Modern Inspirations

Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes No. 9 in the 1930s.

Recently, I've started planning my first HOn30 layout. I've decided that I won't choose a specific prototype; instead, I'll proto-freelance based on the Maine two-footers. Some of my plans have been for mini layouts and others have been larger. One idea I've been toying with is a sectional layout consisting of several small modules that can be rearranged in different orientations. This would allow me to focus on one module at a time and to have variety in the track plan.

As for the era of this future layout, I've been thinking about two different time periods. The first is from the 1920s to 30s, and the railroad would be heavily based on the Maine two-footers, which were in their final years by the 30s/40s. Equipment would mostly consist of steam locomotives and wood boxcars. The second era is from the 1950s to the 60s. The railroad would still be set in Maine but in the transition era. In this fictional reality, where the two-footers survived well past the 1930s, I would be able to have diesels and steel boxcars. One scenario which I've considered modeling is one where the two-footers have consolidated into one large railroad. This would allow me to have locomotives, rolling stock, and structures from all five of them!

While looking around the HOn30 Yahoo! Group for inspiration, I came across a photo album titled "A Modern Maine Two Footer." It was full of photos of Ted Alexander's amazing model railroad, the Norfolk Terminal (NT). Also, in the messages of the Yahoo! Group, Ted explained several methods which he used on his layout. I'd like to share with you Ted's information and photos. I found them to be very interesting, and I'm sure that they'll influence my layout and hopefully yours as well.

Concept and Track Plan:

On his layout, Ted moved the Carrabassett and Dead River forward in time to the 1960s. (Bob Hayden's original C&DR was set in the 1940s.) Most of his inspiration came from the 3' gauge U.S. Gypsum Railroad located in Southern California. His modern two-footer serves an aggregate pit, moving gravel to a harbor to be loaded on to barges which take it south. This idea of serving one large industry follows the example set by the Kennebec Central, a two-footer whose sole purpose was to move passengers and coal to the Veterans' Hospital in Togus, ME. Since the NT only serves a quarry, there is no need for a connection to a standard gauge line.

Here's a rough sketch of the track plan. Trains travel south from the quarry, pass through a few small towns and arrive in Rockland Harbor, which is where the gravel is loaded onto ships. It is also the location of the NT's small yard, turntable, and roundhouse.

An overview of the quarry, looking south.

The plant is worked by a 45T locomotive.

A train heads south.

A southbound train passes through a small town.

Another train, northbound this time, crosses a creek.

An overview of Rockland Harbor. The harbor and the NT's yard, roundhouse, and turntable are visible.

Looking towards the yard. The gravel unloading facility is visible near the backdrop.

This large factory conceals a continuous run connection that goes through the backdrop to the quarry. The NT's yard and facilities are small, but they suit the railroad's needs.

Track:

The Maine two-footers had ties which measured 5' x 5" x 5". It turns out that Atlas N scale Code 55 track has ties which are similar in size. Ted removed every other tie from the Atlas track, giving it a more prototypical look. For the turnouts, which are No. 5's, he removed as many ties as possible, being careful to not compromise their integrity. The only difference is that the rails are 30" apart instead of 24", but it's not very noticeable after ballasting.

This view of the layout under construction clearly shows how the ties are spaced.

The tracks in the yard demonstrate how realistic the Atlas track looks after ballasting.

Locomotives:

Since Ted's layout is set in the 1960s, all of the locomotives are diesels. Ted added several details to them, such as rotary beacons and snowplows. The workhorses of the line are modified Bachmann 45 Tonners. Ted narrowed their walkways and cabs to 7.5', so they would match the width of his gravel hoppers. The exhaust stacks hide the cut and the glass seam. This gave them more of a narrow gauge appearance, but they'd probably look good even if the shells weren't narrowed. The hoods weren't modified since they are fairly small. Ted kept the original Bachmann paint schemes and only painted the cabs. To accommodate an N scale drive, styrene strips were added to the shell so it would sit at the correct height and fit snugly. Ted used Atlas N scale MP15DC drives, which have the proper truck wheelbase (5') for 45 Tonners. He says that Kato NW and Life-Like SW drives could work, too. Extra weight was added to the locomotives, and as a result, they can easily pull 12 loaded hoppers. Ted says that it's fairly easy to kitbash them, and the modifications can be completed in an evening (not including painting). Overall, the cost for these smooth running narrow gauge diesels is about $100. The hood and underframe cost about $48 and can be ordered from Bachmann's parts department. The N scale drives can be found at train shows for about $40-50.

The smallest locomotive is a Grandt Line 25 Tonner, which was regauged to HOn30.

The front of a 45 Tonner, which is painted in a red and gray scheme.

An Atlas MP15DC drive and narrowed Bachmann shell.

Another view of the drive and shell.

Two 45T locomotives are seen in a yellow paint scheme.

This locomotive has had a dual headlight installed.

Rolling Stock:

Since the NT primarily moves gravel, almost all of the cars are hoppers. Ted reworked C&BT East Broad Top HOn3 hoppers by removing the middle bay and modifying the ends. He also modified a steel boxcar and some flatcars to move machinery and other materials to and from the aggregate plant.

Most of the hoppers are black, but a few are painted an oxide red color.

Future Plans:

Eventually, Ted would like to add a Forney locomotive to haul tourist trains. He's also planning to add sound to his 45T locomotives and to replace the Grandt Line drive in his 25 Tonner because it doesn't run very well.

He modeled the Maine Central for many years, but now that he has switched to HOn30, Ted's found that it's much more fun! He has much more freedom to be creative on his layout, kitbashing freelanced locomotives and cars using both HO and N scale products. Since the NT is set in the 60s, diesels have replaced steam, which simplifies motive power. The 45 Tonners are smooth runners, which is nice because well-running diesels are hard to find in other narrow gauge scales.

I really found Ted's methods interesting, and I plan to use some of them on my HOn30 layout, and I hope you will, too. I like the idea of using Atlas N scale track and removing the ties, as I think it looks realistic. If I need some diesels, I'll kitbash a 45 Tonner or two and model a 25 Tonner using this 3D printed shell from Shapeways which is mounted on a Kato drive.

I hope you've enjoyed learning about Ted Alexander's Norfolk Terminal. It's a really cool layout! Even though it's pretty large, you don't need much space to have fun with HOn30! You can have a layout in as little as a square foot. If you have any questions for Ted, you can contact him through the HOn30 Yahoo! Group; his username is mecu18b. You can also contact me, and I'll send your questions to him.