Ive finally come up with a plausable railroad. The Conecticut River Valley Railroad.
i like it because i can get ideas for scenery by just walking outside, and any small (smaller than new england central)new england railroad pretty much sounds beliveable.
The History That Didnt Happen:
The idea for the Conecticut River Valley RR rose from the ashes of sevral struggling new england shortlines, and was christened in the late 60’s when it acuaried most of the doomed New Haven’s road switcher equipment. as many railroads east of the mississippi went bankruped and faded away, the CTRV was usually the first to buy used ALCo and EMD equipment.
In the mid-80’s, the railroad finally decided on a paint sceme. it was to be dark grey with a white horizontal stripe with CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY in green letters within the white stripe. it renumbered all its loco power around that time-- CTRV locos were the 100 series. many excaped the paint booth, however, due to a high income, yet low profit in the early years. ex- new haven(about half the roster) was the 200 series, guilford(about 1/4 of the roster) 300, and units leased throughout the years form penn central, conrail, csx, and new england central were the 400 series.
ill model sometime around 1992, with the CTRV growing as a successfull frieght railroad, still running a colurfull fleet of ALCo and EMD equipment, many units still in their origional colors, but with their roadnames painted out and CTRV in small letters on the cab. The CTRV mostly interchanges with New England Central, CSX, and Norfouk Southern.
I know there’s probably some major flaws in my plan, but it sounds reasonable to me, and should be fun to model. (all this history for 4x8[;)][:D])
GEARHEAD426
[8]
I actually really like the idea!
Have you decided what your industries will be and their locale? The paint scheme sounds very nice, and your conglomorate of schemes should provide much enjoyment. How far North will it run?
History is just as important (or for some unimportant) as it is for a layout of any size. No matter what, it adds an extra element, and makes everything believable.
Best of luck!
GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
I cant believesomeone thought of the same name for my layout design from 4 years ago
the CRVR was a 50s based shortline with trackage rights on the rutland and B&M/CV line around bellows falls
With B&M & NH & Rutland Geeps and Road switchers along with a large fleet of connies
How could u steal my idea
Oh well it was only a design
And anyway im switching to G with my Cheshire Valley Railroad
Gearhead,
Sounds like a plan. If you can get down by Deep River, you can see the prototype. Also Middletown had tracks right along the river and over to Portland so you can have some ideas there as well. Industries should be easy with variety in wood manufacturing companies - piano sound boards, helicopter blades, the boat builders, and a few others. You also have in the area a major printing plant in Old Saybrook (since moved i think) and of course Calloways first car facilities were across the river in Old Lyme. nd anyone who finds a use for NH rolling stock is ok in my book.Good luck. J.R.
Very cool! are you going to be custom painting the locos and feight cars yourselve??
ok to anser the questions so far–
the industuries will be a small cement plant, lumber wharehouse, and a steel stamping mill. on a furure extention i might have a branchline run stamped steel parts up to sikorski. the layout is easilly extendable, with 3 yard tracks running off 1 end.
ill try to include a printing plant on my dream layout that i might one day build-- around- the - wall, same fictional railroad.
BM trains thats cool i guess we thought of the same idea. good luck with g scale.
the CTRV would run on all useable New Haven trackage within Conecticut, and has its own trackage flanking the Conecticut river all the way to its northern terminal in Newport in Vermont. (huge yard possibilites for dream layout)
i dont have an airbrush, and have seen the results of spray cans on HO models.NOT gonna try that. i plan to buy New Haven and Guilford ALCo models and brush paint (in a slightly “off” color) over the NH or Guilford names(the guilford “G” can stay) and add decals to represent the ones that excaped the paint booth. (kinda like the SOO line milwakie road “bandits”) When i get an airbrush, ill paint some models in the true CTRV colors. i dont think the railroad would paint its own frieght cars, just old new haven rolling stock.
i plan to put the area for my layout somewhere in Northern CT. on the future extention, i might have a long bridge crossing the Conectucit river.
i might even have this be the last railroad still using street tracks. [8D]
thanks for the encouragment and keep the ideas and suggestions comming
GEARHEAD426
[8]
Street trackage is always fun the CRVR line did own a Connecticut River traction until 1938
Also You have to have NECR Guilford Interchnges
oh yah and amtrack
as well as CSX run through power