When the Shows are cancelled You do MAJOR construction

Wow! Looks great Ben!

Those are some nice looking buildings.

@necrails posted:

Those are some nice looking buildings.

Thats only a few  They guy gave us 20 completed buildings that are beautiful

Cant wait to see this in person. BTW did you require any changes major or Minor to the track work?

Steve :-)

@L.I.TRAIN posted:

Cant wait to see this in person. BTW did you require any changes major or Minor to the track work?

Steve :-)

The main lines remained intact   We had to remove all of the coal mine sidings to make room for the refinery modules.  We also used to have a loop and siding within the refinery that we had to remove   There will be about four sidings in the new area when we are done  Probably about two sidings in the refinery  Have to lay it out yet

Some very fine buildings, will be cool to see the rest.

Love the boatyard. Unique

Bill

I love visiting and seeing this stuff in person. We can't do that so this is the next best thing!

Thank you for sharing. Fantastic stuff again!

Very nice Ben.

Bob

Outstanding!!!

Beautiful Ben !

Alex

Well done!

Peter

Great work.

beautiful can't wait till this old stupid virus goes away permeant so we can see the highrailers trains running again, and play your organ for you!

Alan

Wow, that looks great Ben. Hopefully stuff(I mean the other "S" word) clears up so once again open house and all other related activities can commence.

That looks awesome.

Very nice additions Ben. Thanks for posting. I really enjoyed the opportunity to see the club at Trainstock 2018 with Steve Maier I  think it was.

Those are really nice buildings, Ben!!  I'm glad your group is able to make them fit on your layout!  I'll look forward to seeing how this progresses!!

We placed one more of the donated buildings   We made our farm a ranch with all the stock pens  Scenery still has to be blended in

We also moved the refinery to its new home

These scenes look stellar, Ben.

As soon as it’s safe again, I’ll gladly take a trip to visit the layout (like I originally wanted to back in March....), because it really is a sight to behold.

Looking forward to TrainStock 2022........

Peter

Ben,

Did you get permits for all that construction going on?.....

@Putnam Division posted:

Looking forward to TrainStock 2022........

Peter

A couple of years ago, I vowed to stop "waiting until next year" regarding a lot of places I want to visit.  Between Covid, health issues among our brethren, shop closures, and other factors, I'm glad I started to accelerate those visits.  Unfortunately, Trainstock is one that I continued to push until "next year".  That's going to change as soon as possible.

Ben, I'm ready to make the trip from South Carolina for the first post COVID Trainstock.  Hopefully all the changes will be completed.

Wow !   Very cool !   I love the Stock yard area . 

Ben, I like both areas, but the stockyard is great!!  I have never seen anyone model a stockyard to that massive and detailed scale.  I too would love to attend Trainstock someday.  I have never been in Jersey.

@coach joe posted:

Ben, I'm ready to make the trip from South Carolina for the first post COVID Trainstock.  Hopefully all the changes will be completed.

Joe;

You fled the joys of Lawn-guy-land???

Hey Ben!, The changes look great, just don't mess with the brewery!

Paul, I fled the joys of winters that got too cold, snow that needed to be shoveled and taxes that had become unbearable.  I will miss three hobby shops and two or three other train outlets being in a half hour drive.

@coach joe posted:

Paul, I fled the joys of winters that got too cold, snow that needed to be shoveled and taxes that had become unbearable.  I will miss three hobby shops and two or three other train outlets being in a half hour drive

@Apples55 posted:

Joe;

You fled the joys of Lawn-guy-land???

Joe- I'm still here and can't wait to get out. Congrats on a successful escape.

Bob

Ben- everything looks great. That refinery is a beast. Does it move as one piece or is it modular?

Definitely a post-covid vist is in order.

Bob

That's some outstanding craftsmanship on the new buildings, I can see why you wanted to get them out on display.  Looking forward to the next Trainstock, I most certainly will make it unless a natural disaster happens.

Outstanding layout and buildings. Never heard of Trainstock but definitely will investigate. I HAVE to see this in person!

@MIKATT1 posted:

Hey Ben!, The changes look great, just don't mess with the brewery!

That's hallowed real estate! 

-Greg.

@CurtisH posted:

Outstanding layout and buildings. Never heard of Trainstock but definitely will investigate. I HAVE to see this in person!

Trainstock is an annual all-day gathering (in pre-pandemic times) of forum members at the club to socialize, run trains, eat and drink.   Guests are welcome to bring their own trains to run on the layout as well.   It is usually held on the 3rd or 4th Saturday in January - whichever falls around the 20th.  Just search the forum for 'Trainstock' or go to the photos page on our website for pics.  Needless to say the entire club can't wait for the pandemic to end.

-Greg

@MIKATT1 posted:

Hey Ben!, The changes look great, just don't mess with the brewery!

Dave, would it be okay if Ben and Company made the brewery bigger???

Thanks Greg. Is it at the NJ Hi Railers Club Site?

Curtis

@CurtisH posted:

Thanks Greg. Is it at the NJ Hi Railers Club Site?

Curtis

Hi Curtis - yes it is.

-Greg

You folks at the NJ HiRailers have one of the most awesome layouts in the world in any scale.  The new buildings are a fantastic addition to an already great display.  I hope to get to see the display sometime post pandemic.  It is a long way from CA.  Thanks for sharing.  NH Joe

@New Haven Joe posted:

You folks at the NJ HiRailers have one of the most awesome layouts in the world in any scale.  The new buildings are a fantastic addition to an already great display.  I hope to get to see the display sometime post pandemic.  It is a long way from CA.  Thanks for sharing.  NH Joe

You got me looking, Joe!  I see the NJ HiRailers are even closer to I-80 than I am -- Head east, only 358 miles to the door!  That's a short drive when compared to California!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

You got me looking, Joe!  I see the NJ HiRailers are even closer to I-80 than I am -- Head east, only 358 miles to the door!  That's a short drive when compared to California!!

Mark,

It is more likely a 3,580 mile drive from SF to the NJ HiRailers.  I can hop on I-80 and head east.  I-80 is only 6 miles from my house.  The west end of I-80 on the Pacific Ocean is about 20 miles from my house on the other side of the Bay Bridge in SF.  NH Joe

@New Haven Joe posted:

Mark,

It is more likely a 3,580 mile drive from SF to the NJ HiRailers.  I can hop on I-80 and head east.  I-80 is only 6 miles from my house.  The west end of I-80 on the Pacific Ocean is about 20 miles from my house on the other side of the Bay Bridge in SF.  NH Joe

Joe, we’re practically neighbors!  

Looking great Ben. Buildings and new locations are impeccable. 👍

@NJCJOE posted:

Ben,

Did you get permits for all that construction going on?.....

They are also "gona need a bigger boat"

Looks like the refinery is "king of the mountain" for now!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Dave, would it be okay if Ben and Company made the brewery bigger???

Of course Mark, there's always room for more beer!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

You got me looking, Joe!  I see the NJ HiRailers are even closer to I-80 than I am -- Head east, only 358 miles to the door!  That's a short drive when compared to California!!

Mark, if you've never seen it in person, it's certainly worth the visit!  It's hard to imagine you're going to see a more impressive O-scale layout. A nice bonus for Trainstock is you can bring something to run and really stretch it's legs.

I think if you want to "one-up" the NJ-HR layout, you may have to travel to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg Germany.  I notice that COVID has even gotten them, they're closed until Jan, and I suspect well beyond that.

Are you permitted to share the names of the building's craftsman and donor?  They deserve a lot of credit!!

@gunrunnerjohn posted:

Mark, if you've never seen it in person, it's certainly worth the visit!  It's hard to imagine you're going to see a more impressive O-scale layout. A nice bonus for Trainstock is you can bring something to run and really stretch it's legs.

I think if you want to "one-up" the NJ-HR layout, you may have to travel to Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg Germany.  I notice that COVID has even gotten them, they're closed until Jan, and I suspect well beyond that.

John, The photographs and videos always look great, but it takes seeing something in person to really appreciate it!  Thank you for another recommendation!

John, I got thinking and checked it out.  Patterson is only 25 miles farther from me than when Chuck Fester and I visited the NPOG Fun Fair.  I just stay on I-80 instead of dropping down I-476 to your neck of the woods.  It can be done. 

Very nice Ben!  I need to find a way to come up to visit. I think it’s been about 6-7 years, but I do still wear my Trainstock hats.

@Tom Tee posted:

Are you permitted to share the names of the building's craftsman and donor?  They deserve a lot of credit!!

Tom  The guys name is Rich BAron   He was an amazing model builder  We placed another building

We are still rearranging furniture to fit these  The attention to detail is amazing

@bluelinec4 posted:

Tom  The guys name is Rich BAron   He was an amazing model builder  We placed another building

We are still rearranging furniture to fit these  The attention to detail is amazing

Absolutely amazing detail and realism. Looking forward to seeing them at some future event!!!

Ben, is this a gold mill?  The belt drive looks functional, is it animated?

Joe, I find these belt drives fascinating.  That is a tremendous model, as are all the other buildings the NJ Hirailers are installing.  I recall the East Broad Top RR machine shop belt drives were intact, but non functional, when we visited almost 30 years ago.  The Pennsylvania State Parks restored McConnells Mill to a functioning grist mill in the '60s.  I just read in the local paper yesterday about a nearby 1870s mill that two young brothers still make buckwheat flour with the same belt drives of old, though they use an electric motor for power.

@coach joe posted:

Ben, is this a gold mill?  The belt drive looks functional, is it animated?

He didnt have a name on this building  He did tell us he didnt put a roof on it so you can see the detail inside  If you look in the upper left you can see a track with a mine cart being pushed   All the machinery is to process whatever ore was brought in I guess  If you look around the roof of our club room you can see the remnants of a belt and pulley system that drove the silk mill that was housed in our space

@bluelinec4 posted:

He didn't have a name on this building  He did tell us he didnt put a roof on it so you can see the detail inside  If you look in the upper left you can see a track with a mine cart being pushed   All the machinery is to process whatever ore was brought in I guess  If you look around the roof of our club room you can see the remnants of a belt and pulley system that drove the silk mill that was housed in our space

Ben, that is really neat about the model mill and the remnants of the belt and pully system in your building!!

@bluelinec4 posted:

The guys name is Rich Baron   He was an amazing model builder  We placed another building

Ben, all of those look to be scratch build, Rich obviously is a modeler of the top order!  Just some incredible detail, can't wait to see those in person!

The belts don't move. One of our members was looking at it to see if he could animate it but we decided to leave it alone.

Jim D

I would say how stunning the buildings are but I am just blown away by them.

A lot of Hi end craftsman kits that someone did a great job on. I recognize the stamp mill it came with all the inside detail. was a $450 kit years ago and limited production.