West Tennesse Central

Beautiful layout! Thanks for the photos. Malcolm

Did he have any custom built locos? Any by Bill Lenoir?

checked his 2000 inventory had none

Beauuuuuutiful!!  I? love that RH area.

at one time every stall was full and all the outside stalls were filled usually more then 1 engine,  the caboose rack was crazy filled with at least 25 cabooses.

I have a copy of the track plan will have to look for it.

Please do...I would love to see it.

Bob...thanks so much for posting these pictures!!  If you Google "West Tennessee Central", you will find some additional information including the current effort to save the layout and move it to a new location.

Alan

Really nice, with attention to detail, and what looks like a lot of scratchbuilding!

being an architect Lou was a very talented builder.  give him a damaged freight car,  etc and he would spend time and money to repair it like new in short time

Wow!  That is a beautiful layout.  Especially love the white church.

Art

Yes!  Thanks for sharing.

WOW AWOW WOW!!Just outstanding layout and trains.That L&N berkshire caught my eye the 1980.Just a real cool and detailed 2 rail o gauge train layout.Those locomotives are brass I think.Although I am in 3 rail o gauge.I have a a L&N railking berkshire number 1967.Which is the year I came into this world.Some body should make a movie of this layout.

Just in case you all didn't know, OGR did a video on Louis' layout and it is included in our Great Layout Adventures Volume #5.  It is still in stock if you are interested....

Alan

I am glad to see this post as I knew Louis Ertz in the late 1970's to a month before he passed on...His Layout was the most beautifully Crafted Layout I have ever scene, and OGR, THE VIDEO 5 and 6 both bring to our hobby, O Scale, 2 Rail, Layouts. The OGR VIDEO 5, Narrated by Bill Barrett is a wonderful tribute to this Artistic, Creative, Scale Model Railroader. Hand laid track, Scratch Built Buildings, Houses, machinery, Brass Locomotives, 100's of freight and passenger cars, a Beautiful Layout with Curved Woods, and in a Living Room in his Beautiful Home...He and Joe Fieore, (probably misspelled) were great friends and Joe's layout is in OGR, VIDEO 6...Joe lives in Birmingham Alabama and had an equally beautiful Layout...50 by 100 feet table...Joe ran long trains, some over a 100 scale cars long....His layout has been dismantled, as has Louis's.

OGR, Rich Melvin, Bill Barrett, and the entire staff should be Congratulated for making it possible for Us, and all up coming model Railroaders to see how others approach this wonderful hobby. You should take the time to watch all the OGR VIDEOS, AS they are full of Great Ideas for us to consider with our efforts to build our own Dream Layouts. I do have a copy of Louis's Super Track Plan...Great Memories....

THANKS FOR THE MEMORIES, Rich, Your Filming and Narration are Simply, The Best.

Hi Larry....

Thanks for your comments above.  A couple of respectful corrections...I believe you are referring to Jim Barrett (rather than Bill).  Also, Louis' layout still exists and is operated on a regular basis.  Currently, the plan is to move it and the effort is just getting underway....

Thanks,

Alan

thanks bob!  i was lucky enough to visit lou and the layout several times.  great to see pics of it once again.

Great looking layout.

Wow! Picture Perfect!   Thanks for posting these pics.

Hi Alan, yes, I meant Jim Barrett, thanks for the correction and Where is The Layout now? I have many pictures of Louis's Layout from many years ago, from lots of different angles....When I would go to LCCA shows in Memphis, or Little Rock, we would call Louis when in the area and he almost always said come on by, and We did...Even though Louis had so many wonderful Scale Trains, he was a very humble person. His Layout made it on OGR, THE VIDEO 5, and my layout made it on OGR, THE VIDEO 10...OGR, The magazine, and the Forum, and The Video are all Super Fantastic...Thank You.

Lou was also cover of Oct '87 Model Railroader

here's trackplan

Terrific!  Thanks Bob.

adding some new shots I found

roundhouse and outside tracks are full.  some hadn't moved in 10 years, I tried one day, and everyone roared to life flawlessly.   electrics on tt are 2 of 4, couldn't run them all at once, would trip layout breaker every time, all 4 Stu Kleinscmidt reworks with clutch drives.

next shot of the same area but you can make out 12 locos of this vast collection, all Kleinschmidt and Jerry White locos some PSC and OMI.  caboose rack is full, must be another 30 in workshop and other places.  some buildings done by Ken Anz, otherwise Lou made them from scratch.

Stunning!  I love that entire area.

Bob,

Thanks for posting the pictures. I have been traveling and was only able to see the pictures on my iPhone.

Please keep this post current with any additional information or memories you may have of the West Tennessee Central. The information you provide will help in our effort to save this wonderful work of model railroad craftsmanship and art.

Richard Gonzales