its all in the details

[pdlethbridge]

Being retired gives me the time to research my favorite railroads, B&M and MEC. As I'm in the scenic stage of my shelf layout, that research is paying off in details, details, details. For instance, some engine facilities with a turntable and roundhouse did not always have coal and sand facilities. Reading had a 8 stall roundhouse, a powered turntable, 4 55 gal drums of bearing lube ( an engineer has to keep his oil can full)  and a water tower. 

If you notice, the B&M also painted the lower sections of buildings and structures white, apparently for safety.
Stonham had no roundhouse, but they had an armstrong turntable and water. Stonham And Reading are each less than 20 miles to Boston, so they could do their servicing there These lines were heavy commuter lines.

In this N&W photo look at the wealth of details such as the spots of sand all along the near track. Buckets, people, buildings wires. etc etc etc

[Guilford Guy]

...and now I get to rant about the Lexington Branch.
The Lexington branch had 2 turntables although rarely if ever used in the modern steam era. One was located at the coal company at Arlington Heights which from one source I have heard was the end of the double trackage on the branch, but I believe the double track went all the way to Lexington. In Lexington there was a small turntable suitable for Little Americans in the late 19th, early 20th centuries. Out in Bedford at the Passenger Terminus of the Branch(Until 1962 one line extended towards Concord, and another to the B&M's Billerica shops. The Billerica Branch was home to the "Train to Nowhere," A local freight that ran up the line, and came down B&M's Lowell line, never returning on the rails it went northwards.) there was a Wye and 3 Stall engine house. This is also the location of the first US Narrow Gauge Steam Railway.
B&M 4 Ever!

[jsmvmd]

Dear Paul,

Very nice, indeed!  Was recently at the EBT for their Fall Spectacular and saw similar stuff.  Can get you some pix and videos of No. (15?) coming into the roundhouse if you are interested.  Or I could post them here if anyone would like.  Please let me know.

Best Wishes,

Jack

[pdlethbridge]

Why don't you post the pics for everyone.

[r.cprmier]

PdLethbridge:
When I was a boy, my grandparents lived on Brattle St. in Arlington Heights.  Down by the brook, there was an overpass, and I spent a lot of time down there (to Memere's consternation).  Having done so, got a chance to see the steam commuters running up to Lexington.  If I remember correctly, one of them was painted red!  It could have just been the cab, but I think the whole thing was.  That was 55 years ago, so the ravages of time, booze, etc... 
That trackage there was, I believe, a single track line.  That having been said, was that before or after that little yard at Arlington?

You know, that little two-stall roundhouse really caught my fancy.  What a neat little structure!  I am surprised that Sellios hasn't done anything with that building; I think a lot of modellers would buy it.  That turntable was an armstrong type?

[pdlethbridge]

I don't think any steam was red but their rs3's were. Those Boston commuter lines seem to have had a train about every 6 minutes until the morning rush was over. the afternoon rush was the same in reverse. Locals to and from Boston ran all day but were hourly during the off peak hours. The flying yankee ran through Melrose, my home town, when I was a boy, and I got to see a lot of Maine Central and B&M mixed passenger going to and from Boston. Freight did run, but mostly at night. I would go up to Franklin street and visit with the gate tender. He would raise and lower the gates when his alarm went off. He had counter weights available for when he added kerosene burning lanterns in the evening. If I'm not mistaken, there were 4 gates there.
Also got a chance to see 3713 make her last run, Both ways. Boy, was she moving!

[Guilford Guy]

B&M had 2 painted pacifics. One- The Peter Cooper, was a purplish-bluish color with white black and red highlights. The Other- The Flying Yankee(not the streamliner) was painted a rich green color. IHC makes a generic model of the Peter Cooper, and a man who builds Huge scale models of B&M steam built a model of the Flying Yankee.

[r.cprmier]

I don't know where the "red" came from-maybe the cab roof or a new paint job going on and they needed the loco becore the final paint went on.  There's a prototype for everything, so they say...

Up in Waterville, new Hampshire, there is a consolidation in the middle of town painted green ( last time I saw it) and in dire need of re-glazing work on the cab windows.

RIch