2025 March “O” Scale Meet – Layout Tour Schedule
Tentative Schedule Published December 14th, 2024
New layouts on tour!
Marty Trakis & John DeWaters
Ted Schnepf – Elgin, IL
126 Will Scarlett Ln; Elgin, IL 60120 Phone: 847-452-5031
Entering Protocol: Walk in when you arrive.
Thursday March 20, 2025 Noon – 5:00 PM OPERATING SESSION *****
Saturday March 22, 2025 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM OPEN HOUSE
*****Reservations Required for operating session, but not for the Open House Saturday.
For Thursday Reservations: EMAIL: railsunlimited2@gmail.com
2-RAIL 4,100 Sq Ft Milwaukee Road Dubuque / Iowa and Dakota Divisions.
The layout has a 60% scenery completion rate and a multi-deck system designed for operations. Features Northeast Iowa along the Mississippi River in 1954 with a 900 foot mainline. Five yard jobs and various local switching jobs. Passenger trains and through-freights hauling a variety of products, such as meat and perishable goods, grain, coal, and oil. 1:2 time slow clock. NCE DCC Control system. Operations via Train Dispatcher Authority using telephone line and train order signals. Car movements handled by car cards. Ideal operations require 20 operators.
More information: http://railsunlimited.ribbonrail.com/FoxValley/layout.html
Dan Dawdy – Dwight, IL
Thursday March 20, 2025 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Friday March 21, 2025 10:00 AM- 3:00 PM
Richmond, Danielle & Southern.
The history of the RD&S Railroad? Well, there is none. Oh, I could make something up starting back in the 1800’s when the railroad was chartered, but what’s the point? It was, is and always will be the summer of 1947 on the RD&S. Hell, in the time it would take me to make up a fake history, I could build another InterMountain car. Let’s just stipulate that the Richmond, Danville & Southern exists, running from Richmond, VA to Memphis, TN, and move on from there.
All DCC with sound running JMRI turnouts and wi-fi with the one and only “widowmaker” or as we call it, “The Tennessee Saluda”. Did you bring a DCC locomotive with you? Try it out against the grade.
George Kanary – Hinsdale, IL
Thursday March 20, 2025 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
2-Rail steam powered freight and passenger trains. Chicago themed streetcar line with scratch-built Chicago Surface Lines cars.
Marty Trakis – Palos Hills, IL
Friday March 21, 2025 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Modeled after no particular road. Just have a love for trains – watching them in interesting surroundings and having fun creating them.
Carey Williams – Glenview, IL
Saturday March 22, 2025 6:00 PM – 8:30 PM
2-Rail and OUTSIDE third rail. Vintage O Scale collection and layouts pre 1955. Many examples of early manufactured and scratch-built O Scale trains from the 1920’s to the mid 1950’s.
Frank McCabe / Rockford “O” Scalers – Rockford, IL
Sunday March 23, 2025 Noon – 6:00 PM
PLEASE NOTE: SUNDAY ONLY
2-Rail with many different passenger and freight trains. Mostly steam to transition era diesels, with the occasional modern era train. Various railroads represented. Both standard DC and DCC operation in two separate sections with many highly detailed scenes.
John DeWaters – Rockford, IL
Sunday March 23, 2025 Noon – 4:00 PM
Simplified Rockford freight yards in 1950 with steam and diesel trains modeled after the C&NW, CB&Q, MILW and an odd SOO train. The layout is in very early stages with basic carpentry and track completed. Inner and outer loops are separated by a view block with a steep prototypical ramp connecting the upper CN&W with MILW/CB&Q yards. Box cars are limited to 40′.
