Friday Fun: Layout Update Video & Name That Location

For those of you that aren't members of the Valley Local Facebook Group (and if not, what're you waiting for? 😏), I did a Facebook Live video last night that toured the layout as it currently stands (and since it's all still cleaned up from my NERPM layout tour). If you haven't been able to attend one of my open houses, this should give you a sense of the craziness in my basement. . . Hope it works, even if you're not on FB - click here to try . . .

Next up, for this edition of "Name That Location" I offer this:

Any ideas? I'm pretty sure this is a Valley Line location (note the distinctive "flat W" roof on the station, a hallmark of the line), but where? I'm thinking Cromwell, but wouldn't bet a million dollars on it...

Putchyer guesses in the comments! And have a great weekend!

Layout Tour: Looking Back - Looking Forward

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

I'd planned a bunch of posts for you the past bunch of days, but the day job had other plans. I even missed this week's Wordless Wednesday. Ugh!

But I couldn't let the first day of 2021 (doesn't that sound SO much better than 2020?!) go by without doing a little looking back over the last year layout-wise (because you're probably not here to look back over 2020 for much else...). 

One huge "COVID-consolation" (as rare as they were) was being forced/able to spend a bit more time at home and, for us hobbyists, that tended to translate to more time at the layout and at the workbench. We'll take the layout first - checking out where I was at the end of 2019 and comparing it to where I am a year later. So here's a little tour starting from East Berlin, heading south on the Valley Line to Old Saybrook, over to "New London" and even up through "Somerset" & "Mill Hollow" on the Airline. . .

After loads of progress during 2019, the only difference in East Berlin in 2020 was the addition of a few details, including period-appropriate crossbucks (you can always click on the image for a larger view).

The most significant changes this year happened in Wethersfield. I'd done the "Hartford" skyline behind the Rt. 15 overpass during 2019, but I finally started filling in some scenery here at the north (right) end of the scene. . .

Here's how the same area looks as of today - all grassed in (static grass really does wonders!), and Jordan Lane is all improved with some resurfacing and a grade crossing. There's even a Ballantine's sign over there on the left/south end of the warehouse. 


Moving south in Wethersfield... I'd really obsessed WAY too long about how to do the Fernwood Street scene with John Wallace's house, as well as the area down toward the station. . .

But after a LOT of trial-and-error (and a number of different shades & lengths of static grass and dirt on the lumber yard lot), here's how it looks as of today.

Another view, just cuz I like how this came out. Although it looks a little, um, too "perfect," it should improve even more with some additional details and some more scenic textures.

Another end-of-2019 view, looking southwest.

. . . and looking northeast - you can see Gra-Rock in the distance, with Valley Coal in the left foreground.

As you can see, I kept the static grass applicator very busy this year - even adding some grass between the rails on the ROW.

And here's Valley Coal as it is today, complete with still-mocked-up backdrop photos. The Wethersfield backdrop continues to elude me - and has for years now, literally. :^(

View looking northwest. . . Compare this to the same view last year and you'll see the improvement.

The Goff Brook area - one of the earlier areas to be done - hasn't changed much over the past year. But it's still a great place to pause & take in the scene.

One improvement though has been the completion of my first craftsman structure kit back in April - used here as a barn behind the house at Goff Brook.

Rocky Hill hasn't really changed at all. I think this was the actual first "completed" scene on the layout (thanks to BillS) . . .

. . . and with it looking so great, why change it?

Just south of Rocky Hill, is the Dividend section of town, which hosts the largest industry on the line - Hartford Rayon. Here's how the scene looked at the end of 2019. I'd flattened the area under the big structures, but the hillside was still in place on the other side of the tracks.

Oft-times in layout building, you have to take two steps back to make three steps of progress. Here's how Dividend looks today, since it's the area I'm working on at the moment. I've removed most of the hillside on the far side of the tracks - to flatten it for a house scene - and am starting to rebuild the hill as a scenic divide between Dividend and Cromwell (complete with rock-lined cut, eventually...). I also did a major rework of the track arrangement here back this past summer.

Speaking of Cromwell, here's how it looked at the end of 2019 . . .

. . . And here it is as of today. I've angled the town & buildings a bit more for some additional "distance" from Dividend - and I'm working on the hill & cut.

From here on south, things are pretty much the same as they were this time last year, unfortunately. Here are the marshlands south of Cromwell and north of Middletown.

Panning left, you see the north end of Middletown proper, with the Dividend structures placed here temporarily to keep them out of harms' way.

Continuing to pan left/south, we see the throat of Middletown yard.

And here's a nice overview of Middletown, looking south past the diamond towards the meat packing plant.

Speaking of which, here it is. - one of MANY structures built and donated by Bill Maguire.

Continuing south from Middletown, we enter the scenic high bridge at Shailerville - another scene courtesy BillS (I'm SO going to miss his help now that he has his own layout to build!)

Looking south from there, you can see East Haddam on the left and Deep River on the right.

The East Haddam scene has improved a bit since this time last year, with the addition of some prototype structures built by Dave Messer.

Anybody familiar with the area will recognize these buildings. Sadly, Dave passed earlier this year before he could complete them.

Turning to the right, we see Deep River as it was last year.

Not much difference this year, although the fascia around the lace factory in the distance has been tied back in. And more of Bill Maguire's structures - previously at East Haddam - have moved over here.

Continuing south from Deep River towards Essex, this will be the area around Old Deep River Road in the Centerbrook section of Essex.

Essex proper, looking southwest.

Northeast view.

Finally all the way down the Valley Branch to Old Saybrook, looking south. The orientation here is that East is to the left - and that's where we're going next to see one of the biggest improvements to the layout this past year . . .

Namely, the "boxing in" of the New London/East End staging yard.

Came out pretty nice, wasn't TOO much work, and really improved things by cutting way down on dust.

Moving over to the Airline, nothing's changed in the last year. As a matter of fact, I have the same reference photos here now as I did then...

The town of "Somerset" - with west end staging in the "staging box" hanging off the front of the module.

Somerset, looking southwest.

Continuing "north" from Cedar Hill Yard in New Haven to Middletown, we see the town of "Mill Hollow"

And here's an overall view. If you're interested in operating the Airline local through these towns, be sure to click here.

I've mentioned before how I sometimes think New Years' "resolutions" can be counter-productive, so I won't be making any here. However, to the extent that listing the past year's accomplishments can provide some much-needed motivation to spur on further progress, I may go back over 2020 and see what all I can jot down.

But I'm frankly in no great hurry to revisit 2020 - at least not quite yet. In the meantime, I'm happy to just revel in what I'm blessed enough to have today - and hope you've also enjoyed this little walk around the basement.

Here's also hoping you and yours have a wonderful, safe, happy and healthy New Year!

Movie Monday - A Virtual Tour of The Valley Line

Looks like one good thing to come out of the current craziness has been an explosion in creative ways to connect - despite “social distancing” and orders to stay at home. I, for one, was able just a few days ago to “attend” three different layout tours during a Facebook Live event hosted by the Twin Cities Model Railroad Club. Yeah - those Twin Cities - and despite the fact that I’m in Connecticut.

It’s certainly quite a world we’re living in, and it’s not all bad. Despite the virus.

So, wanting to give back a little and provide some distraction of my own, I’ve uploaded a little video tour of The Valley Line. Even though there’s a trackplan on the website, there’s nothing quite like being “in” the space. If you’ve ever wanted to attend an open house but couldn’t (and who knows when we’ll be doing those again), here’s your chance - albeit virtually.  I hope that it provides a nice diversion while you may be stuck at home. Enjoy!

Throwback Thursday: Layout Status at the end of 2019

Despite my love/hate relationship with New Year's resolutions, I've always found it interesting - and sometimes inspiring and motivating - to look back and see what I've accomplished on the layout during the previous 12 months. Those posts tend to be mostly lists of what I'd hoped I'd accomplish, what I actually accomplished, and what I hope to accomplish in the coming year.

But how about something a lot more visual? See where things were at the beginning of the previous year and where they are today?  I really wish I'd thought to do this all along - especially during the huge build-out of the layout that occurred over an 18-month period from February 2015 through the summer of 2016. Comparing before and after photos from that time shows a lot of dramatic progress as I doubled the size of the layout, adding the Shoreline and the line from Old Saybrook all the way up to Middletown(!)

But since the first shake-down session on the "completed" railroad (at least as far as trackwork was concerned), progress on the layout itself has been a bit less dramatic. But there's still visual/scenic progress being made.

So first, here are some photos taken near the beginning of 2019 (and I'll follow-up with a complete photo tour of the layout's status as of this week).

Valley Coal - just track and a couple of structures.

Wethersfield - Cape Cod house done, but John's house is still a mockup.

Looking south toward Church Street from Jordan Lane. Gra-Rock is just a mockup.

I'd just started laying additional foundation (plywood) for the Rt. 15 overpass and decided to redo some of the terrain in the process.

Essex, looking north

East Berlin

Deep River, looking north

And here's where things are as of today - you'll see some familiar scenes, some of which have changed a lot for the better! There are a lot of photos, but they cover the whole layout (except staging) and will provide a nice baseline for when I do this comparison this time next year.

Don't forget, you can always click on a photo for a larger view. And for more information on any particular area, be sure to check out the "Topics" list on the right side of the page.

End of the Berlin Branch at East Berlin, CT. All major structures in as well as backdrop & base scenery

Panning left, we see the Rt. 15 overpass and part of Wethersfield.

Wethersfield, including John Wallace's house completed.

Panning left and looking south toward Valley Coal. Gra-Rock building is done and waiting for surrounding scenery.

Valley Coal - some base scenery is in, but still need to do the backdrop.

Goff Brook area of Rocky Hill, just south of the Wethersfield line. With the pouring of the water, this scene is definitely at a level of "done-ness"

Continuing south around the end of the peninsula, we come into the Rocky Hill station area, which was one of the first areas to get full treatment (except for backdrop).

South of Rocky Hill is the section of town known as Dividend - notable for the huge Hartford Rayon plant & largest customer on the line. The major buildings are done (thanks to Dave Messer) and I've reworked the topography here to level things out a bit (using foam board rather than repeat the debacle of troweling on more Ground Goop!)

Continuing south into Cromwell, this area - like so many during 2019 - gained a bunch of buildings courtesy Bill Maguire.

Connecticut River lowlands area between Cromwell and Middletown - shot mostly in hopes this area will see big improvement in 2020.

North end of Middletown

Panning left toward the south, we see more of Middletown, including the Airline diamond.

South end of Middletown. There'd be almost nothing here were it not for BillM.

Continuing south, we see Davis Lumber with the old Hartford Rayon mockup in the background.

And at the far south end of Middletown, we have the meat packing plant. The structure is actually an accurate model of the prototype Pratt & Reed Company, but I've repurposed it here. It was the only place it'd fit and there was no way I wasn't going to use it!

Further south of Middletown, we cross the scenic highlight of the line - the high bridge in the Shailerville section of Haddam. This scene (like Rocky Hill) courtesy Bill Schneider.

Panning right (south) we see the hill at Camp Bethel. Per the prototype, there will be a couple of Methodist camp meeting cottages on top of the hill here. East Haddam is in the distance.

"East Haddam and Moodus" - at least according to the sign that's at the station. You're looking southeast here and, one of these days, you'll see the CT River on the backdrop, along with a view of the 1913 swing bridge and Goodspeed Opera House on the other side.

Panning right, we see Deep River on the other side of the (increasingly narrow) aisle. I have the fascia bump out temporarily mocked up to accommodate BillM's beautiful model of the lace factory - which here is situated close to where the prototype sits. Just have to see how my operators deal with the restricted space.

Continuing south from Deep River, we head around the end of the peninsula towards Essex.

All these structures/bridges stored here are surplus - so let me know if you see anything you're interested in!
You can just start to make out Essex as we head south into town.

Essex

Comparing this scene to the same shot from last year, you can tell what a dramatic difference the Dickinson warehouse has made.

Finally - the wye at Saybrook Junction and the famed NYNH&H Shoreline route. Scenery & structures courtesy BillS.

Looking west along the Shoreline.

The west end of the Shoreline (return loop) is now under the Air Line which is heading northeast (toward us) from Cedar Hill yard in New Haven.

Looking northeast along the Air Line.

Continuing northeast toward Middletown, the Air Line goes through the first of two fictional towns along the way. This is Somerset.

Southwest view of the town of Somerset

The second of two fictional towns along the Air Line - This is the south end of Mill Hollow. 

You can just about make out the entire town of Mill Hollow in this northeast view.

Mill Hollow, looking west.

Southwest view of Mill Hollow

As I said, there's a lot of photos here, but I thought it'd be nice for you to see the layout in its entirety - warts and all. And it's especially nice for me to have a baseline against which to measure any progress I make in any of these areas during 2020.

Hopefully this time next year the "Layout Status" photos will look a lot different than they do today!