AM Tours

Keith Williams’s NYC and Atlanta

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I modeled (freelanced) the NYC main line from Buffalo to Chicago, double deck single track with 7 passing sidings. Fully signaled with CMRI interface, with a JMRI CTC Panel, fully functional. I tried to be true to a CTC plant from the 50's Three Yards, one in Buffalo (lower level) with 10 tracks, one in Chicago (upper level), with 8 tracks, and One in Toledo (lower level) about 1/2 way to Chicago. Having retired recently, I am now in full swing on working on the layout almost every day. I hope to have a lot of scenery done or at least started in time for the Pilgrimage! Hope to see you here!

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The Tridaily RR (it tries daily to make a run) is a spur off the Southern RR located in North Georgia by the Savanah River. It consists of an interchange track that moves the raw materials and the finished products of the area to Atlanta Inman Yard. The Tridaily RR brings in the raw materials and finished products needed to satisfy the demand of the local businesses and residents. Lily Village which is located close to the interchange track features a Varsity Dinner.

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John Travis’ Johnstown & Gerryville The Johnstown & Gerryville Railroad (J&G) is an HO scale bridge route between the PRR and B&O operating in western Pennsylvania. Using the mid-fifties as a back-drop, this fully sceniced basement-size layout runs both steam and diesel. This large basement layout featuring 2 levels with valance lighting and LEDs for buildings & street lighting. Aisles are wide and the fascia is curved to be operator and visitor friendly. We recently updated our lighting system with strings of LEDs to replace the compact florescent lights. The LEDs give us the capability to modify the lighting based on the time of day so we go from full daylight to night time in a controlled sequence. To top things off, we even added a lightning storm with great sound. Features include: beautiful scenery providing a realistic setting for operations; the CTC Signal system is Dispatcher controlled to keep traffic moving; two visible staging yards; realistic animation and six towns provide lots of operating interest; Digitrax DCC controls the trains using wireless throttles; antique telephones are used for communications and several contest winning structures make this a great layout. Search for ‘Johnstown & Gerryville’ on Youtube to view our current videos. Search for ‘Johnstown & Gerryville’ on Youtube to view our current videos.

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The layout is freelance based on transition era L&N and NC&STL. It is a single-track main with passing sidings and about 20 sidings for industries for operations.

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This is a fictitious railroad that runs east-west in MA. The railroad is interchanged with four railroads, New York Central, New Haven, Maine Central, and Rutland, that bring cars to Palmer Junction which are staged to enter Beacon Park Yard. Beacon Park Yard stages cars for six branches, Milford Branch has two industries, Webster Branch has four industries, Jamesville Branch has one industry and team track, Saxonville Branch has two industries and team track, Warren Branch East, Pudister Village has four industries and Warren Branch West has three industries. Then there are eight trains that take the cars to the 18 industries and team tracks within those branches plus the engine facility. Operating Sessions can have seven operators to handle all positions. We have a total of 20 trains that take about three hours to complete. Positions on operating session; 1) Interchange yard. 2) Beacon Park. 1) Dispatcher. 3) operators

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The Delaware and Hudson Penn Division layout is based on the line from Wilkes Barre, PA (South Staging) to Oneonta, NY (North Staging). The line was a steep climb to Ararat Summit needing helpers in both directions. Operations ceased in 1984 when the D&H purchased the ex-DL&W line out of Scranton directly to Binghamton, NY. I aimed to recreate the memories of my childhood along the Penn Division in Carbondale, PA with colorful mixes of patched out motive power including many Alco powered road freights. The layout is an around the walls style with a lower staging level connected with 2 long ramp tracks.

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The layout is set in Appalachian Virginia and West Virginia in 1953. It has a single track mainline loosely based on things I liked about the B&O, N&W, WM, and the Clinchfield. The layout is loop to loop with large staging yards at either end. It is designed for prototype operation and is fully signaled. It is designed to keep about 16 operators busy. It can be run under either CTC, ABS or TT&TO operating rules. Signals and dispatching use a computer with Railroad & Company software. The layout uses Digitrax DCC for train and layout control. We use any kind of Digitrax Throttle (Wired, Simplex Radio, or Duplex Radio). We also use WIFI throttles using JMRI. All locomotives are equipped with TCS WOWSound decoders and set up to sound and operate prototypically. All visible track and turnouts are hand laid using code 70 rail. Motive power is a 50/50 mix of steam and 1st generation diesel. The railroad runs a mix of freight and passenger trains but leans heavily toward coal traffic. Communication with the dispatcher uses a homemade telephone system.

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Lower Level 28.5" off the floor, Main level 44.5" off the floor, Lever Three 60.5" off the floor Lever 3 and 1/2 is 78" high. L-girder on 1/2" plywood, Homasote over plywood on the lower level, Homabed on plywood on the Main level, Cork roadbed on plywood on level three and level three and 1/2. Atlas Code 83 flex track, Walthers turnouts #8 and #6 on mainline, #5 and #6 in yards. 32", 30" and 28" on mainline. 26" in some sidings. 2% in Helix and on some of the third levels. DCC Digitrax Radio Control, boosters, power managements, block detection.

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This layout is a loose representation of the most mountainous portion of the Seaboard Air Line from Atlanta to Birmingham in the late summer of 1954. It is designed for lots of industry switching and has a number of seriously modified kits and scratch-built structures. The track is a combination of flex track and handlaid industrial sidings. Locomotive power is provided by first generation diesels – with some ‘retired’ SAL steam on the industrial switching area in Rockmart. The layout is a new one (replacing a similar layout at a different location, last on tour in 2018), but it is fully functional. Fascia and backdrops have been installed, and scenery work is in progress. The physical plant is controlled via a C/MRI system, with propulsion via EasyDCC. Since this current rendition of the layout is less than 6 years old, the automated signal system is fully functional via JMRI.