Custom Models

 

Custom and Personal Models

Previously, I was an unfocused modeler. I constructed or detailed diesel era models that could have run on the A&Y or the A&Y tracks after 1950 as the Winston-Salem division. I took what little information I had to build a couple of Alco diesels in the early black Southern scheme to represent possible locomotives. I often bought any commercial model that seemed prototypical and had the name Southern on the side. That means I had a mishmash of equipment and yet I could not put together a reasonably consistent fleet for a layout.

Now I have a more focused goal and better information. The A&Y documentation I have suggests steam only was on the line through 1950. In addition, the conductor log books I have for the Winston-Salem division in 1934 identify typical freight cars that were in the region and might have shown up on A&Y rails.  I have been working on my 1934 era layout by building a collection of locomotives, cabooses, maintenance-of-way, and typical freight cars that would have been appropriate. Now that I have recovered from the house fire, have obtained a printer that prints white decals, and located a quality commercial decal printer (Highball Graphics) that can take my custom art work and print in a beautiful dulux gold, I am making substantial progress on HO scale models for my layout. I will be sharing photos and information on how I constructed them here.

In the meantime, my collaborator on all things A&Y, Kevin von der Lippe, is ahead of me!  For example, he has a layout with scenery, A&Y equipment, and structure models based upon A&Y photographs. See my coverage of his work.  I would be happy to showcase other A&Y modelers' work here on the web site. If you want to share your A&Y models, send me photos and descriptions.