Foundations

Baseboards

The baseboards for the layout are formed from three 4’ x 2’ boards I bought from Allan Sibley. The right-hand board was slightly reduced in length to fit the shed. These consist of a 4” deep 6mm ply frame with a 6mm top additionally supported midway across the length of the unit. The corners are blocked, glued and screwed.

I have overlaid these boards with a 9mm ply topping which has enabled me to extend the width of the baseboards and create a curved front profile.

A 6mm hardboard profile board follows the ground contours and covers the top of the curtains which conceal the under board mayhem. The 300mm high back scene is formed of 6mm mdf with 300mm radius corners.

The Track

The track I have used throughout is PECO code 75. This does not accurately portray the American prototype but it is the product I am used to working with, includes in the range all the switch varieties I need and, most importantly, is freely available in the UK. Had the Peco code 83 US range been available when I started construction this might have been a better choice but it still lacks the curved switches which have been imperative in getting Keene to fit in the available space.

The track is laid on Woodland Scenics foam track bed except in the main yard where I have used Exactoscale foam underlay. This is slightly thinner which creates, marginally, the appearance of a lower standard of construction. Besides I had a roll to hand! The track bed is glued to the ply sub- base with white pva glue which does the job quickly but can be easily removed if required. The track is then pinned down using Peco track pins in pre-drilled holes. So far this combination has worked well.

Control

The model is set up to be operated by Digital Command Control (dcc). This is a system whereby the locomotives are controlled by digital signals sent by the controller. This has many advantages. Most significantly it means that more than one locomotive can be run on the layout at the same time independently and that sound can be added to the operations. To allow this the locos have to be fitted with microchip decoders and, if desired, speakers. In the case of switchers which are too small for the addition of onboard sound, a stationary sound decoder will be linked to the movements of the locomotive. In addition the hand-held control unit can be used to operate switches, etc.

The system I have chosen is Digital Plus by Lenz and initially I purchased a Set 100 which comprises a LZV100 unit, a LH100 hand controller and a transformer from Waltons of Altrincham. I have since added a LH90.

The Layout

With the space, scale and prototype determined, it was time to put some thought toward my layout design. I had a number of considerations to work with:

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Givens:

• 12ft x 8ft shed
• Existing baseboards 48" high and 24" wide
• H0 scale
• Boston and Maine Railroad prototype
• Peco trackwork - the only type available locally

The wish list:

• Plenty of operating potential - a switching layout, ideally with some mainline running - staging?
• A junction or interchange for variation
• Passenger trains
• A "real" location
• Post-steam/early diesel era - say 1957
• Minimum visible radius of 30"
• Minimum Peco medium radius turnouts on mainline
• Space for more than just railroad - scenic opportunities as well

I posted on the Yahoo B&M Group asking for suggestions and among those that came up were Chelsea, East Lynn and, most popular, Keene on the Cheshire line to Bellows Falls. Keene had a great deal going for it - four freight trains daily, a junction for the Ashuelot branch, a small yard, a long passing siding, plenty of local industries and a passenger service that lasted through to 1958. SOLD!!

The problem now was how to squeeze it all into a 12 x 8 shed. This was never going to be a scale representation of the actual place but a wye-junction was a big challenge. By good fortune it was at this time that I picked up a copy of Iain Rice's "Small, Smart and Practical Layouts" which contains a number of ideas for such a shed. By co-incidence two of them were also B&M based and these proved that what I was aiming for was possible. It occurred to me that by modelling just two of the legs of the wye and imagining that trains used the third, I could just about get away with it!

This is the plan that eventually evolved.

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My final plan bears only a passing resemblance to the real Keene with the Bellows Fall line being represented by a short spur. Trains entering or leaving the town in that direction will do so by the Ashuelot line - I'll have to look the other way for a few moments. Also the passenger depot should have been off-stage but I have relocated it opposite the yard to create a bit more interest. Despite all the changes, I will be able to perform most of the operations that took place in Keene, NH in 1957.

So why the Boston and Maine in H0?

I have had a model railway of sorts since my parents gave me a Rovex (Tri-ang) clockwork “00” gauge train set for my fourth Christmas and have modelled sporadically ever since without ever really getting round to building my own layout. More recently I was a member of the local area group of the Scalefour Society. They were the owners of the superb “Pampisford” exhibition layout modelled in P4 fine-scale (76.2:1 on 18.83mm gauge). I spent a good deal of time operating both Pampisford and other members’ layouts at exhibitions. The group had some illustrious members from the British modelling fraternity and I grew used to fine models and impeccable operation. When the group lost its club rooms, its assets were disposed of and, basically, if I wanted to operate a model railway regularly, I needed to build my own.

At that time the standard of British outline ready-to-run models was not good, certainly not up to the standards to which I had become accustomed, especially performance-wise. Even had it been (and to be fair Hornby and Bachmann have made great strides over the past few years) I would have struggled to come to terms once more with the narrow gauge appearance. Going P4 was an option but it would have meant I had to build or modify everything (track and stock) myself and I really do prefer operating to building.

I had heard much about the quality of American models and of course the scale:gauge ratio is correct. I decided to bite the bullet and do something completely different. The Atlas Classic GP-7 that resulted did the trick; it ran superbly and I was hooked. The choice of the Boston and Maine followed closely behind. I was already aware of the attractive maroon and gold locomotives but when two of the first model railroading magazines I bought contained articles by Mike Hamer and Don Janes the decision was made for me - I was going to model the Boston and Maine.

The Shed

I am building my layout in a 12ft x 8ft timber shed constructed on the base of an old greenhouse in the back garden of our home. In order to make it as comfortable as possible I packed the frame with 50mm thick "Celotex" foam insulation and boarded it over with 6mm ply. The floor is covered with cushioned vinyl. Electric supply is taken from the house via a new distribution box and lighting is by fluorescent tubes. Switched outlet sockets are scattered around the space.

Unfortunately the green- house was located where it was for good reason and the heat build up over the course of a sunny, summer day overwhelms the insulation. While a small space heater can keep the temperature up in winter and venetian blinds on the windows keep the direct rays of the sun out, I am going to have to look into some form of air conditioning or climate control for the summer months. I also have heat reflecting film to fit to the windows.

I bought basic flat-pack kitchen units from a d.i.y. store to build up my workbench. They cost less than I would have paid for the timber, let alone the hinges and other fittings. As well as the layout, the shed has to store as many of my hobby related belongings as possible, just to leave us enough room to live in the house. There is therefore a set of bookshelves, a filing cabinet and various other storage facilities. Oh and the tv and stereo system!

The photographs show progress as of February 2007.