Spring Creek Railroad

Ian & Marsey Shand

Layout at a glance.

Name:    Spring Creek Railroad

Scale:     HO   1/87

Size:       9m x 3m

Theme:   Freelanced North America

Period:    Steam to diesel transition

Layout Style:   Walk around with duck unders

Layout Height:   1300mm / 51”

Bench Work:   Ply on open grid

Road Bed:   Midwest cork underlay

Track:     Peco code 100

Length of Mainline:   30m + 10m branch line

Minimum Radius:   40”

Maximum Grade:   2.5%

Scenery:    Hard shell

Ian's interest and enjoyment of model railroading began in 1953 when his father gave him a Hornby 00, 3 rail.   He added to this and set up a layout in a spare bedroom.   In 1964 when he married Marsey he still had this layout so he dismantled it and set it up under his house in Homehill.

While in Homehill, he progressed to two rail and started a new 19' x 19' layout.   This had not been completed when they moved to Ayr.

The hobby lay dormant until Ian and Marsey moved to Tolga in 1995.   Here Ian got back into model railroading by building a small layout in a small room.

Finally he moved the trains into the front shed and built a 9m x 3m layout.   This he has been working on for five years.

Ian used a plan from a track plan book, modifying and adding to it as he chose.   You will recognise the names of his stations which he chose after the acquisition of some old signs.   These are the names of reefs off Cairns – Mowbray, Daintree, Agincourt and Thornton.   The local theme has been added to in the name Spring Creek Railroad; Spring Creek being a well known creek in Tolga, famous for its waterfall.   This creek heads in a gully near his house.   Despite this local influence, Ian likes American trains so runs American locos on his track.

Ian is a self taught model railroader being far away from hobby shops.   Some of his learning was expensive as he often had to use trial and error in ordering from hobby shops by post.   Now he deals with a shop in Brisbane and occasionally orders on the internet.

Ian has a large collection of trains, and friends are surprised if he returns from trips and holidays without a new train to add to his collection.

Ian loves his cab forward.

Some more locos in his far end yard.

Stock yards near the gas tank.

Passengers and the repair crew don't miss out, on Ian's layout.

Some Locos from the steam era.

An overall view of Ian's 3 X 9 metre layout room.