Touring the Piermont Division

The tour of the Piermont Division of Howard Zane begins with two big articulateds from Clinchfield leaving the Bond engine terminal. The lead engine is a Number 742, a 2882, and the second engine is Number 670, a challenger. In the back of Ticknor Yard is the city of Old Bridge. The two giants will couple to today’s eastbound extra. After Ticknor Yard, the articulated passes the old Piermont Station, which is all that’s left of the original town.

Since the Piermont Division existed in the 1950’s, it might have looked black and white on TV, as the video shows for an interesting effect. An unexpected fog greets the train at John Amy Falls. Next is the mountain top town of Arnold with the Moltz’s Mine in back, where, as the sign says, real men work. Belfort Cap Yard is the main storage yard for passenger cars. Number 742 crosses the Hess River, and heads into a tunnel. Haverhill is home to the Wellsborough Engine Terminal. There is a huge yard in Bernard. The Bernard roundhouse is nine stalls and 135 foot turntable.

Extra 742, exits Bernard Tunnel at Foothill, and then enters Tunnel 40. Maisy’s Falls is a spectacular scene. At Buckley, there’s a great view from the cab of the station and the platform. Off to the left is Longwood Pharmaceuticals and below is the Sandybell river boat and the Big Sandy River. MA Tower controls the interlocking between two tunnels. At Sandy Springs we again find the big Sandy River. Manchester is home to a variety of businesses including the framers co-op. The articulateds leave Whitehorse over a creek.

Watch more from Allen Keller’s Great Model Railroad series like this in the Model Railroad Academy archives.