Expo 2013 Layout Tour No. 6

This roadway divides two scene,  a freight staging yard to the right and a paper mill complex to the left.

Dick Elwell's Hoosac Valley Lines

Don and I visited Dick's layout on Thursday, a day before this November's Expo 2013. I had left Dick's layout as the last one I will cover. To tell you the truth I could not figure out how I would do it. The layout is huge and very detailed. It is a great layout. Dick's layout has been covered numerous times over the years in the railway press. In fact it has been in Great Model Railroads twice, 1996 and 2008. I looked through the dozens of photos I took numerous times and did finally decided how to approach it. Since most of the layout has been covered well in the past, I decided to focus on the new section under construction and the recently competed Essex staging yard which is now totally scenic including some very nicely modelled structures. I also though I would include a couple of the mini scenes I liked...such as a couple of pieces of rolling stock interestingly staged. So here we go...George Dutka

The station and town scene at Essex Jct. This town is set at the end of the west staging yard.

One of the many backdrop scenes found in the freshly scenic west staging yard.

The west staging yard is what one sees when entering the Hoosac Valley Lines.

Looking down at the many nice structures found near the Essex Jct. NY station. Dick has many great backdrops.

You are looking at the under construction paper mill site. At one time a large TV rested here for one to watch from the chairs placed across from the scene. Dick realised he could place the TV on a shelf under this scene, which makes more sense.

Here is a close-up of the finished areas of the paper mill scene. The photo backdrop really adds to what one sees. I believe it is from Backdrop Junction located in Massachusetts.

 Scott Mason came by while Don and I was visiting on Thursday afternoon. He had Dick's mill building that he is building with him. Well the mill turned out to be bigger than planned. Not sure how this will work out, but it was neat to see. The building is a brick building that is laser cut wood. The finished brickwork looks really great. Dick is seen in the foreground with Scott right behind him.

 The Hoosac Mini Scenes
The following scenes are a few I really enjoyed viewing and thought I would share with you.

One of the little scenes that I enjoyed was the Hoosac Valley sand car. It is a brass model that has its hatches open and piping about to be connected. There are many little details like this to view on the layout.

One of my favourites was a auto door boxcar being loaded. A simple scene but very effective.

I have always liked the looks of the shop track scene on Dick's layout. One of the details I really like and may also add to my layout at some point is a filled in turntable pit.