam Valley stationary decoders and fascia controls for non-dispatcher running.

Please note late change in Tour Times for this Layout. Will not be open after 3:00 pm.

Begun in 2003, this large, multi-deck layout celebrated mainline completion with a gold spike in 2009. All track work and electrical is complete, including three large yards (one intermodal). DCC train detection for computer dispatching is fully functional, and the layout can host operating sessions for up to 12 persons. Most scenery is still in the early stages, but is (slowly!) progressing. And be sure to see the famous "trains through the bathroom!"

Due to overwhelming demand in prior years, this host regrets that we will no longer accommodate visitor requests to "run trains" during this tour. Thank you for your understanding as we wish to provide a most enjoyable experience for all of our visitors.

Under construction - no significant scenery yet. Steam to Diesel transition. Passenger trains (primarily diesel) add steam helpers at Cumberland station stop; freight trains add helpers at Hyndman. Sidings for 25 car freight trains. Two levels of folded dogbones. Ten track staging yard. Come see the behind the scenes look at a railroad before it is covered in scenery. Six foot roll out section with multiple main lines for access to furnace and hot water heater. Multiple hidden lines attached to wall brackets. Bowl-shaped grades in yard to aid in cars rolling after being cut-off during switching. Main line turnouts #8 for crossovers, #6/7 other mainline double ended tracks, #4,#2.5 for industry spur stub tracks.