East of the Blue Ridge

Chronicles of an On30 quarry railroad

A Week at the Ocean

June 6, 2004

Room 512, One Virginia Avenue


Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Layout plan 6c


Initial thoughts:

Best kept simple. Three operational scenarios:
- Out and back from staging, as a branchline, shortline, or local.
– Point to Point mainline
– Continuous run

Main characteristics:
– Staging/Fiddle yard
– Hidden Track (don't like this)
– (2) secondary industries
– Primary/Focal industry


Considering the setting and the arrangement of the main characteristics of the plan, I see how the layout could be based on the Bergoo & Western Railroad, which is a shortline operating the old West Virginia Midland track in Webster County. The Western Maryland enters from staging, swaps cars at the passing track, and returns to staging. The local railroad would then work the coal loader, the sawmill, and the smaller coal loader in the office area of the layout. This is very similar to the way things are on the old West Virginia Midland in Webster County from Bergoo on down to Curtin and into Webster Springs.

Now I've got the Bergoo & Western operational scenario stuck in my head:

Good - It is prototypical, and suits the region and era.
Bad - exploring other operational possibilities becomes less of a priority. And the Ideal shifts from simplicity to representation.

The inspiration and reference can be there, but it is best to not suggest that the layout is duplicating a specific place.



Entrance to layout from staging could be tunnel based on French Creek, Glady, or Winding Gulf



Room on peninsula for high, curved bridge based on Cheat Junction.


Secondary Industry - possibly a small coal loader based on the one I photographed at Quinwood.


Long curving siding could be based on Spruce.


The primary industry could be a sawmill, based on sawmills at Swandale or Schulls Mills.


Secondary Industry in office - small town, possibly based on Lansing, Webster Springs, Dilwyn, or Robertsdale.