The New England, Berkshire &
Western Railroad (NEB&W) has found a new home.
Earlier I reported that the layout,
built and maintained by the Rensselaer Model Railroad Society (on the campus of
the Renssaelaer Polytechnical Institute), needed to move from its current
location due to the need for renovations.
At that time, the club had nowhere to go.
The plan was to cut up the layout and put into storage.
To avoid that scenario, the club issued a
plea for “massive amounts of publicity” in
an effort to “reach some wealthy benefactor, or even just convince the school
the importance of not letting us wither away in storage.”
Their effort seems to have worked; according to a report by the Institute, the layout will “soon be moved to a location that will
allow the public better access to its miniature re-creations of communities
from Troy to the Canadian Border set in 1950.”
The new home will be a space leased by the
Institute at 258 Hoosick Street in Troy.
“This move is uncovering a hidden gem and elevating it to a
position of prominence in the community,” said Dalton Slegel, the president of
the Model Railroad Society.
“We are honoring the historical connections
between Rensselaer alumni and railroading heritage, as well as the immense
contributions of club members over many decades.”
This summer the club’s current home,
Davison Hall will undergo renovations, including removal of asbestos insulation
and the removal and replacement of aging water and heating pipes located
directly above and around the NEB&W layout.
In addition to being more publicly
accessible, the new space will provide the club with additional space to expand
the layout.
Adirondack Studios and Clarke Dunham
of Dunham Studios, which specializes in model railroads, has been contracted
“to develop and execute a plan to safely remove the railroad from the basement
of Davison Hall, provide secure temporary storage, and reassemble it at the new
location.”
The relocation should be completed by fall.
Photo above from TrainMasters TV.
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