# New Engalnd themed question



## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

New on these boards and getting back into model trains, I am starting work on a New England layout (mostly Mass, NH, Maine, Vermont themed), running a New Hampshire Northcoast with the sand pit and will prob expand to the Boston Sand and Gravel. I also have a Amtrak Downeaster for passenger service, but my question is what else could I run in the form of freight. I'm debating between New England Central or Guilford (MEC) or could be open to another short line. Any ideas or suggestions welcomed


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

Well being in NH at the moment myself LOL there is Pan-Am/ Guilford, Vermont Railway, Central Vermont, could add a tourist railroad for fun like the Hobo Railroad or Conway Scenic. I believe there are a couple short lines in Maine that are also plausible. New Englad cetral would be nice for the vibrant colors they use on their engines


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## rrgrassi (May 3, 2012)

What about the New York, New Haven and Connecticut Line? Delaware & Hudson? The BAR, and Maine Central? The Boston and Maine? How about the Wild Mary and the MA & PA?

Man, you are going to have some fun!!


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

sawgunner said:


> Well being in NH at the moment myself LOL there is Pan-Am/ Guilford, Vermont Railway, Central Vermont, could add a tourist railroad for fun like the Hobo Railroad or Conway Scenic. I believe there are a couple short lines in Maine that are also plausible. New Englad cetral would be nice for the vibrant colors they use on their engines


Being from NH I have a soft spot for the Hobo and Conway Scenic but I love the look of Amtrak. When I can expand and have a larger room I plan to add one as well. I like the different engines on the NEC as well, I like the repainted Union Pacific's


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

they got a few BNSF pumpkins as well. I think they are GP38's or 40's


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

rrgrassi said:


> What about the New York, New Haven and Connecticut Line? Delaware & Hudson? The BAR, and Maine Central? The Boston and Maine? How about the Wild Mary and the MA & PA?
> 
> Man, you are going to have some fun!!


I think thats my issue so many options!


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

are you looking to stick to a certain era? NHN started running in 1991 and Amtrak made it's way up here in 2003-5 so that kinda limits ya if you are


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

marti427 said:


> I also have a Amtrak Downeaster for passenger service, but my question is what else could I run in the form of fright.



I am guessing that you meant Freight right?

You do know that freight cars got around, on my RR I got box cars from all over the country running here in the Northeast. 
Some even from Canada. 
It may not be right but it is my RR.


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

sawgunner said:


> are you looking to stick to a certain era? NHN started running in 1991 and Amtrak made it's way up here in 2003-5 so that kinda limits ya if you are


2003-2005 is the era I was looking at because that was before Guilford was changed to the Pan Am Railway


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

big ed said:


> I am guessing that you meant Freight right?
> 
> You do know that freight cars got around, on my RR I got box cars from all over the country running here in the Northeast.
> Some even from Canada.
> It may not be right but it is my RR.


Guess that's why my English teachers always hated me but I know the NEC runs some CN, CSX, Wisconsin Central, and the old Vermont Central box cars. So I think my main issue is not cars but what diesel unit to run on it.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Oh I thought you meant running freight cars.

Throw some names here, (Straight from wiki) 
New Hampshire trains. 



Claremont & Concord Railroad (CCRR)
Green Mountain Railroad (GMRC)
Milford-Bennington Railroad Company, Inc. (MBRX)
New England Central Railroad (NECR)
New England Southern Railroad (NEGS)
New Hampshire Central Railroad (NHCR)
New Hampshire Northcoast Corporation (NHN)
Pan Am Railways via subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway (ST)
St. Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad (SLR)


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_New_Hampshire_railroads




But you want only trains from 2003-2005?


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## sawgunner (Mar 3, 2012)

big ed said:


> Oh I thought you meant running freight cars.
> 
> Throw some names here, (Straight from wiki)
> New Hampshire trains.
> ...


last i checked these were no more


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

Not a direct answer to your question, but consider incorporating a Hoosac tunnel / portals into your layout! It would "ring" New England freight ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoosac_Tunnel

http://www.hoosactunnel.net/

TJ


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## cv_acr (Oct 28, 2011)

marti427 said:


> Guess that's why my English teachers always hated me but I know the NEC runs some CN, CSX, Wisconsin Central, and the old Vermont Central box cars. So I think my main issue is not cars but what diesel unit to run on it.


Just as a side note, Wisconsin Central, BC Rail, Illinois Central, Grand Trunk, Central Vermont and Duluth Winnipeg and Pacific are all owned by CN (and would be in your 2003 time period as well) so cars from these railroads can all be considered CN cars in terms of operations.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Marti how about a shortline to the Cape? During your period of time they shipped sand from the Cape,tankers with cranberry juice from Ocean Spray,fish from Buzzards Bay to Boston and NYC and they have a garbage train that goes from the Cape to Boston several times a month like they don't have enough garbage in Boston already. HA! Then there are the tourist trains that operate from Buzzards Bay to Hyannis daily in the summer. Lots of train stuff there including the train bridge over the canal in Buzzards Bay. Pete


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## PRR975 (May 5, 2012)

I thought it might be nice to know that only Bachmann has made a New England Central in one type (GP38-2). It might be difficult to find other NEC locos, so I would suggest Guilford/B&M/MEC or another major one. It can be a pain to fill a layout with very few options (I had a NCSTL 2-10-0 and only after mcuh searching and some luck did i find a matching box car that was not ridiculously expensive)


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

tjcruiser- had never thought about that but It would be fitting, thanks.

cv_acr- thanks, gives me some more options for cars

norgale- never thought about that, could also run a Norfolk Southern unit considering they take oil often from Maine to New York.

PRR975- I saw the NEC units on ebay missed out on a pretty cheap one the other day but gonna try to find another. The thing I like about the NEC line is I can buy Union Pacific units paint over the logos and add a NEC letting to the sides and easily have different units, they also lease from RailAmerica and I have found a decal set if I wanted to run one on there as well. But I like how the NEC looks with the UP units.

Thanks to all for the responses you've been very helpful, any other suggestions are still welcomed!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

Just get what ever diesels you want and custom paint them with the names off your choice.


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## mgwsy (Aug 14, 2012)

marti427 said:


> New on these boards and getting back into model trains, I am starting work on a New England layout (mostly Mass, NH, Maine, Vermont themed), running a New Hampshire Northcoast with the sand pit and will prob expand to the Boston Sand and Gravel. I also have a Amtrak Downeaster for passenger service, but my question is what else could I run in the form of freight. I'm debating between New England Central or Guilford (MEC) or could be open to another short line. Any ideas or suggestions welcomed


Being an NECR Employee I can say that there is an assortment of power now and pretty soon it will all get the G&W paint job but you can see many pics I took back in the day when it was OK to use a camera at work. Also don't forget the Vermonter for Amtrak service on the NECR and MBTA on PAR. As for freight cars I can say there are a lot of boxcars, lumber flats, slurry tanks, and then misc freight along with occasional unit trains of ethanol and coal. If you have any questions just ask or EMail me at [email protected]

http://mgwsy.smugmug.com/Trains/NECR


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

mgwsy said:


> Being an NECR Employee I can say that there is an assortment of power now and pretty soon it will all get the G&W paint job but you can see many pics I took back in the day when it was OK to use a camera at work. Also don't forget the Vermonter for Amtrak service on the NECR and MBTA on PAR. As for freight cars I can say there are a lot of boxcars, lumber flats, slurry tanks, and then misc freight along with occasional unit trains of ethanol and coal. If you have any questions just ask or EMail me at [email protected]
> 
> http://mgwsy.smugmug.com/Trains/NECR


Man I envy you, that must be a great job! How long you been there? I hate to see them going to the G&W paint jobs, do you know how soon that will be or a process over time?


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## mgwsy (Aug 14, 2012)

Been employed there since 2002 and as far as power goes it is getting shuffled around as it gets rebuilt and painted which will be a long process. The CSOR recieved a new loco recently which was Ex NECR 3849 and almost all of the GE B39-8's are gone fom CSO . Here is a pic of the rebuilt unit.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

WOW! That's a great looking paint scheme. Anybody who doesn't see that coming just isn't alive. Ha! 
Since Connecticut is the Nutmeg state I assume that's a Nutmeg tree in the logo. Pete


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## mgwsy (Aug 14, 2012)

norgale said:


> WOW! That's a great looking paint scheme. Anybody who doesn't see that coming just isn't alive. Ha!
> Since Connecticut is the Nutmeg state I assume that's a Nutmeg tree in the logo. Pete


I think thats what it is, more pics of the loco here http://mgwsy.smugmug.com/Trains/Connecticut-Southern-RR/CSOR-2021-GW-Paint-03-11-2013


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

I'm pretty sure that's the Connecticut "Charter Oak" tree in the logo ... official tree of CT. Same as on the new quarter coin. It lived to be over 200 years old.

http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/Connecticut/TreeWhiteOak.html

TJ


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## marti427 (Feb 18, 2013)

Thanks to everyone who replied and to mgwsy for the photos (I may message you for a little more info about the daily trips). I have decided to focus majorly on the New England Central and have the old Guilford Rail and New Hampshire Northcoast secondary. I like the different engines and options I have with the NEC where NHN deals mostly with sand.


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Looks like your right about the Oak TJ. The picture of the Oak in the fall on the link is beautiful. Maybe Nutmeg doesn't even grow on a tree at all. I'll have to look that one up. Thanks for the link. Pete


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## nearboston (Dec 19, 2013)

I'd like to resurrect this thread to see how the OP is progressing, and ask a question.

I am thinking about beginning the planning (lol) of an MBTA Commuter layout representing a portion of the Haverhill line. To that end I am looking for commuter coaches, and thus far have found only the Walthers brand of the latest Kawasaki bi-level cars.

Is there any other brands of single level Pullman commuter rail coaches? I don't necessarily need exact reproductions, but would like something close. 

Thanks in advance


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## blackz28 (Jan 6, 2013)

yea I am curious also since I used to live in new hampshire


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## norgale (Apr 4, 2011)

Look on ebay for RDC-3. I think they ran all over NE for commuter cars. Pete


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