THE OFFICIAL WEBPAGE
OF ROBERT D. WEST
World's Greatest Hobby '07
The World's Greatest Hobby on Tour Train Show is a traveling model train show that visits various cities across the country throughout the year. The show's schedule takes several years to complete. The show visited the Portland Metropolitan Exposition Center in Portland, Oregon on February 17-18, 2007. In addition to layouts and vendors, the World's Greatest Hobby show also features display booths for many model railroad manufacturers.
Manufacturer Displays
I only photographed a few of the manufacturer booths; many were difficult to photograph. As an HO-Scale modeler, my interests in the manufacturer area were focused towards HO-Scale items, but I did photograph a few interesting items in other scales.
Athearn
Here are examples of Athearn's HO Scale Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy and 4-6-6-4 Challenger, part of Athearn's premier Genesis line.
Another
Genesis HO
Scale 4-6-6-4 Challenger, Union Pacific #3983 in the Two-Tone Grey
passenger paint scheme.
Preproduction
samples of the HO and N Scale F45s and FP45s that will become part of
the Genesis line.
HO
Scale Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe EMD SD45-2 #5700 in Bicentennial
paint, part of the Genesis line.
HO
Scale Burlington Northern SD40 #6303 & RS3 #4054, part of Athearn's
Ready-to-Roll line.
HO
Scale Kansas City Southern AC4400 #4568 & McCloud River SD38 #36
from the Ready-to-Roll line.
HO
Scale Southern Pacific AC4400 #232 & SD40 7342 in experimental Daylight
paint, from the Ready-to-Roll line.
HO
Scale Chicago & North Western AC4400s, one renumbered as Union Pacific
#6716, from the Ready-to-Roll line.
HO
Scale Union Pacific AC4400 #6344 in its unusual all-gray paint & C44-9 #9807
in the standard flag scheme, from the Ready-to-Roll line.
HO
Scale Norfolk Southern C44-9Ws: #9558 in standard NS Paint and #9906 in primer only,
from the Ready-to-Roll line.
One
of the resurrected and improved steam engines formerly made by Model Die
Casting is this HO
Scale Southern Pacific 2-6-0 #1821, from Athearn's Roundhouse line.
HO
Scale PS-2 2-bay covered hoppers Rock Island #500700, Great Northern
#71436, and Chicago & North Western #3992, part of the Ready-to-Roll
line.
HO
Scale ACF 2970 Center Flow 2-bay covered hoppers ACF Demonstrators
#44586 & #44504, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy #183900, Chicago & North
Western #175013 and ACF Demonstrator ##44503, part of the Ready-to-Roll
line.
HO
Scale Chicago & North Western Wide-Vision Caboose #12570 and Union
Pacific Bay-Window caboose #24552, part of the Ready-to-Roll line.
NEW
HO Scale Ford F100 Panel Trucks by Athearn.
NEW
HO Scale Ford Model As and F100 pickups by Athearn.
NEW
HO Scale Ford F850 Fire Trucks by Athearn.
HO
Scale Union Pacific Ford C van by Athearn.
HO
Scale Freightliner trucks & 40-foot exterior-post trailers lettered
for DC and ICS, part of the Ready-to-Roll line.
Atlas
Atlas's
new HO
Scale MP15DCs Burlington Northern #1000 and BNSF #3702.
HO
Scale Southern Pacific Alco RS32 #4000, part of the Trainman line.
Preproduction
samples of the NEW 1978 Ford Fairmonts in HO & N Scale
Kadee
Kadee's
booth featured this
display showing strength of HO Scale couplers Thie display consists of
several cars coupled together in a clear plastic tube stood on end, with
the top car hanging from its coupler.
LGB of America
LGB of America's booth
featured a large number of G
Scale items on display.
Here
is a closeup of LGB's G
Scale Amtrak P42 #60.
LGB's G
Scale Harzquer Railway 2-10-2T was operating on a roller stand to
demonstrate its smoke unit. It is also available with a sound option.
MTH-RailKing
The
large MTH-RailKing
display included this
O27 & #1 Gauge Display Layout. Among the trains on the layout were
RailKing #1
Gauge Santa Fe F3s and matching streamlined passenger cars.
Here is a video of the RailKing #1 Gauge F3s showcasing the light and sound features.
Also
on the MTH display layout was this O27
Coors Light "Silver Bullet."
RailKing #1
Gauge American Freedom Train GS4 4-8-4 #4449 & Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big
Boy #4004.
RailKing #1
Gauge Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy #4004.
RailKing #1
Gauge American Freedom Train GS4 4-8-4 #4449.
An O27
SD90MAC decorated as Union Pacific #1982, the Heritage Series locomotive
honoring the Missouri Pacific Railroad.
An
O27 SD90MAC decorated as Union Pacific #1983, the Heritage Series
locomotive honoring the Western Pacific Railroad.
An O27
SD90MAC decorated as Union Pacific #1988, the Heritage Series locomotive
honoring the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad.
An O27
SD90MAC decorated as Union Pacific #1989, the Heritage Series locomotive
honoring the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad.
An O27
SD90MAC decorated as Union Pacific #1995, the Heritage Series locomotive
honoring the Chicago & North Western Railway.
An O27
SD90MAC decorated as Union Pacific #1996, the Heritage Series locomotive
honoring the Southern Pacific Railroad.
MTH
has recently entered the HO
Scale market, & this Pennsylvania K4 4-6-2 Pacific, equipped with sound
and synchronized smoke, is their first model.
Precision Craft Models
HO
Scale Chessie Steam Special T-1 4-8-4 #2101 by
Precision Craft Models.
Trix
Trix
HO Scale display layout featuring a Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 Big Boy and a
Pennsylvania GG1 electric.
Layouts
There was a wide variety of layouts on display at the World's Greatest Hobby on Tour show. Some of them I had seen many times before and only took a few pictures of, but there were a few I had never seen before, and I tended to take more pictures of those.
Beaverton Modular Railroad Club
I
have seen and photographed the
Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's HO Scale
layout at previous shows, but here is an industrial area.
A
Douglas DC3
at the airport on the Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's HO Scale layout.
It appears to have been through a rough landing.
A
Chariot-Race
track on the Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's HO Scale layout.
A
public swimming
pool on the Beaverton Modular Railroad Club's HO Scale layout. The
addition of resin to the pool to represent water (or maybe even real
water) would be a nice touch.
Cascade Z Modelers
The
Cascade Z Modelers have been making a lot of appearances lately. Here is
one of their modules.
This
impressive Canyon Scene is on one of the Cascade Z Modelers modules.
An
addition to impressive scenery, Z-scale's small size also makes it easy
to find room for staging areas.
The
Cascade Z Modelers also have a sense of humor, as illustrated by these "MacTrain-ulators."
Here is a video of the "MacTrain-ulators" in operation.
Euro Trains
The
HO Scale Euro Trains layout has been to a number of shows, but I've
always found it's European theme fascinating and unique.
Trains
on static display at the Euro
Trains layout.
Lewis County Model Railroad Club
This
logging camp scene is part of the Lewis
County Model Railroad Club's HO Scale layout.
This Pumpkin
Patch is another scene on the Lewis County Model Railroad Club's HO Scale
layout.
The
Lewis County Model Railroad Club's HO Scale layout is a relatively small
layout that doesn't have room for excessively long freight cars, leading
to their creation of these shortened
Centerbeam Cars, which are being switched by a GE 70-tonner.
The
downtown
scene on the Lewis County Model Railroad Club's HO Scale layout is
highly detailed. Among the details are a spilled trash can, police
making arrests and workmen on a rooftop.
This Supermarket
on the Lewis County Model Railroad Club's HO Scale layout is a model by
City Classics that I was pleased to see an example of, as I've been
interested in the structure myself.
Townspeople
listed to a band playing at the Gazebo
on the Lewis County Model Railroad Club's HO Scale layout.
Northwest G Railroad Club
Trains
on the Northwest
G Railroad Club's G Scale layout include this Union Pacific old-time
passenger train.
Another
train pulled by a more modern Union Pacific locomotive on the Northwest
G Railroad Club layout.
Pardee
& Curtin Lumber Company Two-Truck Shay
#11 on the Northwest G Railroad Club layout.
Great
Northern 0-4-0 #1064 on the Northwest G Railroad Club layout.
Northwest S Scalers
Union
Pacific F3A #1402 passing the Iron Mountain depot with streamlined passenger cars on the Northwest S Scalers
Layout.
Santa
Fe 2-8-0 #2512 next to the Iron Mountain depot on the Northwest S Scalers layout.
I'm
not sure if these vehicles
on the Northwest S Scalers layout are involved in a car chase, an
accident or a combination of the two.
Oregon State Capitol Holidays Layout
The
State of Oregon's S-Scale American Flyer Holidays Layout from the Oregon
State Capitol.
Poorville & Debt City
Among
the Poorville
& Debt City's various displays was this Z Scale layout built on a miniature pool table.
Rose City Garden Railway Society
Colorado
& Southern Outside-Frame 2-8-0 on the
Rose
City Garden Railway Society's G Scale layout.
Amtrak
ICE train on the Rose City Garden Railway Society's G Scale layout
Transfer
table and staging yard of the Rose City Garden Railway Society's G Scale
layout.
Southwest Washington Model Railroad
A
Spokane, Portland & Seattle passenger train powered by an E7 passes
through the Beacon
Rock scene on the Southwest Washington Model Railroad.
This
pair of photos shows trains passing through the Vancouver,
Washington scene on the Southwest Washington Model Railroad.
Here
are a couple more scenes from the Southwest Washington Model Railroad.
SwissRail
This
large
stone arch bridge is on the SwissRail HO Scale layout. I had never seen
this large European-themed layout before and I found it very
interesting.
An
ICE train crossing a purple bridge on the SwissRail HO Scale layout.
A
large passenger depot
on the SwissRail HO Scale layout.
An
airplane crashed into a tree on a corner of the SwissRail HO Scale
layout. This scene included actual smoke rising from the wreckage.
I
don't know much about European trains, so here are some more pictures of
the SwissRail
HO Scale layout, without commentary.
Twin Lakes & Western
BNSF
B40-8s, one in the Santa Fe's Red and Silver Warbonnet paint scheme and
one in the BNSF's Orange and Green Heritage II paint scheme, on the Twin Lakes & Western HO Scale
layout.
A
full-length model of the Amtrak
Talgo Pendular Demonstrator Train, pulled by an F40PH, on the Twin Lakes & Western HO Scale
layout.
Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club
Last
but certainly not least is the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad
Club's HO Scale layout, where I spent most of the show. This is the grain
elevator on the club's layout.
Here
are pictures of the town
scene at the end of the branch line. Amtrak F59PHI #458 is visiting the
town.
Here
is a closeup of the paving
scene in the town at the end of the branch line. The dumptruck and
paving equipment have the logo of
Lakeside
Industries.
The Control
Panel and Mountains on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier layout.
The
Farm on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Layout.
The Industrial
Park, consisting of a freight station, a flour mill and a Kadee factory.
The
depot on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier layout, with its newly-added automobiles.
The
Longview, Kelso & Rainier Engine Terminal, filled with Santa Fe motive power.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe F7A #32 in the yard, painted in the passenger
warbonnet scheme as power for the Super Chief.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe F7A #200 as part of an A-B-A set in freight colors
in the engine terminal.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Baldwin S12 #2280 in the yard.
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe U30Bs #6324 & #6330 with a freight train in the yard and resting in the engine terminal.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe SD24 #924 and U30B #6324 in the engine terminal
near the fueling rack.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe SD24 #902 around the engine terminal.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe SD24 #924 peeking into the enginehouse. A
Longview, Kelso & Rainier
passenger car occupies the other stall.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe SD24s #924 & #902 in the yard.
Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe Caboose #1343 in the yard on the end of a freight
train.
Burlington
Northern F7A #722 & U30C #5341 in the engine terminal near the
fueling rack.
Burlington
Northern F7A #722 poking its nose out the door at the back end of the
enginehouse.
Burlington
Northern F7A #730 with the A-B-A set in the engine terminal.
Burlington
Northern U30C #5341& F7A #730 in the engine terminal be the fueling
rack.
Burlington
Northern U30Cs #5328, #5341 & #5323 in the yard.
Burlington
Northern SD45 #6430 "Hustle Muscle" in the engine terminal
fuel rack.
Burlington
Northern U30B #5483 inside the enginehouse.
Burlington
Northern F7A #9760 & F7B #786 wearing the passenger paint scheme in
the engine terminal.
Burlington
Northern U25B #5417 & Great Northern F-unit #437 next to the
enginehouse.
Burlington
Northern GP30 #2222 next to the enginehouse.
Burlington
Northern GP30 #2222 and U25B #5417 in the yard with a freight train.
Burlington
Northern SW7 #127 switching in the yard.
Burlington
Northern wood caboose #11024 on the end of a freight train.
Burlington
Northern caboose #11281 on the caboose track.
BNSF
AC4400CW #5648 in the town at the end of the branch line.
BNSF
SD70MAC #9929 & AC4400CW #5648 on the main line with a freight
train.
Amtrak
F59PHI #458 coming down the branch line with a passenger train made up
of Amfleet cars.
Amtrak
F59PHI #458 and its train of Amfleet cars at the depot on the main line.
Here
are examples of Longview, Kelso & Rainier freight cars:
50' boxcars #60135 & #79418 and hopper cars #35824 & #35827 in the
yard.
Longview,
Kelso & Rainier
SW1000 #100 & SW7 #120 parked near the grain elevator.
This video shows clips of the Santa Fe, Burlington Northern, BNSF and Amtrak equipment operating on the LK&R layout on February 17, 2007.
A 2-4-4-2
mallet on the branch line.
Here
is the 2-4-4-2 mallet with the excursion train at the town at the end of
the branch line.
Western
Pacific passenger F3A #801A and two F3Bs on the branch line.
Western
Pacific F3A #801A and the two F3Bs on the main line with the
California Zephyr.
Western
Pacific dome-buffet-lounge-observation #881, Silver Crescent, in
the yard on the end of the California
Zephyr.
Waterville
Plateau F7As #67 and #68 in the town at the top of the branch line.
Waterville
Plateau F7A #67 emerging from the tunnel on the branch line.
Waterville
Plateau F7A #67 and the excursion train going through a cut on the
branch line.
Waterville
Plateau F7A #67 and the excursion train crossing over the main line and
the river. Waterville Plateau caboose #2 brings up the rear.
Waterville
Plateau F7A #67 and the excursion train on the branch line.
Waterville
Plateau F7A #67 and the excursion train crossing over the main line
again.
Waterville
Plateau F7A #67 and the excursion train crossing the wooden trestle and
descending from the branch line.
Waterville
Plateau SW1500 #608 in the yard.
Waterville
Plateau Slug #602 in the yard.
Waterville
Plateau GP50 #620 on the main line with a freight train.
Waterville
Plateau GP50 #620 & Electro-Motive Division GP60 Demonstrator #7 inside the enginehouse.
Waterville
Plateau GP50 #621 on the main line and in the engine terminal at the
fueling rack.
Waterville
Plateau GP38-2 #622 on the main line with a freight train.
Waterville
Plateau GP35 #623 on the main line with a freight train.
Waterville
Plateau Wide-Vision Caboose #1 on the end of a freight train on the main
line.
Waterville
Plateau Caboose #2 on the end of the excursion train on the branch line.
Waterville
Plateau Bay Window Caboose #3 on the main line at the end of a freight
train and in the caboose track.
Southern
Pacific 4-8-2 #4365 in the yard, ready to depart with a heavyweight
passenger train.
Tidewater
Southern RS1 #746 in the yard and in the engine terminal.
This video shows clips of the 2-4-4-2 on the branch line, the Dueling Zephyrs, the Waterville Plateau and other miscellaneous equipment on February 17 & 18, 2007.
Also See:
2007 LK&R Train Show & Swap Meet
2007 Three Rivers Mall Model Train Show
2006 LK&R Train Show & Swap Meet
2006 Great American Train Show
2005 Great American Train Show