Ramblings of an unplanned layout...

[francismaximus]

Well I laid the track (ho triple loop with 4 turnouts) wired everything and even did 3 cab control circuits. While i think its a nice feat for a beginner, I think I made the biggest beginner error of them all! I just discoverd that the town I live in was named after and had a very influential person in the railroad history. Avirill Harriman, is the man who got the Erie railroad connected to this town. Middletown, Goshen, Chester, (farms) Monroe, (only the most well known cheese factory at the turn of the century!!), and Harriman, know for its coke mills and Harriman's private line itself. I am truly a chucklehead! Anyway I'm finding that making my layout into the town of Harriman is not going to be true to life or accrate in the rail layout. So I sit here wondering do I do it all over?, or do I work around this grave error. I have learned a great lesson though. My local hobby shop owner is a wealth of information! He belonged to a historical society and actually built a railroad of this area for a museum town (museum village, NY of course). And he actually worked for the harriman family. Well live and learn. I guess don't always shop on the internet, research your project if you think your going to go over the top, and visit your local hobby shop. Thanks for letting me vent.

 

[interurban]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm I can not wait to hear your decision

Bet you do your own thing

any takers?

 

[Fred_M]

It's called creative licences. LOL Fred

 

[Muddy Creek]

Don't forget W. Averell Harriman's father, Edwin who bought up railroads like he was playing Monopoly. (Which, in his mind may not have been far from the truth.) He bought the ailing Erie in 1908, the year before he died. His son ran the empire after that and later entered politics & was elected Governor of NY.

Also, don't forget to model Arden House, the Harriman estate overlooking the valley where you live. Or, at least include it high up on a backdrop. There is a local story (untrue, as far as I know,) that the elder Harriman was blackballed when he tried to move into the exclusive Tuxedo Park. The story tells how he then bought all the land surrounding Tuxedo Park so they couldn't expand and built his mansion on top of the mountain so he could spend the rest of his days looking down on the snooty residents.

Wayne
(Formerly from Orange County.)

 

[francismaximus]

I was told the same story by the hooby shop guy. Also he had a tram built from the rail station depot to the top of the mountain to bring supplies to the house site. I drove around up there yesterday (even though its all private "stay out" property). I can't believe the feelings of exploration that came back to me, I felt like a kid again. I saw old track, old telephone poles, remanants of that tram. I dont know who was more excited, myself, or my three year old daughter?! I really feel that if the layout is not done correctly I would be doing a disservice to the areas rich history. On the other hand, I was having fun putting this together until my obsessive-compusive behavior brought me to this point. I don't like the idea of a point to point. I only have a 4by 8 table and a 10 by 15 office. This area (orange county) is mountainous and curvy so I think I can figure a way around this dilema with some track movement and a border (is that what its called?) to split the table. Then it will kinda look point to point, be fun to go round and round for the kid, and I can do switch operations for Mr. Harriman, and Monroe Cheese. Whew! Thanks for listening, all prozac donations can be sent to this address:....just kidding........