The New Model Railroad

My new HO layout will be DL&W circa 1905 with optional alternate era, 1973 Erie Lackawanna.

The New Milford station just wouldn't fit where I had originally planned. So at the suggestion of a friend, I built a shelf for it.

The station now looks more comfortable on the correct side of the tracks.

The roundhouse floor has been extended and stained. Waiting for Grandt Line windows before adding the walls.

Stacks of pallets await construction of the C. W. Howell Lumber Company. Note the Lackawanna style concrete bumpers.

A Howe truss bridge will eventually cross the creek here.

A solitary worker drives the final nail in the new roundhouse floor.

The New Milford (actually Vestal) station as it appeared in the 1950's. Originally green, most DL&W buildings faded to blue over the years. The model is a Branchline Trains laser kit. Note the New Milford sign created by Milissa.

Mrs. Howell came up with a great idea to hide the underneath of the layout. Some burlap with grommets which is hanging from cup hooks on the benchwork girders. Makes a great place to store stuff too.

My first Jordan kit. Bought it 25 years ago but thought it was too intimidating to assemble. Some parts are so small, I have to use magnifying glasses just to see them!

The fascia was completely removed, primed and painted black. Turnout (BluePoint) controller knobs received a gloss white finish.

The turntable had to be disassembled and re-wired. Big job but it's working fine now. SD45-2 is setting on a dummy track because I haven't installed it's decoder yet.

Sisters, fresh out of the paint shop, pose for a photo op on the tall trestle.

The first loco out of the paint shop. Lettered with custom decals made by Stan Cedarleaf. Number 907 will soon be joined by 903 and 1016.

That's not a coffee cup, it's a future watertank. Loco's fresh out of the roundhouse (coming later) will be serviced as they leave the turntable. The water tank is being acquired from the Aurora & Ithaca Railroad and should be installed by spring.

Latest addition to the roster. (Oops, wrong scale). Actually the GP7 is for a small n-scale layout (2'x4') I plan to build next.

A very important feature for any model railroad.

My first experience with foam. The mountains will be carved and covered with trees.

Trestle will be over a dirt road leading to the sawmill.

No need for concern about tempered hardboard. It curved quite nicely around the tight curves.

A 4-6-0 slowly drags a string of tank cars over the newly installed trestle.

I finished building the trestle. Now I just have to install it.

The track lighting (double entendre intended) has been installed.

The first train travels the completed main line. Some people mentioned that there were no SW-8's in 1905. All my steamers are DCC and my system got fried. It's back at NCE getting repaired. The SW-8 is an old fashioned DC loco.

This is the site of a proposed bridge. 18 inches long and on a 24 inch radius. Maybe a wood trestle or a spindley steel structure. I'll probably have to scratch-build something.

With 90% of the track installed, the first train gets a run through. Yeah, I know it's not 1905 DL&W. I fried my DCC system so I had to pull out a DC loco.

Track installation is moving along quite nicely.

Cork is installed in the yard. Confirming the design with turnouts & flextrack.

Sample equipment that will run on my new railroad.

The background is painted and sub-roadbed installed. Gathering track laying materials now.

All the L-girders have been installed. The background painter should be here next week.

Latest version of the plan. Had to move the outer track because of a 4" obstacle I forgot about. Also started to draw in the L-girder benchwork.

Instead of assembling the girders first, I glued the web to the walls and added a few powder actuated nails. Then I glued the flange to the tops and finished off with a brad nailer.

The wall girders are installed. Just waiting for Malaine to paint the background.

I plan to scratch build this roundhouse. Need to figure out what the back might look like.

The room is finished and ready for benchwork.

It's nice to have a wife who cooks. Even better when she cooks AND paints.

New train room, looking east. Note the clever disquise for the cellar stairs. (click to enlarge)

New train room, looking west. Lots of power available with the new 200 amp service installed. (click to enlarge)

	The New Milford station just wouldn't fit where I had originally planned. So at the suggestion of a friend, I built a shelf for it.
	The station now looks more comfortable on the correct side of the tracks.
	The roundhouse floor has been extended and stained. Waiting for Grandt Line windows before adding the walls.
	Stacks of pallets await construction of the C. W. Howell Lumber Company. Note the Lackawanna style concrete bumpers.
	A Howe truss bridge will eventually cross the creek here.
	A solitary worker drives the final nail in the new roundhouse floor.
	The New Milford (actually Vestal) station as it appeared in the 1950's. Originally green, most DL&W buildings faded to blue over the years. The model is a Branchline Trains laser kit. Note the New Milford sign created by Milissa.
	Mrs. Howell came up with a great idea to hide the underneath of the layout. Some burlap with grommets which is hanging from cup hooks on the benchwork girders. Makes a great place to store stuff too.
	My first Jordan kit. Bought it 25 years ago but thought it was too intimidating to assemble. Some parts are so small, I have to use magnifying glasses just to see them!
	The fascia was completely removed, primed and painted black. Turnout (BluePoint) controller knobs received a gloss white finish.
	The turntable had to be disassembled and re-wired. Big job but it's working fine now. SD45-2 is setting on a dummy track because I haven't installed it's decoder yet.
	Sisters, fresh out of the paint shop, pose for a photo op on the tall trestle.
	The first loco out of the paint shop. Lettered with custom decals made by Stan Cedarleaf. Number 907 will soon be joined by 903 and 1016.
	That's not a coffee cup, it's a future watertank. Loco's fresh out of the roundhouse (coming later) will be serviced as they leave the turntable. The water tank is being acquired from the Aurora & Ithaca Railroad and should be installed by spring.
	Latest addition to the roster. (Oops, wrong scale). Actually the GP7 is for a small n-scale layout (2'x4') I plan to build next.
	A very important feature for any model railroad.
	My first experience with foam. The mountains will be carved and covered with trees.
	Trestle will be over a dirt road leading to the sawmill.
	No need for concern about tempered hardboard. It curved quite nicely around the tight curves.
	A 4-6-0 slowly drags a string of tank cars over the newly installed trestle.
	I finished building the trestle. Now I just have to install it.
	The track lighting (double entendre intended) has been installed.
	The first train travels the completed main line. Some people mentioned that there were no SW-8's in 1905. All my steamers are DCC and my system got fried. It's back at NCE getting repaired. The SW-8 is an old fashioned DC loco.
	This is the site of a proposed bridge. 18 inches long and on a 24 inch radius. Maybe a wood trestle or a spindley steel structure. I'll probably have to scratch-build something.
	With 90% of the track installed, the first train gets a run through. Yeah, I know it's not 1905 DL&W. I fried my DCC system so I had to pull out a DC loco.
	Track installation is moving along quite nicely.
	Cork is installed in the yard. Confirming the design with turnouts & flextrack.
	Sample equipment that will run on my new railroad.
	The background is painted and sub-roadbed installed. Gathering track laying materials now.
	All the L-girders have been installed. The background painter should be here next week.
	Latest version of the plan. Had to move the outer track because of a 4" obstacle I forgot about. Also started to draw in the L-girder benchwork.
	Instead of assembling the girders first, I glued the web to the walls and added a few powder actuated nails. Then I glued the flange to the tops and finished off with a brad nailer.
	The wall girders are installed. Just waiting for Malaine to paint the background.
	I plan to scratch build this roundhouse. Need to figure out what the back might look like.
	The room is finished and ready for benchwork.
	It's nice to have a wife who cooks. Even better when she cooks AND paints.
	New train room, looking east. Note the clever disquise for the cellar stairs. (click to enlarge)
	New train room, looking west. Lots of power available with the new 200 amp service installed. (click to enlarge)