Adding a Stone Arch Bridge To The Green Mountain...by Don Janes

A Rutland freight headed by RS-3 201 crosses the Stone Arch bridge south of North Bennington.

A New England Style Stone Bridge

     Back in 2009 while on my way to the Springfield Train Show I visited friend and fellow B&M modeller Jim Dufour's  B&M Cheshire Branch layout. (See earlier post by George on this layout)  Jim has faithfully modeled five towns on the B&M Cheshire Branch as well as some signature scenes on the route. One scene that really stuck with me was his Stone Arch Bridge just past the State Line Station.  Jim created his own patterns and cast the bridge in hydrocal. It is a simple but very impressive scene.

    While I was there Mike Evans, a very accomplished D&H modeler was there making rubber molds of the bridge for his layout.  Several years later when I was planning a river on my Green Mountain Div. layout I thought of Jim's stone bridge and how it would be the perfect bridge for this scene. But how to make it? Then I remembered Mike and his rubber molds of the bridge and decided to contact him to see if  by chance he had made any extra copies.  Mike graciously sent me two cast hydrocal castings of the bridge so all I needed to do now was add them to my river scene.

This shot of Jim Dufour's bridge was my inspiration to build one for my layout.  This shot was taken back in Jan.2009.

      After planning how I would incorporate the bridge into my layout I have finally finished the scene.  I am quite pleased how it came out.  I really appreciate Jim allowing me to use a copy of his castings and Mike for making an extra set for me.

Here is another view of the 201 crossing the bridge.

On a different day Rutland 2-8-2 #37 is leaving N.Bennington with a milk train. The North Bennington Creamery in the background was featured in a previous post.

Just as #37 was crossing the bridge a northbound freight behind #201 appeared from behind the trees.