IMPRESSIVE beyond words!

Tom Johnson's layout, Locomotive roster and weathered freight equipment is IMPRESSIVE beyond words! I don't think there has been any coverage anywhere on it that I haven't just stared at for lengths at a time. Nice to see a full feature of it here in MRH.

Gary Christensen

Fantastic!

Tom's work is beyond museum quality.  The details that he models in the structures, rolling stock and scenery are truly inspiring.  Plus, his transitions from layout to photo backdrop are seamless and probably the best in the hobby.  

If you missed the thread in the forum, there are many more photos along with tips and secrets:  
http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/8934

Glad to see a full length article about it in MRH!

What a Layout!

Tom's thread has been on of my favorites for a long time and as Bill says, his work is truly inspiring. It's great to finally see an article on the layout and to learn a little bit more about its background.

In addition to the post mentioned above, Tom took the time to explain in detail how he goes about weathering his covered hopper cars. Here's link to that post:  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/weathered-covered-hoppers-for-the-lin-12194292. It's filled with tips and techniques that can be used to weather anything.

Thanks for sharing the layout with us, Tom- what a treat! And thanks, too, for sharing all of your beautiful work in the MRH Forum. I'm looking forward to updates on the Erie Western!

Tom Patterson

Focus

Tom

 Great article and philosophy beyond your great modeling. Thanks for sharing, it inspires us mortals to keep trying.                                                                                                                                                      Ray

Nice job Tom!

Hey Tom,

Spectacular article! I'm glad to finally see your fine railroad featured in MRH. The article was timely with your move to the Erie Western prototype. Looking forward to your various motive power additions.

I still need to route some grain cars to the Allagash...originating on Erie Western!

Mike Confalone

A Fantastic Layout!

This is the kind of artistry that makes every grown adult modeler feel like a kid in a candy store!  I can never get enough of Tom's L&IN!  

Besides being a fellow Hoosier, I knew there was another reason I liked him - Go Irish!  

Inspirational

I've loved Tom's work from the instant I saw it (I remember well the "jaw dropped to floor" moment).

This article is way overdue and much appreciated.

Rob
Cornhill & Atherton RR

Erie Western

Tom and Don, I've been looking forward to this article since I first heard about it, and it didn't disappoint.  Thank you!  It was great to see Tom's layout get this kind of coverage.

Tom, if you'd care to explain, I'd love to hear more of the details behind your Erie Western switch.  Will you be modeling only prototype EW equipment now, or proto-freelancing an expanded EW roster?  How are the CR Geeps we discussed going to fit in?  Did the EW actually operate the prototype line on which the L&IN was based?

Finally, just a technical question about the article:  For me, using Chrome on Windows 8, the layout plan didn't render well.  It appeared as though all the turnouts were missing.  Something I'm doing wrong?

A BIG THANK YOU to everyone.

I want to take this time to thank everyone for all of your kind comments in this thread and on my blogs over the past couple of years.  

I also want to thank Don Hanley, Joe Fugate and the MRH crew for the great job they did with my article.  I'm very happy with it.  :o)  

Gary, Bill, Tom, Ray, Mike, TJR, and Rob.  A BIG THANK YOU to each and every one of you.  You are all an inspiration to me.  :o)

TJR, GO IRISH!!!  Not sure if we are at the same level as Bama yet.  They're putting in artificial turf and ND stadium this summer and adding a new press box on the other side along with more seats so they're making the right moves to compete with the SEC and ACC.  )

Tom Johnson

Thanks Joe!

Joe,

Your response showed up after I submitted my response to everyone.  Thanks Joe for your kind comments.  I'm telling ya, after following your IAIS, James McNab's IAIS, and the new one by Scott Thornton, I'd probably model the IAIS if I had to start all over again from scratch.  What a cool railroad.  It would be fun to model it in its early years with all of the patched power.  

I'm proto-freelancing an expanded EW roster along with 3 prototype locomotives that the EW actually owned.  The 3 prototype locos are RS3's #1600 and 1602, both special runs by Atlas.  They're pretty darn close to the prototype. Plus, I purchased the latest Atlas release of a Long Island C420 #205 which is very close to the EW prototype #205.  My "what if" power is a C430 (Bowser) that is main line power that shows up from time to time on my branch.  I also have a C420 on the work bench that represents a former Monon/L&N C420 that is painted white and will receive a slightly modified EW lettering scheme.  When and if Atlas ever gets around to doing the next run of RS1's, I'll have a couple of those as freelanced power.  I still have one undec Kato GP35 too.  

As for the Conrail GP9's?  I will probably sell them.  They are all weathered and not patched.  I love the new LokSound decoders in the Atlas RS3's and Bowser C430's.  What an awesome sound decoder.  I was also surprisingly impressed with the new QSI Titan C420 sound decoder.  Atlas stayed with QSI in the C420's this time.  Much better than earlier QSI decoders.  It's good enough to keep and not change.   

I am an Alco-haulic!!!  I will probably stay with an all Alco roster much like the KBS did for many years before changing over to EMD in recent years.  I have a lot of photos of their RS11's!  KBS is another awesome railroad to model. 

No, the EW did not service the South Bend Branch.  When Conrail abandoned it in 1979, it was history.  I'm bringing it back to life by having the line leased to the Erie Western to continue serving the grain elevators.  It is basically early L&IN with no purchased power yet. This is exactly how the prototype Fulton County Railroad in Rochester, Indiana handled things in the 90's.  They leased the Fulton County Railroad to the Indiana Hi Rail that provided the power.  Later on, the Hi Rail left and Fulton County used former Monon C420 for power.  Soon after that, they simply leased power from NS stationed at Argos, Indiana.  Now, it's all operated by Pioneer Rail Corp Elkhart and Western.  It's complicated but real life.  Anything goes with short line modeling.  :o)

Thanks again, Joe

Tom

Erie Western !

Well I didn't see that coming, look forward to those ex LI Hi nose C420's. Mines in the post from Walthers as I type this. As a long time follower of all things L&IN it's interesting to see how the layout's developed and in some ways got simpler. Did I spot Frank Cannon's Lincoln at Jones Grocery store. Do you intented to post more ERES photos on your usual blog?

Erie Western

alco251 and Chris

Thanks guys!!!

Simply One of the Best

Thanks Kevin

Thanks Kevin for your kind words.  I hear ya on how some folks in clubs want to fill every small space up with track and businesses served by the railroad.  I've had visitors ask why I didn't utilize this area or that area to fill up with more railroad.  I simply say "have you observed the real thing lately?"  On these small branch lines and short lines, you're not going to see track fill up every square acre.  Usually, you'll see only a run around and a spur to an elevator.  It's just that simple.  :o)

Tom

Screen problems on iPad

Great to see this on the

Great to see this on the pages of the mag finally. The EW makes for a fun twist. I must admit I'll miss the old L&IN roster.

Yeah! What he said...

I feel the same way. The EW has no resonance with me (yet!) but the L&IN has been like a long love affair. Mind you I prefer EMD over Alco, so that might colour my perspective a bit.

Looking forward to more updates Tom!

Hey Bill

I hear what you're saying.  The L&IN is still here.  It's just leased to the Erie Western in the early 80's is all.  Much like the Fulton County was leased to the Indiana Hi Rail and later to the Elkhart and Western (Pioneer Rail Corp).

Travis.  Thank you for the positive feedback.  I'm having lots of fun with the EW theme.  I found a bunch of decals for Erie Western in 3 different sizes from Herald King.  These are very nice decals and are in print once again. 

Tom

Ackislander

And a big THANK YOU to you also.  Tom

iPad reading ...

Go to the page you want to read, then wait about 15 seconds, then tap quickly on the middle of the article text somewhere to make the upper / lower nav bar overlay go away. You can also move to the page and just leave the page alone for a couple minutes and it will go away by itself. You may have to scroll the page up/down slightly to view all of it.

Be careful you don't do the quick tap on an ad, or you will zip off to the advertiser's website instead!

Beautiful

Never get tired of looking at your layout Tom. A beautiful railroad and a nice article. Very inspiring!

As usual

Well done Zen meister Tom.  He of the other-worldly scenery and effects thereof.   If only I can do half as well as you have, I will be happy with my efforts.   btw, Tom, you should come see us in St Louis on proto meet weekend of Aug. 8/9.  Always a good time, and fairly cheap too.   Would love to meet you and get some ideas from you as well.

Sincerely,

Ditto on the loss of the EMDs

I have to admit I'm in the same camp as Travis and Bill, but I suppose we all like what we're used to. The branch that ran by my boyhood home rarely strayed from standard GP9s and then GP38s so I grew to love the EMD chant as it wafted into my bedroom window while they dug in and climbed out of the river valley. Now modern GE's have added to the sounds I associate with railroading - but alas, I've never heard an Alco "burble" outside a museum setting - and museums just don't scratch my revenue-railroad itch.

Still, I too can't get enough of Tom's layout and modeling. I'm more into the physical plant and right-of-way anyway, and after spending last weekend in Van Wert, Ohio along the old PRR Fort Wayne mainline - now CF&E RR - I especially like those Pennsy position light signals. I like them enough - in fact - to have one in my home

(I do think I'll have to keep the 24' P.L. mast signals regulated to 1:87 scale, however. Pesky things, those homeowners associations are. Good thing Oregon Rail Supply kits have that covered well.)