Author Archives: Alex Bogaski

I finished all of the track and wiring on the new “South End of the Grainbelt” layout. I now have a mechanically functioning layout to operate, and its the largest layout I’ve build to-date. Tony Koester recently wrote a column in which he praised the clean, presentable look of James McNab’s Iowa Interstate Hills LineContinue reading “Channeling David Barrow”

I realized that I’ve been sharing photos without having posted the track plan for the “South End of the Grainbelt” model railroad! I have some more to share on recent progress, but first, I give you the track plan. Please forgive my hand drawn sketch. The layout measures 11′ x 10′ 6″ and is 44″Continue reading “Track Plan”

I thought I’d share some recent construction progress on my model of Frederick, OK on the Farmrail/Grainbelt System. I’ve titled the layout “South End of the Grainbelt” which is shamelessly taken from the title of the “Railroad You Can Model” article in 1992 Model Railroader. I’m not the best a laying flex track, but IContinue reading “Under Construction!”

I recently purchased this slide on eBay recently. It depicts Farmrail (GNBC) 331 “Caddo”, a former Milwaukee GP9 tied down on a spur. I’m not exactly sure of the location or date, but I think its likely Elk City, OK in the mid 90’s. I like this photo because there’s more to it than aContinue reading “A Locomotive at Rest”

The more I examined Frederick, the more it seemed like the perfect prototype. Two elevators, carload traffic of fertilizer, two cotton related industries, and interchange with another short line. All at a “stub terminal” and in a relatively small area. Of course, I wasn’t the first to arrive at that conclusion. There was a greatContinue reading “Frederick, OK – Planning the Layout”

I thought I’d start of blogging about the new model railroad and its design by discussing how I got to this prototype. Of course, if you click on the link on the top of this site, you can see all my previous layouts and my modeling journey of what I have constructed. But how didContinue reading “How Did We Get Here?”

I’ve had the time to do some work on the new railroad lately. Here’s a quick preview of my new layout, this time depicting the southern end of the Grainbelt in Frederick, OK, circa 1995-2005. The layout was constructed in three “modules” resting on top of Ikea IVAR shelving. Frederick, OK is in southwest OklahomaContinue reading “Adding a New Layout to the Fold!”

I’m still slowly updating the new site! The “Previous Layouts” link at the top of the page is now fleshed out and contains all the info on my previous three layouts. There are plenty of photos and links to two YouTube videos. Enjoy!

I put together some clips I took of the Farmrail Clinton Industrial Park and I think its my best YouTube video yet!

Thanks for stopping in. As I attempt to streamline my digital footprint, I decided that I needed a better medium for sharing my modeling work. I’ll still be active on my social media platforms, but this will provide a more enduring journal of my modeling endeavors. I will also slowly migrate over any important informationContinue reading “A Millenial Finally Gets Serious About His Blog”