Module Monday: NYC Adirondack Division

Charlie's Adirondack Division of the New York Central.

Module Spotlight Scale: HO Size: 24"x48" modules - 15 total Standards: Club Years Constructed: 2000 Features: NYC Adirondack Division Era: 1925-1927 Club: Atlanta Interlocking MR Owner: Charlie Crawford

At the 2009 National Train Show in Hartford, I had an opportunity to meet Charlie Crawford and photograph his modular layout featuring the Adirondack Division of the New York Central.  The layout started with just a single 2'x4' module featuring an icehouse then was expanded to 15 sections making up 66 linear feet of modules.

The theme for the layout was inspired by a trip to upstate New York in the early 1970s during a vacation.  After seeing some photos of the prototype in the area, Charlie had the bug and began the process of planning the railroad.  The current layout models areas from Thendara (Old Forge) to White Rock Curve.  The model follows the prototype with its main traffic coming from passengers, forest products, ice, and general freight for the area.  With the layout set in the mid-1920's the motive power and equipment is generally small steam engines such as Moguls, Consolidations, USRA Mikados and Ten-Wheelers.  Over half of the rolling stock on the layout had to be custom decorated to match the railroad.

Despite living in Georgia, Charlie brought the layout to the NMRA National Train Show in Hartford, CT.  The module set was packed up in a minivan for the 1000 mile trek and Charlie set it up and operated the layout solo for the three days of the show.  That is an impressive feat!  To top off the trip, several modules also earned Honorable Mentions in the module contest.

A passenger train passes Wood Lake Inn.