Dave Popp's Layout in April MR

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

I’ve got to admit that I was very impressed by David Popp’s N scale New Haven layout in the April MR. And, in fact, I’d consider it definitely one of the better layout designs I’ve seen therein recently from a well thoughtout, reasonably-sized approach. It’s not a basement-filling design, it’s reasonably but not excessively detailed, and its operations are very well arranged, compact, and believable. And having passed through Waterbury on many occasions, I’ve also got to say that Dave did a great job of scratchbuilding (I have to presume) in capturing the Waterbury train station and its enormous clock tower. In fact, that tower is even taller than indicated by the model. Great job, Dave!

CNJ831

2

I agree, I enjoyed the article very much. In fact I read it for a second time last night. Thanks, Dave.

Ron

3

It’s a great layout. Just proves how much operation can be fit into a small space. Can’t wait to see the next extension of it.

4

I was impressed with Dave Popp’s layout. Proves you don’t need a multi-level, basement empire to have a good looking, and operating layout.

Nick

5

I think Dave’s layout is also a great example of how far N scale has evolved in the past couple of decades. Can’t wait to see more it it!

6

Incidentally, the clock tower (bell tower) of the real Waterbury train station is almost 250 feet tall and would scale out in N as over 18 inches high (!), most likely almost half again as tall as David modeled it. The real clock in the tower is the largest in all of New England.

CNJ831

7

Selective compression works!

8

The New Haven Railroad Waterbury station is a major landmark in CT and a symbol of Waterbury.

It was modeled after the Bell Tower in Siena, Italy.

The Pres of the NH in 1900 and his wife went on a tour of Italy and his wife told him to build the next new NHRR station like the tower there in Siena. He did - in Waterbury.

Its an amazing station - currently it houses the Waterbury-Republican Newspaper.

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2004092719333320163.jpg

http://photos.nerail.org/showpic/?2004092719301319944.jpg

I really enjoyed the article in MR.

Just goes to show the New Haven is a great RR and especially fun to model.

9

At first glance, I thought the clock tower was a Custom Model Builders kit but I just checked their website and I only see that available in HO. The two structures are very similar but not quite identical. I agree with your assessment of the layout.

10

Well done David, and well written from a personal interests point of view. I appreciate the sequence operations system that is outlined here, and the idea that you don’t have to build an empire to enjoy operations. It is my favorite article in this month’s magazine – although the freight cars article is pretty good too.

Cheers
Peter
conford

11

What I like is the story of why this layout came to be. Just about every New Haven RR old timer (fan or employee) hates Patrick B. McGinnis…and yet his design program to re-brand the railroad (one of the first of it’s kind in American business) is one of the main reasons for it’s popularity today. The “McGinnis” schemes, invented by Herbert Matter who was working for Knoll Associates, is one of the most popular paint schemes in American railroad history. And even tho’ it’s over 50 years old, the schemes look just as modern today as they did then.

My interest was also keyed by this in part. When I learned that the passenger cars with the colorful paint schemes in my father’s HO collection also ran through my town on tracks not 100 yards away from my house, I was hooked. I’ve been a dedicated NH fan since I was 14…over half my life. And about the only thing you can’t model with the NH is desert or cog railroading:

Urban railroading? See New York, Boston, Providence, Hartford, Springfield, Worcester, etc.
Suburban railroading? See outskirts of above cities.
Country railroading? See the branches that went into the hinterlands of southern New England like the Naugy, the PIttsfield line, the Fitchburg line, the Old Colony lines on Cape Cod, etc.
Mountain railroading? See the Maybrook line.
Seashore railroading? See the NH’s famous “Shore Line Route”.
Heavy multi-track electric mainlines, both freight and passenger? See the NY to NH line.
Light electric branches and trolleys? See the Danbury branch or any of the numerable NH subsidiaries trolley co.'s.
Trucking and busses? See the NH’s subsidiary, New England Transporation Co.
Steam powered TOFC trains? See the NH’s Trailiner service that started in 1937.

And so on.

You name it, you can just about model it with the New Haven RR.

Paul A. Cutler III

Weather Or No Go New Haven

12

Paul,

Good point about the variety of settings that would be accurate for the New Haven. Of course growing up in NJ and going to college in Philadelphia made me a PRR/CNJ fan, but for many of the reasons you state for enjoying the New Haven.

Dave

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Dave what a great job you have done on the layout of the Naugy. We now have a tourist
line that runs up to as far as torrington (end of line now). I really hope that it is successful. I can see the Wby-Bridgeport train from my window. . I last rode the line two weeks ago when I visited my son in New Rochelle. It was the first time I tried it since he moved there. It was a great ride even though I had to change in
Bridgeport and Stamford. I will never drive down there again if I don’t have to. Anyway , sorry for the blabbing,your model of the station is a wonder. I couldn’t belive what a pretty job it was. After 30 years I am getting back into the hobby again. I am going to try to take it north to Winsted and over to the Canaan junction (early 1900’s). The station burned a couple of years ago (set by kids) but it is being restored.If I can I would like to enclude the old litchfield line and the Wby- Danbury branch. I hope I can do it in the time I probably have left. It will be fun no matter haow far I get.

Thanks again for the insperation.
Jim Miller

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I hope nobody is fussy with spelling .
Jim Miller

15

Mountain railroading? See the Maybrook line.

Say WHAT?

There are no mountains in New England. Just hills of varying sizes.

D&RGW’s Tennessee Pass line. Now that’s mountain railroading.

Ditto for for the climb up the Front Range out of Denver.

GN over Marias Pass - mountain railroading.

NP over Stampede Pass - mountain railroading.

SP over Donner Pass - mountain railroading.

Santa Fe from Needles to Flagstaff - mountain railroading.

SP & Santa Fe over Tehachapi - mountain railroading.

Canadian Pacific in the Canadian Rockies - mountain railroading.

NYNH&H over the Maybrook line - that’s overcoming a speed bump. [:D]

Andre

16

That was a very good article and a very nice layout.


Mountain railroading.

17

There are some people who never miss a chance to “vituperate” the NYNH&H…

It simply proves who is on top (NHRR) - otherwise people wouldn’t feel the need to do so.

Ah, small minds… There’s life east of the Mississippi - and lots of it…

18

Sorry, Andre, but the Maybrook line was a mountain line…even if Trains Magazine screwed us a couple years back by ignoring the line when they did their issue on mountain railroading into New England (April, 2004). Thanks for nothing, Matt Van Hattem! (he was the author of said article) [:p] The funny thing is that the Maybrook line had steeper grades and more rugged terrain than several of the other New England lines that they did highlight. Oh, well, what does one expect when this is the same company that 20 years ago called the NH a “…seldom modeled railroad…” (that still rankles the couple thousand members of the NHRHTA today), transposed Vermont and New Hampshire on a map, and at one point mentioned that someone grew up watching the New Haven RR in New Bedford…MAINE! Sigh.

It also reminds me of when NH fan, author, and native New Englander Marty McGuirk tried to describe to a fellow Kalmbach employee about the dedication of New England railfans to the ol’ NH, B&M, MEC, BAR, CV, B&A, etc., over modern roads like CSX, Amtrak, N-S, BNSF, UP, CP, etc… And the Kalmbach employee just didn’t get it…until he went to his first Springfield Show. Apparently, he was amazed at the lack of a) modern, or b) western models at the show. LOL As I think Marty described in one of his Model Railroader articles, we New Englanders tend to think of the PRR as an interesting Western prototype railroad. [:)]

BTW, jwmurray, jr, here’s a pic of mountain railroading on the New Haven’s Maybrook Line…212’ high and over 1 mile long…

[image]http://www.iceandcoal.org/bridges/newsimages/poughkeepsie300x210.jpg[/image]

And David T., you know they’re just jealous. [:D]

Paul A. Cutler III

Weather Or No Go New Haven

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[Crocodile Dundee]

That’s not a bridge. THIS http://www.geo.ed.ac.uk/scotgaz/features/

20

Andre,
The funny thing is that they are actually pretty close to one another. The Poughkeepsie bridge carries the track about 60 feet higher, and the Firth of Forth bridge is about 900’ longer. Both were built in the 1880’s, both for double track.

The major difference is that the Poughkeepsie is being turned into a Rail-Trail, and the Forth bridge is still in main line use.

Paul A. Cutler III

Weather Or No Go New Haven