Its always been my intention to have a representative of all of the MEC loco classes, both steam & diesel used during the 1950s; I should be able to operate the layout in any time period from say 1940-1960 with ease and see this as my "core" period. As time has gone on I have begun to acquire other stock, I can now muster enough stock to run a late 1970's era operating session (I love the harvest gold scheme). I would also like to turn back the clock to the turn of the C19th - but I see this as a much longer term project.

As well as the MEC I also have some B&M stock, these railroads were very closely linked in the first half of C20th, and some interlopers from other nearby roads. There are some plain odd balls too.

These pages looks at the prototypes and how I've modelled them.

Last updated 25 January, 2006

Odd Balls & other roads

The first one is an interloper - I admit I couldn't resist this one. I have a model of Bangor & Aroostook BL2 #50 - it is a Proto 2000 model from the second release - I picked it up from eBay reasonably priced. I intend to correct a lot of the detail (grabs, etc) which is incorrectly placed for the BAR units. I don't have much excuse for having this unit other than the BAR used to lease units in summer when potato traffic was slack, but - hey - its my pike and I just like it right?

In the same category I have a NYC J1e Hudson from Broadway Limited Imports which occasionally makes an outing on the layout. It is a truly awesome model with its superb on board sound unit, but sadly suffers the same reliability problems as the Mikados with the sharp radius track.

I also have a Bachmann Spectrum 4-6-0 which occasionally runs on the layout - decorated for Alton MRG's Colorado inspired fictious Pine Bluffs & Ceda Falls Railroad. It is a good reliable runner, I have "Coloradoized" it (spark arrestor, tool boxes, dusty weathering, etc) but have yet to convert it to DCC operation - it will need an N-guage decoder as it has a very small tender. Also a three truck Shay from the same manufacturer makes the odd trip out, and I have recently acquired a brass "Little River" 2-4-4-2 Mallet but these are primarily intended for the club layout. Check out the current developments at Pine Bluffs on Alton MRGs website and the "official" PB & CF RR stock list is here!

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