Quebec South Shore Railway - Mark V: Framing a Subject

Once again I'm at it, revising years old layout designs to implement new ideas picked up here and there and based on my experience.

Many years ago, I built an experimental layout based on Quebec South Shore. It was about the end of an semi-abandoned fictive line by the 80s serving a feed mill and some various customers at a team track. It was basically designed on the fly, using track and structures on a baseboard until I got a visually interesting result. It was surprisingly interesting for what it was, but when I tried to expand it, it failed.

Original QSSR with its extension

The failure was simple to understand. It was a matter of outreaching too much. The layout was originally conceived to be a single visual unit about the length of a hollow core door. Now it was two door long. The extra length was necessary as it acted as a staging track and to provide a runaround. However, it was poorly implemented from a visual standpoint.

Fortunately, Neil Schofield has recently posted a lot of pictures of his lovely New England based layout set in the 1980s CP Rail Newport Subdivision. Neil does something not many people do when they think about designed scenery: he hides the trains. Be it behind structures, roads, barns, embankments, cuts, viaduc, he always find a way to create a playful and visually dynamic game of hide and seek. It creates various vantage points that grounds the trains in the topography in a very realistic manner.

Raised foreground enhance the sense of distance (credit: Neil Schofield)

Another source of inspiration has been British modelling. Brits are "blessed" often with ingrate spaces and rooms to build layouts. A strong tradition of dioramas, cameos and self-contained layouts has existed for decades and take advantage of it. The interesting things about their designs is the way they stage their trains and how they enter the layout. Clever use of tunnels, bridges, overpasses and buildings create various scenic dividers. If done well, you end up with an immersive scene that feels like a block sawn out of the real world.

Illusion of depth to frame an entrance (credit: Chris Nevard)

Equipped with these design ideas, I tried to revisit my Quebec South Shore layout again. I also draw inspiration from my various railfanning trips done in New England last year.

The new design is basically what I would call a typical "railway unit" all over North America: a passing track, a siding to a local business, a team track and a depot. Using dimensions from a British chap having built a similar switching layout, I decided to use a 5 x 50ft car long runaround track with a switching lead long enough to not require a cassette. Based on my experience with my previous layout, I decided to base the design on a feed mill/builder supply to provide switching opportunities (I've drawn two sidings but one could suffice). This industry is probably the most ubiquitous along railways and Tom Johnson made a name for himself by simply modelling these all over again. It is also a common occurrence to see such a row of aligned wooden/steel clad structure on rural branch lines.

A staging track lies beyond the overpass (credit: Mike Cawdrey)

Once these basic choices done, I had to take into account two big flaws: create a sense of trains coming from somewhere and hiding how the main line disappear at both end. Here enters Neil Schofield. On my previous layout, there was an overpass with a long road leading to it. It worked well but everything beyond was alien. I had no need for two separate scenes. Thus, it came to me that the track beyond the overpass should be considered staging. When the train is beyond the small overpass, you can't see it anymore. It also creates a sense of distance. However, if you can see directly the train beyond the overpass from the aisle, the effect is lost. Similarly to my East Angus paper mill design, My idea is to make the track curves toward the front and place a forested hill in front of it. Not only it gives a plausible reason for an over pass, but it effectively acts as a visual block.

Revised Quebec South Shore track plan and frame

To some extent, this visual block could be an extended fascia joined with the valence, similarly to how Brits hides their fiddle yards on exhibition layouts. The only view possible would be when standing it the front scene and looking at the curved track disappearing behind the overpass and heavily forested hill. A distant photobackdrop would provide enough deep to enhance the illusion.

At the other end of the layout, the situation is a little bit cramped, but nothing is lost. Here, I would use the tree tunnel tricks. Once again, the foreground trees would be on a small embankment which would hide the track as it hit the wall. An old depot with a road would creates the other side of the "tunnel". Once again, this structure could only be seen from the access road, creating an interesting sense of distance and hiding the fact the poor thing is put against the wall. This structure and background trees would also provide a good way to make the gravel road disappear in a convincing way.

 Caribou, Aroostook County, Maine, October 1940 (source: Jack Delano on Wikipedia)

Once again, as we can see, it is possible to expand a layout operability without overreaching. There is always a danger to add too much and in this case, I believe the focus should stay where the action is: between the access road and the overpass. Visually, it is a 7-8 feet long scene that we can embrace in a single glimpse. As I once said, everything over that length is generally completely lost to our humane senses. It seems to me designing scenes and transitions on a layout must take into account that "visual bubble". 

Also, more layout design ideas will soon be published. These are designs developed during the lockdown and one was commissioned by a regular reader. I think it could be interesting to many people because it basically deal with redesigning an existing layout to improve operations, realism and make place for a more relaxed environment. And don't panic, Hedley-Junction isn't left in rest. A lot of work is happening in Clermont & Wieland and the CN Woodchip Cars are entering their final design phase.

CP Stanbridge Subdivision

Moulée St-Pie's former feed mill burned down last winter...

This weekend, I took Friday off then headed toward the Eastern Township in Southern Quebec to railfan the former CP St. Guillaume Subdivision and Stanbridge Subdivision. Both were abandoned and laying in poor state of disrepair. While there are some talks about CMQ reviving some of them in the future, it seems to be a huge investment for very little profit. Except the large lime plant in Bedford on Stanbridge Subdivision, all other customers are too small or simply out of business.

Vegetation retaking its place near St-Pie bridge

St. Guillaume Subdivision near Abbotsford... yes, it's a track!

Nevertheless, they make for great layout inspiration material and to be honest, they are probably among my favorite CP branchlines in Quebec. Many readers will recall I often drawn plans based on these subdivisions and after finally railfanning them, I'm more than convinced they are top material for modellers.

Farnham station used to be a busy location during MMA's tenure... now a ruin.

What particularly caught my eye was Stanbridge Subdivision. This line was the southern part of a ill-fated and ill-designed railway that were to connect Sorel on the St. Lawrence to Lake Champlain in Philipsburg. Had it been the first in the are to propose this scheme, it could have been profitable, but it was late in the game and competition was fierce. This line ran parallel between two others similar railways that were backed by larger companies and had physical connection to the United States. Worst, they thought shipping and selling hay to New England large towns, New York and Boston would turn enough profit to keep the business afloat... at a time when horse traction was going to be a thing from the past.

As one can predict, this entire scheme quickly crumbled apart and large sections were abandoned, creating a network of small spurs serving areas of interest. As customers went down or moved, the track were pulled. Stanbridge Subdivision which used to be a junction with Central Vermont ended up being a small branch linking the railway hub Farnham to the obscure locality of Stanbridge Station. Once Central Vermont tracks were removed, it was a wye in the middle of nowhere connecting to nothing.

Stanbridge Subdivision enters Bedford in quite a dramatic fashion...

But from a modeller's perspective, these 12 miles of tracks are pure gold. Let's go back to 1980 and imagine an entire subdivision in a small room with all the tracks and customers. In Farnham, the first customer was an apple growers cooperative's warehouse. The track was nested between two large concrete sheds. After running for about 10 miles across the countryside, the line reached Bedford, a small industrial village. There, a runaround and a siding served a mid-sized feed mill and lumber supplies.

J.O. Lévsques feedmill and hardware store still in business and going strong

The feedmill could only handle a car at a time while a small unloading platform was used to receive lumber and other commodities. Back in the days, an oil dealer was also served by the siding, but it was since then derelict and abandoned.

This lot used to be Bedford team track and oil dealer...

Another interesting aspect of Bedford is a weird custom-made grade crossing signal made out of wood, street lamp post and traffic lights. It would make for a great modelling project.

Feed mill siding protected by custom grade crossing signals

A few hundred feet further, the line crossed Corey Brook over a 60ft long and 15ft high wooden trestle.

If it wasn't for topographic maps, I wouldn't have even known a bridge was there...

Then discovered it was a four-pile wooden trestle...

This bridge was the fourth rebuilt of the original bridge... Three rows of rotten piles in the river bed testified about the previous structures standing there.

An interesting detail seldom modelled...

Then, right after the bridge a turnout described a sharp curve leading to a large limestone quarry owned by Gulf Canada. This plant produced lime for industrial and agricultural processes, but also crushed stone for ballast and aggregate. A large amount of hoppers could be seen on the sidings.

This used to be the limestone quarry sidings

Finally, after half a mile, the train reached Stanbridge Station. In the middle of a field was an old wye overgrown by grass and trees. The former passenger depot, now abandoned and in dire state of disrepair was still standing and used as a shed by a local food processor - Champlain Industries -  specialize in soy sauce and soups using the wye tracks as their private siding. It was the proverbial end of steel. There, our locomotive - a mighty CP RS18 with high hood in Multimark paint scheme - would turn around its train before going back to Farnham. Such was life on the Stanbridge Subdivision in these days.

Up to Stanbridge Station rails were removed, but ties stayed in place...

Now, if you ask me how I would tackle such a subject matter, I believe I would try to capture the low density and decrepit nature of the railway. It means most scenes would be rural and oriented toward agriculture and their supporting businesses. In this case, it is interesting to note 3 customers out of 4 are directly involved in sector of activities.

Areas around Bedford reminds me of Tom Johnson's famous INRAIL grade crossings...

Farnham would be staged and only the apple warehouse would be modelled. Then Bedford and Stanbridge Station would be fully represented since it can be done. This would enable the possibility to recreate operations as they were performed by CP Rail.

The layout would be set in autumn, probably late September which would be a great time to model traffic on a rural branchline. Structures would be completely scratchbuilt, with some kitbashes. According to pictures from the late 1970s in Quebec Archives, most of them weren't in the best shape.

Typical consists would have between 3 to 7 cars at most. Operation would be light yet diversified. I've come to the conclusion covered hoppers, open hoppers, gondolas, flat cars, boxcars, insulated boxcars, reefers, tank cars and stock cars could all have been frequent visitors. Some industries would see frequent switching such as the limestone quarry and food processor, while others would be less frequent. It means not all trains would have to go Stanbridge Station... or serve Farnham and Bedford.

In terms of operation, the layout would be quite enough to run 30-45 minutes long solo sessions while being possible to operate in tandem. An extra serving the quarry could be also a possibility.

Motive power would be provided by MLW RS3 and RS18.

Finally, due to the geometry of the room, it could be possible to use the staging cassette as a bridge to perform continuous running. While accessory, it is always nice to railfan one's own trains.

Conclusion:

My Quebec South Shore Railway project was always about modelling a decaying CP branchline... particularly one that was pruned down and which end of steel was a sea of grass... Interestingly enough, Stanbridge Subdivision embodies all these aspects without resorting to fantasy. So far, I consider it another step toward my initial vision.

Refining the Track Plan

Last Friday could be considered a fruitless evening because we didn't permanently attach track, however, it would be a preposterous claim in fact.

It was an occasion to set tracks on the benchwork in their planned location and see if things could be improved from a visual perspective but also for operation. Sometimes you move a track half an inch and get a totally different result.

It was also a good occasion to decide where and how the structures would be. The feedmill will be framed on the layout in such a fashion we will be able to include the very photogenic 1950s store brick facade. A few houses will also be scratchbuilt to better grasp the feeling of a small rural town in Southern Quebec.

The next step will be to fix permanently the tracks and tackle the Central Valley double span truss bridge that is quite a challenge in itself. Bridge piers and abutments will probably be 3D printed according to prototype.

St-Pie Layout Greenlighted

Some progresses occurred during the last weekend about the St-Pie Layout as we shall call it now. A few prerequisite conditions had to be met before we ever ventured into this project, namely finding suitable motive power. A successful trip to Van Horne Hobby in Laval, QC, last Saturday helped us secure a brand new Atlas B39-8 in LMX scheme equipped with a very old original QSI sound decoder… While the paint scheme will require some touch up to match prototype pictures, this is an excellent start for a project.

Once we got the locomotive, we bought a few grain hoppers to complete the fleet. Before visiting hobby shops all over Montreal area, we made sure to survey every rolling stock that could be seen on MMA St-Guillaume subdivision’s pictures. Grain hoppers are costly and we only wanted to purchase relevant material that characterized the road.

A few other items were also acquired, including a pair of Central Valley 150ft Pratt Truss bridges, a Lonestart grain semi-trailer and rooftop details for the future scratchbuilt grain elevators. In that respect, we now have everything on hands to make this project real.

NEW PARAMETERS

Meanwhile, Jérôme has been fiddling with the track plan a little bit over the last week. I certainly think mocking up the layout on the floor was a great thing. While I’m a big fan of over-designing track plans, I know too well scene composition and operation must be tested in real life before committing to a final plan.

Using Google Earth and a measuring tape, Jérôme found out St-Pie runaround could only handle two grain cars at once. Yes, you read well… two cars in 2010. That may sound ridiculous, but it seems MMA deemed it was enough for their needs which is ideal for a small layout. Peculiar operation patterns are bound to happen. This discovery also has an unexpected impact on scene composition. Initially, we placed the grain elevators too far apart. But now, they are closer on the layout, making for a much interesting scene framed by two tall structures. It also means the lead track on the left side is now much longer, which is indeed a positive development.

Finally, another parameter surfaced: the layout must be fully independent from the walls (supported only by legs) and modular for ease of transportation is a move is required. I don’t see it as a constraint since it will be easier to build each module in the workshop and do the messy work there.

So now it’s time to rip some wood and assemble the benchwork… Meanwhile, back to Hedley Junction where I still have a lot to do!

QSSR Mark IV - St-Guillaume Subdivision - MMA

When my friend Jérôme told me last summer operating Harlem Junction wasn’t very practical given his available space and time, we started to discuss what could be an interesting small layout that would capture prototypical operation, be visually engaging, relatively simple to build and manage. On top of the list was also minimal track maintenance and ease of staging impromptu operating sessions lasting anything between 30 minutes up to one hour. It is also interesting to note he favors short trains with a branchline flavour, which is quite useful for our purpose.

While these parameters are rather simple, they can make or break a deal quickly. Unreliable electrical pickup and too much track to clean can easily turn a nice idea in a nightmare. We’ve all experimented how small electrical failures can sour the most optimistic operator on earth, particularly when dealing with low speed switching. Furthermore, the more complex a layout is, the harder it comes to stage efficiently and quickly an operation session. This is another deterrent that should never be underestimated in the context of short solo operation.

A Premise

Jérôme being a real life railroader, he likes to take up operation challenges and find ways to accomplish a task. But don’t be fooled, it’s not a matter of complexity for the sake of it such as a switching puzzle like John Allen’s Timesaver. He prefers situation when you have to perform optimal moves given normal life limitation just as real railroads do. His request was timely because at the time, I was exploring ideas for a small HO layout at home based upon the same general ideas.

What’s interesting with Jérôme is that he knows what he wants, what works for him and what doesn’t bring him fun. For years, he bothered with grain cars until I built a large replica of Quebec City’s Bunge (now G3) elevator. It was a few weeks before we changed the club layout focus and thus, our grain cars never saw action since we purchased them.

It is also interesting to note Jérôme operates frequently our layout (and others too) which helped him to shape his personal approach to model railroader. It means he won’t ask for impossible things and knows how much action he can expect from a given design. It’s not a matter of speculation but rather taking decision based on experience.

A Prototype

Since last summer, I’ve been exploring the possibility to replicate a stretch of ex-CP track that was operated by the ill-fated Montreal Maine & Atlantic Railway in the 2000s in Saint-Pie, QC. Called the St-Guillaume Subdivision, it used to link Stanbridge, Farnhman and St-Hyacinthe. What MMA operated was only a remnant of yet another former grandiloquent 19^th century trunk line linking the St. Lawrence River and the United States to bring hay on New York City markets. It was destined to fail, which took about 150 year to happen.

The last Quebec South Shore Railway project was indeed based on St-Pie which is a small rural community with a feed mill and an impressive concrete grain elevator. This prototype is interesting because it is really focussed in terms of traffic, rolling stock and industries, while being easy to replicate in HO scale in a very standard spare bedroom. Among the prototype chief features are a nice Pratt truss double span bridge, a weed-infested right of way, short siding and a passing track that can barely hold more than 5 grain cars. If you add to that a sharp 90 degrees bend, you get something that can be reasonably be modeled without too much compromise.
 

St-Pie, QC (courtesy Google Earth)

You can have a better appreciation of the prototype with these excellent pictures shot by fellow railfans Jean-François Dumont and Frank Jolin before the line demise.

St-Pie large concrete elevator

MMA train switching Moulée St-Pie Inc.feed mill - Part 1

MMA train switching Moulée St-Pie Inc. feed mill - Part 2

MMA double span bridge over Rivière Noire (Black River)

More switching in St-Pie

Most of you can recall I mentioned last summer I had another layout concept in mind that I would like to share with you. It was this project. A few reasons prompted me to develop this idea beyond just wanting to model Southern Quebec.

While Harlem Station is a neat layout, it proved to be quite overwhelming to operate for a single person, namely Jérôme. It also takes up a lot of space in his office room, making it not the best way to optimize available space. Furthermore, most of the time, you want to operate about 45 minutes or 1 hour, maybe less. Harlem Station is quite complex, but a small rural community is something you can interact with on a more frequent basis. Lance Mindheim often advocated smaller layouts were indeed more engaging to operate regularly. I fully agree with him, knowing how much my original QSSR layout has been to operate. When you put all that together, it’s no wonder I believe Jérôme deserves a layout better suited to his need.

St-Pie is thus interesting because it was located on a short branchline connecting St-Hyacinthe and Farnham, two large railway hubs in Southern Quebec. It served several farming communities along the road, including several grain elevator and feed mill. In fact, it was almost exclusively a grain hauling line. Pictures and railfanning trips helps us to understand trains were short, very short, often between 5 to 15 cars, but generally closer to five than fifteen. It was often operated with quite weathered and faded ex-LMX GE B39-8s.

Another interesting aspect of this prototype is how it is naturally framed in such a way it is visually interesting. You’ll notice most of the action is near the layout center portion which is well-framed by the bridge and the smaller feed mill. Track ends are also hidden in tree tunnels that are a both end of the layout, making for a natural way to hide them without complex contraptions.

From an operation standpoint, the line can be operated westbound or eastbound. According to Jérome’s recollections and pictures, St-Pie’s customers were all switched on northbound and southbound trips. This is interesting, because it meant the runaround had to be used half of the time. Better, that passing track was often clogged with extra cars waiting to be spotted. No need to say what seems to be a very simplistic layout can quickly turn out to be more than meets the eye.

A Project

To test the idea, we decided to “draw” the layout benchwork on the floor with masking tape. It was the best way to fine tune how track and structures would work together. Using turnouts, flextrack and foamcore structures, it also helped to compose scenes in a way they will look better and more realistic. Let’s be honest, you can fiddle with 2D and 3D planning all you want, but at the end of the day, scene composition has to be in real. With scale model or full scale. Somehow, perception with our eyes always differs from virtual perspectives. Though my training as an architect helps me to anticipate how things look in real life, it’s always a tricky exercise. Better work with real stuff, particularly when the design process has an artistic nature. Picture's subpar quality is due to a serious lack of adequate lighting in the room (which will have to be addressed when building the layout).

 

As for the layout itself, it will be built in three modules (left, corner and bridge) supported by legs. Since we hardly know the wall composition and don’t want to risk messing up with insulation and air barrier (this is a basement after all), making a self-supporting shelf isn’t the best solution in our case. Since Saint-Pie is a relatively flat “urban” setting, a flat benchwork will be more than enough. Water putty, papier-mâché mud and other such products will be used to add some relief to the scene. Noteworthy, MMA track was buried in the ground with almost no ballast remaining in sight. It was a common occurrence on MMA trackage, which was generally plagued with serious speed limitations. While a serious issue on the prototype, this makes our benchwork and track laying process simpler. I certainly wish to build up on experience gained when add ballast and weed to Villeneuve yard recently.

Overall, this layout is quite focussed yet has some interesting challenges. The project small scale make it suitable to hone my scenery and structure building skills while providing Jérôme with something he can be proud of. To my knowledge, nobody ever attempted to create a MMA layout and given the company’s abject reputation after Lac-Mégatic events, it’s arguably everything except a popular road. That said, it still has a lot of character from a modelling standpoint, which is why I think the St-Guillaume Subdivision is worth a try.

Track plan with real structures

Help Needed - In Search of... Motive Power

By the way, we are actively looking for an Atlas HO LMX GE B39-8 (or B-40) with the red nose to operate this layout. They are quite hard to source, but I wouldn't be surprised some are sitting indefinitely on collectors' shelves or in unsold inventory. If you have any information regarding that model, let me know!

Notice

I’m not planning to turn this project into a regular feature of this blog. Coverage will be sparse and it’s not my goal to unveil it until it reaches a level of completion I’m proud of..

Back to the Basement

After a few days, I decided to cleanup the basement and make room for working on the module. After clearing the workshop, I was able to set the layout on a table to be accessible from all side while working out the wiring and lighting.

Over the years, I found out the working condition and location have a huge impact on my motivation. Poor lighting and cluttered rooms aren't winning condition and they quickly wear off enthusiasm. For this reason, the module is now resting on a table and can be worked on while sitting comfortably on a chair. That makes tedious or precise work more enjoyable to perform.

Meanwhile, I've been looking  for pictures of St-Pie on railpictures.net. Friend Jean-François Dumont and well-known photographer Frank Jolin published many pictures of the last years of operation under MMA tenure. It is truly fascinating and inspiring. The short but colorful grain trains are quite a sight, including the MMA locomotives which would be nice weathering projects in themselves.

MMA 8569 (train 811) ready to switch St-Pie
MMA 8546 (train 811) passing by Moulée St-Pie Inc.
MMA 8546 (train 811) switching St-Pie grain elevator

MMA 8569 (train 811) pulling a few cars near Canrobert Station

Pictures also give a glimpse at how operations were handled. It appears Moulée St-Pie was switched at the same time as the other town elevator by the train bound to Farnham (East side). On the other hand, for the sake of visual interest, I planned to switch the layout from the west. My motivation was because the grain elevator better frame the scene from that side and there is also a loading/unloading door on the warehouse which adds a second car spot to the layout. If switched from the east, this part of the layout wouldn’t be easily accessible or visible.

Funny to see how real-life operations, again, change my perception of a scene. To decide, I will have to build a grain elevator mockup and move things around until I find what fits best my space. Also, problem such as backdrop and roads can be tricky and kill the illusion.

Space VS Place

The layout benchwork is complete and it was time to move it in my office. It now sat on a small shelf, at a comfortable height to operate when I'm sitting on my chair. For the first time, I can now start to see the project from the intended perspective...

Before building anything, I still have to install LED strips and prepare some conduits to operate accessories. Installing the NCE Power Cab module is also an important future step. I generally have a tendency to neglect the mechanical aspect of my home layouts and it's a good occasion to do it right.

But there is more than mechanical and electrical components involved. As said by Marty McGuirk recently, a layout should tell a story, whatever it is... and a story doesn't need to be complicated and convoluted to be compelling. I'd like to come up with a big one for the feedmill, but it is mundane. All we know is that a medium-sized feed mill in an average rural town gets a few loads per week. The train serving the town is minimal, slow and somewhat lazy. There isn't a lot of job to do and you do it according to the rules. Since there's no hurry here, better safe than sorry.

Going so minimal may shake one's confidence because we are used to try to justify everything when building and describing a layout. Be assured I freaked out at some point and had to fight the urge to add a proverbial team track to the layout. Fortunately, I put that idea aside, preferring to stay true to the prototype. That layout isn't about "operation" but about switching a few cars at a rural feed mill in late summer under the harsh sun at the height of the day. That's the story. Once you know that, you can start to frame and build up the layout according to your vision.

I've also came to the realisation I should stop to think small layouts are a transitory step before reaching the dream layout stage. I probably will never have the space to make anything significant in term of rail miles. But I know for sure trains are fun to watch, even from a single spot. Railfanning every grade crossings at the speed of light in car isn't as impressive as waiting that moment of the day when you hear the whistle and come see the action. It's no longer a matter of space, but rather a matter of place... In that regard, small layouts are better at framing a place because we focus our effort on what counts rather than compromise while trying to fit as much as we can. And don't get me wrong, a place don't necessarily needs to be minuscule to be modelled... it is independant from the space available.

How will that translate on the QSSR? I've got no idea, but I know I already framed the place where the story is told... all the rest is a matter of development and directing. And that's the moment I'll see if I can transcend my modelling skills and start painting on a canvas.