John Pryke’s New York, New Haven & Hartford crams a lot of HO scale mileage into a 30 x 20 foot space. The line runs from New York to Boston by looping over itself several times as it works to duplicate the great days of passenger rail travel in the Northeast in 1948. Brass steam engines, many scratchbuilt by John, power the trains. Besides the locomotives, the track is handmade using custom cut ties and code 83 and 70 rail. Tracks are super-elevated to improve the appearance of trains as they enter and leave curves. John is a big believer in weathering engines, rolling stock and buildings. Everything on the layout looks as though it belongs.

The much publicized urban module, the Union Freight Railroad, provides many fun switching locations.

John has made a special effort to research the New Haven railroad of 1948 and to learn what life was like after World War II. This historical analysis is part of the fun for John. He tries to re-create the feel of a Class 1 operation with heavy running and lots of motive power--27 steam engines, 13 diesels and 9 electrics.

You’ll learn from John about: scratch-building techniques, making a low stress timetable, creating a prototype feeling, and weathering a brick building.

The New Haven is a Great Model Railroad because it is a way for John to express his creativity and to show off his collection of scratchbuilt locomotives and weathered rolling stock.