Modeling from the Prototype – Buffalo Creek & Gauley

Here is the Elk River Lumber Co. logging line and the 19-mile long Buffalo Creek & Gauley in hefty S scale. The Elk River Coal and Lumber Co. was founded around 1904. This West Virginia empire included approximately 100,000 acres of prime timber land, a sawmill and a coal mine. It also included two railroads, the 19-mile long Buffalo Creek & Gauley and the ERC&L logging line. Brooks Stover, MMR (Master Model Railroader) has built a layout depicting the BC&G and ERC&L railroads as they appeared in the late 1950s.

The layout is built to a scale of 3/16″ to the foot and fills a 44 X 25 room. Brooks began collecting information for the layout over 25 years ago. This DVD features trains of both railroads operating on the fully sceniced layout. It is narrated with both modeling and prototype information. Scenes include Dundon yard, Swandale and the mill, Cressmont and the dairy, the Lilly Fork logging branch and Widen and the Rich Run Mine. Watch BC&G #4 depart Dundon yard for the B&O interchange, then return with a string of empties and pause for water at Swandale.

Next follow a log train pulled by ERC&L diesel #20 from the sawmill to the woods and back. Then, on another day, watch as BC&G #13 switches the mine and departs with a loaded coal train for the interchange with a stop at Swandale to pick up a load of lumber. The BC&G’s unique Mack Railbus is also featured. All locomotives feature full sound by Soundtraxx and the mill and mine are “heard” courtesy of Miller Models sound modules.