This may be the slowest build in history..... Here is the story of the WMRR; In March of 1828, a year after the decision to build the B and O railroad, the Maryland State Legislature recognized the need to allow an investment group to build a proposed railroad servicing the growing Western Maryland area and approved the petition filed by the Warrior Mountain Investment group. The group gathered funding from notable business tycoon Alexis Irénée du Pont (owner of the Eleutherian Mills and DuPont gunpowder factories) among other investors. Guided by the management of Philip Thomas and George Brown The Warrior Mountain Railroad official groundbreaking occurred on the Fourth of July 1829, a year later the initial line between the coal mines of Warrior Mountain in Maryland and the DuPont Powder Mill on the Monongahela River in Pennsylvania was operational. The Warrior Mountain Railroad saw an explosion in growth in the 1860's with the introduction of steel mills in Pittsburgh. The additional revenue allowed for expansion into West Virginia, Virginia, and Ohio famously sharing lines with the fabled B&O railroad. Due to its fortuitous planning and aggressive lease/use agreements it is not uncommon to see several road names represented on the railroad. The Warrior Mountain Railroad was recognized for its role in several historical events. In 1836 the WMRR was used by William Henry Harrision for the first known "whistle stop campaign" where he delivered speeches from the back of a train In 1863 the WMRR was used to transport President Abraham Lincoln from Harpers Ferry WVA to a connecting point on the B&O so he could travel to Gettysburg to deliver the famed Gettysburg Address. In 1868 the WMRR was used to famously (or infamously) maroon President Grover Cleveland in the tiny town of Old Town Maryland when his executive caboose was mistakenly disconnected and left in a small yard. Some say it was intentional payback for his war on the railroads where he confiscated 81,000,000 acres of land from them and him signing the first law regulating the railroads. In 1869 the WMRR was used by President Ulysses S Grant to tour the area's strategic reserves and manufacturing capabilities. On May 31, 1889 the WMRR suffered tragic loss the night the Johnstown flood wiped out a bridge on the WMRR as a mixed use train was passing. The train and all souls were lost. There is a touching monument on the site today. In 1898 the WMRR was used many times via a military contract as the exclusive transport of the newly formed 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry, their horses and their equipment, better known as the Rough Riders, to their specialized training grounds in Flintstone, MD to prepare for their arrival in San Juan. In 1909 the WMRR was used to transport Wilbur Wright to the newly built Frederick Flying Field Hanger to train military aviators. The WMRR has also hosted several presidential funeral trains including Presidents Harrison, Taylor, Lincoln, and Harding. Hitting its peak in the 1920's the WMRR still services many industries, runs specialized passenger service and hosts multiple special events. The below chart highlights the railroads size throughout the years. I will post pictures and updates in this thread.
A quick look at the mediocre at best background, the is l channel automotive fender molding that I used for molding, The backdrop itself is nice enough, but totally unforgiving with the installation. I have never done one before, so the inability to pull it back as I was installing it led to some minor issues. The paper is too thin and tears easily. If I had more $$ I would have gone with the people that print them on show quality vinyl, but that is more than twice as much $$. The tables (3) will come up to the bottom of the scenery so you ill not see the white border at the bottom. The Mrs and I went to Lowes Sunday and bought the truck load of lumber and foam to build the tables on Friday (I hope).. This is on 3 walls, 13', 9', 8'.
Thank you for taking that title This sounds like a really fun build - I tend to really like the layouts that are supposed to be something tangible and/or historic. I'm not saying I don't like the 100% made up scenes, as well, but anything with a story is always of interest to me.
