Locomotives

While work on the layout has been progressing so slowly, I have been putting together the locomotive roster I will need to operate the railroad. I have, of course, limited myself solely to the bare minimum number of models I need – and you can believe that if you like.

The Keene Switcher

Arguably the most important locomotive on the layout will be the Keene switcher. As yet I have found no definite information on what type this would have been in 1956. I know the GE 44-tonners were there in the early diesel period and I have seen a photograph of one at Bellows Falls in 1963, so one of these is probably favourite. In fact Keene yard was one of the original assignments for this class. Later on both EMD SW-1’s and SW-8’s were used.


My #118 is a Bachmann Spectrum model and is the later version with a single motor and came DCC-ready. I have installed a TCS MC2 decoder, my first hard-wired installation, which has overcome the skittish behaviour of the locomotive on DC. I had thought some extra weight would be necessary as it is much lighter than any of my other switchers but it has plenty of traction for yard duties. 118 will run silently until I feel ready to tackle a sound installation in such a small loco. The only added detail required is the cab roof mounted two chime air horns and some weathering.

The Ashuelot Branch



Cheshire Road Locomotives

Progress - what progress?

It is difficult to explain the lack of progress on the layout since 2007. I could point to having to re-cover the roof after the felt tore in a storm causing a flood in the shed and saturating the insulation but that would be a poor excuse for two years delay. The main cause has been pottering - and lots of it!! Once some track was laid it was difficult not to start running locos up and down, trying out decoders and so on.

One big decision I did take was to replace the staging with a cassette system. The staging was never going to provide all the storage I needed but with the cassettes this is unlimited. The revised layout plan is shown above.

The Train Service at Keene

Although my model of Keene is far removed from the real thing, I still want operations to reflect what happened on the prototype. In determining the pattern of operation I have gathered information from the following sources:

• Employee and Public timetables purchased off eBay;
• The Yahoo B&M Group list and its members;
• Scott J Witney’s articles on the Ashuelot Branch in Railroad Model Craftsman.


After consideration I have based my layout around the timetables effective from 29 April 1956 as meeting my criteria for the most interesting operation within the time frame I have selected.


THE PASSENGER SCHEDULE

The information below has been collated from the train consists dated 1 January 1956 posted on the B&M Yahoo Group and from B&M passenger and staff timetables. Saturday 31 May 1958 saw the end of passenger service on the Cheshire branch and by 1957 the arrangements had altered in that self-powered diesel cars had replaced locomotive hauled passenger trains almost completely. I have settled on the 1956 set-up to provide more interesting operations. Note that this table relates to January and variations inevitably occurred during the year. All times are DST.

INBOUND (i.e. to Boston)

#5500 - 12.22am – the “Milk Train” - a 2nd class train - this brings milk cars from Bellows Falls and off the Rutland for Boston;

#5506 - 8.08am - the "Cheshire" from White River Junction - a single RDC-1 (2 on Saturday);

#5510 - 4.55pm - a passenger train with milk cars and baggage on the head end.


OUTBOUND (i.e. from Boston)

#5503 - 10.57am - the first passenger train out of Boston;

#5507 - 7.01pm - the "Cheshire" on its return trip to WRJ;

#5511 - 9.49pm - an evening passenger departure from Boston which also returns empty milk cars to the creameries.

FREIGHT TRAINS

At the time I have chosen there were four freight trains a day serving Keene:

EK-1 / KE-2 - Ashuelot local

This is a round trip run from East Deerfield Yard and back along the Ashuelot branch. Interestingly this was always shown as a “mixed” train in the passenger timetable. It was a state requirement that a passenger service had to be provided on the line and anyone presenting themselves would have to have been carried although by this time the only accommodation was in the caboose. Even in 1956 there was still a lot of freight business on the branch, and the round trip to Keene took the better part of a day, the timetable notwithstanding.

WX-1 / XW-2 - Worcester / Bellows Falls local

These were the ex-Monday all-stops locals which left Worcester at 8:00am and Bellows Falls at 8:15am respectively. The trains connected with the Maine Bullet for New York at Worcester and the Peterboro local at Gardner. They were still running (I believe) in 1956.

To increase the operating potential I have decided to add an additional pair of trains:

BX-1 / XB-2 - Boston / Bellows Falls fast freight

These ‘hot-shots’ freights were discontinued in 1948 with WX-1 and XW-2 taking over the traffic. In their time these trains made prime time connections with the Rutland, trains #119 and #120 respectively, at Bellows Falls with en-route pick ups and drops at Fitchburg, Winchendon & Keene only.