Okay guys here is another post with some track planning ideas, and a need for perhaps some sound advice from those “in the know”.
I’m planning on HO “small” steam around 1920 in southern NH. I already have my steam fleet started. That fleet being a Roundhouse 4-4-0 and a Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0, both with sound. From what research I have done, both are historically accurate in that time period. The actual loco’s that I have are not 100% correct, but the wheel arrangement is. Close enough for me.
My layout is a twice around 4’ x 8’ connecting to a 2’ x 12’ runner which turns 90 degrees into a 3’ x 10’ section. All that being said it’s a glorified “J” shape with continuous running on two tracks already set up. Most of the radius is 18", with some that is more gentle, but not quite 22". Radius track was a help here. This is all built on a plywood and 1x4 wood frame with 2" foam insulation as a base. I hope that you can get the idea.
I have the 4-4-0 pulling 3 - 36’ wood reefer cars from the Brookline, NH Fresh Pond Ice Company and making stops in Townsend and Pepperill, MA. I used Historical Society photos from Brookline, NH and Townsend, MA to get this pretty close to “the way it was”. The Fresh Pond Ice Co. building was HUGE. So I plan to kitbash a few buildings to get something that resembles the actual thing. This building is really the centerpiece, and I plan to get this as close as I can.
The 2-8-0 is pulling mostly passenger and freight cars along from Nashua, NH into the western part of NH. I don’t really have a final destination yet, but I do plan have stops in Brookline, Greenville, and Keene.
Most of the rolling stock is Roundhouse and was a wonderful gift from my wife for Christmas. The wood reefers will all be stripped, repainted, and accurately decaled. B
I’ve not been to New Hampshire, but have modeled “just prior to WW1” for many years. I run numerous Roundhouse 36’ freight cars on my SW Virginia short line. In 1920, automobiles and quality roads were in scarce supply, so passenger service on many lines was rather frequent. I think that would be especially true in a hilly or mountainous area. Although there are PLENTY of examples to the contrary, the 4-4-0 wheel arrangement was more frequently in passenger or light mixed-train service by 1920, and the 2-8-0 arrangement is more consistently a freight locomotive due to it’s smaller drivers and slower speed.
Consider the possibility of one of those passenger coaches, or a combination car if there is one, on the back of the freight train to increase passenger service as a mixed train. The 4-4-0 American could handle the remaining 3-car passenger train as your “premier” scheduled service, not delayed by the occasional switching of the mixed train. Your citizens thus have more ways to get back & forth between towns, and that combination car has to be spotted near the station.
The advantage of the ice house is that one can’t tell if those refrigerator cars are ones full of ice going out or empty ones coming back to be refilled. By 1920, much of New Hampshire was logged out, but there would still be opportunities for forest-related industry. Any sort of industry using wood (furniture factory, stave mill, box factory) would seem to be a suitable addition as well - receiving lumber in via box car and finished product out via box car as well.
A creamery may also be a possibility for this area, and then you could justify having a nice milk car (Roundhouse makes or at least used to make 'em) that would have to be picked up on schedule by that passenger train. Don’t forget interchange tracks with connecting railroad(s), as they can justify any type of car and frequent service.
I model the B&M in the late steam / early diesel time frame. Grew up in Manchester NH. If you want, contact me (PM or Email) and I’ll give you as much information as you want or at least as much as I can.
You say the layout is on foam. You do plan on some serious grade changes or at least make it appear that way. Sounds like this RR of yours could easily handle a few 2-3% grades. May look better with a continuous portion of the loop be elevated to the back of the layout. Good sized hillsides with cut and portals and of coarse a typical Granite State pristine stream or river following the ROW. Nice scenery to model from- just have to look all around you.
I was thinking af some 2% grades, perhaps more, but we’ll see. Right now it’s pretty flat, with only minor grade changes. This is my first attempt at anything bigger than an oval, so I’m taking my time!
I’m planning for at least two streams, a covered bridge crossing and a large pond to feed the Ice Company for sure. Like I was saying alot more scenery than structures. The trains will probably disappear behind sections and you’ll only be able to hear then chugging along.
As I get going I’ll post pictures and look for more advise.
Even though you’re doing the 2" foam, don’t forget that you can alter the benchwork to show any deep gullies, cuts or rivers so they can be much below the 2" you have. Rivers can run right up to the cut out facia.
Spots like this can really add character, especially when you’re modeling some of the best woods and hillsides found.
This happens to be a roadway, but is doing the same. Your scenery wouldn’t be too much different than the New England prototype we do.
I’m drawing plans for a B&M layout located up in northern New Hampshire. I’m going to have a creamery, to give purpose to my vast fleet of milk cars. A trackside feed&grain dealer cause they are so common up here, a passenger station with a tiny three track yard and a freight house. I’m thinking about modeling the run from Woodsville to Littleton up the Ammonusic River. The river winds back and forth and the track crosses and recrosses thre river on a series of iron truss bridges. The tiny town of Lisbon has a covered bridge, a mill or two, some solid brick main street buildings. Small enough to fit, and scenic-ness that can’t be beat.
I’m into the 1950’s and 1960’s era. The “Northern New England Color Guide” by Sweetland and Horsley has great color photos of rolling stock from that era. The Arthur Mitchell books are always worth while.
You ought to acquire the B&M signature small steamer, the 2-6-0 Mogul, type B15. They were everywhere. Much of the B&M was oldish single track, flimsy bridged lines that could not support the weight of a big locomotive, so the little Moguls stayed in service right up to the end of steam on the B&M (1957). The IHC Mogul is a good stand in for the B15. Your 4-4-0 American and 2-8-0 Consolidation are also very representative B&M locomotives.
The signature passenger car is the 60 foot open vestibule wood truss rod coach. Northeastern offered a craftsman wood kit which isn’t too hard to build, and still turns up at train shows.
You know I almost did wind up with a 2-6-0 Mogul. But decided that the Spectrum 2-8-0 Consolidation with dcc and sound was a better initial choise. Maybe later…
What’s nice about what I’m planning to build is that I have 2 Historical Societies within 20 minutes of me that have a very good collection of photos. And it’s exactly what I’m building! I have actual photos of the exact locomotives that appear on my track. I plan to post pictures with descriptions and a history of each loco around the layout. And I will also include some history of the RR lines I’m modeling. Something like a working history museum if you will. It won’t be perfect and accurate down to the smallest detail, but anyone looking at it will get the idea.
Once tourist season starts again (If it’s tourist season, how come we can’t shoot’em?) head up to Clark’s Trading Post to check out the 1904 Howe Truss covered Bridge – fabulous scratchbuilding inspiration.
Plus, head over to North Conway and immerse yourself in the facilities of the Conway Scenic Railway – the B&M Satation and the turntable and roundhouse – it was a vacation up to there a few years ago with the wife and kids that got me back into the model railroading hobby.
While my N scale line is freelanced, it is strongly based on the steam era of the B&M (and the Boston and Albany, and the Central Vermont). Hope you have as much fun as I have had!
Oh yeah, one more book suggestion for you (I have a serious book addiction): “The Boston & Maine: A Photographic Essay,” by Philip Ross Hastings (ISBN 0-9625602-0-0). Good luck finding THAT one, but boy is it worth it!
