Railroad enthusiasts, adults and children alike, are going to have a chance to look at detailed model railroads on a miniature scale which are exact replicas of the real things during a tour to be held Nov. 6, 7 and 8.
Twenty-five layouts of model railroads will be featured on the tour throughout Northern Nevada, including Carson City, Dayton, Minden and Reno. Model railroads in Carson City, Dayton, Minden and surrounding areas are availabl to tour on Sundays, but some of those model railroads in those areas will be available to tour all three days Nov. 6, 7 and 8.
One of the model railroads will be featured on the tour will be Jim Petro’s layout in Reno, an amazing model railroad built in a 50-foot by 20-foot fully furnished room. This is Petro’s fifth layout, with the other four having been built in other cities Petro has lived in, including a huge model of the Union Pacific’s passenger terminal in Denver.
Petro has operating sessions that mimic the real railroads. Six two-man crews run trains in a prototypical way with a dispatcher who controls the activity on the railroad just like in real life.
All of the model railroads on the tour will have trains running. Many of the layouts have realistic scenery with buildings, streets, mountains, water features, trestles and everything you would see on the real railroads. Many are evolving and are at different stages of completion.
There are many wonderful layouts in the Carson City area.
Tour information can be accessed at http://www.pcrnmra.org/pcr/calendar/pdf/Sierra-Layout-Tour-2015.pdf.
In addition Hobbytown USA at 2303 N. Carson St., Carson City and Times Square Trains at 970 7th St., Reno will have free tour guides available.
Those interested can also contact Petro at jpetro328@gmail.com or 775-544-5636 or John Currie at jgcurrie@pyramid.net or 775-224-9725.