Exploring the Outside World Part 2

In my last post I forgot to talk about Day Three of the trip.

Mother Nature decided to give us a little liquid sunshine. So Bruce and I headed for Warren, Mass to pick up a few needed detail parts for projects.

After spending a few hours going from room to room in the old house, which the hobby shop is located, looking at this and that, we finished our shopping and headed for lunch. On our way to Palmer, we saw our first train of the trip, a CSX mixed freight heading for Boston, was holding on a siding. Once in Palmer, we when to the old train station, which has been restored into a train theme resturant. While we where eating a CSX auto rack unit train from Boston, when by. So that makes two trains for the trip, but no MMA.

After leaving Palmer, we had planned on visiting one more hobby shop, but the Friday afternoon traffic was heavy and we ran out of time.

Exploring the outside World

Last week Bruce and I headed for Northern Maine to visit the area serviced by MMA, the railroad which Bruce is planning to model for his home layout. The reason for the trip was to do research on the industries that are or were served by MMA (or BAR in the past). The plan was to find the industries on his list, and photograph the buildings and trackwork and record the cars which serviced the industry. We started on the Presque Isle Sub which includes Presque Isle, Caribou, Fort Fairfield and Easton. There are a large range of industries on this sub, which include propane and oil dealers, grain silos, printing operation, engineered wood producer, veneer plant, frozen food operation and a potato flake plant. There are a few old warehouses and team tracks along the line, which it is hard to tell if they are still used or only used once and awhile.
The next day we visited the paper mills and yard in Millinocket. Since most of the trackage for the paper mill was inside the complex, it was hard to get pictures of what was going on. After leaving th mills, we followed the line north to Oakfield Yard. There were signs of old industries that were served in their day, but must were out of business now. Most looked like they were in the Forestry Industry.
After lunch we headed South to look at the industries below Millinocket. We ended the day in the port area of Searsport. This is the end of the line for MMA. We were not allowed in the Park because of "Home Land Security".
On our last day we spend in the Bangor area, visiting the main yard of MMA and the Industries in the area.
It was a very interest trip for me. While I am not modeling the MMA, the WRS is based in an area which is close in nature to the same area serviced by the MMA. Found a few different industries then you normal see on model railroads, which may make their way onto the WRS. Also was able to see the different arrangement of yards on the railroad.
Taking over one hundred pictures, many from a moving car, helped me to improve my drive by shooting skills.
Now it is back to planning the next phase of the WRS.

WRS System Map

Below is the System Map of the present WRS System.

Local Switchers:

Whiskey Falls/ Bartown

This switcher picks up it cars in Roseton from the Roseton Turn then goes to Whiskey Falls and Bartown to service these areas.

Dogwood

This switcher is located at Dogwood and services the industries in the area. The Junction Turn drops cars on its way to Junction and picks up on its return trip.

Turns:

Roseton

Departs from the WRS Yard and travels to Roseton, where it switches the local industries. When finished it returns to the WRS Yard.

Junction

Departs from the WRS Yard, drops cars at Dogwood for the Dogwood Switcher and then continues to Junction to switch the industries in Junction and Blue Ridge. When complete, it returns to the WRS Yard, after picking up cars setout by the Dogwood Switcher at Dogwood.

Oct 8 Update

This is a strange time for me this year. Most years, I would be busy getting ready to take modules to the Truro Show this coming weekend. But since most of my modules are now part of the WRS layout, they will not be leaving the basement as they have in the past.

This year, instead of being busy at the layout, I will be standing behind a sales table. Bruce and I have decided to "thin" some rolling stock. The last couple of weeks I have been going over my "collection" in the basement and seeing what fits into my plan for the WRS. Since the WRS will be based in the late 90s, I will be selling off most of pre 75 stuff and also a few modern pieces that do not fit into the industries planned for the layout.

Hope to see you in Truro on the weekend.

Doug