Lifelong Goals Realized


Main Line Action A westbound freight pulled by a pair of F- units holds short of the crossover as an HH1 heads up the branch line with a string of empty hoppers. A combination of low-relief kitbashed buildings, and several layers of photo back- drops add depth to this narrow scene.


“Dispatcher to the 187 train.” “187 responding.” “187, I need you to hold short


of the branch line junction for a coal train headed up to the mines. After his cabin clears the junction, you’re cleared to WV Tower. Check with the yardmas- ter for instructions there.”


“Roger. Cleared to WV after the


coal train clears the junction.” In no time at all, the headlight


of a Pennsylvania 2-8-8-2 comes into view and eases onto the branch as a string of empty hop- pers clatters through the turnout. The cabin car (caboose) eases past, and the conductor gives a friendly wave. The turnout is re- stored to normal, and the turbo- charged 567 whine of a Pennsy EF15 (F3) notches up. With bell


44 RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN


clanging, the engineer gives two blasts on the horn, and he’s on his way. This kind of action plays itself


out for three hours about once a month on the West Valley Union Railroad — a fictional road in western Pennsylvania and east- ern Ohio that retains its identity even though the mighty Pennsyl- vania Railroad acquired it. Any- where from eight to 15 operators will gather in the basement train room to bring the WVU to life on Tuesday ops nights.


Design After more than 20 years of


moving in the Air Force, finding a suitable basement was a prior- ity for our new house. Although our realtor had no idea what a model railroad room would look


with West Valley Union Railroad CRAFTSMAN/Michael Wolf, photos by the author


like, she quickly figured out when a basement was a nonstarter. Af- ter finding a suitable basement (and house above), work began on my first “real” layout since high school. Years of only read- ing about model railroading and acquiring pieces and parts were coming to a close. Although Union Pacific yellow,


Big Boys, Challengers, Cab For- wards, and Western railroading was a close second, having grown up near Enola Yard in central Pennsylvania and with a nostal- gic love for big steam, electrics, and early diesels, the Keystone state, and the once great Pennsyl- vania Railroad won out. The HO scale West Valley Union began to take shape as a fictional railroad located in the hills of western Pennsylvania in the 1950s. Before


WEST VALLEY UNION RAILROAD


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