Dresden Valley Railroad - A new scenic small layout

[stagecoachdriverdave]

About a month ago I decided I wanted to create a small, fictional but high detailed scene. The result was the Dresden Valley Railroad which in its current state is about 65% complete.

The setting is late October in the small town of Stone Acre, situated on a bend in the fictional Dresden Creek, bordering Pennsylvania and Maryland.

The town once featured two railroad running through it, a well used branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad running from York to Chambersburg PA. The other was a Spur of the Western Maryland from the main Hagerstown - Thurmont MD route, which joined the PRR branch just north of Stone Acre.
Today only the PRR route survives, now seeing one or two dailys from CSX.
The Western Maryland trackage has been left to rot but a small 1.5 mile section from the Old Main St depot in Stone Acre, south, has been resurrected by volunteers as a heritage operation.

An overview of Stone Acre, with Dresden Creek in the center, the CSX, Ex PRR trackage to the right and the Old WM spur just beyond the chimney smoke.

A view down Main St from the Creek, with the Dresden Creek RR excursion navigating the old WM xing.

Former WM Main St Depot, now home to the DCRR group of Volunteers.

The DCRR stabling area and truck depot behind the main st shops. Some equipment belonging to the DCRR are visible stored on the old main towards the PRR junction. The track in the foreground features the DCRR locomotive "shed and repair shop".

A little further up the old main, it crosses route 22 out of town before crossing the creek to join the PRR. This section is totally abandoned.

To be continued...

 

[WCL]

WOW....That looks like an amazing lil fall route...I love how ya have that setting and very nicely done :Y:

Cant wait to see more pix :wave:

Keep up the good work :Y:

 

[ish6]

Yeah, wow indeed! Very detail!!!

 

[Kon1786]

WOW....That looks like an amazing lil fall route...I love how ya have that setting and very nicely done :Y:

Cant wait to see more pix :wave:

Keep up the good work :Y:

X2

in the 1st Pic are them trees in the distance a back drop?

 

[sirrliv]

Oh wow! This is actually quite lovely! Well done, mate. From the looks of it, I'd guess that this route is shaping up to rival even the works of the legendary gfisher, who is, in my eyes at least, the single best layout builder TRS has to offer.

 

[dmdrake]

Very nice!

Well balanced scenery. Just right!

Dave :wave:

 

[picture]

May I ask where the coaches in the third picture are available at?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[MountE]

Reminds of the area around Turmont. A favorite drive of mine is Tutmont to Cascade on Md550 and back across Catoctin Mt. Heading back to Baltimore I tend to follow a road that parells the old main to Westminster. For a good part it has a steam and a railline on the other side of the steam.

Even as fiction you have caught the area nicely.

MountE

 

[UP5521]

Wow,that is amazing!

 

[cascaderailroad]

Holy Schmoke...This route reminds me of a real life area caled Bellefonte Pa...I am taking notes on how you are doing, what you do !
This route has a real life feel to it !

Is this 04, 06, or 09 version ?

I especially like the screenshot size 1023 x 524 format...I am using them as a very pleasing desktop background on my PC.

 

[stagecoachdriverdave]

May I ask where the coaches in the third picture are available at?

Thanks,
Matt

The cars are on the DLS under PRR Combine, although the originals are a little too bright in my opinion, I darkened mine a bit, so they may seem a little redder.

in the 1st Pic are them trees in the distance a back drop?

Nope, all individually placed.

Is this 04, 06, or 09 version ?

Created in 09.

Some more pics:

Main St Depot

The excursion heads south out of town.

The train passes Randolph Farm, the trackwork is visibly not up to standard, as is the case with many small heritage operations.

The rails follow the road around a slight S curve around an outcrop in the hill.

The rails leave the side of the road as the valley opens out.

Anyone want to live here?

The train arrives at its destination at Adams Pines.

Maybe someday the DCRR will gain the funds to continue further down the abandoned track.

Thanks for the comments guys,

Still more to come...

 

[UP5521]

Nice set of fall shots!

 

[cascaderailroad]

OK...Might I ask just how you being so far away in the UK, are doing such a fine job on a PRR type route...You must be doing alot of research...I am in total awe ! Your screenshots have a real feel !

 

[MountE]

You see a lot of barns like that in southern Pa. and Maryland.

Just wonderful.

MountE

 

[mikelj001]

That a really nice job on that detail

 

[WCL]

Yes indeed, the nice detail is OUTSTANDING!!!!!! :Y:


Keep up the good work :Y:


:wave:

 

[stagecoachdriverdave]

OK...Might I ask just how you being so far away in the UK, are doing such a fine job on a PRR type route...You must be doing alot of research...I am in total awe ! Your screenshots have a real feel !

I was born and raised in DC, have family from Northern Maryland, visit that area at least once every year. Glad you think it replicates the area none the less!

Some detail shots:

The DCRR Workshop area, the restored caboose can be rented as accommodation.

A couple of old boxcars, owned by the DCRR, stored on the abandoned section towards the PRR junction.

If you take a stroll in the woods beside the creek, you will come across a long forgotten spur from the old WM line. This used to run from the WM to the old Mill beside the creek and was abandoned long before the WM was. Hidden things like this can be found all over the scene.

A corner of the truck depot by the DCRR yard.

Its definitely fall in Stone Acre MD

Fast food chains tried, and failed in Stone Acre's old town.

Field belonging to Randolph Farm

The end of the line at Adams Pines Picnic site.

Cheers, Matt

 

[Alex99al]

Amaazing Route. It makes me smile very hard. Keep up the good work.

 

[cascaderailroad]

Is that VMD track ? I once painstakingly edited the rail TGA image in MS Paint or Irfanview, and by using copy/paste of small areas of the rail web, I covered up each nut & bolt tiedown detail (so just a plain side rail web showed). And the track looked like US, as we don't have those type of tiedowns on our track across the big pond. It worked very well.

 

[OldSalt]

Really a work of art. Outstanding!!