How did we get here (and why are we here)?

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The Bangor & Wilson Creek Railroad had its humble beginnings in 1980, when the C.E.O., Creator, Engineer, Conductor, Brakeman, Chief Cook and Bottle washer (me) was only 9 years old.  It was Christmas day, and I got my first trains set, an HO scale Tyco Silver Sante Fe War Bonnet U-25 or some such engine with a gondola, box car open hopper and caboose.  That week, my father, the C.E.O., Creator, Engineer, Conductor, Brakeman, Chief Cook and Bottle washer of The D & C Railroad (The Denver & Chicago, The Disaster & Confusion, a.k.a. the Spaghetti Western) nailed down an oval of track of a 3 foot by 6 foot piece of green plywood which he put casters on so it could be slid under my bed.  

From that point, the layout became a 4’ x 8’ plywood board which was over my bed.  From there he bought an old layout which was in a Hobby Shop in Kearney NE.  That layout was about 6’ by 10’ with a cut out in the middle.  That layout also went over my bed.  For many years I was content running HO (Horrendously Oversized) trains.  After those 3 layouts and about 6 other various HO layouts, and owning a large amount of equipment (I even belonged to an HO club for some years in New Jersey), I made a huge leap of faith to N scale.  

My first N scale engines, a pair of Kato GP-50’s were bought used at a train show in a mall.  Those engines still serve the B&WC faithfully today.  The first N scale layout was the last one in Atlas’ Nine N Scale Layouts you can build, Staruca (sic?) and something.  I modified the plan slightly and added to it.  Shortly after all of the wiring and scenery were done, I moved into my first apartment, with no room for the train layout.  Seven long years later (and 4 apartments later) I bought my first house (the current home of BWC).  The layout was once again set up…but It was discovered that it did not survive the ravages of time very well.  Many of the tracks were damaged, wires were pulled, and the scenery was damaged….shall we say beyond any repair I was willing to invest.  

Plans began for a much grander layout (to me anyway) this new layout would be 7 feet by 8 feet, with a duck under.  The bench work was built, roadbed laid, track laid, and even a bit of electrical work done….when I said to myself “self, you can do better (pronounced BIGGER)”.  So I tore it all down.  The next layout which again got from bench work to roadbed to track work was 8 feet by 12 feet.  Once again that little voice in my head (I should really get that checked) said “Bigger Bigger Bigger!!!”  At that point I sat for a long period of time at Atlas’ Right Track program and designed my ‘Dream Layout’.  Once again I built the bench work, (27 feet by 8.5 feet) with the help of my wife, laid the roadbed, and laid the track (267 pieces of Atlas Flex Track, 40+ Atlas remote switches, etc.) . 

I was starting to ballast the track when I realized that this was not really my ‘Dream Layout’.  First, it had not one but TWO duck unders, which you had to crawl under.  Well, one day while ‘playing’ I had my yard loaded up with about 400 cars when I had to crawl under.  Well on my way out, my cell phone holder caught the leg, pulling me into the leg.  Startled I jumped up and lifted the layout about 6 inches abruptly.  Well, I had 400 cars on their sides.  The second thing about the layout I did not like was the main yard.  Oh it was big enough, long enough, with enough tracks.  But it was stub ended, with only one access track.  To make that worse, there was a minimum radius curve leading to it, which meant I to back in or out with long trains through a very tight curve.  The third thing I did wrong was rushed to get some trains running, thus I took some short cuts in some area, and just could have done better.  So once again I tore it all down.  After taking it down, I built a quick little 3 foot by 6 foot layout, double track main line, 4 yard tracks, some industries, etc. so I would have something to run while the Current Bangor & Wilson Creek was being constructed. 

The first thing that had to happen in the construction of the B&WC was the removal of a room in the basement which broke up the lines too much.  Then I figured, since I was doing major construction in the basement anyway, I might as well finish off the basement, making my ultimate train room.  So I laid a new floor, studded the walls, dropped the ceiling, and all of the other things required for the perfect train room.  Next I had to come up with the plan, the final plan, and the ultimate plan.  

Ignoring all recommendations from the “Pro’s”, such as don’t have long main lines, don’t have big yards, etc, I set out to plan the B&WC.  I decided early what I absolutely had to have.  Number one was long trains, 100 Cars long for coal drags, 60 car hotshot intermodals, 50 car manifest freights, long passenger trains, so the Main Lines would have to support that need.  Next I had to have a place to put all of those long trains.  So I came up with Wilkes Yard (wife’s maiden name), a 20 track, 14 foot long staging facility, with a capacity of about 900 cars..  Next, Yorkaster Passenger Terminal, a 11 track 13 foot long passenger terminal was designed.  Adding to that I wished to have a large intermodal facility, so Yort (sons name spelled backwards) Container & Intermodal  was designed.  Finally, I needed my secured area for my primary industry..  It is Consolidated Fusion Reactor Manufacturing Company, or ConFusion.  It is North Americas largest supplier of Cold Fusion reactors and Power Transformers.  I had to be cable of receiving 20 Schnabel cars daily.  Additionally, it had to be secure, completely fenced in.  Even the B&WC Engines are not permitted to operate with-in the gates of ConFusion.  I wanted no, none, zero, zilch, nada, squat, bupkiss, in the way of duck unders, swinging bridges, etc. 

So, how do I get all of these wishes onto one layout?  Well it takes a lot of time and thought.  Once I got the basics down, I mulled over it for some time, made a few minor changes, and then sat it aside for one month.  For that month I would not look at it, that way when I picked it up for the first time in a month, I might see any design problems,  Well, I was happy with what I saw.  

The Current B&WC, when completed will be 29 feet long by 9 feet wide, with some peninsulas and jutting area.  It will have a triple track main line, which splits for about a fourth of the time (At Yorkaster).  There is a 4th main line, which is a short line, poor trackage, sharp curves, many one car a month industries.  There is a double track wye leading into the yard, which contains a reverse loop.  There is a 4 track car shop at the back of the yard and a large Class 1 engine facility at the front of the yard.  About 14 tracks make up the engine facilities and service area.  There is a museum with a turntable holding much of the B&WC’s older equipment (some of which is still roadworthy).  

Union Pacific is the primary railroad modeled, although this layout does not represent any one specific area along the UP lines.  Additional Railroads represented are many of the UP’s acquisitions.  Missouri Pacific has a predominate roll as does Chicago & North Western.  Southern Pacific and Cotton Belt have cameo rolls as does Norfolk & Southern (68 car Road Railer Train), Wabash (Passenger & Freight…they are my wife’s), CitiFinacial Leasing (CEFX) operates a leasing terminal at Wilkes.  My son has a lot of Sante Fe Equipment, but that is only operated with special waivers. 

I am a modern power modeler.  I like big engines, and big trains.  I can not stand covered wagon diesels.  I do not own one, and I do not wish to own any.  My museum does have a pair of FA-1’s, my wife has 4 PA-1’s and 2 PB-1’s. 

The museum’s steam collection consists of a Union Pacific Challenger (4-6-6-4), Consolidation from Missouri Pacific, a Mountain from Missouri Pacific, a Union Pacific Y-3 (2-8-8-2), a Hudson, a Northern, an 0-6-0, and some other steamers under restoration.  The Consol, Mtn, Y-3, Challenger, & 0-6-0 are still steam worthy.  B & WC is currently under negotiations with some other museums to acquire a “Big Boy” and possibly another Challenger.  Other items represented at the museum are two UP Centennial DDA40’s, a pair of GP-7s, a GP-9, an SD-9, a trio GP-30, a pair of SD-24's, 2 U-50 Verandas, a Turbine, Several Heavy Weight Passenger Coaches, and various older freight and Maintenance cars.  We also preserved the Union Pacific Desert Victory SD-40. 

Main line power is primarily SD-50 and up.  We currently roster 7 SD-50Ms, 6 SD-60Ms, 1 SD-70M, 2 SD80Ms, 14 SD90/43MACs, 14 Dash-8 40CW’s and 8 Dash-8Cs for main line duty.  Additionally, we have 10 SD-40s in helper service, 3 pair at Contol Point (CP) South Hill, and 2 pair at CP Burn.  BWC Short-line has 6 GP-38s, 24 GP-40s, 2 GP 50’s, 3 Dash-8 40Bs, 2 SD-45s, and a trio of Trainmasters.  We lease 9 P-42 Genesis locomotive units from the American Rail Passenger Service (Amtrak), as well as a pair of FP40s.  We own various other units as well; several singles and pairs, as well as specials run equipment.  Just alone here listed we have 134 locomotives listed.  Eventually, I hope to document all of them on the Equipment Roster Photo section of this web page.

09/21/2003: Just added an 11 foot long, 2 track interchange area.  This interchange will join the Union Pacific Main line somewhere between North Platte and Omaha.

UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE! UPDATE!

 

TO BE CONTINUED………