2020 TOUR Model RR Layout Overview HO Scale Maine Central based Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad 1080p
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- 2020 HO Scale Model Train Layout Overview Tour of Maine Central based Portland & Ogdensburg Railroad.
Don Sauret narrates a basic overview of his model railroad layout. The layout features representations of Portland Maine, St Johnsbury, Crawford Notch, Willey Brooke, and other location. The Railroads are Boston and Maine and Maine Central. The period modeled is 1960. The model railroad is HO Scale aka 1/87 scale. The layout runs on Digitraxx Digital Command Control (DCC) and locomotives are primarily using Soundtrax decoders.
Layout by Don Sauret
Video and Editing by Don and Dana Sauret
Your trees look more realistic than most. The trains you model are ones I remember growing up around. The places are one I know very too. Being a Boston and Maine fan, this represents my favorites. I remember seeing Maine Central E and F units when living in N. Conway in the 60's. Thanks.
Thanks for the kind comments. We have some new videos in the works, a bit different from the layout tours, but still Maine & New England theme.
After some searching, the Maine Central locomotives I remember seeing were more likely to be F units. I have a copy of F. Nelson Blount's autographed book he published with Fred Richardson. I live north of N. Walpole.
@@ralley145 Maine Central rostered 2 F-3 AB sets, built 1947, and 6 F-3 A's, built 1948. In the 50's, they also had 20 GP-7's, from several orders. The geeps were often MU'd with the F's, as well as Boston & Maine units thrown into the mix. I lived in New Gloucester, Maine, in the 1950's, and remember seeing all kinds of combinations. I think the crews liked the F-unit cabs, as the GP units always seemed to be in the middle. I even remember E-units mixed with F's on that line! They ran all over the system, and as you say, they seemed to be everywhere. I think all the cab units were gone by about 1966, with the F's being traded for GP-38's, and at least some of the E's went to KCS, and two were scrapped.
Edwin B. Robertson had a couple of nifty little paperback books covering Maine Central diesels, as well as one on Maine Central steam. I don't know how hard they are to find these days, as I suspect they are long out of print.
I live in Maine so I like it when people model the B&M or the Maine central, Guilford rail all of those
I lived in Maine in the 50's, so my layout reflects my memories, more than actual history. My childhood home is actually in one of the photo backdrops.
Cool, I only have a few Maine central and Boston and Maine locos but there still good
What a wonderful layout! But I have to laugh. The Maine Central! While high school punks in Fall, 1966, a classmate and I went 8 miles south to Bangor to interview office personnel for a "school research project". The Maine Central staff were smarter than us and gave us false information. Of course, we were looking for a freight train to jump on like hobos. We waited north of Old Town in the bushes for hours, but of course a train never came. We went on to other adventures that day, including getting kicked out of Canada near Houlton and spending a scary night in a Portland park. Those were very different days. If my grandchildren tried these pranks today, I would suffer an apoplexy. Still, I remember the Maine Central moving on tracks along the Penobscot River. By the way, my classmate is still practicing law in Boston, and I am a retired professor from the UHawai'i system. I hope to see more videos of your layout.
What a great story! Thanks for watching, and be sure to check out our other videos.
No other word but "Wow" You have masterfully captured the flavor of Portland and the Mountain Sub. Seeing the B&M plant, I can almost smell the baked beans like I used to be able to do driving by on the Interstate.
Thanks for the kind comments! My Dad worked at the B&M plant for a while in the 50's, at which time they were doing cryogenic flash-freezing for (I think) Birdseye, among others. Sort of an homage to the old man.
Yes the transition era !! I love this time period.
Most model railroaders tend to collect things from different eras, and it is a challenge to come up with "excuses" to mix it all together. I am no different, and the transition era helps a lot!
wow your layout is incredible!
Your comment is greatly appreciated. My skills are only average, but persistence and learning from your mistakes (and those of others!) pays off. This layout is the source of great satisfaction for me, and a load of fun for up to about a half-dozen operators. With Covid coming under control, I am hoping to put a session together with multiple operators, which should be fun to watch, as well. Thank you!
Love the weathering on the steam loco. Foliage looks great. Excellent layout.
Thank you for your kind comments.
Oh my! Your set up is fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing here on UA-cam!!
Glad you like it!
Great presentation and great layout!
Thank you for watching!
Having been born and raised in St J., this was awesome to see. Great job! Beautiful layout!
Glad you enjoyed it! I hope my representation of your beautiful city did not offend in any way. I love that place!
My Uncle John Black, who is a friend of Don's, gave me the opportunity to participate in an OP session a few weeks before shipping to USAF training. I loved running trains and Don's layout certainly is a masterpiece. I've seen many beautiful layouts, but there's something about Don's that just makes it better than the rest; the wiring, the attention to detail, the scenery, the weathering of the equipment, EVERYTHING. While it'll be a while before I can even begin my layout(s), Don's layout holds ideas and inspiration that I intend to implement on my layout. Hopefully when I get some leave time and come home I can come over for another OP session, with Don's permission of course. :) Thanks for posting! Happy model railroading!
Adam, I really enjoyed the opportunity to share the railroad with you and John. You are welcome here whenever circumstances permit. We had a great time, and look forward to more. Thank you for your kind comments!
That is masterpiece in every aspect
Thank you, you are very kind!
Beautiful craftsmanship, superb layout! The electronics and the housing for them as well as the switch panels are inspiring..wow! nice!
Thank you very much! I appreciate your comments.
5:57 lived in depot SQ top flr round living rm loved it. Sadly ST J is turning into a ghost town we have lost most stores and Kaplan's just closed. But your layout is Excellent!!!! Thanks for the tour!!
How very cool that you lived in that building! Sorry to hear that St J is winding down. I always loved going there.
Beautiful layout,love the old B&M!
Many thanks!
This is one of the best railroads that I have seen. Beautiful layout well done!
Thanks for watching, and the kind comments!
Great video showing the entire railroad. Great job on the layout and the video. It is a fun layout to run, and there is always something different that comes up to challenge you.
Your layout is a hot candidate for a tour as well, and we will have to give it a go when Covid is under control.
Very nice layout! Looks like fun operations. Thanks
Thanks so much. We're aiming to at least record a multi camera live stream operation session Saturday. Tomorrow. Check back!
I am pleased that the planning paid off on this layout, as is is endless entertainment for me and whatever friends I can round up!
I barely remember the Mountain Division going through Steep Falls, Brownfield Fryeburg. I really miss them
Me too!
Very photogenic layout. Beautiful scenery & structures. The various wood items like panels, throttle holders, etc are well done and certainly add to the layout. Would have liked to have seen some trains running.
Thanks for your comments. Our other videos are almost exclusively trains running, but had requests for more information on the overall setup. I do understand your desire for moving trains, though! Check out our other videos, and we will try to include more action on future releases! Thank you!
Very high level of craftsmanship!
Thank you. I appreciate your comments. If you would like to see more, there is now a 3 part in depth tour. Part 1 is youtu.be/gryV_Xyz
Part 2: ua-cam.com/video/LeQoAzWs2Gc/v-deo.html
Part 3: ua-cam.com/video/OV55znG5fHM/v-deo.html
Thanks for sharing you model railroad Don. I enjoyed it and also subscribed.
I am building a large HO steam era mountain layout here in NJ with steep grades and wide vertical separation. (Colorado type RR...I was a big John Allen fan). I have a long way to go to get to your level of operation. I currently have about 200 feet of mainline run and another 200 feet (approx) to go.
I like to scratch build bridges to scale and they take quite a long time to complete, so the mainline is taking me quite a while to complete. I am currently building a wooden Howe truss through bridge. I built a wooden Howe Deck bridge years ago and always wanted the through style also and finally got around to building one. Where I will install it will be another challenge with my spontaneous decision to build one!
Thanks and great looking layout. Great detail and I am going to follow your suggestion with all electronics. I will be running 12AWG Bus wire some time soon and I will keep your suggestion in mind with the DCC control units/power supplies, etc. All the best. Thanks.
Phil
Sounds like you have a major project underway! I think John Allen inspired many of us "seasoned" modelers years ago with his dramatic scenery and expert photography. Having visited the Colorado narrow gauge railroads many times, I can understand the desire to model something like that. Fabulous!
@@HappyHoboTrains Yes, John was a great inspiration for sure. I do believe it was his dramatic scenery that grabbed my attention first back in the 1960's MR and RMC magazines. I still have all those vintage magazines luckily and of course there are other modelers I admire and respect as well, like Allen McClelland and his V&O and Earl Smallshaw's Middletown and Mystic Mines.
I was lucky to become friends with Earl and we communicated via email quite a bit in years past. I did visit him twice in Middletown, CT (about 135 miles from my NJ location) and even did a video for Earl for his website back around 2008-09. Earl's website is down now because of his passing, but I still have the video up on UA-cam. We had a great time filming it and many mishaps as I had offered to film it spontaneously during my second visit and Earl didn't have time to prepare, but it was a very memorable and a fun time we had.
Your layout is very inspirational too and I love the very finished off look you have achieved. Super nice layout you have built Don...Thanks...
Phil
I still appreciate some of the things the pioneers of the hobby taught us. Thanks, Allen McClelland, for the idea of "good enough". Do well what you can, and go back later and fill in the missing details as you are able. Don't take yourself too seriously, and don't get too hung up on perfection. I always enjoyed John Allen's subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) touches of humor. A casual observer will miss most of it, but the sharp eye will get a smile. And I am sure you are aware, photography is a sure fire way to find the stuff that isn't right! There is always more to do.
@@HappyHoboTrains Yes, I agree on all points. I also agree about not taking yourself or things in the hobby too seriously. (I feel that holds true for life in general)...And being full time photographer, I definitely agree and know images always show up what many times the eye will miss. Even when I am shooting a wedding!...(as long as I make the bride look amazing).
Are you originally from the Northeast? It seems kind of logical being as you're modeling up north, although I picked Colorado, so maybe that doesn't hold so true...BTW: I have a very good friend living in Tampa. He loves it down there.
Phil
@@uptownphotography Yes, I grew up in Maine in the 1950's, but have been "away" since 1959, and a Floridian since 1966. I had a model train store in Tampa from 1973 to 2003, when I sold the store and retired. I know lots of model railroaders in the Tampa area due to the store, so may actually know your friend.
I tried in the early 70's to mode the south, but everyone said "hey, your scenery is great. It looks just like New England", so decided to go with the flow, and tried to do Maine Central.
wow there is a lot of work in this layout. I really appreciated the tour
It's a step at a time. This layout "came out of the ground" in 2011, and I expect to be working on it for the rest of my life. There are some models on the layout that date back to 1957, so it really is a lifetime hobby.
Thanks for sharing your amazing railroad. You have the talent to make scenes appear believable. Great use of backdrops and building flats to expand your scenes. I have enjoyed your cab ride videos but it is nice change to tour the layout with your commentary.
Thanks. I thought this would be interesting for folks to see where the tight shots were made, and see how the railroad is jammed into a modest space and still leave operators room to breathe.
Awesome layout
Thanks for the kind words. We are working on a new video right now, which will feature some new scenes and equipment.
Awesome modellrailway. It looks beautiful. Fantastic.
Glad you approve! Thank you for watching and your kind comments.
What a beautiful layout!
Thank you so much! Glad you enjoyed it. There will be more.
I am a simple man. I see, I like, I subscribe. Great layout!!
Thanks. Hope you enjoy our viideos!
Hello cousin Don, greetings from Maine. Very nice layout. This video just showed up in my UA-cam feed.
Welcome aboard, David! We have about a dozen videos up now, should you be interested. This is still a learning experience, but I think we are making progress.
Thank you! I will subscribe. I will have to bring this to the attention of uncle Jim Farwell in case he doesn’t know about it yet.
@@davidedwards1855 Uncle Jim should be on top of anything to do with Conway Scenic, I would think! Rattle his cage! He could be a real asset. Thank you!
Very nice layout, well done.
Many thanks!
Love the convertibles on the road.
Yeah, but no Mini!
What an awesome layout. The scenery is excellent and the switches and electronics are very well done. Thanks for sharing. I subbed. Armando 👍👍
Thanks very much for watching and commenting.
Thank you for showing your layout! Great work.
You are very welcome. Several models on this layout were built by another very capable military modeler, Glenn Bartolotti. I'm sure he also appreciates your interest! Thanks for the comments.
awesome layout. operations sound fun👍
We plan to do live operation streams soon! Maybe tomorrow!
The Shipit! program is complex, and has a bit of a learning curve, but does it ever work well! It's from Albion Software, and called Shipit! (with the exclamation mark).
Excellent tour! Your layout looks awesome!
Thank you! Be aware that we have posted part 1 of a more in depth look at this layout, with part 2 to be ready very shortly. ua-cam.com/video/gryV_Xyzis4/v-deo.html will take you to part 1.
Love the layout. I actually spent 4 summers in Whitefield working at the Weathervane Theatre... if you haven’t got one in your layout, you could put a barn theatre there!
Great suggestion! I wish I had more room for scenic features, as that area is rich with notable landmarks.
Very nice layout Thanks
Thank you, too. Your comments are appreciated.
Very nice looking layout!
Thank you very much!
I'm subbed! Roy Smith recommended your layout and rightly so. I really like the scenic break and the amount of activity on the layout. Good tip about the electronics too 👍
Roy sure did a great shout-out for me, and I really appreciate that, and the new viewers that have come my way. I hope you enjoy the channel!
Fantastic! Keep up the good work!!
I don't think I can quit now! What next? Not sure yet.
Beautiful layout!
Thank you! I am a heavy user of Soundraxx products, as you can probably tell. Keep up the good work!
@@HappyHoboTrains Yes we can! We are glad that you are using and enjoying our products!
@@SoundtraxxDCC All the way from DSD to Tsunami 2!
Nice layout. Have you done a video on an opperation session. Would be nice to see how yours work. Thanks
Funny you should ask. You did hit the alarm bell, didn't you? Could be not too long a wait!
We posted a trial run tonight
My dream layout.
Thank you! I like your "handle"!
Great video. Thanks for showing us your incredible layout. Can you advise what track you are using?
The track is all Atlas code 83, with a mix of Atlas and Walthers Shinohara switches.
I'm starting to get very jealous. I have just finished my new control panel and it doesn't look as good as yours. Unfortunately I can't spend as much money on my layout as I would anymore so I have to work with the stuff I have. I'm surprised that the quality of your videos is extremely good despite of the use of affordable webcams. Sorry for my bad English. Greetings from the Netherlands.
Thank you very much for the comments. Like you, I am trying to make the best of what I have. We have, however, just acquired a couple of very much better cameras, so hope to have some videos in 2021 that show some improvement as we learn how to use them. "A Closer Look PT3: in depth layout tour" is the first one to use the new cameras. Your English is excellent!
@@HappyHoboTrains Looking forward to the new video's, thanks for the compliment.
Ya' got me thinkin'. I'm designing a layout that would be a working tourist line, sorta like Strasburg Railroad in southern PA near Lancaster. But it will be more in my area of Pennsylvania. Since you were fond of the original Steamtown, and my area that I'm going to model would be within several miles of the present Steamtown, I may just have to have an interchange between trains from Steamtown, to my fictional Keyser Creek Railroad via the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad. Thanks for the idea! I was wondering who exactly to interchange with, the old EL, the D&H, Pennsylvania? But now it will make more sense, the Delaware Lackawanna will connect my railroad with the outside world and maybe an occasional interchange with Steamtown.
Wow! Happy to be of help!
Wonderful!
Thank you! Cheers!
Such a gorgeous layout! I love the operations! What did you use to make your trees?- Joey
Wow! The trees are a real mix of scratchbuilt to ready-made. Lots of trees are made using twigs for trunks, and green poly-fiber fuzz covered with ground foam for foliage. Some of these trees are on their 5th layout! When you are modeling the Northeast, you can't have too many trees.
@@HappyHoboTrains this how Inmake my background trees...polyfiber!! Those and Super Trees!
@@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering Oh yes! I have a bunch of those too!
most impressive. well done.
Thank you, I do appreciate you kind comments.
I have to ask Mr. Don Sauret, at 10:42 in the video showing the roundhouse at Rigby yard what is this thin brick rectangular building with two upper story windows right next to the turntable tracks?
If you are asking what the building represents, I am not 100% sure myself. I do recall seeing several rather nondescript buildings at Rigby in the early 1960's, and thought they were probably supply storage and perhaps office space of some kind. The model is built from Design Preservation Models (now Woodland Scenics) modules.
About 1 minute into the video on the wall towards the top of the screen appears to be an Alitimeter and Airspeed indicator, any reason why those are on a model railroad layout?
Yes, your sharp eye has detected an altimeter (clock) and airspeed indicator (thermometer) which were given to me by one of my suppliers during the time I owned the hobby shop in Tampa, around 1990. Happy Hobo Trains also sold plastic models of aircraft, and the supplier was Pam American International, and the units bear their logo. They are no longer in business, and I keep the items as a memento of some happy times. They still elicit a snicker now and then.
@@donaldsauret5850 I spent the better part of my life (35 year) putting radios in general aviation aircraft, spot aircraft related items pretty quickly. Also liked the cabinet where you put the electronics easy accessible. My HO scale layout has way too many boxes scattered around under the layout. Getting harder every year to get to them. Hope some day I will have as much detail as you have on your layout. Mine is more related to functional operating. Have coal mine to load coal ore in ore cars, rotary dump to unload the coal too. Same for gold mine and unload at gold mill. Lumber camp that has crane to pickup logs from a pile and swing them around to drop them off on converted flatcar to take to the sawmill. Unload at the sawmill and stacked in piles.
@@williamshepard1916 Very cool! While I feel my layout is operations oriented, I'm pretty much moving cars around, not actually loading and unloading as you describe. I fear that making that happen is a hobby unto itself, requiring gobs of skill and patience. I salute you! Do you have a channel or a website, as I would really enjoy seeing what you have done?
As an aside, I do have another connection, albeit ancient, with the aviation world. One of my first jobs, while I was in college, was with the Transport Company of Texas, on the island of Kwajalein, repairing avionics in the joint Army-Navy-Air Force-Coast Guard avionics lab. As a civilian at an Army installation, I was issued a Navy fatigue uniform with no insignia. I saw my share of airspeed indicators and altimeters, though in my job, they all read zero! Not relevant in any way, I guess, but fun to look back on. 1963
@@donaldsauret5850 All I have presently are still photos. . I'm still building things. Design and build all my own mechanical parts and do all the electronics from scratch. Coal and Gold loader used an old auger bit run in reverse in a PVC pipe with a gear motor timed for 9-10 seconds to load cars. 1963 the year I joined the army and trained in Signal Supply. Stationed in Germany for 2 years then 6 months at a Nike-Hurc base in Minneapolis. Got out of Army in Jan. 66. Worked at Western Electric for couple years repairing telephones. When they went on strike I went looking for some other work. Started installing radios in 68 and pretty much did that except for 2 years building computerized drafting tables and equipment. Did some avionics repairs but as one tech told me one time, in install if you do a good job the plane may never come back unless its for an upgrade. As a tech, no matter how good you fix the radio, the owner is going to be back asking for warranty repairs. No matter how well you fix it, its going to break again.
Installed radios and electronics in planes from powered hang glider to DC10's
I do get it, 100%
I also use Shipit (since the late 90s), Digitrax and Octo 3’s. I have an Octo 3 question: Do you have the same issue with needing to have the control buttons/switches within three feet of the control board? I like and agree with your keeping electronics visible/accessible.
I am using more than a dozen Octo 3's, and most are located within 3 feet of the control switch, but quite a few are more than 6 feet, up to 10 feet in a couple, and no issues at all. I am using mostly the run of the mill cheap servo cables from eBay for my connections, so nothing special. I worried about noise from Loconet or AC power creating a problem, but it has not. What kind of issues are you having?
I have one Octo 3 but it had issues (no control) if my controlling toggles were longer than three feet away. I tried various types of shielded wire to no avail. Are your stability bars due to a disability? I have trouble walking and stabilize myself when walking around the layout. See my latest three videos on my UA-cam page to see my nearly new layout.
@@rwundrock No disability, other than not being as young as I used to be! The bars are for convenience of operators running stuff on the upper deck, as I have raised steps for better visibility, and it's nice to have something to hold on to that's more durable than the scenery. They were recycled from my previous attic layout, where they were a safety item for people going up and down the scuttle. No longer needed there! As for your Octo issues, Robin Becker at Tam Valley has been very helpful to me in the past, and I am sure would be willing to advise you on your problems. Great folks to deal with!
Amazing layout. THE best one of NE, Maine and Canada regions every. Where are located? DLG via bucksport maine
Thank you! Grew up in Maine in the 1950's, and now live in Florida. My way of reliving the past!
Hey its Johnathon from Ho scale trains group
Hey! I've followed you too.
Just WOW times 10 from nick ST J !
Thanks again!
Total sweetness.
Glad you liked it! More to come. Thank you.
Really nice layout. But I always feel that you should show trains running whenever you are showing off your great railroad.
Thanks for the comments and suggestion.
What size is your layout room? Well planned layout a lot of operations.
It's about 19x23. It's a lot of fun to run! We may do a live operation session stream tomorrow.
The overall size of the room is about 19 feet by 23 feet. Yes, planning for operations is very important, and I recommend a book by John Armstrong: Track Planning for Realistic Operation, from Kalmbach Publishing.
I didn't see the bridge over the Penobscot River between Bangor and Brewer, do you have that bridge somewhere? I remember stopping by the Brewer side to watch trains go by when I was a kid.
Do I feel my leg being pulled? I wish I had the space and time to model the whole railroad, but alas.... I watched Grand Trunk and Maine Central trains from our farm in New Gloucester.
My grandfather worked at the South Portand yard and lived across the street from the train yard. My uncle became and engineer for MC RR. How do I find written materials on your layout? I am working currently on adding a switching section to my layout that was inspired by my memory of crossing the tracks to go get my grandfather to walk home with him at night in the South Portland yard. dlg via Maine
Oh wow! The only written material on my layout, is actually a previous layout, but with many of the same scenic features. Find a copy of Model Railroader January 2013. The current layout was already over 2 years into construction when that article came out!
Baked beans! Your dad worked there!
Freezing stuff for Clarence Birdseye!
My brother is subscribed to your channel so I did too
Thank you, and welcome aboard.
Love your layout my brother is on your channel I have some videos on my as well my brother follows your channel
Thank you, and welcome aboard!
Awesome layout
Glad you like it!
One of the best I have ever seen. I model what I call the Green Mountain & Maine in H.O. It is a fictional cooperative venture between the Rutland, Central Vermont and the Bangor & Aroostook in 1956. So, I love your depiction of the B&M. I have Rail fanned in New Hampshire, Vermont and Maine so I have had the honor of riding through Crawford Notch and the other areas you have modeled. You most definitely nail it in terms of the feel and atmosphere of the area. Bob Rainey