Modeling Monday: NEB&W Ops Session

Before I came across the New England Berkshire & Western, I was just a typical model railroader.  While there's certainly nothing wrong with creating your own fictional world and operating a fictional railroad within it, the NEB&W was my first exposure to prototype modeling.  While the NEB&W is technically "proto-freelancing" (it never actually existed IRL, but it's easy to forget that), this was the first place I saw actual real-life scenes being replicated in model form and operated just like the prototype.

So whenever I get a chance to visit - and especially to operate - this railroad, I jump on it.  It's one of the surest-fire ways to recharge my motivation and inspire my own proto-layout project.  Here are a few pics from the past weekend's ops session.  Whether you model New England railroads or not, I bet you'll see something that will get your modeling juices going....

Here's a good example of what they're doing - a nice bridge scene on the model...

And right below it, on the fascia, is a picture of the prototype scene (unfortunately, I forgot to note the location).  I used this same idea on my railroad.  Even - or especially - when you don't have scenery, it helps show visitors what you're planning.

While the NEB&W has been around since at least the 1970s, they're always up to something new.  Here's the start of their latest - a model of the Rutland's Addison Branch.  This is where the famous covered bridge will go.

The famous East Shoreham covered bridge - image taken from a great website dedicated to the Addison Branch.

 

Another under-construction scene on the new Addison Branch.

When you enter the layout room(s), this is the first scene that you see on the right.

A little further down the line from the previous scene.

Looking back up the line.  I'm only about 15 feet into the room at this point and already hitting modeling-inspiration-overload.

Chateauguay - the northern-most big city & yard on the railroad.  The "Oldensburn & Lake Richilieu" comes from the north and interchanges here.  Running the O&LR transfer job was my first task of the day.

Another view of Chateauguay - the O&LR track curves in front of Arendt Lumber.  The rest of the track is NEB&W territory.

Forgot the name of this town, but love the scene since it looks very similar to the CT River Valley area I'm modeling.

North Bennington, VT.

Prototype photo for comparison (taken from here)

 

Bartonsville - The (prototype) covered bridge in this scene was washed away in 2012, but recently rebuilt.

Comparison prototype photo, taken from the NEB&W Facebook Fanpage (which, if you're into prototype modeling, I highly recommend - you'll see lots of side-by-side comparisons between the prototype and what they're modeling.  Very inspirational!)

 

Rutland Yard

Scene inspired by the prototype Delaware & Hudson's line along Lake Champlain

Some fantastic bridge modeling in Green Isle

It was a long but fun-filled day.  We got through an entire 24hr operating day with, literally, dozens of trains, all run on a schedule governed by a 4:1 fastclock.  Randy deserves kudos for doing such a great job as dispatcher and it was great getting to spend some time with Bill, Pete, new-friend George and other old friends.