Train Meet Photos and Videos
Of The 2009 NFR's Woodstock Turn
Convention And Train Show

Below are some of the contest entries submitted by modelers at the convention. Click on the images for a larger view.

The traction entry (bottom row right) caught my special attention. I remember riding on the Southern Counties interurban cars from Montreal to St. Lambert across the Victoria Bridge in the late 40s. The line ran all the way to Granby in the Eastern Townships south of Montreal. 

Woodstock Turn Train Meet Layout Tour

Below are pictures I took during the train meet's Saturday layout tour. The pictures from Sunday, and a highlights video, are on Woodstock Turn Sunday photos.

West Highland Central (HO)

There were 25 layouts open for viewing during the train meet. I, and fellow Nottawasaga Model Railroad Club members Bill Payne and Dolf Roelofsen, tried to see them all, but it was impossible to crowd them all in along with a GP7 driving lesson on the Ontario Southland Railway.

The first layout we visited during the self-conducted tour was Bill Ball's pike in Tillsonburg, Ontario. Bill had recently moved from Cambridge which means he was in the process of rebuilding his West Highland Central HO railroad. The layout is roughly 19 X 13 feet and represents a fictional line from Stratford to Goderich in the 1950s. It's point-to-point with three small branch lines. The track is in place and half the scenery was complete at the time. Bill uses computer-generated switchlists to control train movement with up to six operators. Click on the train meet images for a larger view.

I included the electrical panel to show how Bill recessed the levers and added a hook for a clipboard for the switchlists. The 4-prong receptacle for tethered throttles is a good idea.

Otter Valley Railroad (HO)

swing bridge entrance

The Otter Valley Railroad of father and son team, Roger and Lorne James, represents a bridge line connecting with all the major railroads in Southern Ontario. The railroad has large yards with modern rolling stock. Control is by Digitrax. Lorne had also presented a clinic on techniques for installing railway sound effects. They also run a train store on the premises. They are dealers for Lok Sound which they consider to be the best sound for installation in locomotives. They demonstrated the sound for us while operating the railroad.

I have included some video clips. I was impressed with the swinging gate entrance to their train room.

locking mechanism

These pictures give an idea of how solid it is. It can be adjusted to compensate for humidity changes, but they seldom have to do so.

The door locking mechanism also provides an electrical cut-out to disable track power on the approaches.

Cottonwood and Dunnville RR

Craig Dunn's layout in Ingersoll, Ontario is set in the 1950s. There are many detailed and weathered structures and some marvellous mini-scenes like the ballpark pictured below. 

There's a helix under the town that doubles as staging tracks. Track is hand-laid. You'll see realistic rock castings and hand-painted backdrops. Control is by a North Coast Engineering (NCE) DCC system. Click on these train meet photos for a larger view.

One of the best layouts on the tour was the Ontario Western built by Don Pearce and friends. I've put photos on a separate page because I took over 50 of them. This is a highly-detailed layout with lots of great ideas. Check it out at Ontario Western photos. 

Here's a video clip of some model railroads at the Woodstock Train Show that was held during the same weekend. This was independent of the Woodstock Turn train meet and was not sponsored by the NFR.

There are layouts and trains in Z, Nn3, N scale including an Ntrak modular layout, HO modular layouts and Lionel 0-27. There's a short clip at the end showing some fascinating DCC Devices such as opening and closing doors on an engine house. 

More information on this company can be found at DCCDevices.com. Worth a look if you like animation on your layout.

Looking for tips and techniques? They'll be found on the clinics tips and techniques page.

Did you look at the Ontario Western layout pictures yet? Don't miss them.

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