Northern Minnesota Railroad Heritage Association, Inc.
Home of the "Northern Trackers"
phone: (218) 692-1900
Long time member Clem Maust has produced two scenes at opposite corners on the HO layout. The first is a farm scene.
Clem is inspecting and analyzing what is
needed for the engine house.
The same scene after a couple of hours of work and tree planting by Joe Duerr.
The little details bring life to a scene!
The club has purchased an Under Table Topside Creeper from Micro-Mart for use at the club and by the members on their own layouts. Jay Simon is shown utilizing the unit to facilitate ballast work on his layout. The unit collapses for transportation in your truck or SUV. When set up, one can change the height and angle for easier work. It is a very helpful piece of equipment.
We didn't travel far! Dick Elmquist is holding up a piece of plexiglass on the table that he and Bob Moengen and John Davis have been working on for the new layout at the Bethany Good Samaritan Village home in Brainerd.
The next step will be to design the layout. The table is on casters and moves easily. Two casters on opposite corners are the locking type so the table won't move when in position. They built it to accommodate wheel chairs for the residents.
All the track will be Lionel Fastrack, that was recently donated. Look for Dick to be about 20 pounds lighter very soon! His wife, Sharon, fell and cracked her pelvic bone, so he is now the chief cook and bottle washer! Are we having fun yet?
For several years, Dick Elmquist and several other members have maintained an O gauge layout at Bethany Good Samaritan Home in Brainerd. Everything has been revised and rebuilt following the gift of the O gauge equipment.
Work began in the back room on the new layout, with Dick Elmquist and Bob Moengen carrying the 
ball. Dick and our famous model, Darlene BLAZINA, are demonstrating how the side panels can be removed to allow access by folks in wheel chairs.
The blue film will be removed. Ted Anderson wired in the three power circuits. There are several unnamed members who were instrumental in putting this project together, and we apologize for not having all the names. BUT, the layout is up and running and we thank all who were involved.
For a few years, the layout was lowered and raised to accommodate family visits.
In retirement, Joe decided.to expand and improve the layout. It is now a 6' x 10'
layout incorporating the basic layout. The mechanism to raise and lower the table
now uses cable and a wind up winch system. Many of the structures that Joe's son
built are still in place, with a lot more detail.
NMRHA member Joe Hampl began his HO layout on a 4' x 8' piece of plywood that we can see in this photo. Pictured is Joe's son, Marc, watching the train speed by. Note the yellow cords. To conserve space and protect the future improvements to the layout, it is suspended with a pulley system to the ceiling of the garage. When the layout is suspended, it goes up into a tent like affair to further protect it from dust.
Rock out-cropping, mountains, and tunnels have been beautifully hand crafted,
by trial and error, to provide life-like scenes. Joe's wife contributed with
scenic work and suggestions. In addition to his home layout, Joe has
been instrumental in the landscaping and work on the layout at the
Northern Minnesota Railroad Heritage Association's main HO layout.
Much time and labor of love have been put into the detailing of the layout. Marc Hampl had built many of the models,which his dad has skillfully incorporated into the layout. The usual scenery, varying shades of grass, and rock work make for realism. People, parks, fisherman and a river coming out of the mountain give a spectator many things to look at.