New Haven, Boston & Maine, and Boston & Albany Railroads – New England Model Trains

So happy to see you back Mel.  I have been looking fo you on Any New Haven Fans. Hope all is well.  What happened to the other posts on this thread?

Mel, it's good to se you are still active, i guess I just didn't know where to find you.  You know we share interest in the NE roads, but you probably don't know we have the same Mogul.  I've put a lot of miles on it since 2005, but it's still running well!

John

Here are a few sightings on my pike in Maine...

That 1455 Mogul gets around; here it is spotted hauling the local into Eastvale.

Here we see a Maine Central E7 hauling a cut of MEC freight cars

A B&M mixed local stops in North Hiram

The Flying Yankee is ready to depart from Eastvale

And of course at harvest season we expect to see cuts of BAR potato cars

Rutland 10 Wheeler powering the Milk to Chatham.

0-8-0 switching the yard.

Mikado #37 heading a freight.

Hi Mel, nice to see the 12x8 again.  That Mogul sure is sharp.  Must be freshly shopped it's so clean.

Here's my MTH B&M Mountain class pulling some hoppers through a pastoral scene of livestock, farm equipment and, uhm, an imminent alien invasion courtesy of Menards.

Here's a video of my B&M work train running on the layout.

Certainly can't leave out the New Haven either! Here's my Alco PA set bringing a mixed freight in a double loop around both mainlines.

@Wvm posted:

So happy to see you back Mel.  I have been looking for you on Any New Haven Fans. Hope all is well.  What happened to the other posts on this thread?

Wvm,

Thank you. I appreciate it.

Yesterday's post was deleted by the moderator because it was not in the correct Forum. This thread was posted by me again on Saturday afternoon (04-30-2022) in the photos/videos forum. I plan to continue posting my New England model trains in this thread. The pictures in my first post were taken on my 12'-by-8' layout. The picture below was taken on my 10'-by-5' layout which is a freelanced New England scene...

MELGAR

@Dave_C posted:

Rutland 10 Wheeler powering the Milk to Chatham.

Dave C.,

Thanks for posting again. That is a superb New England model railroad. Your workmanship is exceptional.

MELGAR

@coach joe posted:

Hi Mel, nice to see the 12x8 again.  That Mogul sure is sharp.  Must be freshly shopped it's so clean.

Joe,

I bought the Mogul from Trainz last year. It had never been run.

MELGAR

What a great topic! Thanks, Mel!

I was born in Maine and have nice memories of seeing Maine Central and Boston and Maine in Rigby Yard as a kid. My Dad grew up in CT, and my favorite color is orange, so I like the New Haven too.

Now I live in the Boston area. The trains below are mine, except for the visiting Mogul. I have other New England stuff too but I'll need to dig up more pictures.

Best,

Alan P

Second verse, same as the first.

Born and raised on Long Island but the New Haven was a favorite. I used to see NH cars on the LIRR back when they used to actually run freight trains.

I'll add more pix as time permits. Good to have you back Mel.

Bob

Mel, I am happy you are back. Bangor & Aroostook GP7 #63 & wilderness landscape.

Johan

Born and raised in the Bronx......exposed to the New Haven and New York Central at a young age, which have become my favorites......then, acquired an interest in the PennCentral, New York Ontario and Western and Conrail along the way......

Have a great and safe weekend, folks.......and, welcome back Mel!

Peter

The State of Maine cars have always been a favorite as well. I had a bunch on my old HO layout. I bought these two a couple of years ago. Of course, I needed proper power to pull them with.....

Boston & Albany 4-6-6T no. 403 is seen on the daily commuter run from Boston’s South Station to Framingham, Ma.  No. 403 is a K-line model converted to MTH PS3.

John

Boston & Albany 4-6-4 Hudson #606 – New England Model Trains

The Boston and Albany Railroad was created in 1867 from the combination of the Boston & Worcester Railroad and the Western Railroad of Massachusetts. Its main route ran east/west from Boston to Worcester, Springfield and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and Chatham and Albany, New York. At Albany, some of its cars were combined with New York Central trains out of New York City and then continued west to Chicago. The B&A also provided commuter service between South Station in Boston and the city’s western suburbs. It remained an independent company until 1900, when it was leased to, and eventually absorbed by, the New York Central Railroad. The citizens of Massachusetts apparently were highly offended to see “New York” on trains passing through their towns – so much so that a few years after the lease began, the New York Central relented and reinstated “Boston & Albany” lettering on the B&A’s cars and locomotives.

The New York Central did offer some advantages to its subsidiary. The J-1a Hudson locomotives went into service on the NYC in 1927 and five J-2a types followed onto the B&A one year later. Instead of the 79-inch driving-wheel-diameter of the NYC versions, B&A’s three classes of Hudsons had 75-inch-diameter drivers to better negotiate the hilly terrain of the Berkshire Mountains. They also were modified with large rectangular sand boxes atop their boilers.

On my model railroad today is MTH Premier Boston & Albany J-1e 4-6-4 Hudson #606 (20-3583-1 with PS-3) which was offered at an MSRP of $1199.95 in the 2015 Volume 1 catalog. MTH says it can run on O-42 curves. The pictures and videos show it on the O-54 curves of my 10’-by-5’ layout pulling two MTH unlettered wood passenger coaches. Unfortunately, I don’t own the correct passenger cars for this engine.

B&A #606 was one of five locomotives in its J-2b class. It was built by ALCo’s Schenectady Works in August 1930 and scrapped in October 1952. The MTH model is a J-1e version that ran on the New York Central Railroad, and its driving-wheel diameter is not correct for B&A’s J-2b class engines, but the model’s green boiler and light-colored graphite smokebox and front are prototypical.

The total weight of a B&A J-2b class locomotive (engine and tender including coal and water) was 356,500 pounds, with a weight of about 187,500 pounds on its driving wheels. These engines ran at 240 pounds-per-square-inch boiler pressure and produced 55,400 pounds of tractive effort with booster, and 44,800 pounds without. As with all New York Central Hudsons, they had feedwater heaters and superheaters.

Please post photos of your New Haven, B&M, B&A and other New England railroad model locomotives and rolling stock in this thread.

MELGAR

Here are two more videos of the MTH Premier model of Boston & Albany #606.

In the first video, the engine is running somewhat faster than the previous ones – at about 28 miles-per-hour. In the second, it rounds the curve at the south end of town.

MELGAR

A group of New Haven engines stand ready to move passengers and freight on my NYNH&H/NYO&W layout. Passenger engines are 3 ea Weaver I-5 Streamlined Hudson's while the freight locos are a new mountain type R2-a from Mr. Muffins Trains, an Weaver Alco FA-2 FB-2 set, a Lionel GP-9 and a pair of Weaver RS-3's.  One day I will learn to do a video. Old age is not easy.

Mel, nice videos. I noticed your grade crossing sign in the second video. The B&A had similar signs. I made some using a copying machine at work. Can’t remember off hand which book I found it in. I think they came out close to scale just copying the image.  Made the post from basswood and just cut and pasted the paper print on to it and just painted up to the edges. The sign came sort of pre weathered right out of the copier.

Most people, including me, don’t think of Canadian Pacific as a NE railroad, but CP operated on 234 miles of track under MEC rights between Mattawamkeag and Vanceboro, ME.  It was part of the primary line between Montreal, Quebec and St John, New Brunswick.  CP ALCO FA1 no. 4001 and FB1 no. 4403 are pictured at an unknown location.

Mel, thanks for the history lesson as well as the photos/videos of your fine layout!

John

Melgar,

I always look forward to your posts and missed you while you were gone.

Here are a couple pictures of NEW HAVEN items.

Wow Bill. 3 NH I5 Hudson’s. Boy I miss Weaver. They built both the I4 Pacific, I5 Hudson and also developed the Pullman Bradley cars. I can’t remember the year. My I5 graced the cover of CTT magazine. MTH in it’s heyday. Catalogued the I5 and I believe it was on the cover. I really wanted a diecast version. Got cancelled for lack of orders. I believe 3rd Rail listed the Comet at one time that was never built.

Mel, I own a DVD you'd like, "Whistler's Western - The Boston & Albany RR", from A&R Productions (www.classicrailroadvideos.com).  It has scenes of B&A steam, NYC, PC and Conrail diesels and historical info.  Maybe your 606 is on it; my B&A 4-6-6T 403 is shown.  I think owning a model is more fun after you've seen a photo or video of the prototype.  FYI.

John

@Steam Crazy posted:

Mel, I own a DVD you'd like, "Whistler's Western - The Boston & Albany RR", from A&R Productions (www.classicrailroadvideos.com).  It has scenes of B&A steam, NYC, PC and Conrail diesels and historical info.  Maybe your 606 is on it; my B&A 4-6-6T 403 is shown.  I think owning a model is more fun after you've seen a photo or video of the prototype.  FYI.

John

John,

Thanks.

I enjoy a model more when I can compare it to pictures of the prototype and read about it. I will check out the video.

There seem to be fewer books and photographs of the Boston & Albany Railroad than the Boston & Maine and New Haven. The Boston & Albany should have its own historical society but I think that most of its information comes under the New York Central System Historical Society, whose publications have pictures and data. In my opinion, the best books on the B&A are "Boston and Albany - The New York Central in New England - Volumes 1 and 2" by Robert Willoughby Jones and Pine Tree Press - 1997. Another one is "Boston & Albany Steam Power" by Richard L. Stoving and Edward L. May from The Railroad Press - softcover 2010. The tracks of the B&A Grand Junction Branch passed through my college campus, and so began my interest...

MELGAR

My only B&A; waiting for @JR Junction Train & Hobby’s custom caboose (coming soon)!

Thanks!

-Mario

Mel, I agree, there's much less B&A stuff out there.  I bought my DVD at the NYCSHS convention when it was in Worcester, so you're right about them being the source of most B&A material.

My interest in B&A developed because I lived near the B&A line in North Grafton, MA, where it connected with the short line Grafton & Upton.  Steam was gone, alas, by the time I could get out on my own, but I saw lots of first gen NYC diesel power.

John

@Dave_C posted:

Mel, nice videos. I noticed your grade crossing sign in the second video. The B&A had similar signs. I made some using a copying machine at work. Can’t remember off hand which book I found it in. I think they came out close to scale just copying the image.  Made the post from basswood and just cut and pasted the paper print on to it and just painted up to the edges. The sign came sort of pre weathered right out of the copier.

Dave,

Your railroad crossing scene and sign are so realistic! Looks like a place in Worcester…

My sign was made from a small kit by Banta Modelworks but I chose not to use the supplied lettering. Instead, I made a text document with the lettering, saved it as a photograph, had it printed on photographic paper, and then glued the pieces to the painted crossbuck. My favorite scene on my model railroad.

MELGAR

Johan, great scene!  I don't know if you have any CP trains, but now you know it fits your ME theme.   Telling you just in case you need an excuse to buy more trains!

John

Great photos and history.

More NH.

@Steam Crazy posted:

Johan, great scene!  I don't know if you have any CP trains, but now you know it fits your ME theme.   Telling you just in case you need an excuse to buy more trains!

John

John,

Thanks. Yes, I have plans to get the some CP trains for my home layout soon as I can build more modules first. I guess no matter how hard I try, there are always new temptations that just cant be resisted.

Johan

Great post Mel. I recently picked up the B&M Ten Wheeler I order but have yet to pick up the older style passenger cars Lionel ran with the Strasburg ones(former MTH tooling). I'm slowly branching out my railroads from the PRR & NYC. I have Mr.Muffins custom Berkshire on order for the B&A, and I have the Lionel New Haven Mohawk waiting for me as well. I just need to grab a New Haven caboose somewhere when I pop to the train store at some point in time.

My 1397 B&M Mogul headed through the elevated bridge and a few pics of NE railroads.

I also have the Lionel Legacy Maine Central 2-8-0 on order - supposed to be here in July.

My K-Line Jet:

One of two (or maybe three) Baldwin Model Locomotive Works EP-3s that I have:

I also have (but not photographed yet) seven NH passenger cars; three K-Line, a Walthers, two unknown, and one scratch or kit built.

Couple of quick pics from my not very  scenic railroad. Many of you guys put me to shame but I’ll post more engines.

the Jet is an MTH PS3 that I recently found on EBAY. Mint and a bargain price

the Mountain is the new Lionel “Mohawk”. Cost an arm and a leg

Sorry everyone I didn’t mean to post 3 videos. I have to get better at this

BEER TRAIN

NH 0-6-0 no. 2334 has picked up a string of Narragansett Beer reefers from the brewery in Providence, RI.  The reefers will be delivered to the Providence classification yard, where they will will be cut into a freight destined for Worcester, MA.  The distributor will deliver them to thirsty Central MA residents.

No. 2334 is an Atlas model converted to MTH PS3.

John

Resuscitated a Lionel 400 (B&O, of course).  Converted it into a B&M, which had one of the largest fleets of the Budd-built RDC's...

Fresh coat of paint, body and chassis.  Re-awakened the horn.  Thoroughly cleaned the drive train.  E-unit worked perfectly.

Modified the interior a bit.  Partitioned off the cab ends and the engineer's compartment.  Added an engineer at both ends.  Kept the 3-bulb lighting and silhouette window treatment.  Those end decals were custom made for me by Bedlam Creations...

Turned out pretty well, methinks.

Fun project.

KD

KD, your project definitely “turned out pretty well”!  I think B&M had more RDC’s than any other RR, maybe a B&M historian out there can confirm that.

John