(Updated September, 2016)
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Club member John Avery recently hosted a chapter meeting at which time he unveiled his “relocated and improved” home layout. John and his wife Judy, moved into their new home (built around John’s train room, of course!) and were required to move John’s extensive home layout in the process. John has been collecting Marklin 3-rail AC trains for many years and wanted only to improve upon what he had constructed over those years. He specializes in Swiss rolling stock and his layout depicts typical scenes found in the Swiss alps. The pictures above show a panorama of his established “U-shaped” layout, along with his new wall-mounted surrounding loop. John has built a unique layout that now features both analog and digital operation, operating on at least five different levels. An amazing feat in anyone’s book!
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A peek at the lower-level reveals not only an extensive network of work lighting and staging tracks, but also highlights the care John took to route, label and segregate the wiring. One of his unique turnout control diagrams is seen below the lower level in the first picture.
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The command center for John’s layout features a bank of Marklin transformers and control units. The controls are strategically placed in the center of the U-shape for ease of operation and good viewing of the entire complex. John is seen operating the controls in the bottom picture.
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John’s work on the famous Bietschtal Bridge located along the south ramp of the BLS line through Switzerland is nearly complete. An intercity (IC) express makes its way across the bridge now that scenic-ing is nearly complete. Behind the IC train is a unit train made up of oil tankers. This corner of the layout is one of the recent additions. A large cut of rock was necessary for this section.
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A winery has been added to one corner of the layout. In the pictures above, workers are harvesting grapes to be carted over to the wine press and bottling works.
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John has been adding scenery to his layout for the last several years. A wood working mill has taken over one end of his layout, with high intensity lamps included to assist the workers at night. A Swiss 4-4 II electric locomotive passes by the mill on its way back to the town.
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An avalanche gallery was built on the back corner of John’s layout by kit-bashing a Styrofoam wall. Several Swiss trains pass each other on in the gallery. More recent pictures show completed scenery and a Swiss “Glacier Express” coming out of the gallery and proceeding across the back wall.
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The number of trains on John’s layout means that a lot of power is needed! John constructed an electrical power sub-station to provide simulated power to the rails. Not far from the sub-station, a farmer is growing crops for harvesting, among which are hops used for beer-brewing. At the brewery, a tank car and several trucks are being loaded for delivery.
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The town that is included on one of the many levels is adorned in its finery for Christmas, the favorite time of year for most of us modelers.
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In the photos above, a BLS locomotive is preparing to transport passengers and their autos through the famous Lötschberg Tunnel. A cityscape is being planned for another corner of John’s layout in his next phase of development.