Hopedale & Barre RR

The Hopedale & Barre RR is a shortline located somewhere in central New England. It is a typical shortline that is just breaking even by deferring maintenance of the track. For the period of 1959, the track is in good shape. Ties are heavily weathered and weeds have invaded the roadbed. Motive power are two GE 70 tonners.

I have decided to build this railroad to P:48 standards in O Scale. What this means is the track gage is 4' 8 1/2" not the common known 5' gage. The wheels are also made to prototype standards and dimensions. Likewise the couplers are Protocrafts E coupler which is a true scale coupler and it is operated the same as the prototype.

I have 2/3rds of the backdrop installed and the framework is slowly being rebuilt for the P:48 layout from the remains of an On2 railroad which use to occupy the same space. I'm really looking forward to the track laying and building. As all the track will be hand laid, I've been stocking up on tie plates, rail, home cut ties, switch parts and so on. I believe that the track work is just as important to be done correctly and detailed as well as the pieces what will moving over them.