enjoyed a small section at a time. How- ever you look at it, it conveys the feel- ing of the region and the time.”
Around the walls Even before taking in the layout it-
A westbound manifest freight meets an eastbound freight on the bridges near Cheshire (above). Both structures are Central Valley kits. As an 0-8-0 switcher goes about its chores (below), one of the New York Central’s sleek new E-units eases to a stop at Berk- shire Junction, where the NYC has trackage rights over Hoosac Valley rails. Dick scratch- built all the structures here, naming the R.A. Mitchell Co. after his friend, Bob Mitchell.
autumnal blaze of red and gold ren- dered in hardshell hills and herbal trees. It’s a world accessible to the eye in an instantly gratifying, all-encom- passing glance, or savored up-close, in
scene-by-scene contemplation of ex- traordinary detail. The Hoosac Valley, says
modeler and author Michael
Tylick, “is a complete landscape, which can be easily viewed in its entirety or
self, however, visitors enjoy its setting, a basement that Mike Tylick describes as feeling “more like a high-end jewel- ry store.” While autumnal colors clear- ly dominate the room–the gems in the display cases– a neutral gray calms the other off-layout areas and extends to the pool table underlayment that pads the fascia board. In simplest terms, the HVRR–an around-the-room, point-to-point layout –hugs the walls of Dick’s 34-by-64-foot basement on benchwork of open-grid, L-girder construction. While the bench- work basically follows the walls, at two points it thrusts peninsulas into the room’s center from facing walls. Access aisles provide generous boulevards along which crews can follow their trains without bumping into each oth- er as they pass. They also enjoy 7′-6″ headroom and a right-of-way at least four feet above the floor. This layout is as comfortable to work on below as it is to view from above. To light the HVRR’s detailed scenes,
Dick installed a series of fluorescent fixtures in the drop ceiling.
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
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