THE AMERICAN ROCK RAILROAD
Information Page for the
Panarama Photo Tour

American Rock Railroad


01-02.waterfall.JPG

We'll start this panarama tour looking straight back at the southern Rocky Mountain wall where we see the HO scale yard at the bottom, the second height of HO on the first bridge, the N track on the second bridge, and finally the Z track on the top bridge. The old mining town behind that is a painted background. The Waterfall actually drops from Z to HO and into the pool at the bottom which flows under the HO yard. Back


03-04.approachtown.JPG

Moving left (clockwise to about 1 o'clock), We see the Rocky Mountain wall coming into New York City (see statue of liberty). The Yard curves in at the bottom, and the rocks and roads lead to the final Z scale background. Back


05-06.downtown1.JPG

Looking into MId downtown, We see the HO road leading up to the City, where we see stores, gas stations, buildings, cranes, backdrops, and a mixture of all of the above to give it a full look. There are layers of backdrops and then smaller real buildings behind them to give an effect of focusing on different sectons of town. There's still a lot of work to downtown. Stay tuned. Back


07-08.downtown2.JPG

Further to the left of downtown, we see the curved background, Godzilla clinging to the top of the Chrysler Building, and the yard curving around the corner in the foreground. Again, it's a mixture of buildings, building fronts, and cardboard cutouts. Still under construction. Back


09-10.zstation.JPG

At the Top of this picture we see the Z scale downtown trainyard, with some engines and passenger cars. Since this yard isn't hooked up yet (I'm still looking for a bargain on a dozen switches) This is usually where the engines and cars that need work end up. The N scale lines are hidden in this picture, as they go underneath the Z station yard, but the HO downtown continues in the foreground, and the upper layer of HO begins the downward descent to the lower HO level at the bottom. Back


11-12.hostation.JPG

This picture shows the HO Scale downtown station in the center of the picture. Behind that are some N scale buildings, and to the upperleft, we see the end of the Z downtown yard as it curves behind these N buldings. The foreground shows a bunch of building fronts and cutouts that are haphazzard. This will all be fixed someday. At the bottom the yard drilling track runs alonside the outside line before joining up around the next curve. Back


13-14.curve1JPG

The curve into St. Louis shows the bottom lines coming out, while the back lines emerge from below the HO Station and curve out. Above this is the N scale downtown station yard, where it curves together to join the main N line. Across the top back is the Z "American" line. Back


15-16.curve2.JPG

The St. Louis curve continues with the HO yard drilling lines joining the outside mainline at the bottom. The inside HO line is just behind it, and behind that is a pullout section with a winding road that has two different school buses showing how the road moves your eye from HO to N. The back line dissappears into a tunnel underneath the N line as it curves inward behind the pullout section. Above that is the Z line, which goes around the entire St. Louis layout (note the arch). Inside this St. Louis loop of the "American" layout is a separate St. Louis Z layout. At the bottom, we see the HO firetrucks. Back


17-18.stlouis.JPG

As we finish the curve, we get a perfect view of St. Louis, from the lake at the bottom up the road to the N scale pullout section containing "old town" buildings. Behind that is the Z scale layout, not yet completed, and behind that is an undeveloped section where the Tiny Trains layout will go. Back


19-20.zoobackporch.JPG

Continuing around the lake past St. Louis, we see some buildings and animals in the HO foreground. The hard mountain is Lookout Mountain (home of "See Rock City") and the HO outside and inside lines merge into a tunnel going into it. Behind that is the back porch with some various junk. Back


21-22.backyard.JPG

Looking straight North at the back of the house, we see the center pole between the two garage doors (which are both open). And there's Rambo, our mascot and watch dog, on duty. Back


23-24.centralbeach.JPG

Coming back into trainland, we see our giant cactus behind the HO California curve. At the bottom is Santa Barbara (sort of) and there's three rock harbor, and a road leading up to the second inside line level of the HO loop. A small road is leading up to Bruce Wayne's castle atop the "Magic Mountain" on the right. The blue cloth on top of the picture is blue fabric stapled to the inside of the garage door (which is open) Back


25-26.california.JPG

Moving in to the California loop, we can still see the cactus, with Bruce Wayne's castle in front of it, and a Z scale loop going around it. Underneath the castle is the Batcave and below that is a farm and barn. In the distance are a couple castles which will be part of the Tiny Train scale layout (not yet built) and in front of that is the peat of Matahorn Mountain, which also has a Z scale loop going around it. Rumour has it they've discovered gold inthe mountain top, and are preparing to build a mine near the top. At the bottom of the picture, we see the Laguna Beach Rocks and beginning of the boardwalk leading to the ocean, and just above that,a volkswagon bus coming down the Pacific Coast Highway to the beach. (note the Big Boy steamer on the inside line.) Back


27-28.lagunabeach.JPG

A picture perfect view into Laguna Beach and Canyon. At the bottom, the boardwalk is bustling with beachers, and the gas station on the PCH is busy. A duece coup rides past Joe's diner, and the outside line dissappears into a tunnel. The upper HO line also goes into a tunnel, and behind that is a winding road that travels up the Laguna Beach hillside. (This is actually a pullout section) Behind the winding road, the backlines of the HO layout pass through the canyon, and on the ledge above, the N scale mainline curves around California in front, and disappears into a tunnel in the back. Above that, the Z scale line curves around Hollywood, and eventually can wind up to the inside Hollywoood Z line. This is the line that winds around the two mountain tops. In the far back, on top, is a flat section with a rock, which will eventually be part of the Tiny Train layout, 1/4 the size of Z. Back


29-30.nturntable.JPG

This picture shows the N scale turntable, which has a 6 engine roundhouse and sits above the HO lines. The HO road in front pulls out to access the turntable motor underneath. (and also get derailed cars) Actually almost all the rock fronts pull right off fasy access inside. Note the bottom curves in so you can walk right up close to the N turntable for upclose viewing. (and fixing) Above the turntable is a road that leads up to the Z lines, where we see two passenger cars going into a tunnel. there's a road winding up the side of the mountain to an airport on top, which is smaller than Z, probably the Magic scale, which is 1:450 or Tiny Train scale, which is 1:900 Back


31-32.hoturntable.JPG

Coming down the right side of the N turntable area, we see the HO turntable, with a road leading up around the back of it to the N scale lines behind it. The HO outside line emerges from a tunnel behind the turntable, and the inside line, as well as about 5 other lines, are hidden behind the rock wall, which is easily removable. in the back, another road leads up from the N to the Z scale lines, where the background blends in nicely with the Z items. Back


33-34.approachrocky.JPG

Shows the end of the HO turntable/work area at the bottom, and the N yard beginning in the middle. At the top the Z line approaches the Rocky Mountain top, and the "Pacific" line goes around the mountain while the "Rocky Mountain" line winds up and down the mountain top. This is also the beginning of the Z yard, which runs in front of the mountaintop line. At the bottom, there's a place where you can walk right up close to get to the back lines and switches, and the switchback road at right is also easily removable for access to the multiple lines underneath. Back


35-36.rockymountain.JPG

Looking directly into the Rocky Mountain corner, we se the removable switchback rock road in front, and below that is the beginning of the HO yard. The outside and inside HO lines are underneath. Above the road is the N scale yard, with 6 lines, and behind that is another switchback winding road with buildings and rocks that is a pullout section. This makes the eye go from N to z, and then the Z yard above that holds a few fight cars. Above that is the Rocky Mountain layout, which winds up and down the mountain in a "figure 9". Behind that is a flat area being preserved for the eventual "Tiny Train" layout. Back


37-38.zturntable.JPG

At the top we see the Z scale turntable and roundhouse at the right bass of the Rocky Mountain top. Underneath that is the N yard, where it merges with the N mainline, which emerges from the tunnel. Underneath the N lines are the two levels of HO track, which also emerge from underneath the Rocky Mountain. The HO yard is at the bottom. Back


39-40.backwall.JPG

This picture shows the back (south) wall with the layers of track. at the bottom is HO yard, up slightly, like a stage, are the inside and outside HO lines in front, and above that are the insie and outside HO lines in back. The rock faces were all cast from Bragdon Enterprises method of resin and styrofoam, and painted and weathered and molded, cut, and calked into place. they were all then cut out so they are all easily removable, and fit back in place like a glove. The top rock formations are different than those below to make the appearance of a different terrain, much further away, and above that is the Z line. Note the road leading up from the N lines to the Z lines to blend it together. Back

Contact Ruben Mac Blue, chief engineer of the Rock City Railroad Co. at 323-461-6600.