More on David Popp's N scale Naugatuck layout

[leighant]

The www.trains.com/ Model Railroader/layouts forum would seem to be the appropriate place to discuss, analyze and jawbone about layouts and layout plans that appear in Model Railroader magazine. Often a layout has much more that could be discussed and questioned than the article covers.

I especially like this Naugatuck Valley Railroad in the April Model Railroader. It has a lot of operating AND visual features for a small railroad. It is designed to operate as a point-to-point railroad-- in fact one with 3 actual end points in staging, and one of those staging points represents 2 different supposed end points, Cedar Hill and Maybrook, reached by routes which supposedly diverge OFF the modeled layout. So trains are operating between 4 distant points and one modeled yard. Despite the point-to-point operation, the layout has a route which could be used for continuous running when desired. I notice the layout does NOT have any provision for turning locos-- ie. turntable, wye or reverse loop. I guess none is needed with diesels and RDCs.

I wi***he article had included a prototype map to show the routes. I get out my 1958 Official Guide of the Railways and turned through the brittle pages to New Haven and pretty much figured out the routing.

Besides the “big picture” of the routes from the Official Guide, I used a computer nationwide street map to get a closeup of the prototype town layout of Waterbury and vicinity.
At Bank Street, the prototype has a short segment of industrial trackage one block east of the Waterbury main line. In real life, it cuts off from the main line perhaps a quarter mile south of the Bank Street crossing and parallels the main line at Bank Street. On the layout, the twisted mainline dictated by space limitations falls into the same visual relationship of the industrial lead with the mainline tracks at Bank Street Junction. Very neat adaptation of the prototype.

There is also an industrial switching lead that makes a sharp half-circle turn just south of Bank Street Junction, following the Mad River. Again, the layout VISUALLY copies a track arrangement found on the prototype, although it is OPERATIONALLY and SCHEMATICALLY different.

Finally, at Platts Mill, approximately 3 miles south of Waterbury, the mainline makes some sharp half-circle S curves, providing a near prototype for the turnback curves on the bottom of the layout plan.

On a less serious note, I assume that the Naugatuck area is where Naugas come from-- the funny beasties from which Naugahide is made. I wonder if Mr. Popp has considered modeling stock cars for hauling Naugas.

[dgwinup]

As I understand it, the Naugas will be placed on the endangered species list sometime in the near future. Modeling anything related to Naugas is politically incorrect.

Naugahide is now made from artificial, processed materials. No Naugas are harmed in the manufacturing of today's Naugahide.

Just thought you might like to know.

Darrell, (what's that in my cheek? Oh, my tongue!), and quiet...for now

[ereimer]

QUOTE: Originally posted by dgwinup

As I understand it, the Naugas will be placed on the endangered species list sometime in the near future. Modeling anything related to Naugas is politically incorrect.

not true ! as long as you're modeling the Nauga industry but not using any actual Naugahides to make your models you should be able to avoid the PC police . of course you should call your local Railroad Inspector to make sure you're following all the rules and be sure he issues a Compliance Certificate which you have to display when the PC police drop by

[leighant]

In the April coverage of the Naugatuck (gee, that's getting old now, isn't it, since the May issue came out), I noticed several pictures of very short trains-- 2 or 3 cars and a switcher, no trains that looked very long. How long could a train be on the Naugatuck layout. My guess would be 10 cars on locals, up to 15 or 16 cars on one train, based on length of sidings and staging tracks.

Hartford- 3+ feet: 10 cars + diesel
Maybrook- 4 feet: 14 cars + diesel
Cedar Hall- 4.5 feet: 16 cars + diesel
Prospect Hill- 3+ feet: 10 cars + diesel
Beacon- 3.5 feet: 12 cars + diesel
Hancock Bridge- 3 feet: 10 cars + diesel

I notice that the yard tracks at Waterbury are somewhat longer.

[leighant]

As a new fan of the Naugatuck layout, it was interesting seeing a glimpse of it in the May Model Railroader p.38 in the "Step by Step" article on modeling a freight car roster. Referring to the Naugatuck trackplan in the April issue, it appears that the New Haven cars were photographed in the Waterbury yard, with the Hartford line in the background cutting under a highway overpass and disappearing into staging.

I wonder what other scenes on the Naugatuck one could recognize if you looked throuigh back David Popp articles???

[nobullchitbids]

Well, I have to offer some corrections to all those fans of the line through where I once lived:

1) The Naugatuck Valley runs north from Bridgeport, not New Haven. There are road connections between Naugatuck and New Haven but no rail. People who want to go to New Haven by rail go south to Bridgeport, then east on Metro North. The geology is all wrong for a direct route -- no railroad would try to go over Bethany Mountain or cut grades through Woodbridge, given the alternative of following the Naugatuck River.

2) The Naugatuck Valley continues from Naugatuck north to Waterbury, thence to Winsted; it does not go to Hartford. Hartford is served by Amtrak through Wallingford, Meriden and Berlin (one valley over), with the beginning of that branch in New Haven.

3) Naugatuck is, indeed, the city which gave its name to the Nauga. Naugas were a promotional gimmick of Uniroyal, Inc., which once had three plants in Naugatuck, including one making coated fabrics (Naugahide). The other plants were a chemical facility and a tire-reclaim plant. Today, only the chemical plant remains. Rail traffic was (and is) appropriate to these facilities, and my guess is that during the world war, business at the reclaim plant would have been more than Uniroyal (then United States Rubber Co.) could have handled, since the Japanese had cut American access to the rubber supplies of Southeast Asia, and America needed all of the scrap rubber it could find.

4) Waterbury no longer is, but once was, eastern hub of the nation's brass industry, was served by rail and later by truck accordingly. During the World War, Winchester-Western had a large cartridge plant there with specially built buildings bearing detachable roofs designed to channel any explosions upward rather than outward -- interesting modeling. Also, Scoville Manufacturing (makers of small appliances like mix-masters) was in town, had a rail spur I think, but this was removed by the time I moved to the area. Full histories of all of this are contained in special collections at the Silas Bronson Library on Grand Street -- you have to ask to see it, but other than that, I recall the librarians being very accommodating.

5) North of Waterbury, in the Oakville area, were several brick warehouse-like structures which were used for textile finishing and distribution, and these had rail spurs which I do not think are used any longer. A lot of the cheaper K-Mart type dresses and lingerie came from here.

6) Platts Mill Road was located between Waterbury and Naugatuck and was home to an industrial concern with a spur. But, my memory fails re just what this business was. It may have been a wire company.

7) The town south of Naugatuck is Beacon Falls (not Beacon); the railroad passes on the far side of the Naugatuck River, with Route 8 (a superhighway with stop lights!) passing through downtown. Beacon Falls at one time had a Uniroyal warehouse in it and also was home to the Homer D. Bronson Company, a hinge-manufacturing firm since relocated to Winsted. These hinges were used for everything from small cabinets to diesel trucks and aircraft, and while I think Homer D. used only trucks, it is an old firm and would have needed freight hauling appropriate to its products and finishing processes (primarily electroplating). Beacon Falls also has yielded its share of aggregates, which is why a lot of people take this town for granite. If there were rail connections here, they were long gone by the time I went to work in the area in 1972.

8) There would have been additional rail facilities at Derby and Shelton, both south of Beacon Falls and Seymour. Shelton had several large factories, including a chemical plant which eventually was arsoned for the insurance (the plot fell apart when the perps tried to pin it on the Weather Underground, and the FBI quickly detected the ruse).

9) As far as I know, there never were any rail lines into Prospect, which is due east of Naugatuck. The town was a bedroom community to Waterbury for a long time but did have a small industrial park near the Naugatuck burrough line. This park was near the top of a long hill, but to my knowledge, the town always was called Prospect, not Prospect Hill. I do know that one of the firms located in the industrial park made stranded electrical wire and thermocouples for the defense department. This company however, used trucks for transport.

10) Maybrook, Cedar Hall, and Hancock Bridge are names unfamiliar to me, although I am not that knowledgeable about the northern portion of the valley. Most certainly, they are not the names of any towns. The one large firm I recall being located north of Oakville was Whyco, which did electroplating. As far as I know, they were served by truck, but of course whatever was brought to the factory was metal and therefore heavy. A pretend rail spur would not be inappropriate here.

11) The area north of Oakville even today is relatively undeveloped, largely agrarian, and quite beautiful, especially in the area where Route 8 cuts into the mountains on the way from Waterbury up to Winsted and the Berkshires.

[Anonymous]

I am fading into history regarding that part of Conneticut but recall taking materials out of several plants in the region. I cannot remember too much now but recall that route 8 was a challenge back in the day.

[leighant]

Quote from nobullchitbids "2) The Naugatuck Valley continues from Naugatuck north to Waterbury, thence to Winsted; it does not go to Hartford. Hartford is served by Amtrak through Wallingford, Meriden and Berlin (one valley over), with the beginning of that branch in New Haven."

Perhaps the Naugatuck Valley did not go from Waterbury to Hartford UNDER THAT NAME, and yes, Hartford is now served throughWallingford, Meriden and Berlin.

But in the 1950s, in which Popp's layout is set, the New Haven DID have a line from Waterbury to Hartford.
My 1958 Official Guide shows (when I squint) a line from Waterbury through Terryville, Bristol and Forestville, crossing the New Haven-Northhampton line at Plainville, then through New Britain, Elmwood and Parkville to reach Hartford.

Timetable #7 shows Waterbury-Hartford passenger trains #460 leaving Waterbury at 6:40AM weekdays, #462 leaving Waterbury 7:50AM Saturday, arriving Hartford 1 hour later. (distance 31 miles). The table shows Hartford-Waterbury train #461 leaving Hartford 5:20PM, arriving Waterbury 6:14PM, daily except Sunday, with through connection to New York City.

Quote from nobullchitbids "10) Maybrook, Cedar Hall, and Hancock Bridge are names unfamiliar to me, although I am not that knowledgeable about the northern portion of the valley. Most certainly, they are not the names of any towns."

Maybrook is in NEW YORK STATE. It used to be a connection between the New Haven and the Erie, Lehigh & Hudson and the Lehigh & New England. Maybrook is a little west of the Hudson River-- Poughkeepsie is on the east side of the Hudson. A bridge at Poughkeepsie was the first crossing of the Hudson north of New York. The Maybrook-Poughkeepsie formed an roundabout connection from New York and New Jersey into New England bypassing the New York City metropolis. That is the importance of the Maybrook-Waterbury train modeled on the Naugatuck line.

I found Hancock (not "Hancock Bridge") on my DeLorme Street Map computer program, just north of Waterbury. I am not sure about "Cedar Hall". I wonder if some of the names may be railroad names that appear only on employee timetables, not town names that appear on public maps...
Anyone out there have an EMPLOYEE timetable for the New Haven?

[nobullchitbids]

News to me, but I was not in CT in the 1950s. The route from Waterbury to Hartford via Bristol would be quite doable, even today (this route currently is serviced by I-84).

I lived in Naugatuck on and off for 17 years and have never heard of any suburb of Waterbury called Hancock. Perhaps this also is a railroad name.

For those unfamiliar with the area, New Haven also is the name of the county, so crossing from New Haven to Northampton refers to crossing a county line and has nothing to do with the city of New Haven.

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by leighant
I found Hancock (not "Hancock Bridge") on my DeLorme Street Map computer program, just north of Waterbury. I am not sure about "Cedar Hall". I wonder if some of the names may be railroad names that appear only on employee timetables, not town names that appear on public maps...
Anyone out there have an EMPLOYEE timetable for the New Haven?

Cedar Hill (not Cedar Hall) is the name for the extensive yard complex of the NYNH&H situated in New Haven, CT. This is obviously what David is representing on his NH layout and is actually well removed from (about 20 miles to the SSE of) the Waterbury area.

Likewise, the Maybrook yard (in NY) is about 100 miles west of Waterbury proper.

CNJ831

[nobullchitbids]

Would the route to Maybrook have run through Danbury?

[leighant]

Here is a "tour" of portion's of Popp's Naugatuck Valley NOT shown in the April layout article but appearing in other articles this year in Model Railroader.

Bank Street Junction tower: April 2006, p.45

Grivno Coal on the outskirts of Waterbury operationally but on the opposite side of the viewblock from the main Waterbury scene, with some sense of "out in the country" on the mainline. March 2006, p.44

Prospect Hill station with passenger platform on curve (as seen from above back of layout, not normal viwing angle for a walkaround operator passing this station)
January 2006 p.44
Grade crossing, apparently about one actual foot "north" (towards Waterbury) of Prospect Hill station.
February 2006, p.42

In the town of Beacon, drugstore building cut off at non-square angle...
April 2006, p.45

[CNJ831]

QUOTE: Originally posted by leighant

Here is a "tour" of portion's of Popp's Naugatuck Valley NOT shown in the April layout article but appearing in other articles this year in Model Railroader.

Bank Street Junction tower: April 2006, p.45

Grivno Coal on the outskirts of Waterbury operationally but on the opposite side of the viewblock from the main Waterbury scene, with some sense of "out in the country" on the mainline. March 2006, p.44

Prospect Hill station with passenger platform on curve (as seen from above back of layout, not normal viwing angle for a walkaround operator passing this station)
January 2006 p.44
Grade crossing, apparently about one actual foot "north" (towards Waterbury) of Prospect Hill station.
February 2006, p.42

In the town of Beacon, drugstore building cut off at non-square angle...
April 2006, p.45

Add to those an article concerning the wedge-shaped Hanson Piano Company and one on pouring the Naugatuck River near Johnson's Mill (sorry, I didn't bother to look up the isuue and date for either).

CNJ831

[ss122]

Yes, the route from New Haven to Maybrook ran through Danbury. Westbound New Haven freights ran west from New Haven, on the 4 track mainline to Devon, CT. At Devon they took the west leg of the wye to head north. This route turned west and passed through Danbury before entering NY state and crossing the Hudson River at Poughkeepsie on the way to Maybrook. A map of the New Haven RR can be seen online at www.nhrhta.org, look at the right side of the screen to find the map link. Ken

[Icefoot]

Should be the following two articles for the river pouring and piano company:

River: Step by step: Cool water!, July 2004, p40
Piano Co: Step by step: Modular structure kits to the rescue!, August 2005, p38

[nobullchitbids]

Well, what I meant was did a line run from Maybury to Waterbury via Danbury (where I-84 runs now)?

By the way, ss122, your map link is a dud.

[leighant]

I figured out how to post the link to the New Haven map. (ss122's post had a SPACE between the dot and the "org" and that discombolulates the link.)
www.nhrhta.org/images/fullcomp.gif
You may need to right-click to get "enlarge" button to appear, in order to get a map image large enough to interpret.
I do not have the 1958 Official Guide map in front of me. I believe the Hawleyville to Waterbury segment via Sandy Hook, Oxford and Towhanda shown on the 1929 map was NOT in use in 1958, but trains went from Danvbury to Waterbury via Derby.

[CNJ831]

I particularly thought that Dave Popp's rendition of the Waterbury station was quite exceptional. Those who have ever actually seen the prototype have to be impressed by this model. The prototype is certainly a unique structure and could not have been very easy to model (incidentally, the actual clock tower is significant taller than rendered, so tall that it probably would have looked out of proportion if done to accurate scale!).

I wonder if Dave, who is clearly the best modeler currently on MR's staff, had the model built for him by an outsider or built it himself? If the latter, I would certainly hope that he does an article for MR on how he went about it.

CNJ831

[nobullchitbids]

The clock tower at Waterbury station IS tall! And the prototype still exists, for those who want to see it. It now is home to the local newspaper (for which I once worked), the Waterbury Republican (which perhaps might be able to provide some photos). It is a two-story brick building at the head of Grand Street, at 389 Meadow, but I would estimate the height of the tower at perhaps eight stories.

Another unique structure in Waterbury was the headquarters of Anaconda (American Brass before consolidation). This building, as I recall, had a semi-circular design, was also made of brick, and stood about four or five stories tall.

Don't forget, when modeling old Waterbury, to make the streets (especially East and West Main streets) of brick. Naugatuck had some of these also, including one it kept on Schoolhouse Road (a snakelike appendage going west up the hill from Meadow). Very unique and of course impossible today because of the cost of labor. A notable building on East Main was the Palace Theater, which was a theater very much in the old tradition and quite grand inside.

Some additional industries in Naugatuck: The Eastern Company; Risdon Manufacturing; and the Naugatuck Glass Company. Eastern I think did have a siding; the others no; but, the glass company (at the intersection of State 63 and State 64) could have had one -- it was physically possible, although the glass company I think was too small.

State 63 is known as Meadow Street in town; State 64 is known as Prospect Street and is the road to Prospect. On the eastern side of the river, it intersects Union Avenue.

Incidentally, although Uniroyal owned the chemical plant, the large smokestack always declared: "Naugatuck Chemical Company." This was visible clearly from Route 63, the road to New Haven, and Route 8, the road to Beacon Falls.

Naugatuck also is "famous" for the traffic light at Church Street on the green which gave a green indication to two competing lines of traffic at the same time (signal since replaced). It was a single light at the head of a "T" intersection (Freight Street) which ran past the firehouse. Local residents always knew to watch out but visitors easily could have a bad-hair day.

Naugatuck's station also became home to a newspaper, The Naugatuck Daily News or "Naugy News" to residents.

Many changes occurred after the great flood of 1955, when two hurricanes slammed into Connecticut within a week of each other and pretty much flooded the place out.

Finally, for those who want to stretch the truth a little, on the east side of the Naugatuck river, on the road to New Haven, lies Peter-Paul, the candy maker. I doubt they ever had rail service -- bad grades in this area -- but model railroads do not always accurately have to portray reality, and who could resist having a billboard box car for Mounds?.

[leighant]

I have an N-scale New Haven gondola, NH 1096, 46 foot 12-panel straight side-sill GB (solid bottom mill gondola), black with orange NH letters. The model is from AHM some 20 or more years ago, their #4420E.

I wonder if New Haven actually had these gondolas.
AND I am wondering what to do with it, traffic and operation wise, on a 1950s Texas Gulf Coast Santa Fe railroad. I can't imagine any plausible excuse for an aggregate shipment like coal or gravel to be shipped to a Texas location via a gondola from Connecticutt. But it is not a GS drop bottom gon for aggregates, but a solid bottom mill gon. I remember reading about brass companies on the Naugatuck.

My Texas coast layout could logically have a shipbuilder as a consignee. Would it be accurate for large brass ship's propellers to be transported by gondola from New England to Texas?

[nobullchitbids]

Finished brass probably would be sent covered if possible to avoid tarnishing by the elements. But loads like pipe often were shipped in gondolas (if of the drop-bottom kind, the doors would be left open so any rainwater would drain, although at some point running with the doors open became illegal). Pipe not only would have been used by shipbuilders but also by local contractors erecting houses (brass commonly was used for the plumbing). Waterbury did have at least one large tube firm.

[nobullchitbids]

Re aggregates, another product of the region was (and still is) trap rock. New Haven Trap Rock mined this material from areas southeast and east of Waterbury, sold it to towns for use as a road-building material. The New Haven Society of Model Engineers used screened traprock shards for model ballast for years and always had people asking where they got such realistic material! Trap rock is non-magnetic, so will not get sucked into motors or bearings, but I do remember that the shards are sharp as razors -- if one rubbed his finger along the roadbed, it often was not long before the ballast started looking a little red.

[leighant]

More “UNOFFICIAL” [;)] tour of the Naugatuck Valley model railroad

I have been so fascinated [bow][wow] by David Popp’s layout in April 06 MR that I just had to explore it more. As it turns out, one can do just that by “re-purposing” Popp’s Step-by-Step column. I did just that from my box of Model Railroader for 2005 and assembled this “tour”.

SYSTEM MAP showing prototype area with modeled lines Feb05 p.40

For orientation, I am following the map directions along the modeled line, and listing scenes from “north” to “south”, Hancock Bridge- Waterbury- Prospect Hill- Beacon. With the exception of Hancock Bridge, “north” is to the left from the point of view of an operator in the aisle, and “south” is right. Using these directions, I describe various structures, mini-scenes, etc as in the “north” of “south” end of a town.

HANCOCK BRIDGE
JDH Metals Foundtry Feb05 p.41

WATERBURY
Waterbury yard aerial view, showing 2-track freight house diverging to upper right and car cleanout platform. Jan05 p.36

“SOUTH” WATERBURY (for identification, this is what I am calling the back side of the main Waterbury depot scene, before the track goes under the underpass and around the corner to Prospect Hill)
Mainline with Quincy Smith and Grivno in background Dec05 p.48
Quincy Smith Pin Company Aug05 p.38
Grivno Coal low relief building Feb05 p.41

PROSPECT HILL
A&P warehouse with NH roof sign Jan05 p.53; Feb05 p.41
New England Brass Button Company Sept.05 p.40,41
(note: this industry was shown as built in the “aisle” of the layout, but
April06 layout tour shows layout benchwork extended out to take in this
industry, and some background structures relocated.)
Homes, residential scene Nov05 p.40
Polsgrove Fuel- wide shot of entire industry May05 p.40
closeup of coal delivery trestle Jan05 p.53
café just south of Polsgrove Apr05 p.36

BEACON
Wide shot over end of Beacon “peninsula” July05 p.36
Connecticut Trim Co. (with corner of depot and passenger platform visible) Jan05 p.52
Highway grade crossing over 2 track mainline, just north of Beacon depot, Apr05 p.37
Beacon Depot area, wide shot, Feb05 p.40
Highway grade crossing over 2 industry spurs, behind Beacon depot, Apr05 p.38
Downtown business district Jan05 p.54
Highway south of Beacon near church, Jan05 p.54

[leighant]

Some weeks ago, I compiled a list of scenes on David Popp’s Naugatuck Valley Railroad from
“Step-by-Step” articles in 2005 Model Railroader. I intended to go back and do the same for 2004, but I had a May 1st graduate history paper deadline, and then a deadline to spruce up and photograph my layout for MR’s Small Layout Contest. For the required technical information, I wanted to see how the magazine filled in “layout heights” in its technical boxes for layouts that sit on whatever table is handy and don’t have any regular height. While I was doing that, I leafed through my 2004 Model Railroader issues and compiled the following additional list of scenes on the Naugatuck Valley.

(from north to south on the layout)
PROSPECT HILL
Goat farm on a hilltop above town of Prospect Hill, looking down from “back” of layout
I call this “Hilltop Farm” although Popp did not give it any name in the photo.
MR June 2004 p.45
Cut at south end of Prospect Hill area where track goes directly from a cut with a retaining wall onto a deck bridge over the Naugatuck River. MR March 2004 p,53
Low angle from just above the river looking up at the same scene. MR June 2004 p.42

NAUGATUCK RIVER in gorge between Prospect Hill and Beacon
General view of end of peninsula MR April 2004, p.46
Close view on water in this scene MR July 2004 p.40

BEACON
Crossing at north end of Beacon MR December 2004 p.54
North end of Beacon station area MR March 2004 p.52
South end of Beacon business district with road leading south MR August 2004 p.43
Hanson Piano Company just south of Beacon MR September 2004 p.44

Since the south end of the railroad appeared first in MR articles, I would guess that end was sceniced and presentable first, before the Waterbury scene with its yard trackage and its impressive station building.

[nobullchitbids]

There is no "right" way to build a model railroad -- as long as it is your railroad, you have the right and power to do what you want -- but for those who want prototypical improvements, I remind them that the railroad must follow the river, which flows from Waterbury past Plank's Mill Road to Naugatuck and not up the very steep hill to Prospect. The Naugatuck portion would be dominated by the town depot, the spur to the Eastern Company, and the three Uniroyal (United States Rubber) facilities centered on the Naugatuck Chemical plant. These plus the large company on Plank's Mill (forgot the name) and the brass factories in Waterbury were major employers -- goat farms they weren't! The operational possibilities on a pike with these features would be impressive.