More pictures from the swedish railroad called Mälarviksbanan

[1956]

Tack för komplimangen, Lennart!

[Philip H]

I've said it before upthread (sadly not in Swedish) but you have some really great stuff here.  I, and I suspect most of us, would love to see this in print in the U.S. modeling press . . .

[1956]

Thank you Philip, you are to kind! In Sweden we have a lot of people building US railroads but you are americans are not doing the opposite. As all press are commercial I don´t think the interest is there publishing europan layouts.   

[Philip H]

I disagree.  N Scale Magazine has just furnished a two part spread on an American who runs European trains on a freelance European layout looesly set in the Swiss Alps.  Model Railroader has run a couple of such articles.

My guess is you'd get the best Reception from Joe Fugate over at Model Railroad Hobbyist . . .

[engineshop]

I think, US modellers here have little interest to build European layout because of the way layouts are run here. A lot of the US layouts focus on operation with freight cars. Those layouts have as many industrial switching yard as possible. Multiple books and web sites and even computer programs are dedicated how to set up operation session which I have not really seen in Europe. Even the American based layouts in Europe don't really do operation session. Most of the US layouts focus on very long trains running through deserts, the Rockies or along the oceans. The look and are run more like those N-track layouts you can see at the railroad shows.
It is much easier to adapt the American railroads to European layout philosophy than than the under way around.
I am working on a Swiss layout that has no industrial sidings and my 3, 4 freight trains per day (prototypical) run from on endpoint of the layout to the other with very limited switching.

[peteski]

Thank you Philip, you are to kind! In Sweden we have a lot of people building US railroads but you are americans are not doing the opposite. As all press are commercial I don´t think the interest is there publishing europan layouts.

Well, I don't have a layout in my house but I do have a decent collection of European prototype rolling stock and locomotives (along with the US prototype models).  If and when I ever get to building a layout, I will seriously entertain the possibility of building a European-prototype layout. But I suppose that I'm not an average American modeler (since I grew up in Poland and emigrated to US over 30 years ago).  As a teenager in Poland I had a small TT scale layout, using whatever models I could get in Poland at that time. It was a very eclectic looking layout.  I also remember steam locos being used by Polish railroads.

Another possibility I'm contemplating is building a European-themed Z-scale layout in a coffee table (under glass). To be honest I'm more of a builder than operator (although I do operate regularly on friend's layouts).

But I also know that there is a group of American modelers (in Maine) who build a European modular layout (loosely based on the N-Trak standard).  so, we are out there - just not in any large numbers.

BTW, the 2-part article (in the recent issues of the N-Scale magazine) on the European N-scale layout was done by a member of the local N-Trak club I belong to. It is a very nice (and fairly large) layout!  He also runs lots of European trains on our N-Trak layout when we exhibit it at the local model train shows.

[1956]

Interesting thoughts from you to read!

[milw12]

Rikard,

I just took the time to look though your entire thread, and I'm surprised I didn't do it sooner. Your modeling is astounding, and the quality of everything is amazing. Your layout is truly an inspiration, I hope I can achieve similar results some day. I especially like the European "feel" of the layout, it looks perfect.

One of these days I'll dabble in European N-scale modeling, perhaps mid-fifties Germany. Now if only I could find an importer with fair prices...

Thank you for sharing,
Lucas

[1956]

Thank you Lucas for your kind words!

[1956]

Back to Mollsjö roundhouse.

[davidgray1974]

I would have to agree with everyone else regarding this layout in print in a US modeling magazine.  I think even if someone doesn't model European trains, they could still marvel at the beauty of what you've accomplished.  I for one love looking at beautifully detailed layouts regardless of their origin.  I think what you have done is amazing. 

[1956]

Thank you David!

Here´s another picture from the area around Mollsjö roundhouse.

[1956]

This picture is from a rebuilt area on the layout.

[1956]

[wmcbride]

Rikard,

I have been model railroading in N and HO for over 30 years and, like most of us, have read many, many articles about model railroads.

I really want to thank you for sharing your work here. Your model railroad is a work of art! I check in here regularly to see what is new.

Thank you again,

Bill McBride