Vol. 17: Cat Mountain & Santa Fe
David Barrow's Cat Mountain & Santa Fe represents the embodiment of 25 years of planning and designing the ultimate linear walk-around trackplan. The HO scale Cat Mountain gives operators the feeling of actually traveling with their trains because the construction of the room and layout block everything but only a small part of the railroad at a time. The CM&SF is a Great Model Railroad because David's expertise as an architect has given him the freedom to incessantly refine his ideas of the perfect railroad trackplan.
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1:38David Barrow’s magnificent recreation of barren West Texas is a lasting testament to the idea that model railroads don’t always have to feature high mountains or towering urban scenery. On David’s HO scale layout of Cat Mountain & Santa Fe Railway, you’ll find little evidence of water and life, but you’ll also discover a highly
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7:15In this exclusive tour, model railroading host Allen Keller takes you behind the scenes for a journey along the arid rails of Cat Mountain & Santa Fe Railway. You’ll get an up-close look at David Barrow’s master handywork on his HO scale model of the dry West Texas terrain and the grain hauling system that
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11:15David Barrow’s HO scale model of Cat Mountain & Santa Fe Railway is one of the most innovative layouts to come out of the 20th century. David’s depiction of the barren landscape that made up mid-1900’s West Texas remains a true inspiration for future modelers to create unique scenes, and a reminder that anything is
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4:40Like other hobbies and artforms, the decisions behind the elements that go into each model railroad layout are guided by inspiration and taste. For some, high mountain passes, tunnels and lumber hauling lines are a necessity for a beautiful layout. For others, it’s unending cornfields and flat terrain with a blue sky backdrop. And then
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3:35David Barrow’s HO scale layout of Cat Mountain & Santa Fe Railway has experienced many changes over the years, including an enlarged room and redone track plan. The room that houses David’s innovative West Texas layout has needed to be expanded at least three times over the years in order to make way for new
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3:18There are countless considerations that go into designing and building model train layouts. From the benchwork to the paint scheme, every action you make on your layout requires a decision, be it minor or major. When it comes to the architecture of model railroad layouts, you may make these decisions years in advance when you
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1:51When it comes to building the benchwork and structure for model railroads, there are a variety of options you can choose depending on the type of layout you want to create. Some experts will tell you that a certain technique is preferable over all others, but the fact is that each has its upsides and
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2:04The nonlinear model railroad layout has largely become the preferred choice for modelers in recent decades, as it allows for more involved scenes and tends to better keep the viewer’s attention. However, there are still many loud proponents of the linear design who tout its unique benefits and, oftentimes, realism. One of these supporters of
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2:28Different types of model railroad staging yards offer distinct benefits and drawbacks to the operation of your layout, and it’s entirely up to personal preference and your unique circumstances which system you choose. The choice could depend upon space constraints, operational methods, appearance or a range of other factors. In the case of David Barrow’s
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