Vol. 56: Cliff Powers's Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf
This is the gorgeous Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf model railroad by Cliff Powers. It’s an HO scale railroad with 2 decks currently and eventually three when complete. The model proportion of the railroad runs from Meridian, Mississippi, to New Orleans, Louisiana in 1955. The scenery on this layout is simply stunning, with the use of trees and buildings as view blocks.
Cliff has recreated the look and essence of the South in the 50s, full of piney woods, oak trees, dirt roads, and small towns with wooden buildings. This layout has some of the most highly detailed scenes ever built on a model railroad, and photographic backdrops that help create the feeling of great distances in just two feet of space.
Allen Keller joins Cliff to discuss his railroad, which has its own building and consists of two decks with staging on the bottom and the Mississippi section above. When the top deck is completed, the railroad will enter New Orleans from a double track helix. The helix allows trains to travel from staging to the planned upper deck without entering the Mississippi scene. The minimum radius is 27 inches and the track is code 83 on L girder benchwork. The visit starts at Slidell, Louisiana.
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2:06Overview of the Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf
This is the gorgeous Mississippi Alabama and Gulf model railroad of Cliff Powers. This HO scale railroad is 2 decks, but will eventually be three decks when finished. The model proportion of the railroad runs from Meridian, Mississippi to New Orleans in 1955. The scenery on this layout is simply stunning, with the use of…
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6:36Touring the Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf
Here on the HO scale Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf model railroad of Cliff Powers, the tour begins as F units pass Crandel’s Store and Roscoe’s Engine Repair. The line crosses the Pearl River over the swing bridge and enters Mississippi at the Graves Pulp Mill. At Edna, Engine Number 4019 rolls by Shram Manufacturing at…
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11:17Operations on the Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf
Operations on the Mississippi, Alabama & Gulf model railroad of Cliff Powers starts as Train 33 enters Wharton powered by 282 Number 1526. The MA&G Makato is on the way to New Orleans and Number 33 has work at the Dappler feed mill. The Makato will set out two boxcars, an MA&G, and a Mississippi…
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8:57Owner Inspiration & Techniques for the MA&G
Cliff Powers’s Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf model railroad runs from Chattanooga to Houston. Allen Keller asks how much of that route Cliff actually modeled. Cliff has a division that runs from Meridian to New Orleans, which is the main part of the route he modeled. There’s a section south of Haddiesburg, that runs from the…
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7:59Making Plowed Fields with Cliff Powers
The first step in creating a field for a model railroad layout is to create a sub-base, according to modeler Cliff Powers. In Cliff’s case, he has created the subbase out of sculpt-a-mould, for a more natural looking ground. From cardboard, he wants to pull out the middle corrugated section. The first step in doing…
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9:43Making Fence Posts with Barbed Wire
Modeler Cliff Powers uses toothpicks to make fences for his Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf model railroad. He uses the toothpicks that are already pre-notched which works particularly well for barbed wire because of the even spacing. He stains the wood with alcohol and India Ink before he brings them to the layout. With a ruler,…
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5:59Customizing Buildings with Cliff Powers
Cliff Powers has quite a few kitbashed buildings on his Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf model railroad layout. For his commercial buildings in the courthouse and town square area, he used commonly available kits that are modified to make them well suited for the South. One thing that appears frequently in the older southern towns is…
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5:22Making a Rusty Roof with Cliff Powers
The rust of the metal parts on Cliff Powers’ Mississippi, Alabama and Gulf model railroad layout looks very realistic. Allen Keller wonders his secret. Cliff has used many different methods, including Rust-all 4 part systems, but his favorite is a two part material that’s available at craft stores and really gives some unique rust effects.…
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