The Indianapolis area is home to dozens of home layouts that will be hosting open houses during Indy Junction 2022. All tours will be self-guided for convention participants.

The Aboite Northern is an O scale 2-rail fictional shortline located somewhere in mid-America. It is 1951 the year a brand new GE 44 tonner was purchased the replace the venerable 4-4-0 which still remains on the property. The layout is point-to-point around three walls with hand laid track and is mostly sceniced. Additionally, there is a display of vintage HO rolling stock, most of which dates back to 1940's and 50's.

Tour: Columbus

HO Railroad depicting the Seaboard Air Line in the 1960's. Layout is operated with Digitrax DCC. Layout features a single track secondary route which also interchanges with the Atlantic Coast Line. Layout focuses on industrial switching and local freight trains and a few passenger trains. Operations utilize a car card system. Control is either wireless or tethered.

Tour: Bloomington

BLMGT is an HO Railroad set in the 1960's. Railroad is a freelance operation modeling the Nickel Plate and Monon railroads. Has 2 mainlines that represent 4 Midwestern towns with three passenger stations. Has a coal mine loading facility. Three switch yards and two passing tracks. The railroad can be operated by a computer program written to control trains operating on the mains.

Tour: Bloomington

DCC-Digtrax with JMRI and engine driver is used for operation. Freelance railroad inspired by Cass Scenic Railroad. The layout has a heavy dose of C&O steam. Super Power Steam operates on the mainline while Shays, Heislers and Climaxes work the lumber yards. Locos are sound equipped. Scenery is West Virginia. Layout is located in the living room and dining room of the home.

Tour: Kokomo

Railroads have long been the primary means of transportation for the steel industry, from delivering resources to moving materials around the workplace to hauling away finished goods. The modeling of steel operations is quite common, especially around the "Rust Belt" region of the country. The Burnsides belong to the Steel Mill Modelers group, and are developing an amazing layout that depicts the steel production process.

Tour: Avon/Indianapolis West

This is an HO layout that has been designed from the prototype to represent a section of the pre merger Santa Fe Railroad from Joliet, Illinois to Streator Illinois. Trains runing on the layout are a combination of Intermodal through trains, manifest trains, AMTRAK and local trains that switch cars in and out of local industries. You can see more of Tom's layout on his website www.atsf93.com.

Tour: Westfield

This railroad is Proto 48/O Scale. 42'x72'. It represents the NKPL/PRR and C&O. It uses NCE wireless DCC. The Railroad runs from Frankfort, Indiana to Lima, Ohio. Rolling stock is a combination of brass and resin. Locos are brass. Several display cases are prominent in the layout room. Large radius turnouts and hand laid track.

Tour: Indianapolis

The Baltimore & Ohio was the first railroad in the world to attempt to cross a mountain range. Fascinated by that effort, Bob Case chose to create the part of the crossing known as the "West End", including some of his favorite scenes between Cumberland, Maryland and Grafton, West Virginia. In order to make these scenes realistic, he has walked or ridden a mountain bicycle to take hundreds of photos. As shown below, it’s now spring in 1948 and you can watch B & O trains battle the mountains. Bob was featured in a 2016 issue of Model RR Hobbyist on line magazine.

Tour: Bloomington

HO layout that uses both DCC and DC. Railroad has a Midwestern theme. The club does operations with separate mainlines, one using DCC and the other DC. The layout has three peninsulas and is in a C shape. Has a large classification yard and is 2 levels. Lower level is in a cantilever design.

Tour: Kokomo

Large club with HO, N Scale, O, On30 and Z. Two levels of HO. DC and DCC. Operating signals are being installed as of 9/21. Ho Layout includes logging area representing the 20's-30'. The remaining HO layout represents the 50's-to present day railroading. The On30 represents small town steam. Several scratch built buildings. N Scale has double mainlines that can operate individually of each other on either DC or DCC. A must see club. You can visit their website at http://columbusarearailroadclub.com/

Tour: Columbus

The Glacier Line is an "O" Scale (1/48) model railroad that is set in Marias Pass/Glacier National Park, Montana. This layout has been featured in OGR Magazine and on video by OGR Publishing: Great Layout Adventures Volume #13. It is also featured on the cover of Classic Toy Trains magazine, the November 2018 issue.

Tour: Avon/Indianapolis West

HO Scale Milwaukee Road representing the Beer Line set in the 1960's. The layout is point to point. Primarily a switching layout. Track is Micro Engineering code 83 and turnouts are hand built using #4 Fast Tracks turnout jigs. This layout will have a limited time to visit. Information will be provided at the convention.

Tour: Fishers

The Red Mountain Northern is an HOn3 layout depicting a fictitious extension of the Silverton Railroad, north from Red Mountain Mining district in Colorado in 1893. The layout is 10 feet by 13 feet with full scenery. The layout features floor-to-ceiling scenery depicting the dramatic mountains and gulches of the San Juan Mountains. It features Styrofoam structural and scenery base construction with scenery surfaces of plaster rock castings and lots of Colorado “dirt”. Track is hand laid code 55 and 40 rail in visible areas with most turnouts being hand laid stub switches. The DCC control system is Digitrax based with extensive JMRI Logix used for control panels, home grown servo turnout controls, and electromagnetic uncouplers. Locos utilize Soundtraxx and LokSound sound decoders. Structures are both scratch built and kit built.

Tour: Fishers

This is a HO layout modeling the ATSF from 1958-1962. Scenery is 100% completed. Modeling Colorado-New Mexico featuring ceiling tile rock formations. One of the features is a hand built 6 foot curved trestle that is museum quality. Railroad features hidden run through and 6 staging tracks. You can check out photos including construction photos on the website TrainOrders.com.

Tour: Mooresville/Martinsville

The Shadowton Ridge North RR is a point-to-point, freelance branch route, running from North Samuels, Pennsylvania south of Bedford, Pennsylvania to Shadowton Ridge, West Virginia in September 1956. Heavy steam & first generation diesels move coal and mixed freight through the rugged Appalachian Mountains. This is a double deck layout that uses a 36” helix to move from one level to the next. The bench work is L-girder with risers, most using 2 by 4 framing. Minimum radius is 32,” This layout is approximately 800 square feet in size and the scenery is 100% completely done. Matt is using a Digitrax system, and sound is starting to fill the room. The scenery on Matt’s layout is the best you may ever see and he has an incredible eye for detail and complex scenes. He has been published in Model Railroader and was the cover story for the 2010 edition of Model Railroader Magazine.

Tour: Fishers

Rail Xpress Railroad (RxRR) is a terminal switching railroad with a CTC controlled double track beltline configuration surrounding a midwestern city of Gotham. RxRR occupies 2700 sq ft room. Track configurations is a figure 8 folded onto itself. The two level 830+ ft double track mainline is CTC dispatcher controlled, utilizing a 3 serial node C/MRI detection and signaling system. Dispatcher panel is a 45” LED TV. RxRR uses NCE wireless system and scenery is 99% complete. RxRR has over 130 customers in 19 switching districts (625 car spots). A typical session will have 12 yard transfers trains, 19 local switching jobs, and 4 units trains (coal, aggregate, grain and petroleum products) plus a lonely Doodlebug passenger train.

Tour: Westfield

Layout is the Conrail Main Line, Columbus (OH) to Chicago, a former PRR Mainline. The railroad models the portion from Urbana, OH (West of Columbus) to Meeker, OH (East of Union City). Its 30' x 20' give or take. It is set during the late 70's, during which this line was very busy and hosted a lot of traffic from Columbus and Pittsburgh to Elkhart and St Louis and back. There is some switching and a lot of through trains. Layout is controlled by a Digitrax DCC system. When completed it will be fully signaled with dispatcher controlled interlocking signals.  

Tour: Fishers

1/8th scale railroad. Over 13000 feet of track. 100% sceniced by mother nature. Track is 7-1/2 gauge. Locos are everything from prototypical to total imagination. There is a small fee to ride the trains. Visit www.indianalivesteamers.com for more information.

Tour: Columbus

Trevor Jones' N scale Midland & Great Western Junction Railway is set in the County of Gloucester, England. The era is the late 1950's early 1960's period (the trains Trevor saw and loved as a boy). Two regions of British Railways operate autonomously: the Midland Region, a double track main line and the Western Region, a hilly cross country single track line, with the principle interchange at Newnham on Severn. Cheltenham St James is a large stub end station on the Midland with a sizable engine shed, both laid out to prototype plans. The Western taps the industries, mines and quarries of the Forest Of Dean as well as serving two river docks. Part of the layout was an 7' x 11' portable module for over 35 years . . . . it was recognized with 2 awards at the 2005 NTS.

Tour: Bloomington

Bob has a large HO layout of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad from Chicago to Evansville. Both steam and first generation diesels are featured. Bob‘s layout includes NCE/DDC controls. Bob's previous layout had been featured on many layout tours. This layout has been rebuild in Bob's new home over the past few years. 

Tour: Fishers

The HO scale Conrail Marion Branch railroad is set in the mid-1990’s time frame. It is loosely based on an existing line running north and south from Elkhart (Goshen, IN) to Indianapolis (Avon, IN) with intermediate yards/switching points at south Anderson, Marion, Warsaw (Ft. Wayne) and Peru, IN. This is a double deck, point-to-point mainline with a third, lower staging level – all of which is connected by a helix. The mainline run is approximately 300 feet. Train control is via a Digitrax duplex system and operations are controlled by a dispatcher who is in radio contact with all train crews.

Tour: Bloomington

Mr. Muffin's (Steve Nelson) O Gauge layout is located in a store front building that is dedicated to the layout. A retail store is located in a separate building. The main layout is 100 feet long and 40 feet wide. It is five levels depicting primarily railroads around and East of Chicago. There is a separate shelve layout in the same room which is 2 levels. Locos and rolling stock are primarily MTH, Lionel and Atlas. Track is a mixture of Atlas and Gargraves. This is a very smooth-running layout and to say its impressive would not do it justice. Even if you're not an O Gauge fan, this is a must-see layout. For more details, visit the website at https://mrmuffinstrains.com/

Jim's layout is truly impressive model of the CNW, and is a popular stop on Indianapolis-based layout tours. It is based on the Christie Division in Wisconsin.The layout was featured in the April 2011 Issue of Model Railroader magazine. It has also been featured on TV programTracks Ahead. DCC is in use.

Tour: Avon/Indianapolis West

The long-established Naptown & White River Model Railroad Club moved to this location in 1979; today they have a beautiful 20’ x 40’ HO scale pike in their clubhouse. The setting is a freelance theme with scenery consistent with central Indiana and the time frame is the transition era. The layout features impressive scenery. The club uses a Digitrax control system. Several changes have occurred since the 2016 National Convention. You can see more at the club's website: https://www.naptownrr.org/

Tour: Indianapolis

The Indiana Flattop & Nostalgia Model Railroad is built to capture my experiences in Toy Trains and Model Railroading. The fictional setting reflects the agricultural surroundings of my 20+ years in Indiana and many of the industries that I have worked with and in through my business career. We lived along the Burlington commuter line in Chicago for nearly 12 years, so much of the rolling stock and motive power reflects those years.

Tour: Fishers

The HO Jasper-Kentland & Wabash Railroad is a freelanced road with the main purpose being to switch over 30 industries using a card/card system. Two staging yards represent Northbound (Chicago) and the Southbound (Louisville). Some of the railroads you'll see include the Monon, Wabash and several industrial switchers. Layout has a duck under.

Tour: Avon/Indianapolis West

This is a free-lanced version of the Great Northern Railway and depicts the route from Chicago to Seattle. The main railroad room measures 26’ x 36’ with an additional staging room measuring 9’ x 13’. This multi-level layout has 600’ of double track mainline with a large classification yard at Minot, ND. The Minot terminal features a 130’ turntable and 12 stall roundhouse. Operating sessions are handled as point to point but I have the ability run trains in a continuous loop. Most structures are made from kits but there are several scratch built items including a 5’ long snow shed.

Tour: Avon/Indianapolis West

This HO layout models parts of the New York Central Railroad in Upstate New York, including Albany, a portion of the Adirondack Division from Childwold Park Station to Malone, and on to Ogdensburg on the St. Lawrence River. The branch line from Lake Clear Junction to Saranac Lake and Lake Placid is also modeled. There are staging yards at both ends of the layout. Set in 1955, freight and passengers trains wind their way through the Adirondack Mountains, led by a variety of diesels including F7s, E units and the last vestige of steam, including Hudsons and a Niagara.

Tour: Mooresville/Martinsville

This layout models GM&O Railroad started out as an Atlas track plan "Berkshire Valley" project for his grandchildren. It evolved into a Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio pike, set in Meridian, Mississippi in the 1960s. Robert's pike includes DCC operations and the layout has a helix that leads to staging. The layout now has full scenery.

Tour: Bloomington

Jim’s HO scale Greeley subdivision of the Union Pacific railroad is a model railroad set loosely in the time period of 1996-2006. The pike is housed in a 60’ x 42’ "L" shaped room. Upon completion, the layout will be a 2 ½-deck model railroad. The subdivision modeled portion begins at Brighton, CO on the south and runs north to Nunn, CO. A helix will take a branch line to Fort Collins, CO will run under the first deck. There is virtually no scenery and only approximately one-third of the track is laid, but you can observe different layout construction techniques (foam, spline, and open grid).

Tour: Westfield

Jon’s On30 scale DRG&W / RGS is set in the late summer of 1942. The 22’ x 27’ layout depicts the line that runs from Durango and that, eventually, will run to Ridgeway, CO. The track plan is double deck around the walls with two peninsulas. There is a helix and staging tracks in a separate room. The layout is being built for future operating sessions and will feature transport of coal and yellow cake for the Manhattan Project. The layout uses Micro Engineering code 83 track and a combination of Micro Engineering and Fast Tracks turnouts. It is powered by Digitrax DCC and uses wireless throttles. At the present time all the lower level trackage is in, and scenery has been started.

Tour: Westfield

This is a two level layout that covers the territory of Conrail from the Avon yard on the west side of Indianapolis to East Saint Louis. Indiana is featured on the top level and it is connected to the Illinois countryside by a large double track helix that has a 1.13% grade. This is a double track mainline layout with 5,825 linear feet of track on the layout. Mainline track is code 100 with fascia controlled crossovers. Scenery is about 90% complete. The layout has DCC control with Digitrax equipment including 2 20 amp power sources with 4 districts on each layer of the layout.

Tour: Mooresville/Martinsville

The Monon Line is a beautiful layout, covering an area of 24' x 38' in his basement. The layout height is 42". Track is Atlas Code 83, and the mainline is approximately 120' in length. The layout includes a fully-functional signal system; the mass of wires shown below are part of the miles of wiring to achieve this level of realistic operation. Many familiar locations and facilities are included on the layout, just like were found on the mainline running from Layafette to Bloomington during the 1950s-1960s. Names of central and southern Indiana locations are noted around the layout. Jack recently added a large yard and reverse loop.

Tours: Indianapolis, Indianapolis Southeast

HO layout depicting the Pennsylvania RR. Layout is completely scenicked and includes two mainlines. Layout is fully signaled with PRR position lights, with the upper and lower levels connected by a 1.8% grade. Has two yards and six stations. Thirty car freights and 11 car passenger trains are the norm. A unique feature is an elevated line fashioned after the NY City subway system with shielded third rails.

Tour: Bloomington

The L & N Laurel Div. is a point-to-point mountain division model running from Cincinnati to Dante, VA. It occupies a space of 18' X 38' in a basement area (not handicap accessible). At present the scenery is 60% complete. The layout is fully operational, having hosted many OPS sessions. Both urban and rural areas are modeled, with 2 yards, and 16 switched industries. Dante is all about coal movements, and Cincinnati is industrial switching. The layout features a 7 level helix and a lower staging area for 16 full train sets.