Creating a model railroad layout that represents a real life environment, and in such a small space is an amazing example of storytelling. This layout, should be an inspiration to anyone who wants to build a model railroad, but doesn’t have a lot of space. I am blown away by the attention to detail, the use of trackage, and weathering, which is very realistic. Bravo on a project well executed.
Thanks David - appreciate the feedback. Small layouts (or shelf layouts where overall surface space is efficiently used) are great ways to really get into the details.
It’s sure is. I have little space and was set on an HO scale layout till I seen this video. I so want to model a combination of the Chicago’s Metro and freight railroad.
That night shot with Metra passing through is phenomenal! The lighting really adds just the right amount of ambiance to Chicago at night. You absolutely nailed this build.
I love your use of the space and attention to detail! You've done it in such a way that the scenes feel really big even though they're all so compact! I'm also in awe of the weathering on cars and buildings. Simply fantastic-your project will be an inspiration for my own layout hopes. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Amir. Granted the camera always seems to add a few acres, but I think the way the elements play together does help to give every diorama its own viewing angle and sense of unique, non-overlapping surroundings. Most people who visit the layout in person are shocked by how tiny it is in reality.
Sir you took it to another level, I used to get compliments on my n scale layout, but I would be ashamed to be in the same room with my layout next to yours, one word awesomeness.
Nice work man ! I’m originally from the North side of Chicago myself (near Wrigley field) .I can see where your many influences for you layout ideas are from.Very nice indeed. Myself as kid I loved looking at that giant layout at Science & Industry museum in Chicago. I always love visiting that place just for the huge layout.
Thank you Christopher - I spent a lot of time around that area when I lived in the city after college. MSI was always a favorite, I saw both generations of model train layout there - the old O scale Santa Fe and the Great Train Story. I was impressed by both, but the current layout is really fantastic.
Likewise that sign is impressive technology. Thinner than a credit card. The little CPU is contained in the building itself. I have no idea how that thing works!
Pass the awards,please"To the artists doing spectacular art to capture big city in density, green spaces and lived in grime well done.,,! Beautiful work.
You have built a really lovely layout, top work. It would be good to maybe have some videos focusing on each industry (or pairs like the scrap steel and steel mill industries), unless they already exist?
I really enjoyed this tour. Your attention to detail is beyond reproach. I especially liked the night vision aspect of the tour. Somehow the lighting and detail takes the "toyness" out of the picture. Keep up the good work.
Really cool stuff, I love the weathering and other detailing to really set the age and time period of your layout. It's so satisfying to see so much visual identity and story telling packed in here, especially for its modest size.
Beautiful layout! Thanks for showing us that you don’t need a huge layout in order to fit a lot of operating fun into it. Looking forward to future updates. I’m beginning a 3’X12’ N Scale layout with a mainline through the city and several rail served industries. I chose to model the period of the 1920s just before the depression. Building it as a shadow box with a 1’ wide shelf behind the back wall for a continuous run mainline (when I just want to have something running while I operate by myself. I’m planning on super detailing it as well. Thanks for more inspiration. Blessings!
The more i see of your layout the more mesmerized i am,I'm always seeing something i didn't previously. You are the master at detail and capturing the industrial grittiness of our city sir!
This is absolutely tremendous. I'm so impressed by this layout. Its an inspiration to do better, with a little bit of "pack it in, you'll never do anything close to this."
That's awesome. If nothing else I'm shooting for atmosphere, I figure if other Chicago folks see what I see and react the same way then I'm not deluding myself :)
What an absolutely amazing layout! I love dirty city industry scenes! The weathering on the cars is amazing! All the different areas to switch are really fun looking too!
I modelled in N scale back in 1974. I am so impressed in the new N scale equipment. you layout is lovely and the weathering on your cars is outstanding. I crossed over to On3 Narrow Gauge way back in 1983. Well done, I like what you have accomplished in a relatively small space.
Hi Keith - likewise I'm amazed by how N scale has matured since its early iteration. My first N-scale stuff was also from that era (I was just a little kid). The narrow gauge stuff never ceases to impress me. I feel like the folks who head down that route tend to be really mature modelers who know what they want and do a great job with all sorts of challenges.
Glad to hear Jim. The scale does make some things more finicky, but I've generally found 1:1 parity between what can be done in HO versus N in terms of detailing models.
Wow! Love the layout! I lived in the city for four years before moving to Lake County. I loved riding the El and watching the city go by. Each street, each alley, each corner had a different story to tell. I really want to build an urban layout.
Thanks Darin! It's true, you get a lot of stories colliding in an urban environment, which is part of what attracts me to that genre for model railroads!
Great job! My father worked for Finkl from the 70’s till early 90’s. I remember seeing the Milwaukee MP15AC’s switch out the gons. I can still remember the smells. Keep up the great work. New subscriber!
Hey thanks Greg for sharing the family connection and the memories. Pretty rare nowadays for anyone to work somewhere for 20 years or so. I would have loved to see the old Milwaukee Road stuff in operation, by the time I was visiting Finkl it was being switched by CN or something, prior to the Chicago Terminal days. I do remember that smell though!!! Thank you for supporting the channel!
Wow! This is an amazing layout. As someone who lived, and worked in those areas, those details are amazing, and bring back some memories. This, wow, love it. The street signs, the local ads, just wow. So much detail. Look forward to more updates.
I am building a 3-level 4x8 N scale walk-around layout. Over the last two years I've been curiously searching videos of small N scale layouts to see what others are doing with their track plans. You have used your space very well. Needless to say, your scenery is next-level. Thanks for sharing it with us.
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Thank you. I'm 21 months in. Tracks are functional. Working on 5th of 8 scenery sections. First four were an arroyo, a rock ridge, Monument Valley and a golf hole. Now I'm working on a hillside cattle ranch. They get more complicated as I go. Last three will be an area with a drive-in theater and a cattle yard, the commercial part of town, and finally the residential part of town. Building realistic scenery is giving me great enjoyment and satisfaction.
Excellent. Convincingly real. Well done. The evolution of the original track plan must be a good story. Any chance of an updated track plan? Tom, from Chicago's East Side.
Thanks much Tom, glad you enjoyed! The evolution of the track actually was pretty prosaic. I wanted a couple of additional spurs and a yard so basically those got slotted in where there was space. It’s been a pretty low priority to try and make an update of the CCMR track plan (which was built off of an image from a site I no longer remember), versus getting the ideas together for a new layout focused on switching operations around goose island 🙂. Lots of East Side folks on YT, I lived a bit west and north but used to come down that way some weekends to check out Hegewisch, etc.
Thanks for the new tour. Your videography is as top notch as the layout, detailed & informative. What's the min radius if I may ask? Do long cars handle it well? BTW, you were robbed on the digital & DIY site, you should've won layout of the year!
Ha thanks Steve, appreciate the kind words. Happy new year to you as well! The tight curve at the upper right I think is 9.75" and as a minimum radius curve can pose some problems if I lash cars with truck-mounted couplers behind an SD-40, which in model form has quite a swing outward and is known to pull cars off the track. I never checked whether my model RR ever made it as a finalist or anything, but I was excited to see Will's layout voted #1, he's been a big supporter of the channel :)
@@ChicagoCrossingRRI'll keep connected mate! 😉 "Challenging with any creative, handmade details in smallest model-scales is simply something special and just great" 😘 ...Happy modeling 🍀🍀
Dude, Your weathering is amazing ! Even on the containers looks incredible. OMG ! Even the CFD (Chicago Fire Department) Engine No 47 has the correct paint scheme for the city !! You have captured the true essence of Chicago. My ONLY complaint is that the Chicago River is not green enough ...LOL. From a rail fan and former Darien (area) suburban Firefighter...
Thanks Jeff and yep were it St. Paddy's that river would be like radioactive green! The engine is an athearn model and you're right that they got the paint scheme just right. The only mods I'd need to make to it to match prototype are to remove the light bar and add the correct beacons, and then add tray on the front bumper where they added a hose and inlet for a hydrant connection - just that little something that really would make it CFD!
I am working on a Z-scale layout of Boston, MA in the late 1960's. It will include the Fort Point channel area. The Chicago River represents it well. I see lots of inspiration in your layout. Great work.
I really love that brown "elevator" in front of silos of real Chicago at 01:18 . Narrow that doesn´t eat too much real estate and tall. Making an impressive industry. Generally height isn´t a problem on most layout. I´ve stopped counting how many times i watch your videos, again and again😊😊
Glad you enjoy Daniel - this elevator was really key to making the sort of view block that prevents people from seeing all of the layout at once, and it does help to create a focal point at the same time!
Thanks Butch. Integrating the track into scenery and using sight lines and buildings to hide parts of the layout really helps to keep it from looking like a bowl of spaghetti. The track plan itself is certainly a lot for the space. Have a great weekend!
I only recently started following your channel and very much enjoy watching. Being an N scaler, I am always on the lookout for good content, and to be honest, your channel provides a great deal of inspiration for me. About half of my layout is urban, and I find the attention to detail you bring amazing, and somewhat rare in our scale. Thank you for this tour, and have a prosperous new year.
Thank you for sharing and for supporting the channel! I agree it's been more challenging in this scale to do the sort of finescale modeling we see in HO for instance, with all the advances in laser etching and 3D printing maybe this will change. In the meantime, modeling a pile of garbage flowing out of a dumpster still represents a 2024 new years resolution for me.
What amazing detail you have brought to this layout. The buildings, the vessels, the people, the rivers, the tracks. All extraordinary. I am a freight locomotive engineer with BNSF Railway, and at the risk of being accused of being a “foamer”, I gotta say, this is wonderful and so very realistic. Thank you for this.
Ha, thanks for that, always good to know whether it passes muster at least as a caricature of the real thing with folks who may see this stuff as part of their career.
A really good in-depth video. I'm working on a N scale shelf layout depicting a northern New England factory town of the early 60s that is in decline. I saw a lot of good ideas that I would like to introduce on mine. I'm amazed at all the stuff that you managed to squeeze into a small space.
Your layout just came up in my you tube feed. What impressed me most it it is N gauge. I will be starting bench work on my new HO layout soon. It will be freelance. I'm planning on a large waterfront scene. I will sub to your channel.
Thanks Paul - it's a lot of fun on a small layout like this to jump into some deep details. Thanks for supporting the channel and looking forward to hearing more about your layout - hope you share your build!!
It's an amazing layout with so many details in such a small footprint. Can't wait to see what you add in 2024. Gives me inspiration and motivation to keep at it with my N scale layout.
Your layout is well thought out. Most guys with a smaller layout put too much track in there space, yours would be fun to not only rail fan but switching also. I am sure when you get visitors the layout tells the story. You have packed in a lot of fun but it is not cluttered. I enjoyed the tour.
Thank you Will, appreciate your perspective and wisdom as always (and I totally agree - easy to turn these door-size things into spaghetti bowls). I really like the concept you describe about the layout telling the story, I don't always think about that in a concrete way but it makes sense. These are visual art projects, and whether a viewer intuitively 'gets it' and connects with what they see on some level is a useful metric.
This layout never ceases to amaze me. Amazing that this is N scale. Well detailed without being so detailed it looks cluttered. I've seen that on many layouts. Too much detailing and super detailing can very quickly become overkill and ruin a scene. Eric , you got it just right! Damn maybe I should start working on mine lol
A really beautiful layout, your attention to detail amazing. I'm in the planning stages of a 3'x6' layout and you have given me some good ideas and planning tips. What turnouts and switch motors are you using?
Hi Peter - thanks for the kind words. I really enjoy the process of making everything look as it does in the 'real' world, it's part of the fun for me, and a lot of the challenge. Most of my channel's focus is on those elements rather than 'big builds' though that'll probably change up as I hit some scratchbuild projects in the near future.
That Conrail is one of my favorite locos, it was the guinea pig for my first crack at hand-weathering a loco and it turned out reasonably well. As a kid, the Conrail blue was my favorite livery behind the Indiana Harbor Belt orange/black. Had I grown up out east, that would have been my line of choice for sure.
@ChicagoCrossingRR I grew up on the NYC Main line from Anderson Indiana to Elkhart yards in Elkhart Indiana it's the Dow line, it got into really bad shape from the NYC to Penn Central then Conrail took over and totally rebuilt it as it was very heavily used North and South everyday, I was modeling in HO but I'm going to N Scale for a 15x10 Conrail layout now!! Keep up the great work, I love seeing how realistic N Scale can be!!!
@@conrailfan6277 thank you for supporting the channel - and makes sense why you enjoy modeling Conrail! I'd see Conrail stuff on the IHB (which was co-founded by NYC after all, guess it makes sense Conrail traffic would show up there), hence my love for those two railroads.
What a lovely tour. Your layout really is inspirational. It is the details that give it so much character and realism. I was delighted to see the night time shots. There are some very good and very cheap lighted motor cars available from the Chinese markets. They look stunning and could make a useful addition if you could bear to have some foreign cars on your layout. Their BMW replicas are pretty recognisable.
Thanks Mel! I've seen those LED-lighted cars on the market and they do look great at 'night' (I have a bunch of the non-lighted versions from that manufacturer on the layout). I'll very likely be putting some in next time I do a wiring pass on the layout!
You Tube´s Santa is a bit in advance to offer me your program. It´s only Christmas eave. Thanks Éric. Enjoy your Christmas. I´m glad of that gift while siping egg nog.😊😊😊😊😊
Great tour Eric! You bought back a lot of memories through your layout. Coincidentally my wife and I were driving on Kingsbury Ave. yesterday, and were talking about how much everything has been gentrified. My wife once had a temp assignment at Finkle Steel on Cortland as an accountant. Funny that she grew up where it is now located . "Big ups 👍 from Chicago "Train Dawg!"
Thank you Steven! I agree that area is nothing like it used to be. I'm happy to see more folks living in the city but something in me misses the dirty industrial version of the Goose Island I knew when I lived in Chicago. I read a couple of news stories from 1-2 years ago about a slag explosion at the new Finkl plant sending hot debris into the neighboring houses and setting fires. I couldn't imagine that happening in the middle of the crowded north side, especially nowadays. Crazy stuff - happy new year to you and your family!
Really nice Layout on such a small space. I enjoyed you sharing your thoughtprocess. Must be a Trip down memory lane for you in some areas of the layout. I really enjoy detailed layouts where you transport a feeling/a past way of living to the viewer. On some small layouts you can spend hours discovering new hidden sceneries or simply talk with the builder.
Totally agree about the trip down memory lane, and it's a lot of fun. If I could easily get this thing out of the basement I'd probably try to show it at a train show.
Thanks for supporting the channel! Really love the variety of trains and layouts on your channel - I've always wanted to run some European stuff, especially in N!
I love layouts that capture a time and place without needing to be exact scale replicas. Really nice job. I used to ride the Metra for many years and saw a lot of these locations change over time. Lived not too far from Finkl Steel for a while around the time it was razed.
I've really enjoyed working to capture the essence even if I can't build the 'real' thing - always glad it shows through! Good thing you don't live by Finkl now (the new location down south), I think it was a couple of years back a slag explosion at the plant set a couple of nearby houses on fire.
Thank you for reaching out Bill - and thanks for building an incredible layout. It's been a lot of fun studying the Kingsbury. I first saw the layout back in the 90s and it stuck with me ever since.
That Chicago Belt Line diesel in the opening scene put a big smile on my face!
One of my favorite railroads, that and IHB :).
Creating a model railroad layout that represents a real life environment, and in such a small space is an amazing example of storytelling. This layout, should be an inspiration to anyone who wants to build a model railroad, but doesn’t have a lot of space. I am blown away by the attention to detail, the use of trackage, and weathering, which is very realistic. Bravo on a project well executed.
Thanks David - appreciate the feedback. Small layouts (or shelf layouts where overall surface space is efficiently used) are great ways to really get into the details.
It’s sure is. I have little space and was set on an HO scale layout till I seen this video. I so want to model a combination of the Chicago’s Metro and freight railroad.
@@dalemadison2368 should be a fun project Dale!
It is definitely an inspiration especially to someone like me who have lived in Chicago all my life a always loved the train and industrial areas@
Very impressive!
Thank you Olivia!
This has got to be one of the best N scale layouts I've seen yet! I love the track plan too.
Thanks Harold!
That night shot with Metra passing through is phenomenal! The lighting really adds just the right amount of ambiance to Chicago at night. You absolutely nailed this build.
Thank you!
I love your use of the space and attention to detail! You've done it in such a way that the scenes feel really big even though they're all so compact! I'm also in awe of the weathering on cars and buildings. Simply fantastic-your project will be an inspiration for my own layout hopes. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Amir. Granted the camera always seems to add a few acres, but I think the way the elements play together does help to give every diorama its own viewing angle and sense of unique, non-overlapping surroundings. Most people who visit the layout in person are shocked by how tiny it is in reality.
Sir you took it to another level, I used to get compliments on my n scale layout, but I would be ashamed to be in the same room with my layout next to yours, one word awesomeness.
Hi John - I bet you probably still get compliments on your layout!
Nice work man ! I’m originally from the North side of Chicago myself (near Wrigley field) .I can see where your many influences for you layout ideas are from.Very nice indeed. Myself as kid I loved looking at that giant layout at Science & Industry museum in Chicago. I always love visiting that place just for the huge layout.
Thank you Christopher - I spent a lot of time around that area when I lived in the city after college. MSI was always a favorite, I saw both generations of model train layout there - the old O scale Santa Fe and the Great Train Story. I was impressed by both, but the current layout is really fantastic.
Outstanding! at 11:43 you can almost see a feral cat running beside the shipping containers in the glow from street light!
totally. 💯❤
Looks like I'll need to add one of those!😆
Damn, this was superb. The flashing Pabst sign was perhaps the coolest thing I have seen on ANY model layout. Wow!
Likewise that sign is impressive technology. Thinner than a credit card. The little CPU is contained in the building itself. I have no idea how that thing works!
So much railroad in such a compact space, without feeling crowded. Love it, man!
Thank you! Have a great new year, love seeing what you can do with weathering and detailing in O scale - great channel!!
Pass the awards,please"To the artists doing spectacular art to capture big city in density, green spaces and lived in grime well done.,,! Beautiful work.
Thanks Allen!! Much appreciated!
You have built a really lovely layout, top work. It would be good to maybe have some videos focusing on each industry (or pairs like the scrap steel and steel mill industries), unless they already exist?
Thanks! I’ve not yet made many operations videos. I’ve been watching a bunch to assess how to keep them timely, interesting and informative 😁
I really enjoyed this tour. Your attention to detail is beyond reproach. I especially liked the night vision aspect of the tour. Somehow the lighting and detail takes the "toyness" out of the picture. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Jim! I agree - good lighting adds a really nice dimension to the models.
Really cool stuff, I love the weathering and other detailing to really set the age and time period of your layout. It's so satisfying to see so much visual identity and story telling packed in here, especially for its modest size.
Thank you! Small/shelf layouts can be a great way to really drill down and create some interesting scenes.
Beautiful layout! Thanks for showing us that you don’t need a huge layout in order to fit a lot of operating fun into it. Looking forward to future updates. I’m beginning a 3’X12’ N Scale layout with a mainline through the city and several rail served industries. I chose to model the period of the 1920s just before the depression. Building it as a shadow box with a 1’ wide shelf behind the back wall for a continuous run mainline (when I just want to have something running while I operate by myself. I’m planning on super detailing it as well. Thanks for more inspiration. Blessings!
Thanks for writing in Jeffrey, this is a great plan and hope you share your layout!
The more i see of your layout the more mesmerized i am,I'm always seeing something i didn't previously. You are the master at detail and capturing the industrial grittiness of our city sir!
Thanks Carl - you’ve been one of the OG supporters of this channel, really appreciate your comments and continued interest. Cheers sir!
This is absolutely tremendous. I'm so impressed by this layout. Its an inspiration to do better, with a little bit of "pack it in, you'll never do anything close to this."
Thanks Wes. It’s been a fun build!
I did that river boat tour in Chicago, and it was one of the coolest things I've ever seen. Your layout certainly matches up to real life
Thank you!!
Really beautiful layout,hard to believe it's that small,love your weathering
Thanks Dave!
This layout has become my favorite. Definitely reminds me of what I grew up around.
That's awesome. If nothing else I'm shooting for atmosphere, I figure if other Chicago folks see what I see and react the same way then I'm not deluding myself :)
What an absolutely amazing layout! I love dirty city industry scenes! The weathering on the cars is amazing! All the different areas to switch are really fun looking too!
Thank you! It's a fun layout to operate, though I find myself spending more time building stuff on it than running trains! 😅
Wow!!! The detail! The story being told! It's like watching a movie that you wished would never end... Subscribed 😁
Really appreciate the kind words, thank you for supporting the channel!
Awesome little layout, really captures the essence of Chicago.
Thanks Don! Always happy when the location comes across clearly to people who aren't me!
That tire in the puddle... what a great detail.
Outstanding layout!
Thanks, that was one of my favorite scenes!
I modelled in N scale back in 1974. I am so impressed in the new N scale equipment. you layout is lovely and the weathering on your cars is outstanding.
I crossed over to On3 Narrow Gauge way back in 1983.
Well done, I like what you have accomplished in a relatively small space.
Hi Keith - likewise I'm amazed by how N scale has matured since its early iteration. My first N-scale stuff was also from that era (I was just a little kid). The narrow gauge stuff never ceases to impress me. I feel like the folks who head down that route tend to be really mature modelers who know what they want and do a great job with all sorts of challenges.
This has completely changed my view about N scale. The level of detail you can create, despite the small scale, is truly amazing.
Glad to hear Jim. The scale does make some things more finicky, but I've generally found 1:1 parity between what can be done in HO versus N in terms of detailing models.
Just absolutely mesmerized by the era detail and how you pulled everything together. What an awesome accomplishment.
Thank you!!
Wow! Love the layout! I lived in the city for four years before moving to Lake County. I loved riding the El and watching the city go by. Each street, each alley, each corner had a different story to tell. I really want to build an urban layout.
Thanks Darin! It's true, you get a lot of stories colliding in an urban environment, which is part of what attracts me to that genre for model railroads!
Great job! My father worked for Finkl from the 70’s till early 90’s. I remember seeing the Milwaukee MP15AC’s switch out the gons. I can still remember the smells.
Keep up the great work. New subscriber!
Hey thanks Greg for sharing the family connection and the memories. Pretty rare nowadays for anyone to work somewhere for 20 years or so. I would have loved to see the old Milwaukee Road stuff in operation, by the time I was visiting Finkl it was being switched by CN or something, prior to the Chicago Terminal days. I do remember that smell though!!! Thank you for supporting the channel!
This is a gorgeous layout. Makes me want to visit my neighbors to the south again soon and get some amazing Chicago style deep dish!!
Thank you! Chicago is a cool city, and there are still some interesting spots where it hasn't changed too much from the 1990s when I model the city.
Very nice work! I had to remind myself that you said "N Scale". I'm doing an industrial area on my HO layout and you have provided several ideas.
Thanks Gary, glad the layout offers some ideas. I love what can be done in HO.
Wow! This is an amazing layout. As someone who lived, and worked in those areas, those details are amazing, and bring back some memories. This, wow, love it. The street signs, the local ads, just wow. So much detail. Look forward to more updates.
Thanks Daniel, the fun of being a former Chicago resident is putting in touches that bring the essence of my old city to the layout. Do stay tuned!
I am building a 3-level 4x8 N scale walk-around layout. Over the last two years I've been curiously searching videos of small N scale layouts to see what others are doing with their track plans. You have used your space very well. Needless to say, your scenery is next-level. Thanks for sharing it with us.
@@norcalboy2572 thanks and good luck with your project!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR Thank you. I'm 21 months in. Tracks are functional. Working on 5th of 8 scenery sections. First four were an arroyo, a rock ridge, Monument Valley and a golf hole. Now I'm working on a hillside cattle ranch. They get more complicated as I go. Last three will be an area with a drive-in theater and a cattle yard, the commercial part of town, and finally the residential part of town. Building realistic scenery is giving me great enjoyment and satisfaction.
@ awesome!
Excellent. Convincingly real. Well done. The evolution of the original track plan must be a good story. Any chance of an updated track plan? Tom, from Chicago's East Side.
Thanks much Tom, glad you enjoyed! The evolution of the track actually was pretty prosaic. I wanted a couple of additional spurs and a yard so basically those got slotted in where there was space. It’s been a pretty low priority to try and make an update of the CCMR track plan (which was built off of an image from a site I no longer remember), versus getting the ideas together for a new layout focused on switching operations around goose island 🙂. Lots of East Side folks on YT, I lived a bit west and north but used to come down that way some weekends to check out Hegewisch, etc.
That’s insane modeling, especially in n scale. Well done!
Thanks Ethan!
Thanks for the new tour. Your videography is as top notch as the layout, detailed & informative. What's the min radius if I may ask? Do long cars handle it well? BTW, you were robbed on the digital & DIY site, you should've won layout of the year!
Ha thanks Steve, appreciate the kind words. Happy new year to you as well! The tight curve at the upper right I think is 9.75" and as a minimum radius curve can pose some problems if I lash cars with truck-mounted couplers behind an SD-40, which in model form has quite a swing outward and is known to pull cars off the track. I never checked whether my model RR ever made it as a finalist or anything, but I was excited to see Will's layout voted #1, he's been a big supporter of the channel :)
this was a pleasure to watch! As a fellow n scale modeler, I respect the amount of detail you have shown in this. Thank You
Thanks Andrew! Always great to meet other members of the N scale community!
An amazing amount of detail for an N gauge layout with such a small footprint. Job well done !
Much appreciated Neal, thanks!
Excellent layout tour. I'm really inspired by the level of detail and the overall functioning. Thanks for sharing 👍🏾.
Sure thing Ron, thanks for watching and supporting the channel!
"HAPPY NEW YEAR" Eric🎉 Thanks for your great railroad tour❤ .."👏👏👏" ...Enjoyed it!!! Cheers, Olli
Thanks Olli - happy new year to you!
@@ChicagoCrossingRRI'll keep connected mate! 😉 "Challenging with any creative, handmade details in smallest model-scales is simply something special and just great" 😘 ...Happy modeling 🍀🍀
A great layout! Your attention to detail is amazing, love your layout!
Thanks!
Dude, Your weathering is amazing ! Even on the containers looks incredible. OMG ! Even the CFD (Chicago Fire Department) Engine No 47 has the correct paint scheme for the city !! You have captured the true essence of Chicago.
My ONLY complaint is that the Chicago River is not green enough ...LOL.
From a rail fan and former Darien (area) suburban Firefighter...
Thanks Jeff and yep were it St. Paddy's that river would be like radioactive green! The engine is an athearn model and you're right that they got the paint scheme just right. The only mods I'd need to make to it to match prototype are to remove the light bar and add the correct beacons, and then add tray on the front bumper where they added a hose and inlet for a hydrant connection - just that little something that really would make it CFD!
I am working on a Z-scale layout of Boston, MA in the late 1960's. It will include the Fort Point channel area. The Chicago River represents it well. I see lots of inspiration in your layout. Great work.
Thank you James! Good luck on your layout - I've always wanted to get into Z scale!
Incredible layout you have.
Thanks David!
Great layout! Superb job! 😮🔝👏 Greetings from Italy!
Thank you Gio!
I've mentioned before how much I admire and enjoy your lay-out. Can't believe how small it is - well done.
Thank you Gary - happy new year to you and yours!
the amount of detail and realism is awesome.
Thank you!
Absolutely Hands Down ! Your Layout and Editing Skills are Stellar ! Thank You !
Thank you!!
Just amazing. I wish I had the talent. But I'll settle for enjoying your skill.
Thanks much! It's been quite a few years of trial and error on my part, and still a long ways to go to reallly get 'expert' at this stuff.
I really love that brown
"elevator" in front of silos of real Chicago at
01:18 . Narrow that doesn´t eat too much real estate and tall. Making an impressive industry. Generally height isn´t a problem on most layout.
I´ve stopped counting how many times i watch your videos, again and again😊😊
Glad you enjoy Daniel - this elevator was really key to making the sort of view block that prevents people from seeing all of the layout at once, and it does help to create a focal point at the same time!
Nice job my good friend please keep as posted for more videos 📹 thanks
Will do, thanks Horacio.
Very nice! Shows how a great amount of railroading can be put in a small space.
Thanks Butch. Integrating the track into scenery and using sight lines and buildings to hide parts of the layout really helps to keep it from looking like a bowl of spaghetti. The track plan itself is certainly a lot for the space. Have a great weekend!
Such a wonderful use of a small space!
Thank you Jerry, have a great new year!
I only recently started following your channel and very much enjoy watching. Being an N scaler, I am always on the lookout for good content, and to be honest, your channel provides a great deal of inspiration for me. About half of my layout is urban, and I find the attention to detail you bring amazing, and somewhat rare in our scale. Thank you for this tour, and have a prosperous new year.
Thank you for sharing and for supporting the channel! I agree it's been more challenging in this scale to do the sort of finescale modeling we see in HO for instance, with all the advances in laser etching and 3D printing maybe this will change. In the meantime, modeling a pile of garbage flowing out of a dumpster still represents a 2024 new years resolution for me.
What amazing detail you have brought to this layout. The buildings, the vessels, the people, the rivers, the tracks. All extraordinary. I am a freight locomotive engineer with BNSF Railway, and at the risk of being accused of being a “foamer”, I gotta say, this is wonderful and so very realistic. Thank you for this.
Ha, thanks for that, always good to know whether it passes muster at least as a caricature of the real thing with folks who may see this stuff as part of their career.
So very welcome. I’m following now and look forward to any and all updates!
@@RailroadGuy49 thanks John for supporting the channel!
@@ChicagoCrossingRR you betcha!
I love your layout. Need to find away of incorporating a good old Chicago traffic viaduct under the railroad. Maybe with a stuck truck under it.
Ha no kidding, I've seen more than one truck get its roof peeled off by a viaduct when I was living in the city!
Amazing work and creativity bro. ❤️☺️🇦🇺👍
Much appreciated, and thank you for supporting the layout and channel!
Great details! Great imagination! I'll be watching... 😁
Thanks Tom, much appreciated!!
I keep watching this video because it always inspires me
Glad to hear, thanks for reaching out Charles!
A really good in-depth video. I'm working on a N scale shelf layout depicting a northern New England factory town of the early 60s that is in decline. I saw a lot of good ideas that I would like to introduce on mine. I'm amazed at all the stuff that you managed to squeeze into a small space.
Awesome, have fun! I love a good shelf layout.
Crazy what you can do with money and a vision. As a Chicago born kid I have so much respect for how much work you put in this man
Thanks!
Your layout just came up in my you tube feed. What impressed me most it it is N gauge. I will be starting bench work on my new HO layout soon. It will be freelance. I'm planning on a large waterfront scene. I will sub to your channel.
Thanks Paul - it's a lot of fun on a small layout like this to jump into some deep details. Thanks for supporting the channel and looking forward to hearing more about your layout - hope you share your build!!
It's an amazing layout with so many details in such a small footprint. Can't wait to see what you add in 2024. Gives me inspiration and motivation to keep at it with my N scale layout.
Thank you! You've got a beautiful layout so just go one scene at a time :)
That is one great looking layout.....Nicely done
Thank you!!
Nice layout. Great presentation!
Thank you Phil!
Your layout is well thought out. Most guys with a smaller layout put too much track in there space, yours would be fun to not only rail fan but switching also. I am sure when you get visitors the layout tells the story. You have packed in a lot of fun but it is not cluttered. I enjoyed the tour.
Thank you Will, appreciate your perspective and wisdom as always (and I totally agree - easy to turn these door-size things into spaghetti bowls). I really like the concept you describe about the layout telling the story, I don't always think about that in a concrete way but it makes sense. These are visual art projects, and whether a viewer intuitively 'gets it' and connects with what they see on some level is a useful metric.
This is a very creative and artistic success. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Harold, appreciate your comments and support!
This layout never ceases to amaze me. Amazing that this is N scale. Well detailed without being so detailed it looks cluttered. I've seen that on many layouts. Too much detailing and super detailing can very quickly become overkill and ruin a scene. Eric , you got it just right! Damn maybe I should start working on mine lol
Utterly mesmerising, thankyou.
Thanks Nick, glad you enjoyed. Cheers!
A really beautiful layout, your attention to detail amazing. I'm in the planning stages of a 3'x6' layout and you have given me some good ideas and planning tips.
What turnouts and switch motors are you using?
Thanks Rob, glad this was helpful. Peco #6 and basic Atlas solenoids for switches. Maybe will shift over to tortoises at some point.
Excellent. Well done layout and well done presentation.
Thanks Jim, cheers!
Beautiful layout. Well done.
Thank you Jim!
A wonderful work of art ... thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Gene, Cheers!
Nicely done,,thanks for sharing..😊
You're welcome Frank, glad you enjoyed!
Excellent work, it looks very realistic. I really like the detail in such a small layout. Very nice.
Thanks Lance - the small layout format lends well to really digging in to create dioramas.
This is a fantastic layout. I can’t stand pristine layouts and this one captures the reality perfectly. ❤
Hi Peter - thanks for the kind words. I really enjoy the process of making everything look as it does in the 'real' world, it's part of the fun for me, and a lot of the challenge. Most of my channel's focus is on those elements rather than 'big builds' though that'll probably change up as I hit some scratchbuild projects in the near future.
Magnificent unbelievable detail!
Thanks John!
One word - “Magnificent”
Thank you!
Very nice modeling, that would be a cool layout to operate after working all day!!! Also nice seeing a Conrail unit working the scrap yard!! 😁😁
That Conrail is one of my favorite locos, it was the guinea pig for my first crack at hand-weathering a loco and it turned out reasonably well. As a kid, the Conrail blue was my favorite livery behind the Indiana Harbor Belt orange/black. Had I grown up out east, that would have been my line of choice for sure.
@ChicagoCrossingRR I grew up on the NYC Main line from Anderson
Indiana to Elkhart yards in Elkhart Indiana it's the Dow line, it got into
really bad shape from the NYC to
Penn Central then Conrail took over
and totally rebuilt it as it was very
heavily used North and South everyday, I was modeling in HO but
I'm going to N Scale for a 15x10
Conrail layout now!! Keep up the
great work, I love seeing how realistic N Scale can be!!!
I just subbed!! 👍👍👍👍👍
@@conrailfan6277 thank you for supporting the channel - and makes sense why you enjoy modeling Conrail! I'd see Conrail stuff on the IHB (which was co-founded by NYC after all, guess it makes sense Conrail traffic would show up there), hence my love for those two railroads.
Very nicely done! Thank you for sharing!
You bet James, thank you for supporting the channel!
Love the attention to detail and the graffiti. Reminds me of the trains that would go through my neighborhood in Milwaukee
Thanks! Yep both cities look a lot alike.
What a lovely tour. Your layout really is inspirational. It is the details that give it so much character and realism. I was delighted to see the night time shots. There are some very good and very cheap lighted motor cars available from the Chinese markets. They look stunning and could make a useful addition if you could bear to have some foreign cars on your layout. Their BMW replicas are pretty recognisable.
Thanks Mel! I've seen those LED-lighted cars on the market and they do look great at 'night' (I have a bunch of the non-lighted versions from that manufacturer on the layout). I'll very likely be putting some in next time I do a wiring pass on the layout!
Very impressive that you fit all of that in essentially 3x6.
Thanks!!
You Tube´s Santa is a bit in advance to offer me your program. It´s only Christmas eave.
Thanks Éric. Enjoy your Christmas. I´m glad of that gift while siping egg nog.😊😊😊😊😊
Thanks Daniel - happy new year to you!
You too my friend, and make 2025 help you in your research and be with you in your CCM growth❤
Excellent details. I lived in Milwaukee in the late 90s and early 2000s and can definitely feel those Rust Belt, old industrial urban vibes.
Thanks Jon - I've always liked Milwaukee. Happy new year to you!
Great modelling! Really enjoyed the update.
Thank you, happy new year!
What a great little layout! Definitely captures the feel of Chicago! Thanks for sharing it with us!
You bet! Glad you enjoyed!
WOW!!! Totally amazing.
Thanks Chris!
Great video as always! I really love all the details. Gives me a lot of ideas for my own layout.
Thanks and cheers! I must say your layout is already incredibly well developed so I've been paying quite a bit of attention to it in turn.
Gorgeous layout that captures the scene and tone in such a realistic manner! Your weathering is phenomenal! Your detailing is perfect.
Thank you Brad, glad you enjoyed!
This is an amazing layout. It's seriously impressive the level of detail and operations you've been able to fit in while makin it look realistic
Thanks Matt - I think that's all a benefit of a smaller layout, more time to focus on the small stuff that matters!
Great tour Eric! You bought back a lot of memories through your layout. Coincidentally my wife and I were driving on Kingsbury Ave. yesterday, and were talking about how much everything has been gentrified. My wife once had a temp assignment at Finkle Steel on Cortland as an accountant. Funny that she grew up where it is now located . "Big ups 👍 from Chicago "Train Dawg!"
Thank you Steven! I agree that area is nothing like it used to be. I'm happy to see more folks living in the city but something in me misses the dirty industrial version of the Goose Island I knew when I lived in Chicago. I read a couple of news stories from 1-2 years ago about a slag explosion at the new Finkl plant sending hot debris into the neighboring houses and setting fires. I couldn't imagine that happening in the middle of the crowded north side, especially nowadays. Crazy stuff - happy new year to you and your family!
Fabulous layout... you could keep busy on it all day without getting bored. Would be a great layout for dad and kids or grandpa and grandkids.
It’s a lot of fun for sure. Granted I spend most of the time working on it rather than operating it!
Really nice Layout on such a small space. I enjoyed you sharing your thoughtprocess. Must be a Trip down memory lane for you in some areas of the layout. I really enjoy detailed layouts where you transport a feeling/a past way of living to the viewer. On some small layouts you can spend hours discovering new hidden sceneries or simply talk with the builder.
Totally agree about the trip down memory lane, and it's a lot of fun. If I could easily get this thing out of the basement I'd probably try to show it at a train show.
Wonderful tour of a wonderful model railroad, I really aspire to this level of modelling! Thanks so much for posting
Thanks for supporting the channel! Really love the variety of trains and layouts on your channel - I've always wanted to run some European stuff, especially in N!
I love layouts that capture a time and place without needing to be exact scale replicas. Really nice job. I used to ride the Metra for many years and saw a lot of these locations change over time. Lived not too far from Finkl Steel for a while around the time it was razed.
I've really enjoyed working to capture the essence even if I can't build the 'real' thing - always glad it shows through! Good thing you don't live by Finkl now (the new location down south), I think it was a couple of years back a slag explosion at the plant set a couple of nearby houses on fire.
I love this layout. So much going on in a small space.
Thanks David!
Incredible. Thanks for this sweet look into this world!!!!!
Thank you!
Great layout. Nice to see others modeling urban industrial areas. Also thanks for the shout out!
Thank you for reaching out Bill - and thanks for building an incredible layout. It's been a lot of fun studying the Kingsbury. I first saw the layout back in the 90s and it stuck with me ever since.