Overview of Jerry Macri’s Pennsylvania Railroad
Jerry MacriDescription
Jerry Macri’s Pennsylvania railroad may be the largest home layout ever built. This video covers an overview of the layout with Allen Keller. The layout began in Jerry’s 2,800 square foot basement and was added onto 9 years later to the 4,300 square feet it is now. It takes a train about 25 minutes to run from one end of the layout to the other.
Everything is huge on this HO layout including the famous Horseshoe Curve at 30 by 12 feet and the massive Erie Ironworks at about 40 feet long. The railroad is only 50% complete because Jerry is in no hurry to finish it, he enjoys it too much. With a layout this big, the towns are far enough apart so a train is never in two towns at once. Along the route, trains travel through scenes that are up to 5 feet deep.
The layout covers three rooms that span 40 by 70, 17 by 30, and 12 by 90 feet. The layout is built on 2 by 4s with 3 ¼ inch plywood and a minimum radius of 36 inches. It runs from Chicago Staging to New York Staging. Allen Keller asks Jerry why he decided to model the Pennsylvania. Jerry went to the Horseshoe Curve with his wife on vacation, and fell in love with it. The tour starts in Ironton. For more Allen Keller videos, visit the Model Railroad Academy archives.
Jerry Macri's Pennsylvania Railroad may be the largest home layout ever built. It began in a 2800 square foot basement then nine years later, Jerry added even more basement. It takes a train about 25 minutes to run from one end of the layout to the other. Everything is huge on this HO layout. The model of the famous Horseshoe Curve is 30x12 feet. The massive Erie Ironworks is about 40 feet long. The railroad is only 50% complete, because Jerry is in no hurry to finish it. He enjoys it too much. With a layout this big, the towns are far enough apart so a train is not in two towns at once. Along the route, trains travel through scenes that are up to five feet deep. Welcome, I'm Allen Keller, and this is Jerry Macri, the builder of the fabulous 4300 square foot Pensy. Jerry, why did you decide to model the Pennsylvanian? Well, Allen, I went with my wife on vacation and we went to the Horseshoe Curve and I tell you, we both fell in love with it. Loved it, loved the trees around it and watching the trains go by, in slow motion it seemed like. And I just decided when I built my basement, it was Pennsylvania Railroad. Jerry's Pennsylvania Railroad is huge. 4300 square feet in three rooms that are 40x70, 17x30 and 12x90. The layout is built on two by fours with three-quarter inch plywood and a minimum radius of 36 inches. It runs from Chicago Staging to New York Staging. After leaving Chicago, we'll start our trip around the layout at Ironton.
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