CT River Valley HO Model Railroad

On This Page
|Track Plan| |Bench Work| |DCC| |Scenery| |Structures|
|Construction Tips| |Locomotive Power| |Rolling Stock|

A proposed HO scale model loosely modeled after Springfield MA, Enfield CT, and other Connecticut locales during the late 20th century using former Conrail, CSX, Amtrak and local RR right of way. 

Co-owners - Alan and Dave; location - Basement in Waterbury, CT

Design considerations

Scenic

•  Scenic blocks to create "vignette based on towns or industry complexes.
•  Industry on spurs off of branch lines.
•  Detailed urban areas for Springfield Mass, Enfield CT and Tycoville (fictitious town) plus specific dioramas for industrial areas
•  Display area for childhood HO locomotives (utilizing a railroad museum diorama).
•  Special dioramas for John Deer Dealer, Lumber / Landscaping business, personal business related structures.

Operational Considerations

•  Minimum of two yards for point to point traffic.
•  Combination of single and double main track, (almost everything existing today was converted to single track with passing sidings).
•  Two directional continuous running.
•  Mainline must allow for running contemporary freight service and two rail-fan excursion trains: NYC 20th Century Limited and the Pioneer Zephyr.
•  Limited staging on lower level.
•  DCC based utilizing power districts

Room

Basement location with finished ceiling;

•  Room size approximately 30 ft wide by 10 to 15 ft wide.
•  Required access corridors for utility room, laundry room and powder room.
•  Full height walls on three sides; half-height wall and open corridor on fourth side.

click on image for more details.

Track Plan [click here for more details] updated 02-13-2012

 Around the walls folded "dog-bone, walk-in (duck-under) design with two levels.

click on image for track plan page.

•  Minimum curve radius: Mainline -30" passenger and freight, 28" freight only;  yards - 24"
•  No. 8 turnouts for mainlines; No. 6 or 4 in yards and branch lines.
•  Inclines: nominal 2%

Bench Work / Roadbed [more details] updated 03-05-12

Access

•  Maximum Depth of sections is either 18" or 24" other than the ends of the "dog bones"
•  Hatches or access openings for wide sections
•  Nominal aisle width 30 inches.

Construction

•  Sectional style (modular domino style) layout, with backdrop dividers
•  Hybrid of L-girder (see How to Build Model Railroad Benchwork, Second Edition  by Linn Westcott) and "table top" (e.g., rigid foam and plywood).
•  Lower staging and upper level museum diorama L-girder and plywood

Roadbed

•  Cork Roadbed (HO scale) for mainline and branch line (will also be using "topper tape")
•  Cork sheet or foam-board (hobby) for yards and industrial spurs
•  Woodland Scenics inclines and plywood sub-roadbed for access to lower staging level and elevation changes

Digital Command and Control

DigiTrax DCC with minimum of 4 power districts;  2 DigiTrax Zephyr units with UT-4 throttle, jump ports.

Scenery

Structural Foam and some thin shell

Structures [click on category]  Note: there are now 2 pages of structures

Construction Approaches, Tips and Techniques.

Prototypes [more details]

High resolution photographs I have taken in the Connecticut and Pioneer Valley region.

Locomotive Power

Atlas GP-7 Conrail DC (plans to convert to DCC) GP-38 Conrail DCC - DigiTrax dz123p GP38-2 CSX DCC DigiTrax dh123p	Kato GP-35 1A  Conrail  (qnty 2) converted to DCC
Bachmann Spectrum Dash-8 40C Conrail DC Dash-8 40C Conrail DCC	Broadway Limited EMD F7 A/B-units NYC 1638/2426 with sound (DCC ready)

Rolling Stock - Passenger Cars, Freight Cars