Watch as Model Railroader managing editor David Popp gives you a sample of some of the operations on the Waterbury Industrial District addition to his N scale New York, New Haven & Hartford layout.
Operations on the N scale Waterbury Industrial District
By Angela Cotey | October 19, 2008
| Last updated on November 23, 2020
Watch a switcher work some of the industries in the Waterbury Industrial District on David Popp's N scale Naugatuck Valley RR
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TO DAVID—Do you still have your N scale Waterbury layout?
I bought the magazine the other day and the videos wrap it all up very nicely. Great Job!
Question:
What does ARR on the car card mean?
Very well done! This gives our Fountainville Express crew (Bettendorf, IA) an overview of operating a layout, before attempting to do more than just run trains on two mailines.
Great magazine series, very inspirational, doing it all in four weeks. I appreciate the added video tips.
Thank you to all who've written in about the layout. For those looking for the complete track plan including the Winsted section, it is now in the Track Plan Database and is called Naugatuck 3.0. A search there or in the search box at the top of the home page will get you there.
Also, I've just finished writing the second edition for Building a Model Railroad Step by Step, featuring the N scale Naugatuck layout. The book has been updated and expanded from 7 to 9 chapters. It includes 32 new pages of material and features information about the various expansion projects and more coverage of operating the layout.
Best wishes on your endeavors, and thank you for reading Model Railroader magazine.
David Popp
Managing editor
Love the video, it puts a lot into perspective about switching moves. It is always a thing about which I can learn more!
This video makes the switching understandable. The thing that made the article frustrating is that it skipped a lot of steps here and there, making it not useful to understand what is going on.
My May issue stated there would be a complete track plan for David's NVRR…the current track plan in your database does not include Winsted, Conn., or Torrington. Sure would like to see the updated track plan! I also enjoy the switching videos, and hope you can do more from David's layout and others also.
Nice video David. One thing though, why shove the caboose so far back? When you do that the conductor has to walk up from the caboose to the engine to make the cut. Just spot the caboose in the clear, then when you make the joint on it you just shove it back and cut off the engine. Less walking, less distance the engine travels!
David,
In the latest issue May 2011 I see that you are doing some major changes to your layout. Is there a plan to do a video of the expansion you also planned in an earlier issue.
I'm a N scaler on my second layout and would enjoy the progress of all the planned changes.
I too am a little concerned about the speed during the switching operation.
One other little thing that has always bothered me with Micro-Trains couplers is how the trip sticks out above the coupler in a most un-prototype appearance. I always push the trip pin down flush with the top of the coupler and then trim off about half of the trip pin and paint it a grimy black and the very tip silver to represent the glad hand.
This is a fantastic layout and David does a great job presenting it.
I'm new o this hobby and just getting renos done to the house and can't wait to apply some of the fantastic information Model Railroading has to offer to a space I've claimed in the basement. Terrific information,easily accessable and navigable on the best website I've ever had the pleasure to view-thanks
Great inspirational ideas. Not being part of a club, it's great to see how things work in a video in addition to reading from articles. I appreciate all the great video items MR puts on the website. And I love to follow David's adventures with his layout.
Like the Hawiian shirt.
Dave does an excellent and very professional presentation! He narrates in a clear, cornice, and easy to follow manner. And I especially like the pick for uncoupling (no magnetic ramps here) and the finger for moving the switch points. I usually try to avoid "fingering" the trains, but when you think of the $$$ saved on switch machines, ramps, time, etc., Dave definitely demonstrates that his techniques are more than adequate. There is a lot of food for thought in this video.
Excellent video. I was curious to see how the actual uncoupling was done. It's almost never shown or described in operations articles. I'd like to see more of how well uncoupling works in various scales.
Thanks for the fun!
Dave,
Really enjoyed this series of videos about your layout. It was especially great to see the last one on operations. It is very difficult to follow a written description of switching out cars when it gets more complicated. I would like to see video segments for the operations you described in this month issue of MR. All great stuff!
David, my wife and I enjoyed watching your completed railroad . Being mostly a train watcher now, after 40 plus years of Model Railroading , I also realized that in building my latest HO railroad I had a good switching area on the upper level of this build , approx. 60% finished . An abandoned Logging operation is now hauling light freight and 2 Overton passenger cars to service 2 small towns . After watching your video , I grabbed some paper and roughly laid out some waybills and had a most enjoyable time picking up and setting out , as I near completion of this area it should yield many hours for enjoyment when I get tired of watching SP Cab Forwards hauling their freight on the lower area . A great job and an inspiration ! Jim
David, you have a wonderfull layout,scenery,operation,etc. But as I watched the video as you switched, I would hate to the brakeman. He must be very strong or able to move swiftely,as I never saw you slow as you approached the pickups nor as you dropped the cars. In and out fast as you cloud/can . Not very prototipical. What would Tony Koester say? At any rate very fine layout.
Having a small switching layout, I particularly enjoyed seeing that part of your operation.
Although I enjoy every part of the hobby of model railroading, i enjoy operation most. I grew up arcoss the street from a station and the local would sped a lot of time switching. It was like watching a game.
Great series of videos. I have always enjoyed David Popp's material. Keep writing. You are an inspiration. Your information is great even for HO scale.
My wife and I really enjoyed your presentation. Excellent job!
I enjoyed the videos. Mr. Popp does a nice, relaxed presentation of good information. Thank you.
I look forward to getting my Model railroader magazine every month. Having just started my N guage layout I can use all the informatio there is out there. Plus I have just joined an N guage model club.