Triangle Mall Model Train Show: November 1995

I originally posted some of these pictures on my website on February 8, 2009. I have rescanned them and, for completion, am including some that I didn’t use before.

I took these pictures at the model train show at the Triangle Mall in Longview, Washington, in November 1995. Despite my lackluster results taking pictures of my own layout, I guess I thought I’d have better results with better layouts. If these pictures taught me anything, it was that distance made for better pictures.

This four-sided clock had recently been installed in the mall. It isn’t train related, but I did take this picture during the show.

Closeup of the log cars and the log loader at the logging camp at the end of the logging line on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

One important rule I have about taking pictures of model trains is that they should be stopped for the picture, especially if you are trying for a realistic angle. I didn’t know that at the time, so these Great Northern Alcos were in motion on the main line of the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout. The flash didn’t help matters any.

A Great Northern U28B in the simplified Omaha orange and Pullman green paint scheme and in the background a Great Northern SD45 in Big Sky Blue outside the enginehouse on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

This Jordan Spreader was scratchbuilt for the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club by Ron Harmon, who had a display at the show. I was too close to it for the flash, but the biggest problem is that it isn’t framed like it was in the viewfinder, because the viewfinder didn’t go through the lens.

This is supposed to be a picture of a railroad worker about to get soaked by a water spout on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout. This little scene was created spontaneously. The figure had always been standing under the spout. The “water” is a glob of glue that Kerry King had to get rid of when he glued the arch on the turntable. He later added the other figure operating the spout. I was too close to truly capture this tiny scene, especially with flash, but it would have been nice if it had been framed correctly.

Here is another tiny scene of track workers on the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club’s HO-scale layout. It has the same problems as my other close-up attempts.

Another reason it is better to take pictures of model trains when they aren’t moving is that when they are it is hard to hit the shutter at just the right moment, as illustrated by this picture of the Great Northern Alcos on the main line of the Longview, Kelso & Rainier Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

This small but highly detailed N-scale layout was displayed by a husband and wife who came to the Triangle Mall show several times. As I recall, the layout was split down the middle by a backdrop with different scenes on each side. This city scene was on one side.

Here is another view of the town scene on the same small N-scale layout.

This small HO-scale layout by Lyle Noah featured many of his scratchbuilt structures and vehicles, and railroad equipment lettered for his freelanced Pacific Northern Railroad.

Ron Harmon's HO-scale display diorama showing his scratchbuilt and kitbashed maintenance of way equipment.

The city scene with operating trolley on Bob Dulaney's half of the HO-scale layout he shared with Bob Hanson.

Here is another view of Bob Dulaney’s city scene.

A Spokane, Portland & Seattle Alco FA pulls a passenger train on the Columbia & Cowlitz Model Railroad Club's HO-scale layout.

I think this engine terminal with a turntable and two roundhouses, occupied by various steam locomotives and a Union Pacific DDA40X, is on the Pacific Northwest Modular Railroaders HO-scale layout.

Here is a group of trains, including two freight trains and a steam-powered Great Northern heavyweight passenger train, on the Pacific Northwest Modular Railroaders HO-scale layout.

Stepping back we can see the steam-powered Great Northern heavyweight passenger train and a Union Pacific streamlined passenger train powered by a 4-8-8-4 Big Boy at the large passenger depot on the Pacific Northwest Modular Railroaders HO-scale layout.