Former Layout by Don Bowers (d)

"American Heritage"

dismantled

AF

20' x 40'

Island

handlaid

650'+

benchwork: 100%; track: 100%; scenery: 50%

Virginia to Pennsylvania

DC

Don was a member of the Central Pennsylvania S Gaugers, and owner of the "Train Shop", which housed the layout shown here. All structures are scratchbuilt from prototype structures which he photographed and measured by hand. Half of the layout was fully scenicked, but the other half remained unfinished at the time of his passing. The photos shown here were taken in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Larry Shughart, who contributed this information and his Dad's photos, recalls as a child visiting with this Dad and being able to climb on a ladder to view the entire layout. Up to four trains could be run at a time. Don was not married and spent every waking hour at the Train Shop, where he would entertain customers, fix trains, and build the many structures. He was always a jolly man. When he passed away, his sister and brother-in-law took over the store and ran it for a number of years. The layout, however, was bought by an unknown person and removed from the premises. Its whereabouts and any of the structures are unknown.