model railroad layout tips
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2:48The Canandaigua Southern model railroad belongs to one of the hobby’s most famous riders, railfans, and modelers. John Armstrong is the layout’s president, the hobby’s premiere track planner, and the originator of many ideas and inventions that we take for granted today. The idea of modelers walking with their trains, and only allowing a train
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8:58Beginning our tour of John Armstrong’s Canandaigua Southern model railroad, PA-1, the express refer to Pittsburgh exits Tunnel Number 5. It’s powered by a 484, Number 914. PA-1 is headed for the New York Central Interchange. High Bridge is the home of an amazing trestle bridge. John says that some civil engineering dispute has kept
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11:55Operations on John Armstrong’s Canandaigua Southern model railroad start with the passenger train – the Golden Triangle – entering the scene from a hidden connection. Essex Junction is the interchange. There is a delayed pursuit of the Golden Triangle to catch the unusual 4666 at the Central Power Plant. Finally at Slug Island the 464
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14:39John Armstrong’s Canandaigua Southern is a freelance line running between Canandaigua, New York and Pittsburgh in the 1960’s. John is avoiding picking an exact date and route for his railroad, because he doesn’t want to have to represent specific locations. The specific time period of the railroad will remain rather flexible, other than the fact
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1:34John Armstrong is credited with inventing the vertical turnout. On his Canandaigua Southern model railroad, they connect the verge with the hidden ore tracks. It’s a manifestation of the empties in, loads out. The empties just got hauled in by the mine switcher from verge, which is the end of the run ready to be
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5:12John Armstrong, owner of the Canandaigua Southern, invented the reverted loop. The purpose of the reverted loop is to provide out of sight staging and turn a train in a minimum amount of space. The reverted loop is underneath something else on the layout that is visible. It also extends the main line partially around
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6:02A night scene means you get twice the railroad in the same space. On John Armstrong’s Canandaigua Southern, the Cattaraugus Engine Terminal with the 2104 is coming in after its run to dump the ashes and get new fuel for the next run. The next stop will be on the turntable to be spun around
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8:10Before John Armstrong puts locomotives on his Canandaigua Southern layout, he “breaks every bone in their body”. John finds it a lot easier when he can lift the top off of a locomotive when he needs to look at what is underneath. One of John’s philosophies on the railroad is that the super structures of
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8:32In this video we tour the towns of Wells and North Gorham on the Boston and Maine New Hampshire Division and Layout. On the other side of the backdrop is Wells. This is where the main line cuts between the mill buildings of the White Mountain Paper Company. The prime feature of Wells is the
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