Earlier, I posted photos and a link to a video of the
Thompson River Canyon N scale layout in Australia . Here’s another Great Canadian Model Railroad down under—Andreas Keller’s HO
scale CN Fergus Subdivision.
Andreas, who is originally from Canada , models both Canadian and
Australian prototypes. His CN Fergus Subdivision layout models that
southwestern Ontario area between Guelph and Cambridge in the 1980s.
He had previously modeled this area while living in Canada , building a layout that featured CN’s secondary mainline through the area. After moving to Australia , he had less room
for a layout, so elected to model branch line operations instead.
By the 1980s only 14 miles of the Fergus Sub. was left in
operation. He decided to model four scenes in three sections, discarding, as he says, “the
boring bits in between.” With limited room, he decided on a three-level shadow
box-style point-to-point layout.
The three 14-foot long section s are connected by a helix in
a nearby storage area. The result is 42 linear feet of layout in a 2 foot by 14
foot footprint.
Andreas has come up with a creative way to pack a lot of model railroad into a small space--and done some excellent modelling, as well. Perhaps it will inspire others seeking ways to build their dream layout, despite having very little room.
As more people look for achievable yet rewarding layouts - embracing the thoughts of designers like Lance Mindheim - Andreas' layout is doing more than standing the test of time. It's proven that he was ahead of his time. When I think back on the couple of operating sessions I was fortunate enough to attend on his layout back in the early 1990s, when he lived in Canada, I realize just how influential it was on my own thinking about what brings me the most satisfaction in this hobby.
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