D & H "Colonie Main" layout
This blog will be a record of my personal journey in researching, building, operating, and finally sharing my HO scale layout based on the Delaware and Hudson Railway's "Colonie Main Line."
CP Executive train in Albany

Friday, March 24, 2023
Spring cleaning my Scenery cart
Monday, March 20, 2023
T-Trak Japan: Aokigahara Forest
On the left side of my layout is a forest scene with a relaxing Roykan (traditional Japanese inn) at the end of a long, winding trail. At least that is what I wanted it to be. It supposedly represents Aokigahara, Japan's most famous forest, which is about 70 miles west of Tokyo. It was planned to provide a nice balance to the bustling city scene on the other side of the module. However, it was a bit barren at this point. All I had was some dirt and ground foam, and a gap in the concrete retaining walls for a stairway up to the path. It was time to get some landscaping done and first was the stairway.
I started scratchbuilding one from styrene pieces laminated on top of each other a year ago, but I couldn't find it now. What I did locate was a 3D printed staircase I had purchased at the start of my project on Ebay for cheap. It was from the earliest of printers and had lots of layering marks. It was also insanely huge... I only needed the portion at right, and I later cut that down even more to shorten it and remove the railings.
Thursday, March 16, 2023
D&H plow working the line (1993)
Here is a shot of a plow extra working the main line north of Sunbury, PA on March 16, 1993. Note the engines are painted for the Union Pacific but the lettering on the hood is "GATX". And speaking of paint, that is one sharp looking plow!
Sunday, March 12, 2023
The Troy Branch Local (1996)
Here is a shot of the local D&H train working the Troy Branch in March of 1996. I have previously written railfanning the Troy Branch in 2015, though at that time it was run by CSX. In 1996, when this picture was taken, a Guilford engine was used for power. Perhaps CSX assumed operation of it later. I like how it still warranted a caboose, even though by now crew sizes were probably only 2 or 3 crew.
I have tried to place where it was taken but I can't be sure. The bridges in the background are pretty distinctive and the only thing that exists now which could be them are those that carry High Street (the "Troy Menands Bridge") over the Hudson River. The below satellite has South on the top and all of the bulldozed property in the bottom-right corner could have once hosted the large concrete tank shown in the picture above. If not, then I am at a loss. Oh well.
Thankfully, when I drive along the highway and look across the river I can still see covered hoppers of salt are still moved around on the branch. So it isn't dead yet.
Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Then and Now: D&H offices in Albany (1984)
At one time the D&H had office buildings in downtown Albany. No, I don't mean the famous building at the bottom of State Street that is now owned by SUNY. I mean offices at 40 Beaver Street, Albany, NY 12207. When I saw these slides showing the old D&H building dated March 10, 1984, I knew I had to buy them. Note the name of the railroad spelled out on the side. It is a garish juxtaposition between the white painted bricks and the natural reddish bricks.
Here the street side view of the building. Note that the building next door appears to be only three floors high. Note the "Delaware and Hudson Railway Company" spelled out on the banner board.
I headed downtown with my camera in mid-February 2023 to see what the building still looked like. As you can see in the below images, it is there but some windows have been added and now more of the wall is painted white (likely to hide the scars from the window work).
Note that in 2023, the building next door is a lot taller than three floors high. I guess it was expanded upward.
If you are interested in renting part of this building, check here. Just think... you could be sitting and working in the space space where forty years earlier employees of the D&H sat and did the same thing (or idly looking out of the same windows)!
Saturday, March 4, 2023
T-Trak Japan: Farmer's Market and City Details
The panels were painted a dark charcoal gray paint. Black would have been better, but then the detail would be lost. Over the gray I lightly misted flat black paint, which dried as tiny black droplets on the surface. This looked just like the textured rubber panels I saw in pictures, which was perfect. Some clear spray finished them.