This past weekend, Dr Wayne and I went on the "Doubleheaders" layout tour in the Kitchener-Waterloo area of southern Ontario. The tour is self-directed, so you sign up at the club HQ and armed with a map, and GPS, set off to see the member's layouts. The map has a list of the various layouts with descriptions of scale and theme, so you can pick and choose the ones you want to see.

Our first stop was at a new RR club, tucked way around the back of a small industrial complex, with tracks running behind as well. They were in the process of cleaning up and prepping the space for a large layout, and had also started work on a modular layout for shows. It will be interesting to go back next year to see what progress they've made.



This is the next layout. I was planning to be a lot more organized about this, but I'm afraid I'm just not that kind of person!!! I can tell you it was HO, and featured thousands of beautifully crafted trees all over the hills, and some very nice CSX motive power.









Dispatcher's corner:



Stunning scenery:





Plexiglass sides protect the layout across the duckunder:



Just outside of the layout room. I love the trains across the mantel. This track continues along, under the stairs and connects back to the layout again.

The next layout was also HO set in the American southwest and featuring Sante Fe. Unfortunately none of the pix of the Sante Fe diesels turned out - they were moving too fast. But here's a shot of the roundhouse area:



Neat illuminated number boards and side numbers:



Next up is an O-scale layout featuring CN and CP. Again, a lot of shots were too blurry, but here's a few that turned out ok.









One thing I really like about O-scale is how detailed the cars and trucks are. I took these for Mikey, and all you other antique car fans.



Check out the Studebaker Golden Hawk! I used to have a toy one of these as a kid:



Well, I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour.

cheers
Val

Val, those were some nice layouts!! I really like the second one you posted, with all those trees!! Man thats a beautiful layout, i wish i could see it in person lol

Thanks for sharing with us

Excellent photos Val.

I wish I could have gotten away from the shop for that one, but since I was already slated to be at the Lindsay show this weekend, I could not close the shop 2 saturdays in a row.

BTW, will you make it to the Lindsay show?

Wow...really nice work on those layouts. Thanks for posting the pics.

Great pictures, Val, and a nice reminder of a fun outing.

Wayne

Thanks guys! It was a great day and we had fun. Excellent company, burgers slathered with cheese and bacon, onions rings, and fries for lunch, great weather, neat layouts, a real train passing by - what more could you want?

Will_Annand Wrote:Excellent photos Val.

I wish I could have gotten away from the shop for that one, but since I was already slated to be at the Lindsay show this weekend, I could not close the shop 2 saturdays in a row.

BTW, will you make it to the Lindsay show?

Got any more info on the show Will? It would be nice to see you - it's been awhile!

cheers
Val

Thanks for sharing the pics Val! Looks like a fun day out. I am very admiring of the layout with all of the individually made trees!
Ralph

THose are some great layouts! Layout tours look like great fun!

Info on the show below.

As for me, I will be there both days and Cecilia (my wife) will be there on Sunday.
I will be at the NMRA table, kitbashing two Cheltenham Stations into a factory.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.trainweb.org/ldmr/show.htm">http://www.trainweb.org/ldmr/show.htm</a><!-- m -->

Ooohhh...I thought we were gonna get a tour of YOUR layout....Look forward to seeing how your amazing steel mill is coming along....
Not that there's anything wrong with these other ones....I'd love to see that O-gauge...Those locos and rolling stock are so massive....
Thanks for taking the time to share with us....

Nice tour.
Glad you and others that went on the tour took pics and shared them with us.

Thanks for sharing the pics. Did you manage to visit any other layouts? I didn't make the tour this year, but I plan to again next year.

I like the logs in the lumber yard in the fourth picture down. Good idea.

Nice pics Val! It's a good compliment to the pics I posted over here... you hit a few of the layouts I missed this year.