Check out this gallery of bonus photos from Gary Hoover's HO scale model train layout
Gary Hoover models the Norfolk & Western Ry. in the late 1950s through Virginia and West Virginia. Many of the scenes on his 24 x 49 foot model railroad are inspired by the famed railroad photographer, O. Winston Link. Gary’s model train layout is also the cover story of the April 2020 Model Railroader. Enjoy this bonus gallery of additional trackside photos along the N&W!
At Blue Ridge, Va., westbound passenger traffic emerges from a tunnel just as an eastbound coal drag caboose enters. The signals were scratch built using Oregon Rail Supply heads and yellow LEDs.
It’s a cold and misty day at Creek Junction on the Abingdon Branch as northbound train number 202 stops for water. A light snow has fallen the night before. White latex caulking with a little snow sprinkled on top was used to create the ice along the creek’s edges.
This photo shows the some of the layout under construction. After the initial scenery is carved using a reciprocating saw, a Dremel Multimax along with saw blades, knives and wire brushes create the detailed scenery. Be sure to wear protective equipment for your eyes, hands and breathing.
An ancient Z1A pulls a string of empties into the company town near Delorme Mine early in the morning. Since there is no turning facility at the mine. the locomotive will run in reverse back to Auville Yard at Iaeger, WV.
Engine 382 has just arrived with train 201 and prepares to take water at the West Jefferson water tank. The tank is mostly scratchbuilt with the exception of the main tank and roof which are from a Walthers kit. The sheds are all scratchbuilt. Engine 382 is a brass import that I painted and weathered.
Train 201 south is arriving at West Jefferson, NC on a very cold winter day. The West Jefferson depot is seen in the background. Soon the engine will be turned on the wye for the return trip to Abingdon, VA. as train 202. The foliage in the foreground was made from scraps of Scenic Express Super Trees. Real dead leaves were collected in the fall, allowed to dry over the winter and then finely ground in a blender. Hairspray was used to fix the leaves to the trees.
On this cloudy cold winter afternoon, engine 382 has turned on the wye and will soon couple to the ancient baggage and coach cars for the return trip to Abingdon, VA. Perhaps the locals on the store’s porch have just bought a few presents for Christmas, which is only a few days away. (Note: I’m not sure if this or any similar store existed in West Jefferson since photos of this town are very limited. In any event, the structure from Downtown Deco seemed to fit nicely into the scene. The sky and background trees were photographed on a similar cloudy winter day, converted to black and white, and added to the scene via Photoshop.)
O. Winston Link made an excellent night shot at this location called Bridge 425. On an unusually warm day in the late fall, we catch a westbound freight with an A class on the point imposing on an unimpressed fisherman.
The track leading to the mine scene on the upper deck blends into the lower deck scenery just past Forest. Dimmable high intensity LED strip lights are mounted directly under the upper deck to illuminate the lower deck area.
FULL SCREEN
