Progress at Wells River on the Green Mtn. Div.

These two structures are located at Wells River on my Green Mountain Division layout.

Adding a couple of  Industries at Wells River...by Don Janes

     After doing a lot of benchwork, building turnouts and laying track I decided it was time to switch gears and start working on some structures in the town of Wells River.  I need about four major structures for the industries in Wells River and so far I have three, a great looking freight house I bought off friend Neil Schofield (see Aug. post by George for a photo of this structure), a creamery that I salvaged from my old layout and most recently the H.W.Myers & Son grain mill I  built from a South River Model Works kit that I purchased when George and I attended the Model RR Expo in Pittsfield, MA back in Nov. 2013.  I don't have a great eye for planning a town unless I have the structures in front of me so I can move them around and figure where they will look the best so that is why I sat down and built the grain mill before a final decision was made as to where things would go.

     Like the H.W.Myers kit, the Millett Creamery is also a SRMW kit that I built many years ago and wanted to include it on the new layout.  Both are exquisite structures that have great detail on all sides so the peninsula town of Wells river was the perfect place to showcase all sides of these buildings and include a wealth of detail castings that are included in the kits.  Both kits were built pretty much according to the plans.  The only deviation I made on the grain mill was to add a smaller platform on each side by the single loading doors and to use BEST peel and stick brown three tab shingle on the roof instead of the shake shingles included in the kit.  The mill kit also comes with a double coal silo and a small brick industrial building but these will be used elsewhere on the layout.
    The creamery kit included some cast concrete footings and lumber to build a small coal trestle which I didn't have room for on the old layout but incorporated into the new one.
    I have one more, yet to be decided industry to build then I can go ahead and cut the landform contours into the layout and get started on the scenery.  I'm really looking forward to that phase of the Wells River section.
    Wells River should be a busy spot once completed with lots of work for the wayfreight when it heads into town.

This is the street side of the mill.  The flat bed truck helps to show just how big the structure is. The sign originally had the name H.W.Myers & Son but since the real structure is in Bennington Vt. and mine is in Wells River, Vt. I decided to alter it and leave the name off.

A close-up of the loading dock and some of the nice looking signs included in the kit.  I followed SRMW's instructions for finishing the siding and was very pleased with the results.  A nice worn but not dilapidated look I think.

Here is another view of the street side.  I added the small loading platform on the right side of the structure. The steps still need to be added to the end doors.  I love all the dormers and variations in the roof line of this structure.

A CPR RS-2 is spotting a Rutland boxcar at the loading dock.  It will soon be loaded with bags of grain. The rear of the building has just as much detail as the front.  Note the added small loading dock to the left of the boxcar. The roof vents are a nice touch also.

Here is another trackside view of the  of the mill.  I can't wait to get the scenery done and add the many details included in the kit to the scene.

This is the street-side view of the Millett Creamery,  another SRMW kit.  Like the mill, it has some very interesting roof lines and variations in construction materials.  One of my favourite South River kits of all time. Until some greenery is added it looks like it is sitting in the Arizona desert.

A CNR caboose sits on the mainline and a Wabash hopper rests on the coal trestle as a Chevy dump truck (CMW model) waits below to get loaded.  I still need to add a walkway to the trestle but will wait until more scenery is done to avoid damage to what will be a very delicate part of the structure.

This is a trackside view of the creamery.  The loading dock will be filled with milk cans and busy workers once the scene is complete.

One more shot looking down the track from the creamery to the mill. There will be a road crossing between the two structures leading to the  town on the``other side of the tracks ``.