“Model railroading is truly an art form, and viewing it in that light can often inspire something beyond what we would normally imagine.” – Ken Karlewicz
Welcome to a world where the clock has been wound back to the summer of 1979, and the railroads of upstate New York are alive with the deep growl of ALCO diesels, weathered trackside industries, and the lived-in feel of small-town America. This HO scale model of the Delaware & Hudson’s Second Subdivision is not just a layout. It is a storytelling device, a mood piece, and a handcrafted time machine.
A Sense of Place
The driving concept behind this railway is capturing a sense of place. As Ken put it, “If my railroad doesn’t look enough like a full-size railroad, then I’m not looking hard enough at its prototype.” Every inch of this layout, from the overgrown siding to the flaking paint on the Agway elevator, is designed to evoke a lived-in, believable world.
Set between Worcester and Central Bridge, New York, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, this line serves as a microcosm of D&H territory. Northbound WR-1 meets RPPY in the shadow of shale cliffs. RS-3s trundle along the Cherry Valley Branch at a lazy 10 mph. A trio of C-420s drifts downgrade past the cement plant at Howes Cave.
The Layout at a Glance
- Name: Delaware & Hudson Second Subdivision
- Scale: HO (1:87.1)
- Size: 18 x 19 feet (main room), plus adjacent bedroom for staging
- Prototype: Delaware & Hudson, Albany & Susquehanna Division
- Era: Summer of 1979 to 1980
- Locale: Upstate New York
- Style: Around-the-walls shelf layout
- Mainline Run: 50 feet
- Minimum Radius: 37″ (main), 20″ (elsewhere)
- Turnouts: Minimum no. 5
- Maximum Grade: 1%
- Train Length: Up to 20 cars with 3-unit lash-ups
- Height: 53″
- Control System: NCE DCC with wireless throttles
- Power Districts: Four
- Staging: Dual-ended, scenicked, accessed via curved turnouts
Construction and Materials
Benchwork follows a conventional shelf-style design. L-girders are cantilevered from wall brackets to save floor space. The roadbed uses Woodland Scenics Trackbed, adhered with Loctite PL375 foam-safe adhesive. Track is laid using Micro Engineering flextrack in codes 83, 70, and 55, depending on location and use.
The subroadbed is ¾” plywood topped with 1″ extruded foam. Yard areas are entirely foam-based, allowing for varied terrain heights, such as the 2″ foam base for the underpass at Cobleskill.
The layout was fully operational, wired, and scenicked within one year. This was made possible through collaboration with veteran builder Don Buesing, who worked two 10-hour days each week. He stayed over between sessions to allow for design discussions at night and early in the morning.
Locomotives and Rolling Stock
Motive power includes ALCO RS-3s, RS-11s, C-424s, and GE U23Bs. These were custom painted, detailed, and weathered by Southern Tier Modelworks and Bob Harpe, and fitted with ESU LokSound decoders by Mike Rose of Dartmouth Locomotive Works.
Rolling stock comes from Tangent, Kadee, ExactRail, Moloco, Rapido, Athearn Genesis, and InterMountain. All are era-correct and individually weathered for authenticity.
Scenery and Backdrops
The scenery uses a ground goop mixture inspired by Mike Confalone and Lou Sassi. This is topped with Silflor tufts, static grasses, real soil, natural textures, flowering weeds, and trackside debris to reflect nature’s random beauty.
Backdrop images are real photographs taken at the prototype locations. They are stitched and matched to lighting angles using LED tubes, clamp-on LED spots, and floods. Lighting is blended to match the backdrop scenes and create realistic depth and shadow.
“The difference between you and me, Ken,” said filmmaker Kit Lukas, “is that you’re a perfectionist and I’m not.” Lukas was so taken with the layout that he began filming a documentary about it, calling it a “why-to” film rather than a “how-to.” Both agreed that model railroading is a form of visual storytelling and expression.
Structures and Rockwork
Structures are a mix of scratchbuilt and craftsman kits, built by friends and fellow modellers. Stonework is primarily cast from New England Brownstone moulds. Rock faces and outcroppings use Cripplebush Valley Rubber Rocks.
Operation
- Mainline: Single track, point-to-point
- Passing Sidings: Four, each fitting 20-car trains
- Branch Line: Cherry Valley Branch, served by 10 mph RS-3 locals
- Staging: Dual-ended (Mechanicville and Oneonta)
- Traffic: Road freights, two locals, and “mill jobs”
- Operations: Currently uses switch lists. A car-card and waybill system is planned
Meets occur at the sidings. Road freights make setouts and pickups at key towns. Locals switch the Agway facility, the cement plant, the freight house, and the interchange at Schoharie Junction.
Embracing the Imperfect
This layout thrives on the beautifully aged and the lived-in. Ken describes his aesthetic as “perfectly imperfect.” You will find peeling paint, rust-streaked hoppers, creosote-soaked timbers, and the overgrown siding where a lone covered hopper rests.
“I embrace the imperfection in things. The tired old Agway elevator, the smells of grain and molasses, the lone covered hopper resting quietly on the siding.”
This railway is not about flawless surfaces or shiny paint. It is about atmosphere, honesty, and the subtle melancholy of a world slowly passing by.
Final Thoughts
The Delaware & Hudson Second Subdivision is more than a model railway. It is a personal expression shaped by observation, memory, and craft. Every train that moves through this layout passes through a scene soaked in meaning and shaped with care.
Here, in a bedroom and a half, the year is always 1979. The Alcos are still working. And the Delaware & Hudson still runs strong.
★
| Reporting Mark | Number | Road/Company | Colour | Prototype | Model | Seen | N Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D&H | 401 | Delaware & Hudson | Ex Lehigh & Hudson River Railway | ALCO C-420 | By Southern Tier Modelworks. | ||
| D&H | 408 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | ALCO C-420 | Model Railroad Planning 2019 | ||
| D&H | 414 | Delaware & Hudson | ex Lehigh Valley Red | ALCO C-420 | |||
| D&H | 452 | Delaware & Hudson | Blue Dip | ALCO C424 | Model Railroad Planning 2019 / YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | ||
| D&H | 503 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | ALCO RS3U | Detailed and weathered by Robert Harpe | ||
| D&H | 755 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | GE U33C | By Southern Tier Modelworks. | ||
| D&H | 756 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | GE U33C | By Southern Tier Modelworks. | ||
| D&H | 2311 | Delaware & Hudson | Grey | GE U23B | Model Railroad Planning 2019 / YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | Atlas 45982/47951 | |
| D&H | 2312 | Delaware & Hudson | Blue Dip | GE U23B | Facebook / YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | ||
| D&H | 2313 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | GE U23B | Model Railroad Planning 2019 / Facebook | ||
| D&H | 4103 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | ALCO RS3 | Detailed, custom painted and weathered by Robert Harpe | Model Railroad Planning 2019 / Facebook | Kato 176-4503 ★ |
| D&H | 5002 | Delaware & Hudson | Blue Dip | ALCO RS11 | |||
| D&H | 5005 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | ALCO RS11 | Model Railroad Planning 2019 | ||
| D&H | 5009 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | ALCO RS11 | Model Railroad Planning 2019 | ||
| D&H | 5015 | Delaware & Hudson | Blue Dip | ALCO RS36 | |||
| D&H | 5020 | Delaware & Hudson | Lightning Stripe | ALCO RS36 | Facebook / YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | – | |
| D&H | 7418 | Delaware & Hudson | Green ex Reading | EMD GP39-2 | Model Railroad Planning 2019 / Facebook / YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | ||
| GJ | 4116 | Greenwich and Johnsonville | Orange | ALCO RS3 |
Freight Cars
| Reporting Mark | Number | Road/Company | Colour | Prototype | Model | Seen | N Scale |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADN | Ashley, Drew & Northern | Green | 56′ Thrall All-Door Box Car | Walthers | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | – | |
| AGR | 5434 | Allagash Railway | Red | ||||
| AGR | 5901 | Allagash Railway | Boxcar Red | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | |||
| BAR | 6760 | Bangor and Aroostook | Red | ||||
| BCK | 4057 | Buffalo Creek | |||||
| BMS | 372? | Berlin Mills Railway | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | ||||
| CAGY | ? | Columbus & Greenville | Boxcar | ||||
| CN | 400526 | Canadian National | Red | 50′ Newsprint Car | Proto 1000 | YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | True Line Trains |
| CP | 340355 | Canadian Pacific | 52′ 6″ Mill Gondola | ||||
| CP | 340359 | Canadian Pacific | Action Red | 52′ 6″ Mill Gondola | Rapido #50024-5 | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | |
| CP | 382647 | Canadian Pacific | Black | 3800 Cu. Ft. Cylindrical Covered Hopper | Rapido | Prairie Shadows | |
| CP | 384583 | CP Rail | Black Pacman | InterMountain | |||
| CPI | 85664 | Canadian Pacific | Green | NSC | Atlas? | YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | Atlas 50 002 786 |
| CR | 368025 | Conrail | White LV 1979 X58 Restencil | PRR X58 Series Box Car | Tangent 14019-01 | YouTube – Morning on the Mill Job | Eastern Seaboard Models |
| CVC | 402073 | Central Vermont | Red | 50′ Newsprint Car | Proto 1000 30290 | YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | True Line Trains |
| CVC | 402353 | Central Vermont | Red with Yellow Dor | 50′ Newsprint Car | Proto 1000 37160 | YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | True Line Trains |
| D&H | 9276 | Delaware & Hudson | Black ex Erie Lackawanna Yellow-Rib | 70T 14 Panel 3-Bay Hopper | Bowser | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | Bluford Shops |
| D&H | 9316 | Delaware & Hudson | Black ex Erie Lackawanna Yellow-Rib | 70T 14 Panel 3-Bay Hopper | Bowser | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | |
| D&H | 12307 | Delaware & Hudson | Red | PS-2CD 4750 Covered Hopper | Tangent 20011-01 | YouTube – Morning on the Mill Job | Fox Valley |
| D&H | 12803 | Delaware & Hudson | Red | GATC 2600 Airslide Hopper | YouTube U23Bs at Cobleskill | Athearn 23041 | |
| D&H | 19527 | Delaware & Hudson | Black | by John Bezuyen | |||
| D&H | 27217 | Delaware & Hudson | P-S 5344 50′ Box Car | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | |||
| D&H | 28124 | Delaware & Hudson | Yellow | 50′ RBL Box Car | Moloco 11051-02 | YouTube – Morning on the Mill Job | Atlas 50004458 |
| D&H | 35722 | Delaware & Hudson | Red | Bay Window Caboose | Athearn 74838 | YouTube – Morning on the Mill Job | Athearn 23287 |
| DWC | 403006 | Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific | Red | NSC Newsprint 50′ Boxcar | Walthers Proto 1000 | ||
| GACX | 43609 | Lantic Sugar | 2600 Cu Ft Airslide Covered Hopper | Con-Cor | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | Athearn? | |
| NAHX | 92957 | Route Rock | |||||
| NW | 177395 | Norfolk & Western | Gray/Black/Yellow/White | 4750 cu ft Rib Sided 3 Bay Hopper | Intermountain 45358 | Facebook / YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | Intermountain 65358 ★ |
| PC | 221015 | Penn Central | Green | Greenville 7100 Auto Parts Boxcar | ExactRail EP-80305-3 by Lenny Harlos. | ||
| PC | 557220 | Penn Central | Green | 52′ 6″ Drop-End Mill Gondola | Walthers Platinum Line | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | |
| PC | 884801 | Penn Central | Green | 1972 Repaint Covered Hopper, 3-Bay, GATX 3500 Dry-Flo | Tangent 12023-02 Detailed and weathered by Lenny Harlos | Atlas/BLMA | |
| PC | 898091 | ||||||
| PFRP | 2835 | Richmond Fredericksburg & Potomac | Blue, White Lettering | PS-1 Box Car w/ 6 ft Youngstown Door | Kadee 4320 | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | Atlas 50003355 |
| SOU | 90210 | Southern | Airslide Covered Hopper | Atlas | |||
| SOU | 140912 | Southern | YouTube – HO Scale Delaware and Hudson Train NE 87 | ||||
| SSW | 87938 | Cotton Belt | 60′ Bulkhead Flat Car | Athearn 87111 | |||
| TLCX | 30062 | Allied Mills Inc. | PS-2CD 4740 Covered Hopper | Tangent 10040-02 | Fox Valley | ||
| TLDX | 2985 | Hopper Light Grey | PS-2CD 4427 3-Bay Covered Hopper | By Southern Tier Modelworks. | |||
| VTR | 385 | Vermont Railway | Green | Model Railroad Planning 2019 | |||
| WP | 1403 | Western Pacific | Center Beam Flat Car | ExactRail EP-81102-3 | MTL 05300062 |
More Information
- Model Railroad Planning 2019