After much internal debate, the Woodland Scenics layout I started seven years ago is going away. The benchwork I built for it is going to be used for this new layout depicting the B&M. My poll question based on the few B&M fans we have out there is, which branchline would consider in 1978? The stats on the layout are as follows: The layout is 6 feet by 3 feet and will have a connection with a maine line of the B&M. Branch operations will be performed by SW switches, GP7's, 9's and 18's. Interchange will be with GP38-2's and the new GP40'2s. Because this layout is so small, operations and scenery should be considered. Here are your choices. Portsmouth Branch Conway Branch Hillsboro Branch Claremont Branch Goffstown Branch Ashuelot Branch White Mountains Line
Conway Branch Lots of potential. Model Railroader had a Decmeber issue from thw late 80's early 90's with a history and an HO track plan. Almost used it as a starting point back then. Check it out.
Jim, my initial question concerns your druthers for operation and scenery. Conway had lost most, if not all of its industry by the 70's. Although I seem to remember a quarry somewhere near Sanbornville, and also the tire plant down at Farmington. Conway Scenic had yet to start up its tourist business, but you could always fudge a bit. Scenery would be twisty-turny around hills and lakes and over creeks, and through many small towns, fairly close together. You could always move it a little west so it could go around Alton Bay on Lake Winnipesaukee White Mountain was rural up through Coos County, comparatively flat with low rolling hills and lots of small creeks and rivers. That line served the paper mills at Berlin and Gorham. It also crossed and interchanged with either the Grand Trunk or CP at Whitefield. I think Portsmouth was still fairly active with various industries around Portsmouth, Dover, and Hampton. Did that line support the nukey plant construction at Seabrook? Scenery is flat and watery, with lots of interesting bridges, especially the one across Great Bay. Claremont was pretty active back then with traffic between Concord and WRJ. IIRC, scenery would be lots of small towns with rolling hills and creeks, similar to Conway. Heck, that's your home territory, you'd know it better than me. I don't know anything about the rest as they were out of my normal travel routes. You didn't mention the line from Concord through Tilton, Laconia, along Lakes Winnisquam and Winnipesaukee, Meredith, Plymouth, and on up to Woodsville.....shame on you! With that line, you also could have the branch from Plymouth up the Pemigiwasset River to Lincoln and Clark's Trading Post, with its Shay, Heisler, and Climax tour trains.
Yeah I know Hank, but it has been awhile since I was home. Besides Like to hear what other peoples thoughts and memories are. I just came in from cutting up the 1/8 ply for the base. My good friend From Testor is leaving today so we are having lunch. I may go get some pink foam for the scenery base if I cram it all in my Jeep Wrangler. I wanted to spend Saturday working on it, but between eye appointments and Christmas things I probably won't. Jim
Jim, no apologies needed. I was being a tad parochial......:embarassed: Pity you don't model the late 30's and early 40's...the Peterboro Branch north from its New Haven connection at Springfield, MA up to Peterboro would be fun to operate with old Moguls working cars at every feed store, lumber yard, etc. along the way, and hauling daily passenger trains with open vestibule, wooden coaches. The Branch even went to Concord before the bridge at Hillsboro(IIRC?) was destroyed by the 1938 Hurricane. That branch would fit nicely within your 6x3 space like the typical winding two-lane New Hampshire road up in the mountains....no straight longer than 3", and no radius greater than 10". Please understand that the above suggestion(s) are worth every Penny you paid for them....:angel:
I used to live along the Nashuah, Milford, Wilton, Greenfield, Bennington, Anturm and Hillsboro line. It used to hook up with the Peterboro line till they cut it north of Peterboro. The line was also cut north of Hillsboro before Emerson. So Hillsboro was only connected to the rest of the system through Nashuah after that. There was not much traffic on it back in the early 60s. Some short line ran it for a while but the the Pan Am system map now shows it as run by them.
Russ, there is no legend on the map. What is the distinction between the Red routes and White (double white lines bracketing a white center) routes? I thought it all was Guilford. Or is the map making a distinction between ST, MEC, and B&M accounting. However, that wouldn't explain the White segment between Mechanicville, NY and Crescent, NY which was all B&M when I lived up there.
Jim- First- Is there a particular segment nearest and dearest to your heart? Pick a branch that has plenty of potential for operating interest. Frequency of trains, switching, multiple operators? Scenery might be another angle. Is one area good for mountains, bridges, tunnels, etc? Fun to build? And then to admire and use? What can you compress into the space available, and still maintain a good feel for the prototype area? Boxcab E50
I vote Goffstown, only because thats where I live and would love to see what you do with that! Let us know what you decide.
Hi Fuzzbee, welcome to the Trainboard, we're glad to have you aboard. Also, I'm very happy to see that you obviously have power since you're online. Now, I hope you can survive the onslaught of Montreal Expresses meeting up with Hatteras lows that are forecast to hit you over the next couple of weeks. I agree with you, it would be interesting to see what, if anything Jim has accomplished with his B&M over the past two years.
Thanks for the welcome Hank. Yup, only lost power for about 8 hours that icy night, but the snow just isn't stopping! Joys of NH. Ha, I totally didn't see his post was from two years ago, my bad. I'm still learning the boards and was poking around some older less active boards. Live and Learn.
Ehyup, I left Granite Farming many years ago when I found out what weathermen meant by "Still and Clear"......Still Snowing, and Clear up to your BUTT!!!! No apologies necessary for resurrecting this thread. There are too few of us who model the B&M, or its wholly owned imaginary subsidiaries. Even fewer who grew up seeing tender sides with either block and speed lettering, or the Minuteman logo beautifully portrayed on maroon and gold bull noses. I'm trying to remember if Goffstown was served by the Peterboro branch. If so, is it still served by a branch from Manchester? Isn't there a power plant in the area that receives coal loads?
Nothing to worry about! If you see an interesting topic, go ahead. Many times an older subject has been brought back to life. With fresh input, and new participants. Boxcab E50
Ha, the posts are not dead, it just has a healthy amount of weed growth on the ROW like the Guilford era! I went with a ficticious branch, loosely based on Whitefield NH. I have a crossing where the MEC has trackage rights to the B&M. Have not decided to model the famous B&M ball signal, but who knows. The branch without a name yet has only a few customers, Stienbeck and Son lumber, Northern Propane, Fraconia implement and a large concrete plant. All the track is down, code 55 Atlas, wired for DCC. Just need to have my life settle down so I can start on the terrain. Alas, I model what I remember, old McGinnis GP-9s, 18s and F7s. I have a super detailed Bicentennial GP9 I did up for the layout, it's in my rail images. Unfortunately the maroon and gold were memories when I first started watching the B&M in 1978. Jim
I saw the reference to B&M and wondered why the sudden interest in the Brecon & Merthyr line of South Wales, absorbed into the Great Western in 1923. Then I realised it referred to the Boston & Maine. Silly me!!! Regards, Pete Davies
Well my little Conn Valley B&M layout lives! Just got done modifications to the track work. You can read of the layouts progress here, http://www.trainboard.com/grapevine/showthread.php?t=126864&page=4 For those interested, It is the era when the B&M was just starting to regain strength again and new motive power, the GP40-2's showed up in a new scheme. This layout is roughly modeled around 1977, to 1983. Doesn't mean I wont go back in time a bit as I have a heavy weathered RS3 in maroon. If you are interested, I can keep you posted on the goings on round hereah. Jim
Here is the main switcher for this layout, GP9 #1715 as she looked in 1977. She still has her Bicentennial stripe on the nose but has somehow avoided those orange step wheels. This is a super detailed Atlas locomotive I did back in 2004. The background is from my personal collection from railfaning Concord NH in the 1990's. Jim
And for you B&M purist I submit my Alco. Who doesn't like the maroon and gold scheme. Too bad the could not have simplified this like the Maine Central did. We can clearly see why the top brass went to the Yankee Blue Dip (read cheap!) paint scheme. The deluxe gold is actually bleeding through the maroon. I found a picture of this tired old girl in one of my books and had to duplicate the paint on it, besides I love old Alcos. The B&M buggy is an Atlas caboose I painted up. Unlike Maine Central, the B&M built most of their cabooses, so modeling one in N scale is a challenge. Jim
I didn't pick any particular area to model because I knew I would disappoint myelf with the results so, I loosely selected the foothills of the MEC/B&M mountain divisions and am happy with the way the layout is turning out. It also gives me a chance to work in my own private railroad. Unfortunately, I am old enough to remember B&M/MEC steam and the early maroon and gold B&M and MEC diesels (before the MEC switched to green and gold). I kinda wish I had been around to see the four steamers the B&M did in color. At least I have preserved them on my layout! Yankee/Flying Yankee Paul Revere/William Dawes B&M cabooses (and some MEC, for that matter) are not to be had, though the Life Like NE cabooses are a decent stand in for B&M. A few years ago, a friend of mine commissioned Robert Ray of California to produce a couple of B&M caboose kits.... the narrow monitor and the 24' Laconia. At the time, Ray was doing some nice N scale cabooses in laser cut wood. I think he is primarily Z scale now but, it's possible he may still have a few of the B&M ones. The photo below, shows three narrow monitors, one Laconia, and a Santa Fe "widowmaker, which is unashamedly wearing B&M garb (sorry, I just liked the caboose!).
