I saw the Hoosac Valley Lines for the first time in the September 1978 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine. I was a freshman in high school, and spent my study hall periods staring at the photography and memorizing the text. At the same time, RMC was running a series of articles on Allen McClelland's Virginian & Ohio Railroad. I considered these two model railroads to be the best I'd ever seen. The Hoosac Valley Lines struck a particular nerve because it was based in New England, and built by someone who lived in Massachusetts, although the town, Adams, was a place I had never heard of. Later I would come to find out that Adams, MA. is about as far away from my hometown and still be in the state as you can get. Still I hoped to someday see the layout in person. The Hoosac valley Lines was also the first model railroad I had ever seen that depicted fall foliage. Up until that point, everything was summer. Almost 30 years later, Dick Elwell is my friend. Well, in fact, he's more than that. He's a mentor, a role model, and source of great information and occasional sound advice. I'm certainly not alone in echoing these sentiments. There are probably 1,000 others who will say the same thing. Dick has helped so many people enjoy the hobby of model railroading, and along the way has made many, many friends. His layout, the Hoosac Valley Lines, is one of the most photographed and published model railroads in the history of the hobby, and for good reason. The present day Hoosac Valley Lines has evolved from an exceptional representation in miniature of rural New England railroading in the 1950's to one of the finest model railroads in the world. Dick has never been content to rest on the vast volume of his work, and constantly strives to update and improve a layout that many would consider perfect already. The Hoosac Valley Lines began life in 1960 in a small basement room about two miles from its present location. That Hoosac Valley Lines was an exercise in trial and error in a time when far fewer materials existed for model railroaders, and the term “craftsman” was synonymous with “model railroader”. Dick negotiated with his wife Sandy to take over the adjacent garage and created space for a CTC board and the Keller Bay area. Dick learned by rolling up his sleeves and doing the work. If a project turned out poorly, he didn't hesitate to redo it. His trackwork was handlaid and his scenery was finished with zip texturing because that's how good modelers did it then. Some modelers focus on one or two areas that interest them, but the Hoosac Valley Lines gained status as a well-rounded model railroad. The trackwork was first rate, the trains ran well, the wiring was neat and orderly, the scenery was stunning, and visitors could operate trains in a prototypical manner. Even in the early days of the layout, visitors could always expect to see something new upon a return visit. The Hoosac Valley Lines appeared in several issues of the model railroad press including Model Railroader, Model Railroading, Mainline Modeler, Great Model Railroads and Railroad Model Craftsman. In the 1990's Dick participated in several project layouts for Model Railroader, and in 1990, Allen Keller videotaped the layout for Volume 6 of his Great Model Railroads video series. With the layout, for all intents and purposes, done, Dick took up his greatest challenge as a model railroader. In 2002 he cut up the Hoosac Valley Lines and moved it in sections to a new house with a basement approximately twice the size of the original. The new space was specifically designed for the layout with high ceilings, and steel beams instead of lally columns. He also designed a stairway that allowed for direct access to the basement from the outside. Moving the layout without causing major devastation was the first miracle. Building several new sections of layout that would roughly double its size would be the second. Doing it in five years would certainly be the third. Dick managed all three feats, and again, the Hoosac Valley Lines, now twice the size of the original, is near completion. Model Railroader has sent Lou Sassi to photograph the layout for another feature article and perhaps another cover of Great Model Railroads. A new feature-length DVD is in production, and scores of visitors have enjoyed the “new” layout. While all this has gone on, Dick has helped many modelers design and build their layouts. Dick is always quick to offer a helping hand, and in the case of my own Rutland Railroad, Dick designed the benchwork, consulted on the track, and ran thousands of feet of wire to make the whole thing run. Like many others, I can truly say, I couldn't have done it without him. This website is dedicated to him, and published with his permission. Enjoy! Scott Mason |
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