Back in the early to mid 1980's my uncle Jim from Mt. Savage Md had built a large 18' x 32' foot layout in a room above his work shop in at his home.
For those who may or may not know him. His name was James E. Lancaster from Mt' Savage ,Md. The railroad Uncle built was called the Mountain Lake & Western R.R. It was loosely based on the Western Maryland that traveled From Cumberland up to and through Mt. Savage, below Frostburg, Md. before reaching Big Savage Tunnel and continuing to points west.
The layout was built by uncle jim had several interesting items on it, such as G.Howit Burns Coal Company, While Gysum Used cars, and so forth. the motive power was something of a thing of beauty, he had hand built a 3 truck Wm No.6 along with a heisler and some other I cant rememeber at the time I'm typing this out, (while at work). Uncle Jim was a master machinist that worked on the Cumberland & pennsylvannia railroad in Mt. Savage. He would rebuild the Companies own 2-8-0's in thier shops. When He build his own railroad empire he used a drill press and lathe to machine each part that he would need.
No comes the hard part I am trying to locate uncle Jim's old layout. It was sold to the Springs, historical so. in Springs Pa. After Springs, pa it went to a gentleman in the northern VA area. That as far as I was able to remember and the information that I have on hand. If anyone knows about the layout and his collection please get in touch.
