Vt. State Fair, September 1952

World of Mirth train being unloaded down the "runs". OK- so there is nothing that says "World of Mirth Shows!
It's a representation!!

There are Cole Brother"s flats, Pinder (Germany) trucks, a P.T.Barnum Shows trailer, a Reithoffer lighting truck, Royal American Shows cars, the "Wisconsin" - a restored Dining Car owned by the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin and a couple of flat cars restored by the Circus World Museum and used annually in the Great Circus Train that travels from Baraboo to Milwaukee. Each of the flats are painted for a different traveling railroad show of the 19th and 20th centuries in the United States of America.

The Midway train being switched in the Rutland yard.


World of Mirth train in the Rutland waiting to be off loaded. The train actually was unloaded south of the main yard onto Park St. and then the tractors and dozers pulled all the wagons and equipment across Park St. into the Fairgrounds. The kids who went to the Park St. Elementary School got an extra week's vacation each year as the school was across the street from the Fairgrounds.

Midway at the Rutland Fairgrounds.

The dining car "Wisconsin" is behind the Ferris Wheel and Sea Dragon rides. A generator truck is behind the Sea Dragon supplying the necessary electricity to power all the lights, sights and rides of the Midway.

Also in the picture - the Thunder Bolt and a kiddie version of the Octopus on the left. In the center are food concessions. On the right are game concessions - I never won much on these! In the bottom right is a permanent concession operated by the Lion's Club (I think) each year.

So the "New Rutland" is not doing so well. Still cannot get the steamers to negotiate the curve coming in to Rutland. I just got #401 RS-1 equipped with LokSound! It is amazingly realistic sound. However it shorts out on every turnout so all in all things are not so good on the Rutland.

I need to check the electrical pick-ups on the #401. It ran fine before I got the sound so I'm thinking there might be something there. I could also power all the tracks in each turnout but I'm not sure if that will make a difference. If anyone who reads this can offer suggestions or solutions I would be most thankful. Now on to some fun. I put together a diorama today of the Vt. State Fair held in Rutland each fall. It is a scene from the midway. I just took a picture of the diorama and added some photos from Layout #3 that I took of the midway unloading for the fair. The World of Mirth midway came to Rutland for many years. So here are my representations of the train, unloading and the Midway! Enjoy!

New Station

Construction progresses.

Main line / passing siding / engine terminal lead. New station. note turnout at far end of station. it will be the Swift Meat, Diamond National Lumber siding. Curved black roadbed in upper right will be the yard leads. Be awhile before those tracks are laid. I have to get the Main working first. Probably will be tearing up a section of track and the two curved turnouts behind the Poland Springs bottle sinnce I cannot get any steam engines to stay on the rails in that section.

The "New" Rutland Layout - Conceptually

Today's version of the layout is as follows. Don't hold me to it 'cuz it changes frequently. The basics are as follows: It is October 1952 in Rutland Vt. The Rutland - MSJ game is four weeks in the future (Rutland will win. I should check this fact.) Anyway the air is crisp, clean and the sky is bright blue. The main layout is 4'x8' representation of Rutland Vermont downtown (as we called it). The Main runs along the front edge of the layout. The Station and passenger platforms are inside of the Main. To the left of the station will be the 90' turntable with the Boiler shop, Roundhouse and Coach / Car Repair shop situated around it. The lead from the station also has the ashpit, coal dock and water tower. There is a spur to the left also for the supply track (oil, sand, coal) and the diesel ready track. To the right of the station will be a spur with the Swift Premium meat plant, Diamond National Lumber (artistic license as Diamond was at the other end of town) and perhaps Duffy Coal (also at the other end of town in reality!). In the space directly behind the station is Depot Park, Merchants Row with the Service Building, the Bardwell Hotel and others whose names I cannot remember. To the right will be Washington St (30 degree angle to Merchants Row) with City Hall and it's park and the Fire Station. Center St. will be at the other end of Merchants Row. As for the railroad - it will travel in an oval around the 4x8 section for the time being. Let me say here that this layout is all about the main classification yard and shops in Rutland. The Main will leave Rutland to left going North and West and to the right going South and East. This part of the layout will be very similar to layout #3 - more detailed than #3 but very similar. I'll post a couple of photos of #3's downtown so you can imagine what the new one will look like.
The next installment will discuss the drop leaf yard and the North and South extensions.

City Hall park in center. Fire Station / City Hall around the park. Swift Premium is red building to the left of Diamond National Lumber Co.

Much of the new layout will be an enhanced version of these pictures.

Downtown Rutland Layout #3

The tall building is the Service Building. Bardwell Hotel to the right. City Hall park to the right of the Bardwell. Depot Park with the elm trees and baggage building along Merchants Row. Note REA truck in foreground. Street to the left is Center St.

Still the old pike. The new one is aggrevating me so I'm waxing nostalgic. This picture is of the shops area. It contains a bunch of stuff. starting on the right - water tower, coal dock with a load of coal in the Rutland hopper, a Mikado, the roundhouse (green doors), and the new boiler shop under construction, an RS-3 on the turntable, another in the boilershop, a red Rutland caboose in the tunnel and the marble company on the upper level. Last thing - that big lump on the flatcar on far left in front of the caboose - is an actual cinder that was used as ballast on the real Rutland Railroad.

Trouble on the "New" Rutland!

I really thought I would have a train running yesterday but no! I had to add several more power leads as there were several dead spots in the track around several turnouts. Then I tried an old engine that does not have DCC capability but it just hummed. Not good for the engine or my mood. So I decided to try one of the DCC equipped engines, RS-3 #208. It worked like a charm after a few times around. Lots of hesitation from so many months in storage! After a bit it was running smoothly over the turnouts and the crossover of the Main into the shop area from the north end of the "yet to be built" yard (more on this later). So I'm thinking this is great - let's try the Mikado with sound. It too needed some time to get the oils flowing but was "chugging" right along with bell ringing and horn blowing! Then the problem occurred. There are two curved turnouts coming into town from the south off a curved section of track. The Mikado jumped the track (derailed in railroad vernacular) every time it entered the turnouts. Anyone out there with a thought I'm all ears. I think the radius (too tight) coming off the curve into the turnouts might be the problem. I also wonder if the front of the engine needs more weight as it did not derail when I put downward force on the smokestack. All in all very disappointing. The initial running of a train will be awhile later - like Amtrak. Trust me - you will know when it happens because there will be two new pics - one w/ diesel #208 and modern Rutland Railway cars and one with Mikado # "32" pulling a passenger train with Business Car #99 and a couple Rutland Railroad coaches and Rutland Railroad milk car #335.
In case you are wondering, the #"32" designation is my way of saying the item has not been decaled as Rutland 2-8-2 Mikado #32 yet. In my equipment inventory - the " " designation also includes the words "under construction".

More to follow in the future. Future installments will discuss not only the new layout but information about structures, rolling stock (train cars) and lots of other things I want to share.