tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post2856819469978056661..comments2024-02-17T00:28:59.867-05:00Comments on Hedley Junction: Hereford Railway - A discussion about layout designMatthieu Lachancehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-2867928335020165592015-12-23T03:41:12.648-05:002015-12-23T03:41:12.648-05:00Thank you for replying. It was from Trevor's b...Thank you for replying. It was from Trevor's blog that I found the link to yours. He has a lot to answer for, that man: his blog re-awakened my dormant interest in North American railroading, although what really attracted me was the simplicity of his layout design, and the openness of it. <br /><br />Port Rowan is very much the kind of thing I could imagine my friend Barry Norman doing, were he Canadian and possessed of that sort of space. Mind you, you are not far off it yourself.Simon Dunkleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524485143477411155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-56585232234019952322015-12-22T22:11:25.604-05:002015-12-22T22:11:25.604-05:00Simon,
You'll see some differences between my...Simon,<br /><br />You'll see some differences between my two Connors track plan. The scale model one is based on late 1940s pictures. At that time, the team track turnout was relocated on the other side. A small siding was built parallel to the turntable lead track (storage and probably to hold a coal hopper for locomotive fueling). Finally, the siding running around the turntable was removed by then. My most recent track plan represents Connors as built in 1891. The advantage of this version is that you can shunt/switch a lot of cars on the team track without having to care about adding a fiddling yard or a cassette (which is always a good thing).Matthieu Lachancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-8143249187514009572015-12-22T22:06:09.747-05:002015-12-22T22:06:09.747-05:00Hi Simon,
Thanks for commenting! Connors is the e...Hi Simon,<br /><br />Thanks for commenting! Connors is the epitome of North American railroading. About 95% of stations (on line or terminus) were based on similar track plan with only one siding and a team track. I've looked at hundreds of maps if not thousands since the early 2000s.<br /><br />The track plan of Connors wasn't the most usual that could be found back then, but not an oddity. The usual location for a turntable was on a short siding splitting from the passing track. However, while doing some researches in the recent weeks, I found out many small branchline terminals did have the turntable at the end of the line. As you stated, from a real estate standpoint, this is the most logical location. It was much more typical of shortlines and low traffic lines for obvious reasons and mainly a surviving feature of 19th century railway practices.<br /><br />Here's a photo of Connors in 1894, the line was only 3 years old at that moment. The large estate with barns, sawmills and a large mansion was Bob Connors' home (the town founders that made made possible for the railway to be built up there). The river is St. John River and is the International boundary between Canada and USA (State of Maine to be exact). If you are aware of Mike Confalone's fictious Allagash Railway in HO scale, the northern terminus of his line is located just in from of Connors. Part of fiction almost came true in the early 1900s until the British bondholders decided against it.<br /><br />http://www.umce.ca/biblio/cdem/photos/PC2-01.jpg<br /><br />You can find more infos about Connors here:<br /><br />http://themodelrailwayshow.com/LayoutDesign/?p=3334<br />http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/TMCR/history.htm<br /><br />I recently redrawn the track plan to scale without compression. It would take about 13 feet x 13 inches to model the entire station and using PECO #8 turnout (code 83) which would be prototypical. I already started to build the modules. You can see the "correct" track plan here: http://theendofsteel.blogspot.ca/2015/12/temiscouata-railway.html<br /><br />Also, if you want more infos on small branchline operations, I recommend you to take a look at Trevor Marshall's Port Rowan layout based on a small terminus located in Southern Ontario. The turntable isn't at the end of the line, but operations are very similar to Connors. http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/<br /><br />The hobby as practiced in UK is really starting to have a serious influence on North American model railroading paradigms. The good thing is that many people are now starting to explore great little prototypes that were deemed too mundane to be worth modelling.<br /><br />Don't hesitate if you have other questions!Matthieu Lachancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-90359151174697474812015-12-19T19:48:26.400-05:002015-12-19T19:48:26.400-05:00This is really interesting stuff. The simple plan ...This is really interesting stuff. The simple plan based on Connors, with just 4 turnouts and a turntable is an absolute gem - the position of the turntable saves width, at the expense of some length. It would suit my needs and space resources very nicely.<br />But was it a common design feature on branchlines and shortlines?<br />(Please excuse my ignorance, but I am UK based and not steeped in North American railroad lore.)Simon Dunkleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14524485143477411155noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-45652031351230802242015-12-06T00:57:20.385-05:002015-12-06T00:57:20.385-05:00Another option, if keeping the Hereford theme, wou...Another option, if keeping the Hereford theme, would be to simply model Beecher Falls, VT. It is a well documented area about 3 miles south Hereford and it was a very compact terminus similar to Connors.Matthieu Lachancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-47803120173048481092015-12-06T00:49:54.568-05:002015-12-06T00:49:54.568-05:00Jamie,
You are reading my mind! I'm not that m...Jamie,<br />You are reading my mind! I'm not that much into fabrication too. I think I have two choices regarding Hereford. I can model it as a CPR branchline serving sawmills and pulpwood yards (1927-1977) which ain't a bad idea. The 1940s would be the best era since mixed trains were still operated. Or simply be honest and model the line when it was a Maine Central subdivision and traffic was substantial (lumber, pulpwood, lime, agricultural products, berries, etc.) <br /><br />Modelling the Temiscouata, particularly Connors is a piece of cake in term of everything... It did survive, for a while into the diesel era when CNR acquired it in the 50s.<br /><br />A colleague of mine often ride over the Temiscouata on bike during summer. From the feedback I've heard, it's truly a charming path and there's still a few small wood trestles standing here and there.<br /><br />Over the last 15 years, I often thought about modelling the Murray Bay Sudvision as it could be seen when steam operated (roughly 1889 to 1905). Information is available for Ste Anne (that was the original eastern terminal), but little is available about Hedleyville itself. Quebec terminal is documented and can be modelled full scale in less than a 8 feet long space but the early year insurance maps are approximative at best with "full of track here" notes (very useful!). The original industrial district in Beauport is also well documented (a brewery, a quarry, a grist mill and a match factory). They are all interesting places, but finding information about how such places were ever operated is a serious challenge. Very little people ever cared to document the freight movements on the line and only the passenger service was considered worth back then. We only start to have reliable accounts after 1959. The old paper work still exist at Hydro-Quebec (an archivist confirmed it with me), but nobody ever got through it.<br /><br />Modelling the junction itself would be truly great, it's lovely and full of action. Unfortunately, there's little information about this part of the city. At that time, it wasn't part of Quebec City and considered countryside, thus very little precise maps are readily available. I only know there was a small yard located on the right side.<br /><br />With all that said, I'll be honest, I know only know two parameters: the space available and the fact I want to run mixed trains during the steam era. But be assured your comments help me define my priorities.Matthieu Lachancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-12666215475516363452015-12-04T20:11:12.004-05:002015-12-04T20:11:12.004-05:00Matthieu,
I am aware that this layout is separate ...Matthieu,<br />I am aware that this layout is separate from the other one. I just thought it might be interesting to model a piece of the line in a different era, and, as I said, I find the photo interesting. Junctions are good places to model because of the activity that takes place at them. Thank you for the information about the photo. I was also thinking that freelancing a location in the Hereford Railway would be more of a fabrication than pretending that the Termiscouata lasted into the diesel era. As a fairly serious bicyclist, I now want to ride the path that runs on the Temiscouata roadbed.<br />JamieAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09262012008575529581noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-24336269825640051732015-12-03T18:21:43.849-05:002015-12-03T18:21:43.849-05:00Hi Jamie,
Thanks for replying and your interest i...Hi Jamie,<br /><br />Thanks for replying and your interest in our projects! In fact, this small switching layout is a side project and not directly related to Hedley-Junction. One of our member hosting the layout is quite busy recently and I thus decided to occupy myself with a project to try scenery technics.<br /><br />I also think the Temiscouata version makes much more sense from a scenic, operation and prototype standpoint. I reworked the track plan to fit more this area.<br /><br />The photo was indeed taken in the late 1890s. It's from a friend's personal collection and it has never been published.<br /><br />It depicts the junction between the old Canadian Northern mainline (left) and Murray Bay Subdivision. The place was called Hedleyville back then. This station served as a terminus for the lines for a few years before a bridge was build to reach Quebec City. The tracks and buildings all date back to the mid-1880s. Everything except one small house was demolished circa 1910 to make room for a large yard and roundhouse. It's crazy to think such undertaking would be almost impossible nowadays.<br /><br />Hedley-Junction is actually located at the other end of the yard (which was once physically modelled on the original version of the layout).Matthieu Lachancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06812873374306516493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5807818366755087334.post-46048582636663596912015-12-01T21:00:15.958-05:002015-12-01T21:00:15.958-05:00Hello Matthieu,
Of your two plans I like Temiscoua...Hello Matthieu,<br />Of your two plans I like Temiscouata better. I'm not sure exactly why. You should try to work up a plan that uses the scene in your title block. I'm guessing it's Hedley Junction. The time frame looks to be 1880's to 1910 maybe. I alway find the photo interesting when I visit your blog.<br />Jamie Bothwell<br />Bethlehem, PA, USAAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09262012008575529581noreply@blogger.com