by Gregory Rich, MMR/photos by the author except as noted
They say model railroading is a great hobby, and you’ll have no argument from me. The more I build, the more I enjoy the process and honing my skills. I’ve heard it said that life is a journey, not a destination, and this hobby is definitely a journey!
Early in my start in the hobby, I was very impressed during a personal visit to Irv Schulz’ HO scale St. Clair Northern. With its theme of Michigan railroading in the 1890s, I had never before seen a model railroad built to that level of detail. I wanted to use Irv’s concept in my own specific design, but I did not want to copy what he had already done so well. I liked the uniqueness of his historic “Old Time” theme, and I wanted to put my own spin on it. HO scale had always appealed to me because of its size, and the availability of parts and equipment. I also liked wooden rail cars, steam locomotives, horse-drawn wagons, wooden lake freighters, and building Jordan vehicle kits. Based on these criteria, I determined my guidelines for a Class II regional railroad, near a lake shoreline, and set in the autumn of 1928 (or so). This time period allowed me to justify the older wooden cars with truss-rods and fishbellies, hauled by small-ish steam engines, while still having a “modern” Ford Model T positioned next to a horse and buggy. It worked for me!
Layout Design
Having moved into our home in 2003, I was the proud owner of a newly minted basement that was not much more than a dry cement box with a furnace, water heater, pull-string lights, and a house on top. So, given this lovely blank slate, I had to decide where things in this new empire would be situated, including accommodations for a new bathroom, a workshop, storage room, and “the social half” of the basement for visiting friends and family members. After many sheets of paper and three times as many cups of coffee, I came up with a plan I could live with.
ABOVE: The Maple Valley stationmaster greets the crew of New Baltimore & Fair Haven’s Red Arrow as the train drifts to a squealing stop. Meanwhile, the passengers have been patiently waiting and saying their good-byes. The station was scratchbuilt by the author.
Next, I needed a general list of “wants” and “got-to-haves” that would help to set the stage for my freelanced New Baltimore & Fair Haven Railway. I wanted my new HO railroad to operate smoothly, run through hills and forests, along Great Lakes waterfronts, and maybe through a few tunnels in order to break up the scenes and transition from one location to the next.
I also wanted a railroad that would have to be followed and not seen in one sweeping glance. For smoother operations, I did not want to have the engine crews get lost in a myriad of track and turnouts. I felt this could be accomplished by making the layout run along the walls of the basement and the new, centrally located workshop. On this point-to-point design, there would be a destination yard at either end along with several towns and industries to be serviced along the way. My thinking was, “If it were my task to build a railroad running through this newly freelanced landscape, how would the ‘Big Guys’ have done it?”
In order to get a longer main line run, the track plan would be folded on itself and the two yards placed back-to-back at the ends. This doubles the main line run, although a train must pass through the same scenery twice as it travels the entire line. Through the clever use of tunnels and elevation changes this detriment could be minimized. Passing sidings along the line make sure traffic from multiple trains in opposing directions can operate over the length of the line. A track between the two yards was added to facilitate continuous runs.
ABOVE: There is much activity at Fair Haven terminal as folks arrive to board the Red Arrow southbound for the city of New Baltimore. The passenger cars are a mix of Ambroid, La Belle, and Mantua, while the vehicles are from Jordan, National Models, and Athearn.
Construction
The techniques and materials used in the construction of the benchwork were decidedly “old school,” with a few updates. Dimensional pine lumber makes up most of the benchwork. Metal 2×4 studs were used for the long joists, which sped up work, reduced the cost, and added increased stability. The roadbed is comprised of 1/2” plywood covered with a layer of 1/2” Homasote. I like the overall characteristics of Homasote for subroadbed, as it can be easily cut, shaped, and glued. It also holds track spikes incredibly well.
Since I was following the walls, I was able to attach the layout open framework to the newly added basement wall studs. This design requires a minimum of support legs in the aisle as the layout is securely cantilevered from the walls. Where the layout width requires, 2×4 wooden legs were added to provide a solid structure.
I decided that the height of the central portion of the main layout between the yards would be 44” above the floor. From there, by employing 2.5 percent grades the railroad reaches both main yards at an elevation of 49”. The coal branch climbs another 10” from the central 44” portion of the road. This factor of “up and down” along with the direction of the train all works into the operation of the railroad where the crew has to take into account the elevation changes and the length of their train.
ABOVE: With the arrival of Hercules, Eastbay is a flurry of activity as the crews on board and on shore prepare to off-load the cargo. The selectively compressed Hercules was modeled after similar car ferries that worked the Detroit and St. Clair rivers moving rail traffic to and from Michigan and Canada at the turn of the 20th century.
This layout structure was not built all at once; it has been an ongoing adventure and was built in phases using lessons learned from the previous build to my advantage. I have also found that my level of interest diminishes if I spend too much time on a single aspect of the build process. Therefore, I like to mix it up by building some benchwork, finishing some wiring, build a model, do some scenery, and then, do some more benchwork. This way, it keeps things interesting.
Track
By trying to cut corners and save money, I started the initial track work using second-hand turnouts that I’d picked up at train shows and through donations. After a few bad experiences, I decided to hand-lay a large part of my railroad, and never looked back. Although there are quite a few feet of commercial flex track and turnouts still in residence, at this point, “if it ain’t broke-don’t fix it!” I used Code 100 on sections of hidden track, with the bulk of the railroad running on Code 83 rail with some sidings enjoying Code 70. Many of my newer additions are hand- laid with turnouts built in place…
