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Layout History
Steel Studs
Construction of the original 10x16 foot layout began in 1995 in half of
our two-car garage in Merrimack, NH. The benchwork was built with
steel studs, covered with pink foam insulation. This technique
was published in my April 2000 article in Model Railroader. Wiring was
completed in 1999, and a Digitrax "Big Boy" (DT200 & DB100+) Digital Command Control
(DCC) system was installed. The facia and layout skirting were
installed in September 2000.First Open House
The first open house in was held October 2000. It was a rather low-key events, but neighbors, co-workers, and other railroading friends stopped by to visit. This open house accomplished two things... first it was a great motivation force to get work completed on the layout, and second if you tell people to "just stop by", they never will... but if you host an open house... then they'll be by!Progress
2001 saw steady progress. A Digitrax UT-1 was added, allowing two people to now run trains on the layout. My son Edward, who was five at the time, had no problem using the throttle and running trains. Switch machines were installed CPN18 and CPN20, creating the first dispatcher controlled siding on the layout. I designed an electrical interlock that allows the dispatcher to either "lock" the turnouts, or give the traincrew local control.Relocation
Progress slowed in 2002, and the "shop crew" worked on decoder installations, performing some contract work for Kenyon Karl. His Acela and Amtrak models are used to promote reviving passenger rail services in New Hampshire. After my 2002 open house, the layout was taken down in preparation for our upcoming move to Epsom. We moved into our new home in June 2003. The bigest challenge was going to be getting the layout setup, and not missing my annual open house.Expansion
At the same time, the Concord Model Railroad club was moving from Suncook to Penacook. We had stored the benchwork from the old club layout for several years, and members saw no reason to continue to store the sections. Several members took pieces that they could add to their home layouts, some sections ended up being trashed, but the eleven track staging yard was moved into my basement. This provided critcal staging capacity to the layout, but challenged me to change the original 10x16 rectangle into a roughly 20x30 "L" shaped layout. Another UT-1 throttle was added too.And Reconfiguration
In 2005, the staging yard was reconfigured. Tracks #1 and #6 were connected with a reversing loop. The northbound Granite Stater can run around the loop, and be ready for its southbound trip without having to ne mannually re-staged. Tracks #2 through #5 are now stub-ended tracks, representing the northern destinations of the layout... Track #7 connects the two ends of the layout, allowing continuous running, and access to Edville. Tracks #8 through #10 represent the southern destinations of the layouts. A drop bridge was added, eliminating the duck-under. We also added a section of the former Portsmouth branch, to serve Daveville and the "Valley Street Railroad Muesum". In prepation for the 2005 open house, my friends Paul and Glenn helped build more trees, and scenic several sections of the layout.Wait a minute...
Edville? Daveville? You're right, those aren't on any New Hampshire maps. Using my modelers license, and working with my two sons, we've created two scenes that they can work on. Ed is working on a farm scene, and small town flag stop. Dave has gathered his excentric mix of rolling stock and started a railway museum.Winter 2006 News
In January, Digitrax provided a replacement AR-1, and now the reverse loop works flawlessly. No more having to remember to throw the toggle switch during the layover in Montreal. Edward and I have started working on the car-card system. In February, the "track crew" removed the double cross-over in front of the Manchester passenger station, and realigned (right to left, when looking "North") the passenger stub, main line, and industrial lead.April 2006
April has been a busy month... Scenery-wise, I've been re-arranging the Manchester passenger station, and the background mill buildings. The concrete arch bridge that carries Bridge Street has been installed. The southern staging yard tracks have been powered, and all the turnouts in the northern staging yard have been powered, allowing the dispatcher to route northbound trains into staging, or around the loop. On the paperwork-side of things, Edward and I have completed more car cards, and brought several dozen cars back onto the layout.July 2006
Turnouts for the southern staging yard have been powered; the dispatcher now has control off all powered turnouts. New facia and skirting has started to be installed. All car cards are completed; starting to generate waybills.November 2006
I happened to see Bruce Robinson at the Bedford Boomers exhibition. Bruce is the organizer behind the "Tour de Chooch", a regional open house held the weekend after Thanksgiving in NH and MA. He asked, "When is your layout going to be on the Tour?" Well... without hesitation, I decided to accept his invitation... so I was on the 2006 Tour de Chooch.September 2009
Three years have gone by! Unbeliveable... Steady progress has been made on the layout, and the kids and I have slowly applied scenery. Operating sessions are held on an irregular schedule with members from the Concord Model Railroad Club. There is no Tour de Chooch this year, but I'm still planning on some sort of Open House. Stay tuned!