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| An N-scale, 16" x 23" layout using Z-gauge track; Railroad Modeler, Jan '75 |
I was pleasantly surprised to see this charming micro-layout as I began my read through the 1975 issues of Railroad Modeler. There it was, only 32 pages into January '75, looking like a lost time traveller from 2026.
The layout is a tour de force of micro-layout construction by Jim Finnell, the owner of Durango Press.
The base was made from corrugated and artist cardboards. The track and turnouts were scratchbuilt from code 40 rail and HOn3 wood ties.
The "transistorized" power supply and controls were built into the base, so the entire layout formed a single unit. I was pleased to see a thick-base design (which I estimate to be about 5.5") that I am partial to even though it was probably used simply to accommodate the controller housing.
The scenery was made from plaster and rubber molds, trees were scratchbuilt, and the ground cover was a combination of natural and store-bought materials.
Even the locomotive was a custom job: a very decent looking wood and card superstructure built on a Marklin Z-scale chassis.
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| An exceptional 2-page spanning beauty shot of the layout |
Besides the model railroad, the way it was shown to readers illustrates how Railroad Modeler pushed the boundaries of layout presentation in magazines in that era. Today this sort of page design and use of colour isn't unusual, but back then is was. And with such a small layout as the subject, the team did an exceptional job of showing it off.
The staff referred to the layout in the text as a "mini-layout", but with an area of 2.6 sq. ft., it was definitely an advanced ancestor of today's micro-layouts.
Interesting that the brewery so closely resembles Campbell's "Brett's Brewery". I wonder if they share a common prototype, or if one is derived from the other?
ReplyDeleteI'd have to investigate, but here's what the article has to say: "Jim Finnell, the owner of Durango Press wanted a small diorama to display the N scale brewery that he was producing for Dimi-Trains of Lomita, California." And a caption under a photo of the building has this to say: "It should be at your local dealer by the time you are reading this."
Deletethe builder was ahead of his time in quite a few directions. most YT micro layout pizzas are much less interesting than this one.
ReplyDeleteThis one is fantastic! If it appeared in a magazine today I think readers would still consider it a master work.
DeleteI love these kind of layouts. I have an entire notebook filled with small layout stories and tiny layout plans. But-- they are all from before 1985. You don't see these much in the magazines since then. Neither do I find the construction articles I used to "collect" via Xeroxed pages. And yet I continue to buy the magazines despite "they don't make them like that anymore."
ReplyDeleteAs I come across these small layouts in my reading I plan to post about my findings in this series. There seems to be an impression out there that small layouts are a rather recent development, but from my admittedly random reading they go back a long way, 50 or so years in this case. Also, I don't read MR or RMC much these days, but I do find interesting stories in The Micro Model Railway Dispatch ( https://micromodelrailwaydispatch.com/ ) and Voie Libre International ( https://trains.lrpresse.com/categories/voie-libre/magazines-a-l-unite/voie-libre-international )
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