Martin Brechbiel's
Cumberland Valley Railroad
The
Cumberland Valley RR is O scale running earlier steam (1900-1920) with
scratch built wooden cars running over hand laid code 125 track and
switches in 2 rail O scale. The design is intended to provide a
feel of the CVRR spur that ran up into Richmond Furnace that came off
the mainline between Chambersburg and Greencastle, Pennsylvania.
The layout room is small at 11' x 13' and will only accommodate
4-5 people at a time. Martin's scenery is an ongoing and sporadic
exercise in hydrocal, sawdust and scenery foams that continue to be
pursued but track does run into and around Luther's Perfect Pickles.
Martin's
latest eforts include earning the Achievement Program's
Structures certificate. Most if not all of his structures are
placed strategically on his layout. Besides Luther's Perfect
Pickles, Klugston's Store, and the US Post Office, a few other
recognizable structures are located there as well.
The lower
level is actually code 148/3 rail O gauge which was not in operation so
that the duck under could be removed for visitor convenience. The
railroad basically represents a small stretch of the Cumberland Valley
RR that lived on a branch line running from Marion up through Lemasters
into Metal. The track plan is fundamentally a loop with numerous
sidings; some installed and others still under construction. The
majority of mainline track, yard, and switches are complete while
sidings, scenery, buildings, and other details endlessly remain to be
completed. When we get tired of steam we will bring out the
CG&C trolleys.
The workshop as also opened for the
inquisitive cobbler to nose around in. I always find it
interesting looking at a workshop. One gets the up and close look
into the host's mind with the "what" that the host likes to have around
and use, sometimes the "how" is explained, and then there's the "why"
our host enjoys doing his hobby the way he does. Martin is a
master Creator in the O scale world. I look forward to his next
models, whether they're cars or more structures from his creative soul
on the Cumberland Valley Railroad.
Mark Andersen
Jalbum
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