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NEW YORK CENTRAL SYSTEM - APALACHIN DIVISION


The NYC - Apalachin Division has retreated into history.  Family circumstances resulted in the dismantling of the layout and exit from the O-scale side of the hobby.  A small HO layout is being constructed though it will be used primarily as a testing, DCC decoder programming and tuning environment for equipment that will be operated on the Apple Valley Model Railroad Club's layout at the depot in Hendersonville, NC.  Check out their website at www.avmrc.com.


The current NYC Apalachin Division is the fourth 2-rail O-scale layout I've built since switching from HO scale.  It occupies an area of 22' x 40'.  It's worth noting that basements are rare in western NC.  So when we were house hunting several years ago, we didn't have to look at too many houses, much to my spouse's chagrin.  The original O-scale layout was an 'L' shaped shelf layout build just to get my feet wet in 2-rail O-scale.  It was friend and well known modeler and author (RMC, MR), Chuck Yungkurth, who suggested the scale change when my interest in HO began flagging over a decade ago.  It was followed by a smallish - by O-scale standards - layout with an out-and-back track plan.  I learned the hard way about tight radii and steep grades - they don't work any better in O than HO.  So the third incarnation was built with retirement and moving in mind.  It was a cross between completely modular and simply sectional  It moved relatively easily to NC with us.  Unfortunately, while I was able to set up the layout in the basement of this house we bought, perimeter access was unacceptably limited and it wasn't particularly conducive to the expansion I desired.  Interestingly, I sold the layout on eBay. 

Now we're into the sixth year of construction, as I said, on the fourth (and hopefully last) edition of the NYC Apalachin Division.  Apalachin, NY, is in the Susquehanna River Valley of New York's southern tier, between Elmira and Binghamton.  In real life, this area has been served by the Erie, Lackawanna, EL, Conrail, D&H, CSX and other railroads.  However, the NYC was relatively nearby in Syracuse and Elmira.  So the fiction I created was that the NYC bought the Lackawanna line from Elmira, through Sayre, PA, to Owego, Apalachin, Binghamton and ultimately to New York City.  And rather than simply existing as a small town along the way, Apalachin became a significant destination in its own right, with yards and engine servicing facilities.  And (really stretching logic) there was also access to rail car carrying ferries on the Susquehanna River.  Lastly, since I like passenger trains, they have a prominent place in my fiction.  Since one can make up any story s/he wants as a backdrop for his railroad, I also incorporate a small branch line supposedly running into central NY state where coal was supposedly found.  That provides the rationale for the coal drags I like to run.

The time frame of the layout is mid-1950's, simply because I like (and remember as a child) both late steam and early diesels on the NYC.  The track plan is basically a double track oval with a branch line and a fairly large stub yard - over 500 feet of code 125 nickle silver flex track from Old Pullman.  There are around 50 turnouts - numbers 5, 6 and 8 - on the layout, also from Old Pullman.  About half were pre-assembled and the remainder were kits I handlaid the track for.  All the O-scale layouts I've built have been powered by Digitrax DCC using their R/C throttles.  The control and sound features available with DCC are something I now take for granted and greatly miss when visiting layouts still running straight DC.  Click here to look at some pictures of the layout.

Trackwork on the layout is essentially complete.  The scenery is about 2/3 complete and there are a number of structures to build, especially the engine facilities (roundhouse, turntable).  At present all the turnout are thrown via ground throws.  However, eventually I'd like to use Tortoise machines controlled from the throttles - a time consuming and expensive future project.  I like to think the grim reaper will give me the time to complete the project.

The locomotives on the layout are from Atlas O, Weaver and Sunset/3rd Rail.  They all run well and have DCC motor and sound decoders installed.  Included are a pair of RS-1, GP-7, E-7A/B, F-2 A/B, SW8, GP-9, Consolidation (2-8-0), Berkshire (2-8-4), Hudson (4-6-4), Mohawk (4-8-2) and Niagara (4-8-4).  Rolling stock is mostly Atlas O, Intermountain, Weaver, Red Caboose and Golden Gate Depot.

Arrangements to visit the layout can be made by contacting me at the e-mail address below.


Last Updated: April 5, 2013
This page is written and maintained Bob Barnes, rbarnes@bellsouth.net