Completed station

Here's the completed station.  The SR&RL-style enamel signs were printed with an inkjet printer, cut out with a sharp knife, and attached with double-sided tape.

Interior lighting for passenger station

I added two LEDs for interior lighting, one in the waiting room and one in the freight section, but they were too white for my taste. Another hobby of mine is theatrical lighting design, so I had several swatch books of color filters lying around. I cut a small piece from a color correction filter (Lee 205, which converts daylight to 3800K) and wrapped it around each LED. The photo below was taken before I installed the filter in the freight section, so you can compare the effect with and without the filter.  The light looks slightly less yellow in person than it does here.

Passenger station

I have been working on a new passenger station kit from Mt. Blue Model Co.  So far everything has gone smoothly. The windows take a while to build as they are made up from several laser-cut parts, but they are fun to assemble and look good. I added a basic interior since I plan to add lighting.

Work caboose

Here's a second caboose for my roster - a Mount Blue Model Co. kit for a SR&RL work caboose.  It will be #11 on my roster, although for now I'm leaving it unlettered - like the prototype, apparently.  It makes a good complement to caboose 10.

Let's see, where was I...

It’s been nearly a year since I last posted anything here, mostly because I haven’t been able to do much modeling due to work, house repairs, the kids' activities, etc.  I’m slowly getting back to the bench, though, and should be posting more in the near future.  On my list for the next few months are finishing the freight house, building a station and several freight car kits I picked up from Mt. Blue at the recent Springfield show, installing the turntable, starting the scenery, and finishing the road’s first locomotive and passenger car.  Lots to do - stay tuned!

Freight house, part 2: testing location on layout

Here is the partially-assembled freight house in position on the Thomaston layout section, which is currently sitting on my workbench. I cut a piece of plywood to represent the dock so that I could install the standard gauge siding that runs behind the freight house. These photos also show the finished fascia on this section, but I haven't yet installed the knobs for the turnout controls.  I picked up a Maine Central boxcar at the recent Springfield show, and you can see how the elevated track brings the decks of the two cars to the same level.

The passenger station will sit just beyond the freight house.  After a train pulls into the station to offload passengers, the locomotive will be run around the consist, and the combine moved to the front track while the freight house and transfer siding are switched.  The outbound train will then be assembled and coupled to the combine in preparation for the run back to Tenants Harbor.

I may cut back the shorter siding so that it ends just short of the crossover, where a dirt road will cross the St. G. R. R. tracks.  If you look closely you can see an elevated spot at the front edge of the layout where the road will eventually go.

A standard gauge gondola full of coal could be spotted at the far end of the short siding to re-fuel the narrow gauge locomotives, and also to fill two-foot gondolas to ship coal to the industries on the line. I like the historical images I've seen of coal being hand-shoveled between standard and narrow gauge gondolas, so this is a chance to recreate that situation on my layout.  I may also place an overhead crane in the middle of the transfer siding to move granite blocks from the narrow gauge to the standard gauge.

Freight house

Despite not posting for a while, I have been busy with several modeling projects, including the first building for my layout.  The kit is the Wolfeborough Freight House from Bollinger Edgerly Scale Trains.  The prototype still exists in Wolfeborough, Vermont.  I am painting it in the standard Maine Central colors that were used for SR&RL buildings after MEC took control in 1912.

The freight house will sit between the St. G. R. R. tracks and a Maine Central siding. I modeled one freight door open on the front side for interest.  That will require adding at least a partial floor, and some crates and assorted items. So far the walls have been assembled and painted with Model Master Navy Aggressor Gray and Euro Dark Green, and the windows and doors are installed.