Well after too much time without a layout I am beginning the process for the one million and umpteenth time of designing and building a layout. Like many of the ones before this one will be built as a modular/sectional railroad. The Better Late than Never Railroad is set somewhere around 1950 in New England. The beginning section I have designed is supposed to be somewhere in central Massachusetts. The railroad has fallen on hard times and is now doing it's best to stay alive. The BLN is still predominately steam with a small handful of diesels. Freight is king but the railroad still provides some passenger service mostly in the form of commuter service. The section I'd like to start with will be the center section of the layout. On either end will be sections that will lead to a staging yard that is set behind the layout with an operators pit in the middle. While the layout will be operated from the outside, it is nice to have somewhere to escape from the crowd during the show.
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The section shown above measures 6ft by 20ft. It will break down into 10 3ft by 4 ft sections. I realize this is a very deep layout but it will allow the layout to be more than just the trains. I plan to include the faller car system as well to help bring the layout to life. My idea is to build a small traveling version of Miniature Wonderland. The big difference is that I want to have the layout operate not just have trains run in circles. I have done a lot of research as to what I will need to do most of this besides winning the lottery. But for now I am going to start by building what I can and build it with the infrastructure to add the needed elements as I can afford them.
Now back to the section at hand. This is a section of the railroads main line between Brevikston and Sleepy Hollow. Originally is was double tracked but has be returned to single track to help lower maintenance costs (it is also really fun to model abandoned track)
There are five different industries in the section.
Industry 1 will be a textile manufacturing plant. I am thinking that it could be either water or coal powered. the coal power allows for more cars to spot making switching more fun.
Industries 2 is still undecided. Perhaps a lumber dealership
I was thinking of having industry 3 be some sort of chemical plant. I had also thought that it may have it's own fire-less steam loco to switch the plant so that soot and so forth doesn't contaminate the chemicals. The other thought I had was a munitions factory.
Industry 4 could become an interchange or a branch line instead of a industry. Beyond that I'm not sure what to make it
Industry 5 will be another textile mill. It would be water powered by the small river to the rear of it. I'd like to base it on one that was near where I lived in Rockville, Connecticut. The real one wasn't water powered but there is a small river on the other side of the road so it isn't a big stretch.
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Well that's where I am so far. If anyone has any suggestions or critiques please let me have them. I want this to be the best version of the BLN yet. I look forward to your ideas and suggestions.
Espen L. Marsh
Still a follower of the great Lord Deignan even though I think he may have eaten my carrier pigeon.
