David Parks – Cumberland West
Description
The Cumberland West is a model of the Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland railroads in the vicinity of Cumberland, Maryland in 1953. The bulk of the layout represents the track in the city of Cumberland and the routes to the southwest.
Both railroads had major mainline junctions in Cumberland. B&O trains from the east are routed either northwest on the Pittsburgh division or west over the West End sub to Grafton, while Western Maryland trains from the east are routed northwest toward Connellsville or southwest on the Thomas sub to Elkins.
The Baltimore and Ohio and Western Maryland were both major coal carriers and over half of the trains consist of loaded or empty coal hoppers.
Operating sessions can feature either railroad running separately, or in a joint session with both running independently of the other, except for interchanges and minor trackage rights.
Cumberland West resides in a 1200 square foot room excavated under an existing house. The ceiling is 8 to 11 feet high and without interior posts. The layout is single level with truncated scenery dividers so that most of the layout can be seen from an elevated entrance platform.
Scale: HO
Era: 1953
Approximate Size: 1,200 square feet
Percent Complete Benchwork-100% Trackwork-100% Scenery-80% Signaling-100%
Location: Los Altos
Access: 42” high duckunder into main layout area
Parking: Close street parking available
