The Valley Line is based on the New Haven Railroad is route from Old Saybrook northward to Hartford, Connecticut and includes a portion of the New Haven Railroad is famed Shore Line through Old Saybrook as well as a representation of the Airline branch in Middletown. Chris models selected locations along these lines with a high degree of fidelity and this attention to detail also extends to the equipment and the operating schedules, all of which are accurate reproductions of the prototype. The focus is on recreating the day-to-day movement of freight along the picturesque Valley and Airline branches of the NYNH&H Railroad during an autumn day in the late 1940s.
The Valley Branch connects to the Shore Line at Old Saybrook where the centerpiece station and wye are featured. Most passenger trains stop here and then continue to Boston or New York (represented by staging loops). The Branch departs northward from the wye and runs 135 feet, terminating at Hartford staging. Many of the model buildings along the route are faithful recreations of the real structures, some of which still exist in 2022. Chris accurately replicates the prototype track arrangements that were operational in 1948.
The layout was started almost ten years ago. It now occupies three rooms and totals 580 square feet of area. The layout is a walk-around style constructed using L-girder techniques. Turnouts are Micro Engineering Code 70 No. 6. Track is a mixture of Codes 70 and 83. Most turnouts are manually thrown. All turnouts in the Old Saybrook area are powered remotely by Tortoises from a prototype-styled model board. Power and control are furnished by an NCE wireless DCC system.
Scale: HO
Locale: NYNH&H in South-Central Connecticut
Era: 1947-1949
Layout Size: Three rooms totaling 580 sq ft.
Trackage: Codes 70 and 83 laid on cork
Minimum Radius: 24"
Construction: L-girder, foam board
Backdrop: Masonite with vinyl coved corners
Control: NCE DCC
Scenery: Approximately 65% finished
Accessibility: Stairs down to basement
Parking: In driveway and on street
Layout Visits: Yes
Operations Sessions: No
Website: http://www.thevalleylocal.net
