Current Layout by Bob Werre

Layout Name:

"Great Plains Northern"

Layout Status:

active

Track Type:

Layout Space:

20' x 24'

Layout Style:

Around-the-room

Completed:

100% complete

Era:

1950s

Railroad(s) Modeled:

UP, MILW, CNW

Control System:

DCC (Digitrax)

Featured In:

NASG Dispatch, Feb 1994, pg 17

YouTube Channel:

visit

Notes:

Back in the 1980s, Bob, along with a number of the Houston S Gaugers club members of the time, raised the roof of his two-car garage to build a dedicated space for his layout. An external, but enclosed staircase was added on to gain access to the space. A horizontally-mounted door covers this staircase, so that one can walk around the room without falling down the stairs. A simple knock is all that's needed for someone to open the staircase door. The layout was built before DCC, and so it has seen many electrical upgrades over the decades. Bob is a professional photographer, who, in addition to his industrial clients, also photographed many layouts of all scales around the country, which have been published in many magazines over the years.

Videos:

Milwaukee FP-7s pull a UP passenger train

Milwaukee Road freight passes local passenger train in Madra

Captured on this video is a visitor's view of Bob Werre's layout as it was in 2015. The first almost 5 minutes of the video is of his layout.

"Thunderhawk Mine", which was built up from a B.T.S. "Cabin Creek Coal Tipple" kit.

The mine, all lit up.

One of Bob's electronic uncouplers stopped working, so it needed to be replaced. He called out his maintenance-of-way crew to do the work on his layout. First, the crew brought out a River Raisin Models Crane to dig up and lift out the old uncoupler (left). Then, an A.C. Gilbert #644 brought in the brand new unit to restore track operation back to normal. Note the supports the crew needed to place under the crane to stabilize its heavy load.

Bob took this photo on his layout, after he had a local modeler help him diagnose and fix the turntable's ability to actually rotate. Bob is a retired professional photographer. He stated that it took him several nights to get this shot, as it required after-dusk settings. He used 6 LED lights, some blue gels for the "mood", and then photo-stacked five shots in Photoshop to bring the whole scene into focus. The 2-8-2 is a custom built model of Southern Railway heritage, but Bob decorated it for his Milwaukee Road. Bob's photo appeared on the inside cover of the March 2024 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine in the NASG promotional ad campaign.

A pair of American Models U25B. Bob recalls the snowplows were a part sold by a company call Sunset (but not the brass importer Sunset Models). He scratchbuilt the parts that allowed the snowplow to be attached to the engine.

Bob, a great story-teller, recounts that a train once needed to transport large marble rocks, but failed. He states that it was unclear whether it was strong winds or the sharp curve, but either way, the crew lost the load. No damage was done to the track, so the railroad just left the rocks where they fell.

A N&W Type A shatters the peaceful and quiet as townsfolk enjoy being out and about on a warm summer evening. This photo is a tribute to famous railroad photographer O. Winston Link. Bob, a professional photographer, is a long-time fan who followed Link's contributions in Life Magazine. Link created the original scene by presetting an array of hidden flashbulbs to capture a N&W type A rushing a passenger consist past a small crossroads village of local characters. When the locomotive entered the camera's view, Link had one chance to capture it. The posed local citizens, who were filling their gas tanks or just hanging out to see what the fuss was all about, finished the scene. This scene was captured using a 4x5-view camera and a light brush device which uses a flexible tube that beams directed light into the scene. Bob painted the scene with light in a totally darkened room. Polaroid test shots were used to determine the length of time each part of the scene needed to receive light. Several attempts were needed to get the desired result with each attempt being unique. Some of the village's finest citizens (Artista and SSL&S figures) are posed with a Railmaster and a vintage Dick Tracy vehicle. Building & Structure Co. and Finest Kind Models offered the kits from which the structures shown were built. The N&W Type A locomotive is a brass model imported by Overland Models in 1988 which was custom-painted by Roger Huber. This photo appeared on the inside cover of the December 2024 issue of the Railroad Model Craftsman magazine as part of the NASG's promotional ad campaign.