LDJ-61 SECOND QUARTER 2018 (FULL-COLOR, 40 PAGES)
Issue Summary:
Emphasis is on switching-oriented designs, highlighting how realistic operations and compressed prototypes can be adapted into home layouts. A wide range of scales demonstrates the creativity required to translate large railroad operations into compact spaces. Don Winn’s feature on the CB&Q in Aurora, Illinois, sets the tone by showing how a full basement concept can be distilled into a bedroom-sized switching challenge, balancing industry density with operational flow. Michael Hardwick’s Western Pacific San Jose layout continues this theme with progress updates, showing how a modest N scale layout can carry deep prototype fidelity and operating interest. Jonathan Jones’s exploration of the CNJ Newark Branch adds an artistic and architectural dimension to layout design, marrying historical research with aesthetic choices that focus attention on the railroad itself. The issue further includes Nicholas Kalis’s insights from museum dioramas, which translate display techniques into model railroad settings, and Don Winn’s benchwork tips inspired by conventions.
Together, these contributions underscore a movement toward prototypical fidelity, urban and industrial switching, and creative problem-solving for small spaces. Themes of compression, staging strategies, and balancing realism with practicality resonate throughout, offering readers both inspiration and practical tools to improve their own layout planning.
Table of Contents
Features
Switching the CB&Q in Aurora, IL – Don Winn – Page 4
WP in San Jose Progress Report – Michael Hardwick – Page 11
CNJ’s Newark & New York Railroad – Jonathan Jones – Page 14
Learning from Museum Masters – Nicholas Kalis – Page 30
Benchwork Ideas from Orlando 2017 – Don Winn – Page 33
News and Departments
LDJ Update – Byron Henderson – Page 3
LDJ, Volunteers, Kansas City – Ron Burkhardt – Page 3
Future LDJ Articles and Topics – Page 32
LDSIG Board of Directors Election – Page 35
LDJ Questions, Comments, Corrections – Page 39*
KC NMRA 2018, LDSIG Annual Meeting – Page 40
Detailed Summaries
Title: Switching the CB&Q in Aurora, IL; Spare-room HO Switching Challenge previews home layout; Page 4
Series: Switching Challenge; originating in LDJ-59
Author: Don Winn
Railroad Modeled: Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
Location: Aurora, Illinois
Era: 1966
Scale: HO
Size: spare room; 10′ x 10’10” plus closet; around the walls ‘G’ shape
Techniques: Switching focus; subterranean staging yard; hidden staging access; compressed prototype industries; street running; drop-leaf sections; usable closet; simplifying areas and industries to be modeled; window access; free-standing peninsula; double sided backdrop; utilizing space behind a door; G-shaped layout plan
Article Summary: The CB&Q’s Aurora, Illinois operations can be compressed into a spare roomsized switching layout. Aurora was a hub for commuter, passenger, and freight traffic, and this complexity distills into a selective representation of Eola Yard, Alley Job, Montgomery industries, and the West Batavia branch. The design employs a G-shaped plan with staging, Eola yard compression, and key industries like Caterpillar, Lyon Metal, and Stephens-Adamson. Special attention is paid to closet integration, removable scenery, and staging below the main level. Operations are rich, with multiple locals and switching jobs, while prototype scenes such as the Fox River bridge are faithfully represented. The article demonstrates balancing realism with room constraints, making it both a personal design exercise and an inspirational example for readers.
Revised 2026-05- 31
Title: WP in San Jose Progress Report; Compact N scale switching layout from LDJ-58 is underway; Page 11
Author: Michael Hardwick
Railroad Modeled: Western Pacific (WP) (San Jose Branch)
Location: San Jose, California
Era: 1962
Scale: N
Size: shelf; 1.5′ x 10′ with removable staging, in a 10’ x 18’ room
Techniques: Compact prototype modeling; traverser staging; sectional design; DCC control; removable sections; lap siding; Tortoise mounting panels;
Article Summary: A photographic update from LDJ-58 on the N scale Western Pacific layout. The layout captures the San Jose branch with signature features such as Sunol siding, Borchers Brothers cement plant, and the Western Pacific freight depot. The design uses sectional benchwork, a traverser staging system, and removable shelves for dual-purpose room use. Hardwick highlights operational flow with small industries such as fruit packers and ice docks while maintaining fidelity to the prototype’s appearance. Progress illustrated how thoughtful design can yield a rich operating environment in limited space, emphasizing that small layouts can still provide deep engagement with a prototype.
Revised 2026-05- 31
Title: CNJ’s Newark & New York Railroad; Innovative techniques on an urban N-scale switching layout; Page 14
Author: Jonathan Jones
Railroad Modeled: Central Railroad of New Jersey (CNJ) (Newark Branch)
Location: Newark , New Jersey
Era: 1955
Scale: N
Size: shelf; Approx. 7′ x 20′
Techniques: Urban switching; shelf design; black velvet backdrop design treatment; staging yard; staging yard with turntable escape; operational value; removable fiddle yard; artistic sensibility; muted treatment of non-railroad buildings; passenger operations; commuter operations; compact passenger terminal; selecting scenes; prototype right of way modeling; scene planning sketches; elevated earthen embankments; double-slip turnout considerations; signature bridges; designing for operations; design train length; schematic drawing; cross section drawings; representational structures; Sanborn maps; Fast Tracks turnout jigs; hollow core door construction; hinged valances; sight lines; overhead LED lighting canopy; apartment design considerations
Article Summary: The CNJ Newark Branch is reimagined in an N scale shelf layout designed for an apartment. Drawing inspiration from historical research and architectural sensibilities, Jones models the Broad Street terminal, East Ferry Street truss bridge, and key industries such as CNJ five story warehouse, Celanese Chemical, and the lead to Lehigh & Wilkes-Barre Coal. The design emphasizes artistic presentation, with subdued backdrops to focus viewer attention on trains and infrastructure. Jones integrates staging to represent connections beyond the modeled portion, while handlaid Code 55 track ensures prototypical fidelity. The article is as much about design philosophy as layout construction, advocating for minimalism, selective compression, and visual focus in N scale. It demonstrates how a small-space urban railroad can deliver operational depth and aesthetic sophistication.
Revised 2026-05-31
Title: Learning from Museum Masters; Model railroading techniques from museum dioramas; Page 30
Author: Nicholas Kalis
Railroad Modeled: Not specific (lessons from museum dioramas)
Location: N/A
Era: N/A
Scale: N/A
Size: N/A
Techniques: Diorama composition; selective detailing; visual storytelling; perspective; lighting; scale reduction
Article Summary: Museum dioramas can provide lessons for layout design. Techniques such as controlled sightlines, focal points, and abstraction can convey narrative power. By applying museum display strategies, modelers can enhance realism, evoke emotion, and improve visual clarity. The article emphasizes that not every detail must be modeled literally; instead, carefully chosen features can convey atmosphere and context more effectively. Readers are encouraged to think like exhibit designers, using composition and focus to elevate model railroading from miniature replication to immersive storytelling.
Revised 2026-05-31
Title: Benchwork Ideas from Orlando 2017; Movable sections for access and staging; Page 33
Author: Don Winn
Railroad Modeled: N/A
Location: N/A
Era: N/A
Scale: N/A
Size: N/A
Techniques: Benchwork design; sectional framing; storage integration; six level double track staging elevator
Article Summary: Don Winn shares insights gained from the 2017 Orlando convention on benchwork construction. He presents a lift gate, a hinged turn back loop, and a six level double trackelevator allowing for run through on both decks
Revised 2026-05-31
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