Greater St. Louis Area
Model Railroad Layouts (K-O)
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high-resolution versions.
John C. Kalin
San Juan Southern
  The SJS is an Sn3 23’x50’ layout
modeled after the Colorado narrow gauge. Operation on
the SJS is point to point over 225 feet of mainline
track with a varying height between 44" to
73". The layout portrays the RGS from Ridgeway to
Rico during the late 1930s to early 1940s.
 Trains start at Ridgeway/Rico (which is a
double ended staging yard) and proceed to
 Vance Junction, Ophir, the High Line and
Lizard Head. At Vance Junction, the 150’ long
Telluride Branch runs to Telluride and Pandora. Scenery
is approximately 50% complete. Easy DCC and SoundTraxx. Digital
images by Tom Troughton. Scenic
Vista. Big Bridge. Engine close-up. At the mine.
Herb Koenig
Cordite and Flatriver
  The C&F is a fictitious
narrow gauge railroad located in Colorado during the 30’s.
This HO/HOn3 Colorado layout occupies an 18’x22’
room. Breathtaking scenery, with the layout extending
from knee level to the ceiling, and a
 seven foot curved trestle,
greets the visitor while hand laid ties and rail make
this step back to railroading’s glory days complete.
See the scratchbuilt model of the Devil’s Gate Bridge
of George Town Loop fame. Backdrop painted by Greg Gray.
Digitrax DCC. Digital images by Tom Troughton. Over the trestle.Curved trestle. Mill.
Hank Kraichely
Burlington Route
 The CB&Q IL/MO division
depicts the run from St. Louis (MO) to Alton (IL).
Several large industrial complexes feed business to the
"Q" including the 5’x8’ Portland Cement
Co, Portland’s Missouri River quarry, a large brewery
complex, plus many other industries.
 Katy has trackage rights,
plus there is an active interchange with the Terminal
Railroad (TRRA) and MP. Digitrax walk around throttles
are used on this large 28’x38’ C shaped layout with
an additional layout extension under construction. This
HO layout was featured on the cover of the June 2001
issue of the NMRA Bulletin. Photos by Chris
Oestreich.
Kenneth Kroschwtz
K-10 Model Trains
 Ken has a huge HO layout
under construction, which fills a 60x81 foot room. The
layout is designed for operation with two 255-foot loops
powered by conventional DC block control.
 In addition, Ken also has
two upper level Digitrax DCC loops which combine into a
single main line. These loops cover 550 feet in a twice
around the layout movement. The layout features three
very large yards and a switching branchline.
Approximately 95% of the track has been installed while
scenery is in an early stage. The layout room has an
elevated viewing area and is completely handicapped
accessible. The K-10 Hobby Shop (618-288-9720) is
located in the same building. Photos by Richard
Schumacher.
Kirkwood Railroad Association
This large 30’x40’ HO club layout has two large
freight and passenger yards along with a scratchbuilt
St. Louis station and engine facility. Long steam
and diesel powered trains run on this 1950-1970 era
railroad.
 Richard and Venita Lake
El Dorado & El Reno Railroad / CRI&P
This golden era layout features a double deck climb
through the Ouachita Mountains of western Arkansas from
the industrial hub of El Dorado to the CRIP/KCS
interchange yard at Howe Wye, OK. Interchange traffic
from the Rock Island, St. Louis Southwestern and
St. Louis Southern appears on "The Golden
Route." Multiple staging tracks at both ends of the
line allow realistic 1950’s era operation with both
steam and diesel power. One branch serves Lillie (La)
while another meanders its way to the scenic summit
of Rich Mountain. North Coast Engineering DCC and
Soundtraxx. Construction began December 1999.
John Leahy
This freelance 12’x20’ HO railroad runs
throughout the Midwest in the late 1950s to mid 1960s.
You’ll see steam and diesels running through a double
helix from the lower staging to the main level.
Burlington, Frisco, UP and IC trains operate on this
layout. Digitrax DCC. Benchwork 100%, electrical 75%,
scenery 30%.
Bob Lenz
Colorado & Western
Be treated by this HO/HOn3 layout set in Colorado.
The standard gauge Colorado and Western interchanges
with the narrow gauge Aspen Junction in a dual gauge
yard. The narrow gauge mining line climbs from 48"
to 74" through a series of switchbacks as it serves
the mining district around Basalt and Aspen. The layout
occupies a 20’x40’ room with bridges, trestles, lots
of rockwork, and scenery to the ceiling. Night operation
is simulated with black light which displays the fully
lit town to its fullest. Take in the tons of detail and
the many trestles.
Genevieve & James Liston
This "L" shaped layout is constructed of
two 4’x8’ boards and features over 70 feet of
trackage. It is a multi-era Lionel layout with numerous
working accessories. Department 56 ceramic building and
trees covers the portion of the layout not already
covered by track. Half of the layout is a quaint village
with City Hall, Mayor’s mansion, library, churches,
homes and a town square with streetlights. The other
half has an industrial setting with yard lights, smoking
chimneys, telephone poles, crossing gates, station,
diner and coaling station. Be prepared for a walk down
memory lane when you visit this fine Lionel layout.
David Lotz
Burlington & Missouri River Railroad
The B&MRRR is an HO scale layout depicting the
Burlington to Creston, Iowa portion of the CB&Q as
if it maintained its autonomy in 1872, becoming a wholly
owned subsidiary of the CB&Q. Actual construction
began in January 2000 on this around-the-room, bi-level
layout in a 37x30 foot basement. Departing the Galesburg
staging yard, the 300’ double-tracked mainline will
cross a selectively compressed, yet 16’ long bridge
over the Mississippi, goes through the Burlington yards,
ascends the West Burlington Hill and past a planned,
scale-sized, nine-foot long locomotive shop at West
Burlington before proceeding westward through Osceola to
the Creston staging yard. Operation is controlled with
Digitrax DCC. The scenery will be designed for multi-era
operating sessions spanning the 1930’s through the
1980’s.
http://www.burlingtonroute.com
Dave Lyon
The Downe & Audt Line
The freelance HO layout is set in the 1950-1960 era
and represents a small branchline that struggles to
service the local timber trade (mostly defunct) and an
abandoned bat guano mining operation. A small farm trade
and passenger service to nearby Downe Town completes the
revenue picture for this small line. With trackage
winding through the mountainous plains area of somewhere
in mid-America, the D&AL features steam and early
diesel motive power acquired somewhat late in life from
various better known lines. Digitrax DCC.
New Switzerland Club
This mixed era, freelance, NTRAK modular 17’x28’
layout features walkaround radio control, staging yards
running into the center of the layout, and a mountain
branchline. The 24 members are especially proud of their
coal mine, grain elevators and cities on this N version
of the Boulder, Denver & Northwestern, which was
called the "Switzerland" line. This railroad
is anticipated to be on display at the National Train
Show.
Ray Magoffin
The 11’x22’ HO railroad is a modified version of
the Atlas "Pan Handle" over and under design
with additional track and siding. The four track
classification yard and small locomotive service
facility is connected to the mainline with two wyes.
Three cabs operate steam and diesel motive power of
different railroad, past and present.
Boeing (McDonnell
Douglas) Model Railroad Club
These two modular layouts are housed in trailers
owned by the group and set up for charitable
organizations and train shows. This railroad is
anticipated to be on display at the National Train Show.
Metro East Model Railroad
Club
Litchfield & Madison
This 18’x27’ layout of the Litchfield &
Madison is built in a fire station in Glen Carbon, IL.
The 900 total feet of trackage depicts scenes from
historic Glen Carbon between 1920 and 1945 and features
its three main railroads: Illinois Central, Nickel
Plate, and Litchfield & Madison. The layout includes
Peter’s Station grain elevator, the brick works, three
coal mines, IC and NKP stations, and many other local
landmarks and industries. 91 Tortise powered turnouts
and six cabs.
   Randolph Meyer
Canyon & Rocky Mountain Railroad
A 54’x26’ Sn3 John Armstrong custom designed
layout using coved background corners and ceiling set in
the high mountains of Colorado. The scenery extends from
near the floor to the ceiling, with extensive scenic
backdrop paintings by Greg Gray. The backdrop and
scenery
 are designed to highlight
the extensive collection of highly detailed PBL narrow
gauge (Soundtraxx equipped) engines.
 The line climbs from a
52" dual gauge yard at Salida to a 67"
switchback mining area in the Red Mountains. Two
branchlines provide additional lumber and mining traffic
for the mainline narrow gauge D&RGW. Control is with
Digitrax DCC.
 Randy
is famous for his plaster scenery clinics (where he
covers the room in plastic first). This layout is on the
cover of the February 2001 NMRA Bulletin. First
two photos by Gary Hoover. Trestle.
Bridge. On the mainline
digital image by Tom Troughton. Photo by Richard
Schumacher of Randy
and his helper preparing for a MCoR clinic. Six
additional digital images by Richard Schumacher.
 Midwest Valley
Modelers
This layout depicts individual scenes in Illinois and
Missouri you would find along "Route 66"
during the fifties. A unique aspect of this
transportable 35’x9.5’ layout is the uniformly
flowing scenery between "modules" providing
tight integration of the scenes. The layout features a
"sunlight" quality directional lighting
system, handlaid code 70 track, scale wheelsets, and
prototype-sized turnouts including number 20 crossovers.
The scenery features a number of novel techniques and
materials to create extremely realistic and photogenic
effects. Ten modelers, including nationally known Ken
Patterson and Mike Buddy, have combined their talents to
make this a truly captivating layout. Most recently
featured in Great Model Railroads 2001. Photo
by Ken Patterson.
Ralph Miller
Midwest & Northern Rail System
The MW&N leases engines and rolling stock,
operates yards, and does repair work on railroad
equipment. It operates throughout Illinois, Wisconsin
and Minnesota. The main operating theme is the mining of
iron ore - from pit to steel mill. The layout is in a 15’x20’
room and built on two levels. The "L" shaped
upper deck features a large yard and adjacent big city.
The lower "G" shaped deck supports mining and
other industries. A hidden inner railroad climbs the
wall, connecting the two levels. A five track hidden
staging yard is located beneath the lower deck. The
railroad has 540 feet of track and 63 turnouts. It uses
Digitrax DCC. "It’s a work in progress where the
visitor can expect to see some partially completed
scenery and rolling stock and some raw benchwork."
Glenn Mueller
Mississippi Valley Traction Co.
This O scale interurban layout consists of a 9’x18’
section of "city" and 12’x15’ section of
"suburban" landscape. All power is delivered
through the overhead trolley which Glenn swears works
flawlessly when only he is observing. The roster
contains five passenger interurbans (including a Pacific
Electric 1300 series combine and an Indiana RR
lightweight), a North Shore locomotive, Pacific Electric
and Indiana RR freight motors and a motorized Corgi St.
Louis PCC streetcar. An Illinois Terminal Alton center
door car has been recently added. Most of the buildings
in the "city" are scratchbuilt copies of
actual 19th century buildings in St. Louis.
Drawings were scaled from photos and the models built of
5/16" cast hydrocal walls.
Pat Mullins
Connecticut Yankee RR
This 1960s northeastern HO railroad, in a 16’x22’
room with hidden staging in an adjoining room, has over
200 feet of track and conventional two-cab control. See
mountains, wood and steel trestles, and a kitbashed
bridge.
Bob O’Neill
Pennsy & NYC
Big steam rules this beautiful PRR & NYC
interchange point O scale 16’x32’ railroad in a
dedicated room above a two-car garage. A large yard with
city scene is the setting for the 22 engines (some with
PFM sound) and over 200 freight cars which operate on
this layout. Bob also has a very large tinplate
collection that will also be on display.
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