Category: Matt Gentry

By Matt Gentry

I can always remember having ideas of what my layout will look like when I get around to building it. Initially, it was to be almost identical to the layout at Don’s, but I was also 6 at the time and that was the best thing ever! For years to come my plans stayed the same with only small variations to detail like what switches to use, more complex interlockings, how I want to scenic the layout, you know…detail stuff! And then came the year 2010 and my graduation.

2010 was an important year for me and my modeling direction. I graduated from college in May of 2010 and had a full time position. I was getting adjusted to life with no school, and the fact that I could *almost* do as I pleased with my earnings. So naturally I was looking at trains for purchase. I had always looked at Lionel and MTH catalogs and always knew their price point. But when I took a look this year, I really was presented with a choice. That choice was to either A) continue in O gauge and just do a little bit here, and a little bit there, or B) to change to a smaller gauge and be able to do more with the same amount of investment. Well, option B won the war.

So with the decision made to switch to a smaller scale, the question now was HO or N? I could do a LOT with N scale, but the direction I thought I wanted to go involved steam. And in my honest opinion, although N scale has come a LONG way, steam locomotives just aren’t quite there…yet! So, HO scale it was.

With this decision, it was time to decide what I wanted to model and when, and then plan a layout. Mind you all of this is taking place in my head. No paper, no computer, nothing. So I knew that I wanted to have steam and I have always liked western railroads. I was also becoming more and more taken with super powered locomotives, so it looked like I was working from 1940-1960. This allowed late steam and early diesel. But where? Well, I had begun collecting some eastern railroad equipment, so why not centralize around Chicago, but primarily run in the west? OK, it was settled.

So one fateful evening when Keith Kittenger had us all over to his layout, Rick Bivins and I began discussing all of this and when I mentioned what had been rolling around in my head, his reply was “why not model everything?” And I want to say up front that no offense was taken by these words, but it really made me think. Yes, my plan is quite a tall order to fill and could end up being pretty messy. So back to the drawing board.

After a couple weeks thinking, I finally decided “you know, modeling modern equipment would actually be pretty neat. Especially with the attention to detail that most manufacturers are putting into the modern equipment. And, I can still run steam or special excursion trains. It is, after all, going to be MY railroad, right?” But I still wanted something unique to MY layout and railroad. Enter the Yankeetown Dock Corporation.

I can remember years ago, early 1990’s, when trains were a normal sight heading into the dock’s. My best memory is of the Squaw Creek U33C locomotives pulling into the small yard at Yankeetown. I honestly don’t ever remember seeing the SD38-2 locomotives. I can only assume that rail traffic stopped moving at the docks in 1998 when the last (that I found documented) Lynnville mine ceased operations.

It wasn’t until 2007 when I noticed some Norfolk Southern Dash-9 locomotives sitting outside the docks that I started gaining a slight interest. Fast forward to 2013 when I have really started learning and paying attention to all railroading around me that I started taking an interest in smaller local operations. It was at this time that I started forming plans to maybe include this in my layout. It would be a good yard addition, unique road power and I see no reason why I couldn’t have all era’s of the line included!

A little later in 2013 I acquired my SD38-2 locomotive in the “Can Do America” paint scheme and then managed to track down Athearn’s Yankeetown Dock gondolas. It was now that I realized that this would indeed be included in my layout. The search was on for more info.

I knew I could use modern Norfolk Southern diesels as I see them all the time on the line. I could also use Norfolk Southern Heritage units! Rich Hanes has photographed the New York Central locomotive in the yard, and some photographers I follow on Facebook have photos of the NS Veteran’s locomotive sitting in the yard as well. I could also run Indiana Southern power as they are in the docks quite often with their SD40-2’s in the new Genesee & Wyoming livery but I could also use their old scheme as well. Also with the Indiana Southern are some ex Southern Pacific SD45T-2 that I could throw in the mix. Going back to the 1980’s & 1990’s I can use the SD38-2 locomotives in the YDC livery, the U33C locomotives in the yellow and green livery of Squaw Creek, the Alco RSD15 locomotives, and lastly I can get the Fairbanks locomotives to have in the yard too!

So the neat part about this is that it can be modeled in a modern setting and not be out of place, and it would be unique to my layout…that I’m still planning! I have an idea on track plans, but those may be revealed in a part 2 segment!

 

by Matt Gentry

As I find myself creating The PennyRail for the fourth month, I have taken a look back at that time. Why am I doing this already? Well, I’m looking back on it already with a sense of pride. For starters, I was wondering if it were something that I could set a monthly deadline for myself to meet, and so far I have. Score one little victory to me! Although I probably should not count those chickens before they hatch yet…looking at the month of May I don’t have any weekends free at all.

I think that the next bit is the fact that I have been able to become more active in the chapter and in the meetings. Sure, I have gotten around to regularly attending meetings, but I wanted more involvement. As it turns out, this has filled that role for me.

The largest part of my enjoyment of all of this has got to be getting to know more of the chapter members. Sure, I knew the regular chapter members, but outside of meeting night I would rarely see them until the next meeting! Ever since Rick Bivins and I have begun communicating via text message I have been up to date regularly on the happenings of his building and layout, we have gone on spontaneous outings to Gorham, IL, Princeton, IN, Bowling Green, KY and Hopkinsville, KY. On the few trips that I have taken that have been family trips, I have managed to get down to the tracks and watch a few trains and share images with Rick, thus adding to places to rail fan in the near future and thus adding possibilities in my search to photograph the Heritage and special interest locomotives on the nations rail network.

On these few rail fan outings, a few other members have been able to join us. The stories and locations that Donny Knight has told me about in his travels for rail fanning just make me want to get out that much more! I have been working with some of his video recordings and even though it is the P&L loading out coal, I would have never seen any of this footage without having been present and having conversation and hearing the stories.

Thomas Bryan has been along on some of the trips too. And let me just say that I wish I had half of the railroad knowledge that Thomas has read and retained. Even if I were to pick up and read every article that Thomas has, I still would not retain what I read. (I’ll be the first to admit I learn by doing. Learning by reading is difficult for me.)

One of the harder decisions I had to make in my “career” of model railroading was making the switch from O gauge to HO. There were many determining factors that I considered, and to be honest I almost made the switch to N gauge! But in the end, I landed in HO and thankfully Keith Kittenger has opened up his layout about once a month and has allowed me track time with my locomotives and various pieces of rolling stock that I have brought. Just last Thursday I half-hazardly learned how to program locomotive numbers with his Digitrax DCC system. For only having used the system three times for only a few hours each time, I’m pretty happy with myself.

The best part about all of this is that it is just (hopefully) going to continue to get better! Sure there will be slower times with everyone’s work schedule not lining up, the weather won’t always be conducive, or the trains may not be running on a particular day, but what is a chapter or a club all about anyway? I most certainly think the answer is about the camaraderie, learning and self growth and improvement. And what I have found in those categories over the last few months, I wouldn’t trade anything for.

So in the end, here is to the continuation of being trackside at various points around the country, even if it is more local than anything, and to more bull sessions at various home and garage layouts!

by Matt Gentry

I’m not exactly sure when I was talking with Ricky Bivins that he mentioned a trip to Hawsville, KY for a visit to Johnny Dawson’s (member of the Owensboro NRHS) layout, but from what I had heard of the layout, I knew that I wanted to go. Having his layout largely influenced by western railroads, mostly Union Pacific, I knew it would be right up my alley! What a lot of you may not know is that within recent years I have become infatuated with railroad super power; i.e. Cab Forwards, Challengers, Big Boys, Gas Turbine Electrics (all three variants), GE U50, EMD DDA40X, and so on. The size of Johnny’s layout, that I had come to understand, had to be able to accommodate some of the locomotives! Rest assured, I was not disappointed.

Upon entering Johnny’s basement, a layout I can only describe as awesome, was laid out before my eyes! His layout, although not totally finished with scenery, was a sight to see. The track work and track plan is wonderful! This is the first personal layout that I have been to with such use of grades from one level to the next, without the use of a helix, all on the same line. The bridges incorporated into the layout are incredible also, creating wonderful photo opportunities of a single train or of a meet.

The next surprise was the wall of locomotives. That list

of super power locomotives listed above?  Yea, they are mostly all accounted for! This was the first time I have seen a model of the Union Pacific Coal Turbine in person. And true to the real monstrosity, this model is huge. I will have to be back and witness it in action. I am also very happy to see Johnny’s collection of modern day diesel locomotives, such as the Union Pacific SD70Ace Heritage units. (Honestly, I’m happy to see that Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern has a Heritage Fleet, period. I wish some other Class I railroads would do the same!)

In the end, I came away with many new ideas to incorporate into a layout of my own, whenever that day

will come. I want to personally thank (again) Johnny Dawson for his hospitality and opening his layout and home for us to come for a visit. The next open house Johnny has, if you can manage, I highly suggest making the trip.