# DOOR HOLLOW SHORTLINE at BIG TRAIN SHOW



## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Bob Baxter and Don Gage started the *Door Hollow Shortline* about four years ago, I think, (how long ago _WAS_ it, Bob?) as a direct venue to display their kitbashed, scratchbuilt, and _highly_ detailed modeling efforts. The 'modules' used for this portable layout (can you guess?) are hollow core doors. (BTW, the bottom of the sign reads "-From the Hollow to the Hills -" and "-Critters Always Welcome-") 












Here, Bob is discussing the "Door Hollow" while an engines drags a couple of his high-clerestoried passenger cars past. Yes, as with most of Bob's unusual rolling stock and motive power, there actually was a prototype! 












Don Gage chats with Roger Clarkson as he places one of his vertical-boilered 'critters' on the track. (Roger is owner/operator of a very large layout in Riverside. I did a thread on it here last year at about the same time as it appeared in GR!) 












Here's Bob's new steam shovel in action, dumping a load of fill into a truck. 






















Here's Bob's famous "Heidi", and her consist of passenger cars circa 1830's! Bruce Hebron over at *"The Metal Shedde"* was so impressed that he had to ask Bob "how he got those curves?!". 












There's a lot of 'business' happening around the Door Hollow's scenery. Here, a truckload of chickens has taken a nose-dive into a ravine. The truck has just escaped sliding all the way to the bottom, but there's a lot of loose chickens running around in those rocks! 












Meanwhile, "Humbug Haulage" seems to have bitten off a bit more than they can chew, so to speak. This is another animated vignette: the truck tips back onto its rear wheels while the workers fight to keep it balanced! 












Some more scenery details.. 




















































How about some critters & rolling stock? 




















































Don demonstrates his working crane rig for onlookers. He always makes it look easy as he transfers loads around! 












The Shortline got lots of interested visitors while we were there. 
































Sandra Baxter seemed to spend as much time 'babysitting' the layout as either her husband or Don. Here she is with Bob and Roy Heughins, a prolific modeler and owner/operator of a terrific 'hill-climbing' layout. You may have seen his wood-framed 'deep mineshaft' on the Del Oro Pacific. 












I think the *Door Hollow Shortline* has become one of the most popular 'traveling layouts' on the convention circuit. Thanks to Sandra, Don and Bob for bringing it to us!


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks again Gary - You sure save us cheapskates a bundle in travel expenses!


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## Bob Baxter (Jan 3, 2008)

Thank you, Gary for all your kind comments. A really big thank you to Carla for taking all the wonderful pictures. I bought a new camera just before the show and it spent the weekend in my pocket. These are the only pictures that we can put into the BTS 2008 folder. That's the ONLY picture we have of Don's new truck struggling to pick up the heavy weight. (The front of the truck moves up and down.) 
Sandra tells me that you are her new best friend. She's been saying that she is stuck watching the layout while Don and I wander off to visit vendors. You just added some weight to her case. I do believe that she has more fun than anybody at these shows, greeting old friends and making new ones. 
Incidentally, the folks looking at Don operating his crane are his mom and dad. 
Our first setup was at the 2005 BTS when we were in the parking lot of the Queen Mary. We started building it in February of that year.


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## GrizzlyFlatsFan (Jan 5, 2008)

I really enjoyed this fantastic layout at the show. Thanks for bringing it!


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

What a fun layout! 

Bring it to Illinois


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

One thing I really regret this year at the BTS was that I was so busy I didnt get a chance to hang out at the Door Hollow, bummer! Oh Well next time!


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## Guest (Jul 8, 2008)

Hi, Gary 

Thank you very much for sharing those pictures. I am Tony Lou. I live in Hong Kong. I had been the Big Train Show since June 07, 2008 during my trip in Los Angeles. I had seen many beautiful models in the show. As well as I bought a K-27 by Bachmann. Beautiful engine ! 

I am one of G scale modeller in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, very few modellers have collected G scale trains. As per my understanding, I believe not more than 10 people in the hobby of Garden Railway. Even other scales such as HO, N and Z, not many train modellers in our city. But, I am trying to group all G scale modellers in Hong Kong to become a model club. Now, I have another three best friends are working together on planning who are G scale modellers also. 

We would open and very happy to contacting with you and other masters of modellers. 

Have a great day, 
Tony


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## MarkLewis (Jan 2, 2008)

Great photos, Gary! Thanks for posting them.

Mark


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## Gary Woolard (Jan 2, 2008)

Tony, Welcome to Mylargescale.com, the friendliest, and (IMHO) the smartest place on the web to learn about G-scale, aand to show off how _YOU_ do it! Because as you're probably already discovering, there's always more than one way to do it! 


That's one reason having a club can help -- and if you can get ten people together you're off to a great start! That means there's somebody to share your trials and tribulations with, as well as successes. Let us know how things are going in Hong Kong! (And we all _LOVE_ to see pictures!) 


Hope you enjoyed your visit to L.A. -- if you can make it to the next Big Train Show, drop by the MyLargescale.com booth and sign the board! 


And everybody else, thanks for the great comments. As usual, I am but the town crier, pointing a finger at other people's talent. (Including Carla's, natch) 


And Bob, I didn't_mean_ to let the cat out of the bag that Sandra is the real brains behind the operation! 
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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Gary, thanks for posting the images the DHSRR. Bob, Sandra and Don have done an absolutely wonderful job with crafting this marvelous layout. 

The detail rivals and equals anything that was at the show. 

Thanks for being a part of this great hobby....


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## Guest (Jul 11, 2008)

Gary, thank you very much for your respond. You are right, we could be a good start if we have around 10 people to group together. Currently, we have 5 best friends in G scale and another 12 best friends in HO scale. We are planning to constructing a big table for our G scale tracks. We had invested many tracks with 20 feet diameter of circle, 16.5 feet diameter of circle and two #6 turnout as well as 36 pcs of 3 feet straight tracks and 12 pcs of 4.5 feet straight tracks. We want to put all tracks on the big table as similar as the live steam booth in the Big Train Show. Then, we shall show our models in any shopping plaza or park in our city. 

In the meanwhile, we have enough HO scale tracks to putting outside of G scale track. This is the biggest circle of HO scale which we shall do... heeheehee. I believe most of HO hobbiers will be very happy to runnning their huge locos. 

I had took some photos in the Big Train Show. Let's share with you all.


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