A New Adventure

With my interest in prototype modeling growing over the past two or three years, this freelanced layout has not been getting a lot of attention. While I like all of the Maine two footers, my two favorites lie at the extremes: the 112-mile SR&RL, modernized with safety appliances in the teens under Maine Central ownership, and the 6-mile Monson RR, which was the remotest of the two footers and never moved on from stub switches and link-and-pin couplers.  

So with the recent and impending release of some of the most iconic Monson equipment and buildings in HO scale, including the Vulcan forneys from Toma Model Works and the combine and Monson Junction station from Otter Creek Construction Co., I've decided to turn my Monson-inspired freelanced layout into an actual portrayal of the Monson Railroad, including the town of Monson with the depot, Maine Slate Co headquarters, and engine house; the slate quarries just outside of town; and the junction with the Bangor & Aroostook 6 miles away.  

Here's the current iteration of new track plan, with the junction replacing the town of Thomaston on the current layout and the railroad wrapping around the walls to end at one of the quarries, with three other quarries represented by sidings - two operational, one not:

The layout would reuse the existing benchwork and even part of the roadbed in the current location of Thomaston, so for the time being Thomaston and the curved trestle will remain in place and connect to new layout sections representing Monson village and the quarries.  The staging yard has already been removed and the adjacent track and fascia sections pulled out in preparation for installing new benchwork:

I might continue this story here or I might start a new blog to document the new layout.  Stay tuned...