The Canal Line

[coosvalley]

OK, here's the scoop..a few years back I saw the pic below, and decided I needed to see more....

http://imagestorage.nerail.org/photos/2012/05/03/201205031354299464.jpg

So, I went and spent a day driving around Holyoke, Mass, and took a ton of pics, and I also studied all of the Pioneer Valley RR using Google Earth...and I can sorta see where the tracks were around the Canals in Holyoke.....This is what really caught my eye....It was the perfect combination of urban railroading, brick buildings, and even some street trackage...No big city skyscrapers, just brick factories and housing, basically...

Recently, google earth added a 3D view of the city , and it was the tipping point for me, I have to build this!...A few other factors also inspired me, such as the SW-1 recently released by Arnold Hornby, which runs even better than my Atlas S2's, which would also look good on this type of layout!...Anywho, here are some Google Earth pics and my trackplan....I tried to keep the overall flavor of the area, but also making this a neat layout to operate. Since the tracks in this spot are long gone,imagination will have to do! ...It will be Atlas Code 55, using #5 turnouts and some #2.5 wyes, and crossings..I may change the "bottom" section to #7s, just because I already have them!...I will start with a ballasted deck trestle, to keep construction simple, but the turnout on the trestle is sort of the "centerpiece" of this layout, so I hope to find a way to make this an open deck trestle using ME bridge track and a handmade turnout...a skill which I do not possess...yet!..So far I just have the foam, so nothing picture worthy yet, but it's coming...please forgive my Atlas track planner/SCARM skills, not bad for 2 short afternoons work though!







The overall size of the first section will be 2 x 6 feet. I plan to use structures from Bergen National and Atlas for the largest buildings.I have also picked up some of the brick and pavement rollers from RailNScale/Shapeways for some cool track in the street effects...Hoping this works out good!..I may use the building in the following pic as a placeholder for now for the front right building...I have already built the Atlas Middlesex building I may be using as well, but no pics so far......



I will line the canal with vinyl tile bricks, like the ones in this shot...




Here is a couple shots showing what the next section might possibly look like...As you can see, modelers licence will be available for use once again...





The era will be maybe late 60's, maybe late 70's,even early 80's.I can't decide.......B&M will be the main RR modeled, but New Haven, PC(and later CR), or Pioneer Valley are likely to be included as well, since they all operated in Holyoke at one time...That's it for now,your input, questions and comments are always welcome!

[bdennis]

Looks like a cool idea.. Will follow along with interest.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh man, I dig it.

Also, many years ago, there was an article in Model Railroader about the Pioneer Valley. It was ok.

[mstl 246]

Cool location, I always like learning about proto situations that have space constraints.

Will enjoy seeing this progress.

Nat

[coosvalley]

Thanks for the comments guys!...I remember the Pioneer Valley articles from MR.....I don't think the Pioneer Valley ever ran on this canal, but they still have a big customer right "behind" this layout on the other side of the rear canal, so it is a small stretch...I think this section was B&M, and where the PVRR runs now was New Haven... The following old map shows this...The upper left train in the map is on the New Haven section, the empty plot just below the tail of that train is what I'm modeling, obviously not existing back then...



Here is a pic showing what is left of the bridge, and the buildings today....



And here is the Atlas Middlesex building I made to look like the pics...The "urban blight" in this city is substantial, hence all the boarded up factories..I just had to model something similar...Plus, now I have all these leftover windows 









More to come soon!

[soo]

This is going to be real sharp! Pretty cool concept...urban RR'ing and switching.....whats not to love.?!?!

The whole concrete and brick canyons is the way to do it.

See ya,

Y-It

[Pomperaugrr]

I'll be following this closely!

Eric

[coosvalley]

I hope I don't lose steam and actually get this layout finished!...This is actually another reason I chose to do this layout, it is small enough to finish!

Here are a pair of the locos I intend to use...I am not happy with the weathering on the SW-1, so it may get repainted...Someday...If I could get the windows out, I would have done so already ....probably my biggest complaint about the thing, actually...







Next I will be starting on the foam base and first layer (1 inch) of foam, and I will start to line the canal with vinyl "bricks".....The second 1 inch layer of foam will have cutouts for the switch machines...And on top of that will be a layer of homasote or hardboard or whatever its called...

[mcjaco]

Very cool!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

That SW1 looks RIGHT at home.

[coosvalley]

OK, so progress, of sorts..I'll call this installment "Limited runs, clearing off the workbench, and 3 roundhouses"

Since we live in a "limited run" age, I started at the end, and instead of spending $ on track for this layout, I decided to get a couple of limited run items I really want for this layout, specifically another Arnold SW-1 in B&M paint.These things run GREAT! I also picked up a 3 pack of Bluford woodchip hoppers in B&M(now I have 5), and a N Scale Architect North Conway roundhouse, which was super cheap at BLW for some reason(20$ cheaper than anywhere else!)..I worked out of this building for 5 years , so I had to have a model of it!.So I purchased those items before they were no longer available.

So I have the N. Conway roundhouse, and another roundhouse made by Creative Laser Design, of the Bartlett, NH roundhouse, and I had a Atlas Roundhouse as well. I have always liked the brickwork and windows on the Atlas roundhouse, So I pulled the walls off for eventual use on this layout. This left me with a foundation and front walls of the Atlas roundhouse, and I had some evergreen clapboard siding in my stockpile, so I cobbled this up, so as not to let the Atlas RH parts go to waste.I also used the opportunity to test out my brick pavement rollers for RailNScale..I also added windows form my scrapbox..Here it is so far...







Now to clearing off the workbench(or, in my case, the old roll top desk). 2 winters ago, I started 5 loco projects. 4 of the 5 made it to completion(R.I.P. Skytop models PH III RS-3 shell ), the most recently completed being this GP-38:













And here is what the other 3 look like:







These were not the only projects I did in that time, but I am glad to have finally finished them all! These 2 locos also somehow snuck in to the shop, and a big shout out to forum member @central.vermont for helping with the decals!





So, with that, I think I'm done with locos for now,....on to the laser cut kits, which is why I needed to clear off the workbench!

[squirrelhunter]

Really nice locos! Where did you get the bell hanging off the cab of the GP38? I've never seen one like that.

[coosvalley]

So about that SW-1- they did get the pilot stripes wrong, and the trucks were more grey than silver, so I fixed those things, and added window wipers to the cab, a small detail but it catches the eye, and it's pretty easy...

Also..: you guys can see the RailNScale brick pavement roller's results better in these pics.....Here is what I have learned so far....

The bricks are almost too small, but that helps if they are not perfect. Getting the bricks to come out perfect is not easy, use some water on your finger and wet the DAS clay before rolling, this helps...Keep a toothbrush and a cup of water handy to clean the roller in water too, I had to do this a few times..

Having both track and not- track versions helped me keep the rails just slightly higher than the road, which was a concern of mine, this took some practice but by the third "pit" I could get pretty good results.  I also barely used any of the package of clay, so this isn't too expensive once you buy the rollers...

I used the terracotta color, but ended up painting it after, and the paint will scuff of easily, so I may have to experiment further with paints or perhaps coloring the clay...

It was kinda fun!...a bit fiddly at first, but the stuff gives you plenty of time to work, and if it starts to dry, just wet with water....easy peasy


Ahywho....

[coosvalley]

Really nice locos! Where did you get the bell hanging off the cab of the GP38? I've never seen one like that.

Thanks!

I made it out of styrene, and a scrap horn cut to look like a bell....This one gave me plenty of grief to build and get to stay on the model, but now she's on there, ...I made about 4 of these for this model, each one coming out a little better each time..I fiddled a bit each night over a week!..painted both before hand and airbrush touch up once in place.......a test of patience for sure.....I don't remember the others I've built being so difficult....Maybe someday I or someone will have some etched ones made....

[coosvalley]

OK, another update, of sorts...

First up, I finished up the Atlas Roundhouse by adding the rear walls. I didn't add any details because I didn't want to spend a lot of time on the project, mostly I wanted the kits brick walls and didn't want to let the remaining parts go to waste. I will probably trade it or sell it, because I don't need it anymore, with another two roundhouses in the works.

The next roundhouse in the works, is actually finished up too!. It is a laser cut kit from Creative Laser Design, and it went together pretty well, though on the layout I intend to use on(not this one) it is just a scenic element, so I glued the doors shut. The kits does not really provide a good way for the doors to work or rails in the floor, BTW....

I had to get some good pics of some locos I recently finished up, So I set up this mock up of what this layout could kinda look like...So this post and the next will be the photos from this photo session, starting with the roundhouses..Enjoy!







The prototype-




Here we see the local dropping off a car, it's caboose waiting..



Here she picks up her caboose



The next day we see another loco passing the car dropped the day before..



And here she is coming back, somewhere along the line she got turned around!



And yet another day, we see a third SW1 finally picking up the car..



Coupling up...



And finally grabbing her caboose after dropping two more cars..