AM Tours

10am - 1pm

Tri-State Model Railroaders Club’s L&N Old Line

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The “Old Line” layout is HO scale; it occupies a space 22’ x 37’ and closely reflects the L&N prototype circa 1952. It is approximately 70% sceniced with over 100 structures. Like any layout, it is NOT finished – and probably never will be! The layout is an “around the room” loop to loop with two peninsulas, including the Murphy, NC, branch. The Southern loop is currently used as staging; the Northern loop will be the location of a helix leading to a future upper deck, which will include the line from Ducktown, TN, through the Hiwassee Loop to Etowah, Tennessee. The single-track mainline is approximately 200’ in length with cork roadbed. The layout height ranges from 43” to 48” with a maximum grade of 2.15%. The benchwork is open grid with foam board. Trackwork is Code 83 Flex-track from Walthers and Atlas; turnouts are a combination of Walthers, Peco, and Atlas with #5’s in the yard and #6 & 8’s otherwise. Minimum radius is 30”on the mainline, 27 ¾” in Yard and staging. DCC controls are Digitrax. A painted backdrop is on 1/8” Masonite. Tri-State Model Railroaders Club is a well-respected regional civic organization with enthusiastic and dedicated members. We host numerous community activities throughout the year. We even have a robust Junior Engineer Program. We are grateful and honored to be based in the historic Train Depot in Mineral Bluff, Georgia. TSMRI operates once on the Second Wednesday and Second Saturday -Contact if interested in operations with us.

City: Mineral Bluff
Scale/Gauge: HO
Tri-State Model Railroaders Club

Morris Smith’s Tate Depot Model Railroaders

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The model railroad club operates as a Standing Committee of the Tate Depot Train Society, a 501c(3) tax-exempt organization. The Society is organized to further the understanding that railroads played in the development of the marble industry in Pickens County Georgia and to provide education and guidance in the historical preservation of the Tate Depot. We feature both a large HO scale layout and a purpose built N scale. In addition we have a historically accurate station masters office complete with telegraph. We are open to the public every third Saturday of the month, from 10:00AM until 2:00PM. We host special events and have meeting space with tables and chairs.

City: Tate
Scale/Gauge: HO
Morris Smith

Leslie Toth’s Long Time Coming RR

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Large engine facility with an industrial area including steel mill, FORD plant , PUBLIX warehouse and lumber yard. Also, a large mountain area with simulated lighting over mountain. City and harbor area not completed as yet.

City: Ball Ground
Scale/Gauge: HO
Leslie Toth

Weiss Freelance South East RR

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This is an N-scale Atlas Code 55 layout. It's freelance so it runs from the mountains to the farmland in the south. Most trains or NS and I wanted to make sure the passage cars had no problem with the turns.

City: Cumming
Scale/Gauge: N
Mark Weiss

Larry Romaine’s Tupelo & Logan Railroad

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The Tupelo & Logan Railroad is my freelanced N scale model railroad. The Tupelo & Logan Railroad is a regional railroad serving the industrial great lakes region to the southeast with connections to western railroads in Memphis. My layout which occupies about 600 sq ft, depicts a subdivision in the Appalachian mountains. Maximum speed in this area in 35 mph for freights and 55 for Amtrak. The layout is DCC with an automatic block signal system utilizing Azatrax products. There are over 15 industries on the layout and I am in the process of setting up operations.

City: Blairsville
Scale/Gauge: N
Lawrence Romaine

PM Tours

1pm - 5pm

Harry Grubb’s Ameritown Junction

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Based on mid-west farm town with distant mountain coal mine for added interest.

City: Woodstock
Scale/Gauge: HO
Harry Grubb

Philip and Linda Stead’s D&RGW Alamosa Chama Subdivision

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Alamosa Colorado to Chama New Mexico mainline modeled in On3 and P48 dual gauge during September 1949. Photos on Youtube. Search Phil Stead

City: Ball Ground
Scale/Gauge: On3
Philip Stead

Steve Austin’s Elkhorn Iron & Timber Co RR (EL&T)

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The El&TCo. is a 1947-era backwoods railroad featuring logging, sawmilling, steel manufacturing, coal mining, and many of the ancillary industries necessary to make this all work. The scenery and scratch-built structures and motive power are my specialties. The heavily wooded sawmill peninsula includes an engine servicing facility, river, log dump and sawmill. The scratch-built sawmill is 12" x 32" x 15" high. The mill complex includes the powerhouse, slash burner, conveyors, lumber stacks, water tanks, and the small village. The steel mill complex covers an area 30" deep by almost 17 feet long. The highly detailed harbor scene, including numerous boats and small freighters, at the layout entrance, covers an area 7' by 8' (see the photo section!). The layout has been featured in the Narrow Gauge and Shortline Gazette and the On30 Annual as well as Scale Rails and Model Railroader. My scratch-built On30 Shay won lst place at the Piedmont Division and the Southeast Region train shows in 2000; it won 2nd place at the NMRA National at San Jose with 113 points. The 336 sq ft Elkhorn expansion features a fully automated interchange with the original 560 sq ft purpose-built layout room. Both spaces feature double deck railroading. The expansion includes several waterfront scenes. The approximately 7'x3` Upatoi Creek includes a boatyard scene with a shrimp boat in for repairs and maintenance as well as an automated shuttle train serving the numerous scratch-built extensively kit-bashed enterprises along the Creek. A 6'x3' rail-served riverfront scene includes extensive docking facilities capable of handling 4-6 craft simultaneously. The expansion spotlights a highly detailed (they are all highly detailed ) 2'x4' welding shop, welding services and scrap metal salvage complex. A well-detailed 3-stall engine house with turntable and machine shop is the next planned construction project.

City: Talking Rock
Scale/Gauge: On30
Steve Austin