CT S GAUGERS - Larry Morton’s S Scale Model Railroad

Connecticut S Gaugers

For Scale, Hirail and American Flyer S Gauge Model Railroaders

Larry Morton's S Scale Model Railroad

Edited by Craig S. O'Connell

The east end of my layout depicts Reading, PA where I grew up. I left in 1965 so when I decided to build this layout I picked the mid 60s era but rather than model only one railroad, I chose to model Pennsylvania and all the railroads that ran in the state.
The actual skyline of Reading is portrayed on the backdrop with only the firetower and the Pagoda left to be installed. The tall building to the right is the courthouse, the tallest building in the city and was kitbashed from a HO Bachman Spectrum series structure. The wall separating the yard from the city was hand carved in pottery clay, then fired in a kiln and finally colored with acrylic stains. The GP30 working the yard is a Greenbrier Model and is equipped with a Soundtrax DCC decoder. It works the yard and sometimes makes the run to Harrisburg with a local freight.

This photo of Reading features the Berkshire Knitting mill which now houses the famous factory outlet stores that draw busloads to Reading year round. In the past this factory employed my grandfather for 48 years as a foreman in the dye works. I worked there briefly after college while waiting to be called for boot camp in the Army. The sports cars around the ESSO gas station are all cars I owned in the 60s and the trolley is the one I rode into Reading every Saturday morning to take my trumpet lesson. I found a color photo at the Reading Railroad Museum in Leesport, Pa which I used to apply the paint scheme. I also found a 50 minute video of the Reading Streetcar Co showing trolleys going through my father's farm land on the way to Mohnton, a small town southwest of the city. The museum has a GP30 like this one on static display.

The hilly terrain of northern Pennsylvania is the backdrop for the Pennsy passenger train headed to Erie and on to Ohio. The depot in Oil City, Pa is awaiting the construction of new oil tanks arriving from Frank Titman and a tanker will sit at the dock waiting to be filled for its voyage down the Allegheny River. I expect it will be full of crude, headed for the Quaker State refinery. The Lehigh Valley SW 1 is pushing a couple boxcars down to the industrial area in Franklin

Who doesn't have a Lehigh Valley Model coal mine on their layout. I'm still detailing the mine and its surrounding, and plan to add a coal loading mechanism inside the structure. An old 2-4-0 works the mine hoppers and shuffles them off to a yard nearby. The Lackawanna F3 passes through on the way to Ohio via New Castle with a freight load out of Reading.

Nestled in the hills of Pennsylvania are many old timey towns and cabins in the woods. Old man Greely lives in this one and claims this is where he plans to stay, hunting deer, bear and rabbit, with an occasional foray to a local mountain stream for a day of fishing. Employment is hit and miss for these folks, but they get by. Greely always has a good story for the folks down at the grocery.

More Photos of Larry's Layout

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Page created and maintained by Craig S. O'Connell

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	The east end of my layout depicts Reading, PA where I grew up. I left in 1965 so when I decided to build this layout I picked the mid 60s era but rather than model only one railroad, I chose to model Pennsylvania and all the railroads that ran in the state. The actual skyline of Reading is portrayed on the backdrop with only the firetower and the Pagoda left to be installed. The tall building to the right is the courthouse, the tallest building in the city and was kitbashed from a HO Bachman Spectrum series structure. The wall separating the yard from the city was hand carved in pottery clay, then fired in a kiln and finally colored with acrylic stains. The GP30 working the yard is a Greenbrier Model and is equipped with a Soundtrax DCC decoder. It works the yard and sometimes makes the run to Harrisburg with a local freight.
This photo of Reading features the Berkshire Knitting mill which now houses the famous factory outlet stores that draw busloads to Reading year round. In the past this factory employed my grandfather for 48 years as a foreman in the dye works. I worked there briefly after college while waiting to be called for boot camp in the Army. The sports cars around the ESSO gas station are all cars I owned in the 60s and the trolley is the one I rode into Reading every Saturday morning to take my trumpet lesson. I found a color photo at the Reading Railroad Museum in Leesport, Pa which I used to apply the paint scheme. I also found a 50 minute video of the Reading Streetcar Co showing trolleys going through my father's farm land on the way to Mohnton, a small town southwest of the city. The museum has a GP30 like this one on static display.
	The hilly terrain of northern Pennsylvania is the backdrop for the Pennsy passenger train headed to Erie and on to Ohio. The depot in Oil City, Pa is awaiting the construction of new oil tanks arriving from Frank Titman and a tanker will sit at the dock waiting to be filled for its voyage down the Allegheny River. I expect it will be full of crude, headed for the Quaker State refinery. The Lehigh Valley SW 1 is pushing a couple boxcars down to the industrial area in Franklin
Who doesn't have a Lehigh Valley Model coal mine on their layout. I'm still detailing the mine and its surrounding, and plan to add a coal loading mechanism inside the structure. An old 2-4-0 works the mine hoppers and shuffles them off to a yard nearby. The Lackawanna F3 passes through on the way to Ohio via New Castle with a freight load out of Reading.
	Nestled in the hills of Pennsylvania are many old timey towns and cabins in the woods. Old man Greely lives in this one and claims this is where he plans to stay, hunting deer, bear and rabbit, with an occasional foray to a local mountain stream for a day of fishing. Employment is hit and miss for these folks, but they get by. Greely always has a good story for the folks down at the grocery.