Alan Balma's layout has been featured in our home page photo rotation a number of times. Additionally, Alan's photos have appeared in several NASG advertisements in the Railroad Model Craftsman magazine (the inside-the-cover ad).
Unfortunately, Alan's layout is no more, due to a move.
Alan sent in a number of photos of the center peninsula, which he was able to finish before the move. This photo is taken across the peninsula in the foreground, across the isle with one long side of his layout visible in the background. That, combined with the photo backdrops, makes for a nice, long, and deep scene.
Alan's PRR Elmira Branch layout filled an 18' x 30' space, and featured the Pennsylvania Railroad in both Penn Yan, NY and Canandaigua, NY in the fall of 1956. The Canandaigua yard is what was captured in the peninsula.
Be sure to take a look at the dedicated page we have for his layout, as the last set of photos have been added. There's a link to a video shot 5 years ago of Alan introducing his, then still under construction, layout.
While building this layout, Alan also successfully completed the NMRA's prestigous Master Model Railroader Achievement Program (#820).
Layouts come and go. Some last decades, and some only a few years. With the ease of today's technology, it is important to take photos of your layout while you can. Sharing them on a public web site such as this is optional, of course, but even layouts that are long gone can still be inspirational to current and future modelers. Contact the NASG webmaster, if you would like to have photos shared of your layout.
