The Minturn, Kings divide & Eastern RR

[Graffen]

Hi all, I felt that it has become a lot of changes to my model world . So much so that it required a new layout thread .

It all started with my Middletown, Kensington & Eastern RR that I built for the 2010 challenge. A layout that would depict a fictional New England in 1943.

Thanks to a move to larger premises etc. I started to build on it, and add on to it a little, but felt that it did not really work ... : (

My good friend and museum owner Peter Haventon offered then to aquire the layout to have at his transportation museum! 

What also changed my focus is that I happened to buy a pair of D&RGW narrow gauge " Mudhens " in HOn3 . That " blunder " made me go back to my roots of inspiration; John Allen and Malcolm Furlow! 

My first real layout was a Colorado mining railroad built after Furlows style and mindset. It was trafficked with what was available at the time, a Rivarossi Heisler and a number of low side gondolas. 

My book about John Allen's Gorre & Daphetid RR ( Gory and defeated ) that I got when I turned 12 was totally worn out when I was 18, so I bought another one! Now I had an idea! Could I not move my fictional railroad halfway across the continent to Colorado?  I have way too many locomotives and cars with custom company painting to decal and reapint to the new name .....  So if the MK & E could become the Minturn, Kings divide & eastern RR instead?  Minturn is located within the D & RGW's narrow gauge network. 

So if my fictitious railroad connects to the narrow gauge in Minturn and then broke new ground to the north east via Kings Peak and then on to Idaho springs and Denver?  Oh, yes! Then I can have narrow gauge, standard gauge and dual gauge.   I will still use a bit more poetic license and do a port! But it will become a river port! So now I have the dilemma of taking down the framework I 've worked with.....  But they are easy to modify to my new idea. 

The new track plan is basically a copy of the G & D! However with some modifications to suit the space given.   What was given as well was that there will be mountains from floor to ceiling! 

 

What makes this a fun plan is that you have to run around all the loops to run one lap! And it will be easy to have overview from the middle of the room.

[mlehman]

Graff,

Looks like an interesting plan. Definite emphasis on scenery. Perhaps a bit short on industry out on the line for me, but that depends on your goals here. You'll certainly have plenty of photogenic scenes to operate through.