2026 NASG Convention
Local Layouts
Hotel Layout
LOCKBOURNE, OHIO
Willy Monaghan & Larry Janeski
The Lockbourne, Ohio layout managed by Willy Monaghan and Larry Janeski will be at the Convention hotel for all to enjoy. The layout has traveled to previous NASG Conventions, as well as to several shows in the U.K. The lightweight layout consists of five modules, which are designed to be transportable on airplanes! Passenger, freight, and interurban electric operations are automated and/or operator-controlled from the front of the layout using iPads and the DCC system.
American Flyer
Robbie Tonneberger
The 8' x 8' layout has three trains running, including the Polar Express. There are also eleven accessories which attendees can activate with pushbuttons, such as the log loader, barrel loader, sawmill, and talking station.
Home Layouts Tour
The following local layouts, listed in alphabetical order by last name, are those planned to be open for Convention attendees. Please be prepared for any last-minute unforeseen circumstances that may not enable a visit. Details about the layouts will be provided at the Convention. The Convention is an excellent opportunity to see these fantastic layouts in person!
SURREY VALLEY RAILROAD
Bill Bartlam
This proto-freelanced S scale layout is set in the steam-to-diesel transition era on the New York Central in northern Michigan. The single-track point-to-point railroad serves 19 industries, including coal mines and a paper mill, in seven small towns. Both visible and hidden staging are utilized. Structures are a mix of kit-bashed and scratchbuilt. A total of seven bridges span the aisleways, connecting parts of the layout together.
PONTIAC, OXFORD & NORTHERN
Earl Carlsen
The S hi-rail PO&E, also known as the Polly Ann, depicts years spanning from the 1950s to 1964. The 20' x 40' layout features primarily scenes of Michigan railroading. The track plan consists of two independent folded-dog-bone loops connected by a 3% grade. The PO&E serves four towns and the line crosses over a river on a beautiful River Raisin bridge.
NORTHBROOK RAILROAD
Norm Charbonneau
Norm's YouTube Channel
Bill McMillan's Visit
Classic Toy Trains 2008 Visit
A 2012 Visit
A 2022 Visit
Norm's well-known layout is primarily a display for highly modified 3-rail O scale locomotives and rolling stock of the late 1950s era. A continuous 2-track mainline loop allows operation of large steam locomotives and long trains. The layout features a modest freight yard, an interchange, and a steam servicing facility with an operating turntable. The layout features both scratchbuilt and kit-bashed structures, many with interior lighting, and it has been featured in several magazines, including on the cover of Model Railroader.
DURANGO & SILVERTON
Tom Dart
This 40' x 60' On3 layout accurately replicates the narrow-gauge Durango & Silverton RR of Colorado as it appeared and operated in the 1950s. The layout is point-to-point from Durango to Silverton and runs through the Colorado mountains. Featured are an ore mine at Silverton, and a replica of the famous "High Line" above the Animas River. The majority of structures are either scratch-built or kit-bashed to resemble the prototype. All the locomotives are sound-equipped. As a bonus, a 2-rail O-scale railroad circles the perimeter of the room.
BUFFALO & CHAUTAUQUA
Gaylord Gill
The Buffalo & Chautauqua is a scale S layout set in 1953, representing portions of the PRR's Northern Division in western New York State. Gaylord's layout features prize-winning structures, both scratch-built and kitbashed, along with hand-made trees and hand-painted backdrops. His modeling has appeared in NASG Dispatch, Model Railroader, and Railroad Model Craftsman magazines.
READING LINES
Barry Hensel
The proto-freelanced HO scale Reading Lines Central Division is set in Pennsylvania in 1970 and features coal and freight traffic as well as commuter traffic to Philadelphia. The railroad features a double-track mainline with continuous running. Trains are controlled by Easy DCC, and all locomotives are sound equipped. The 24' x 40' L-shaped Reading Lines is completely operational and scenicked. Operating sessions are held every ten weeks with five crews and a dispatcher.
DAKOTA RAILS
Jeff Jundt
Jeff is just getting underway with an 18' x 38' South Dakota-themed S-scale layout. No specific era will be modeled and equipment from the late 1800s to the 1970s will be run. The benchwork is about 60% complete and code 100 track will be used. This is a good opportunity to see a layout's benchwork, to get ideas for your own.
ERIE RAILROAD
Ron King, MMR
This large HO layout depicts the Erie Railroad between Cornell, NY and Marion, OH as it appeared and operated in October 1953. The line passes through Meadville, PA, which serves as the main staging yard. At Meadville, there is a large roundhouse and diesel servicing facility, and recently Ron added a coaling tower to the Meadville scene. The layout features many scratchbuilt and kit-bashed structures.
DETROIT WINDSOR CONNECTING RAILROAD
Bill McMillan
This G-scale (1:29) railroad is set in the area of west Detroit and Delray and serves a variety of industries, including packing plants, a foundry, and a produce terminal. Many of the structures have detailed interiors. A John Allen-style "time saver" has been worked into the track plan as a switching puzzle. A transfer table simplifies yard operations and the layout's lone bridge is used to span an aisleway. The layout has been featured in NMRA North Central Region's The HotBox magazine.
KEWEENAW BAY & RIVER RAISIN RR
Dan Navarre
The S scale Keweenaw Bay & River Raisin RR is based on the C&O Railway in the 1940s and is centered in West Virginia's New River Gorge. The featured location is Thurmond, WV. The station and mallet house were scratch-built from original C&O erection drawings and the coaling tower and downtown buildings were 3D-printed. The railroad is about 70% complete and operates on Loksound DCC. Dan Navarre was the co-owner of River Raisin Models, the company that brought us many stunning brass models over the decades.
S Hi-rail Display Layout
Jerry Poniatowski
This 12' x 20' S hi-rail display layout is being built to run a collection of S trains including American Flyer and American Models as well as several of Jerry's show-winning models. Three interconnected routes wind over and under each other allowing for three trains to operate with another three trains on sidings. A trolley line runs along main street. The layout features a scratch-built model of New York Central's Ann Arbor depot, which is currently a work-in-progress.
RED PINE & OXVILLE
Bob Stelmach
Both S hi-rail and scale S equipment co-exist on Bob's Red Pine & Oxville layout, accommodated by closing-frog turnouts. The RP&O shortline serves mid-Michigan, with an NYC mainline interchange. Industries include a coal mine, gravel business, logging, agriculture, and small-town operations. Bob's layout has been published in NMRA Magazine, Model Railroader, NASG Dispatch, and S Gaugian.
BURLINGTON PACIFIC
Mike Tranquilla
This free-lanced HO-scale railroad utilizes a comprehensive collection of rolling stock to allow representing a variety of eras from the 1920s to the present, of a small-town, mid-western railroad. The mainline runs around the walls while several branch lines support up to 8 operators serving several small-town industries. The layout features several turntables and many scratchbuilt structures, including a farm. The layout has been featured in NMRA North Central Region's The HotBox magazine.
ALLEGHENY & EASTERN
Pierre Willermet
A Few Photos
Onboard Tour of Layout, part 1
Onboard Tour of Layout, part 2
Onboard Tour of Layout, part 3
The 20' x 25' Allegheny & Eastern is a freelanced HO-scale railroad set in the eastern United States in the steam/diesel transition era. The layout is a folded-dog-bone design with a major yard, which includes a turntable and engine servicing facility. A large industrial area contains several impressive scratchbuilt and animated industries. The A&E includes a unique prototypically-lighted synthetic oil facility in a lighted night scene, complete with a corner burger joint. The layout has been featured in NMRA North Central Region's The HotBox magazine.