Boston & Maine Ashuelot Branch - 1939

[garethashenden]

I have found a 1903 track map of Winchester. I have spent two days this week going through B&M Engineering Department files in preparation for CSX to donate them to the B&MRRHS. I figured out their card catalog system enough to find this drawing. It was right where is said it was. Unfortunately the file cabinet that a search for Ashuelot directed me to was not to be found.
Its a little stained and wrinkled, but a gentle ironing should help. I hope I look this good at 122 years old. 




Its back in its folder at the moment, but it will get properly scanned and cataloged at some point.

[Chris333]

Isn't the station on the other side of the tracks now? If so what happened.

[garethashenden]

Isn't the station on the other side of the tracks now? If so what happened.

That is correct. From the book on Winchester that I just bought:

"In March 1914 it burned to the ground when boxes of millinery piled near the stove caught fire. Station agent H.T.Coombs saved some of the money and part of the mileage books. George Poizer, the telegraph agent, saved most of his record and the freight records. The building's loss was put at $2500, plus an aditional loss of $1200 from the tank house, which also burned."

When the ICC survey was done for the valuation plans, one of the two freight houses was being used as a temporary station. The new station was built next to the freight house, much closer to the road. There is an Authorization For Expenditure record dated 6/21/1915 for $6700 to rebuild the station. A bit more than the previous figure. They also added a "water station" in October 1915. The B&M sold the land, station, and freight house to a couple, Paul & Edythe Mannos, in 1960. There are six AFE records in  a row of them buying stations from the railroad. One station I can understand, but why would someone want six?

[garethashenden]

Another overdue update. Starting with the feed mill, I built the kit basically as it came out of the box. It was a pleasant easy project. A few bits still to fix in place, like the chimney, but it has the right overall feel. Will need more weathering too.



I have built the first three turnouts as a unit. This is my preferred method if multiple turnouts are in an area, it keeps the alignment and has fewer rail joints.



I have gone with the Central Valley Pratt truss bridge kit. Built per the instructions, aside from replacing the diagonals with piano wire in place of the plastic strip. I did this for two reasons, I was having trouble with the plastic bowing and the two pieces touching each other, they shouldn't touch if they're in tension... The second reason was I wanted to suggest a lighter bridge. The prototype is a quite lightly constructed Warren truss. Rod is used in Pratt trusses, but more often on road bridges.


Working on having a gently slowping bank on the left/northern side. One of the other bridges on the line has good sized dirt area between the abutment and the water, which is what I'm going for here.


And with a train posed on the bridge. At the moment its just flextrack on top of the bridge deck. Some fine tuning of heights and alignments is still needed.

[JeffB]

Very nice Gareth!

I see an aluminum (what I assume to be) frog soldering fixture in a few photos...  Are these sold commercially?

It reminds me of my early turnout building days...  I made similar fixtures in 1/8" aluminum strip stock, by saw cutting the slots using various thicknesses of jewelers slitting saws, on my milling machine.  Held the rails upside down and I'd solder bits of scrap rail to the bottom to maintain the alignment of the frog.

All this was prior to Fast Tracks fixtures...  Resulted in a perfectly aligned frog, which was great.  Unlike you, I would spike the soldered frog to wood ties.  Again, all prior to PC ties and FT fixtures.

Again...  Nicely done and thanks for sharing.

Jeff

[garethashenden]

Very nice Gareth!

I see an aluminum (what I assume to be) frog soldering fixture in a few photos...  Are these sold commercially?

Jeff

Kinda sorta. Its from the 2mm Association. They only sell to members. I've been a member for a while now and wouldn't consider not renewing. The fixture is designed to assemble the frog upside down and then solder the components together with etched strips that match the height of bullhead chairs. I was using it to check the angle on the wing rails.

[JeffB]

Kinda sorta. Its from the 2mm Association. They only sell to members. I've been a member for a while now and wouldn't consider not renewing. The fixture is designed to assemble the frog upside down and then solder the components together with etched strips that match the height of bullhead chairs. I was using it to check the angle on the wing rails.

Ah...  I thought I recognized it.  Not a member. 

It's a great type of frog assembly fixture to have if you don't want to spend the kind of money Fast Tracks is asking for their complete turnout fixture.

Jeff

[garethashenden]

Less modeling this time, but some important infrastructure developments. The household managers and I have reached an agreement on access to the layout. What does a cat like more than a high shelf? An even higher one. The lighting support has been strengthened and fitted with a plywood top. Steps have been provided for access, and now the cats can keep an eye on me while staying off the layout. Which is good for everyone. While I was having plywood delivered for the cat shelf it seemed like a good time to do the fascia and redo the valance. I had initially supported the lights with upside down brackets, but with the need to carry a heavier load I turned them around and added a few more. But getting them to slide behind the backscene was difficult, so the whole lighting support ended up about 1.5" higher. A wider valance was needed as a result. Both the fascia and valance have been painted with Benjamin Moore's Essex Green, a nice very dark shade.







Layout tour, starting in staging and heading railroad north.

[peteski]

Wow!  Your cats sure have it good! Almost too easy! 
I like the blue you used for the sky. Reminds me of a clear dry summer day sky. Nice rich blue.

One thing I would like to ask you is to put a spacer JUst type "enter" between links to photos, to give them some separation.  My mind is gettign confused where one photo ends and another one begins, sespecially when the photos have black valance on top and balck fascia on the bottom.  They seem to blend together.

I also spied a box with the Balloon Car.  I own one of those too - that is a really nice kit. I'll get to building it some day. Lacing the wire-wheels using the monofilament "spokes" should be lots of fun!

[chessie system fan]

As a fellow cat owner, I approve.  My only recommendation would be to get some cheep mats up there to collect the cat hair.  Otherwise, the hair will accumulate up there and find its way onto the layout.

I also predict that the cats won't need the entire shelf. There's plenty of room for model train junk too. 

[eja]

Despite all you of your good work and intention, the cat will destroy something on your layout.

Two options: 1) get rid of the cat, 2) live with it.  What to choose ????

[peteski]

Despite all you of your good work and intention, the cat will destroy something on your layout.

Two options: 1) get rid of the cat, 2) live with it.  What to choose ????

I don't think he has a choice.

Garethashenden, thanks for separating the photos.  My brain thanks  you! 

I also predict that the cats won't need the entire shelf. There's plenty of room for model train junk too. 

They will likely sit right directly over the light fixtures, since cats are heat-seeking creatures.  Modern lights do not generate a lot of head but I bet the cat will find the right spots.