Great Layout

I really enjoyed the article and video. I am a big fan of Craig's (and his crew's..) work.

I would love to see an op session video done there.. maybe for the next installment?

I am sticking with my 70s diesel era while I work in N scale. but layouts like this one confirm that what I really want to do, when I have a little more space and a lot more time, is a turn of the century (or older) layout in HO.

Good stuff!

Chris

Willpower eroding

After opping a 20s era switching layout  (http://bostondocksandrocks.com/Home.html) during the Northeast Railrun I am being sorely tempted two switch my focus again.. just not sure my marriage can handle a scale change! How do I explain it to the guys in my N scale group? I will be a pariah.

Chris

HRR

Chris -

I generally don't like to speak for my friends, but I'm not sure if Craig fequents the forum here, so I'll try to answer your question.

The Housatonic isn't quite up to what I, (or for that matter, that Craig does either, quite honestly), would consider "Full Ops" just yet. A major section just got finished on the layout (if I recall correctly, it was the "missing link" to complete the route of the railroad), and if all goes to plan, we will run a shakedown (or a "sea trial" as some like to call it, it's the same thing according to Wikipedia) of the entire layout later this month. Craig envisions full TT&TO operation and other such period and prototype-specific operational details to be enacted, but right now, as it is also being done on my own Lehigh Valley Harbor Terminal Railway, a period of debugging and making sure everything runs smoothly is in order. All the "operational fluff" can wait till all the issues are known and fixed, or at least they should be. There's nothing worse than trying to run using a strict schedule and other such rules when cars, track and engines are not running smoothly, trust me (go on, ask me how I know!).Also, a little more finished scenery won't hurt, either! 

I'm curious, is it the time period, prototype, or operations scheme (TT&TO) that interests you about his layout? Craig has taken great lengths to make sure the layout is as accurate as possible in all aspects. It's a neat prototype for sure (that for the most part, still exists today), and maybe in the future, say in a year or two (or three), you'll get your wish for a video. I will pass your interest about such a video on to him (that is if he doesn't read this beforehand) when I see him at Dave Ramos' New York Harbor RR (nyhrr.com) operating session this Friday.

RAH

Once Craig is ready ...

Once Craig is ready, Model Trains Video would be delighted to do an Ops Live volume or two on the Housatonic!

Gotta do

Ya gotta do what makes you happy Chrs, otherwise it's not your hobby.

All of the above

Yes, although I guess the speciifc prototype is less important to me then the era and its similarity to railroading that was going on all over New England at the time.

I am very interested in pre-USRA railroading (as is my wife, actually..).. and in particular the turn of the century. However, I have avoided pursuing it for a variety of practical reasons.  The recent layout visit and my own research (recently its been the Hoosac Tunnel & Wilmington that has caught my interest) has made me waver and question my practicalities.

I am not actually too worried about my group. There is one guy who will not visit an HO layout because, he freely admits, he is afraid like an elf that hears the sea he will never be able to resist the call but we all op on various scales.

But to the subject at hand.. from listening to the Model Railcast, following the website, and seeing the presentations at the RPM.. I think that an operating video of a 19th or very early 20th century layouts would be be a very refreshing change from the more typical experience. I hope it can happen! You get TT&TO mixed with operating conventions of an earlier time. A very different kind of operations then the TT&TO being talked about for, say, the Maumee or the Nickel Plate...

I think Dave Ramos' layout (or your own) would be another good candidate although more for the unique stuff he is doing with the way switching and waybills is handled. Again, a refreshing change from the standard.

Regards,

Chris

btw- the Rocks n Docks guy (Scott Jewell) is tearing it all up. He is going to be building a double deck dual-scale layout in its place. On30 On the lower deck for the line that ran to the quarries in Rockport ("Rocks") and HO scale standard gauge on the upper deck to depict the dock side scenes ("Docks"). With the need to break bulk at interchange, its easy to explain away that cars are not moving from one to the other. Great idea.

Wonderful layout, and very entertaining interview

 Craig Bisgeier's Housatonic Railroad is innovative, pioneering and just plain good. The Bellini drop (hope I spelled it right), the use of inexpensive RC control units for switch control, the timed fusee's and red horizontal bar on the slow clocks are very cool. Craig and his group are a very talented model engineering group. He is very fortunate to have them support his modeling efforts. Even though I've visited Craig's web site many times, I learned even more from this story. Les, great job. Thanks much

Tom

Auburn, Ca

BellinA

Tom , it is actually spelled Bellina, named  in memory after our dearly deaprted friend, Jerry Bellina, who "invented" it for his layout (featured in a old issue of MRP). A unique solution to an age old problem, Jerry came up with a unique and easy solution to an age old problem. http://www.housatonicrr.com/blobs.html

Maybe Craig will let me shoot some video at his shakedown session next week to share with y'all.

RAH

Great!

That would be great.. since my previous postings I decided to stop making excuses and give doing HO scale turn of the century modeling a try.. so my interest is that much stronger!

Chris

Bellina drop references

Criag wrote about the Bellina drop in the Spetember 1998 issue of Model Railroader and online here.

Henry Freeman's fine article on the late Jerry Bellina's mushroom style plan is in Model Railroad Planning 2003.

Love this interview format

You get a more personalized viewpoint of the interviewee's perspective and raison-d'etre for the creation of their .dream - again the pictures (hopefully) inspire others to keep going with their dream.  Also always lots of tips and tricks to pick up on.