Sunday Scenic Showcase December 10,2023

Some businesses and industries on my free-lanced 10’-by-5’ model railroad have names that were found in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut, but others are fictitious. In 2016, I scratch-built the model in this photograph and made up a name for it – Bridgeport Tool & Die. It’s a model of a structure that stood alongside the tracks of the New Haven Railroad (now Metro-North Railroad) in Milford, Connecticut and had been the laboratory of Simon Lake, a builder of submarines for the U.S. Navy in the early 1900s. The dilapidated building was taken down during the Covid-19 pandemic. The name I gave the model was chosen because Bridgeport once had a thriving toolmaking industry with many small shops that did specialized machine work. Once on the layout, I seldom thought about the name but it never occurred to me to ask myself whether a business with that name ever existed.

A few days ago, while wandering through an industrial neighborhood near the railroad in Bridgeport, and much to my surprise, I came upon a real Bridgeport Tool & Die and took this picture. As best I can determine, it’s about 100 feet from the site of the Burr Road control tower – Signal Station 55 – on the old New Haven Railroad.

Trains of the New Haven Railroad no longer pass by Bridgeport Tool & Die - but on my railroad, they still do.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Some businesses and industries on my free-lanced 10’-by-5’ model railroad have names that were found in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut, but others are fictitious. In 2016, I scratch-built the model in this photograph and made up a name for it – Bridgeport Tool & Die. It’s a model of a structure that stood alongside the tracks of the New Haven Railroad (now Metro-North Railroad) in Milford, Connecticut and had been the laboratory of Simon Lake, a builder of submarines for the U.S. Navy in the early 1900s. The dilapidated building was taken down during the Covid-19 pandemic. The name I gave the model was chosen because Bridgeport once had a thriving toolmaking industry with many small shops that did specialized machine work. Once on the layout, I seldom thought about the name but it never occurred to me to ask myself whether a business with that name ever existed.

A few days ago, while wandering through an industrial neighborhood near the railroad in Bridgeport, and much to my surprise, I came upon a real Bridgeport Tool & Die and took this picture. As best I can determine, it’s about 100 feet from the site of the Burr Road control tower – Signal Station 55 – on the old New Haven Railroad.

Trains of the New Haven Railroad no longer pass by Bridgeport Tool & Die - but on my railroad, they still do.

MELGAR

Love the story, Mel.....and, love the building. Great color choice and building placement!

Peter

Continuing slowly with my Buildings Unlimited kit......

First, window treatments and assembly. Then final assembly.

Simulating roof tar paper repair.

A little dry-brushing with Driftwood.

....and, final assembly.

Have a great and safe week folks......those of you in the Middle Atlantic states, be extra careful today......heavy wind and rain are predicted......and, it has already arrived, earlier than forecasted.

Peter

The past two weeks I had some free time and some extra trucks and couplers, so I decided to add some scratch-built cars to my logging train. The completed car is a hooded flat car used to transport workers and supplies around the logging line. The tools were from Berkshire Valley and people are Arttista.

The two cars in progress are bulkhead cars for logs. I just stained them this morning and later they will get trucks and couplers. The hard part will be foraging around the neighborhood for the tree limbs used for the logs. Basically, the frames are basswood, and the decking is Balsa.  Will post a few more pictures when these two are completed.

Nice showcase thus far. Peter, the building turned out very nice. Thank you for taking us through the phases of the build. Do you have a spot designated for it on the layout yet?

Dave

Foreman's not around so a lot of BSing and little work going on:

Nice work on the cars Steve.

@luvindemtrains posted:

Do you have a spot designated for it on the layout yet?

Dave

I think so.......it will be another on of my "concrete mountains" that I use as "view blocks" to simulate distance.

I'll set it out after a little more weathering.

Peter

Car repair shed lighting.

@Putnam Division posted:

Love the story, Mel.....and, love the building. Great color choice and building placement!

Peter

Peter,

Thank you. The green was the color of the original building.

MELGAR

@MELGAR posted:

Some businesses and industries on my free-lanced 10’-by-5’ model railroad have names that were found in and around Bridgeport, Connecticut, but others are fictitious. In 2016, I scratch-built the model in this photograph and made up a name for it – Bridgeport Tool & Die. It’s a model of a structure that stood alongside the tracks of the New Haven Railroad (now Metro-North Railroad) in Milford, Connecticut and had been the laboratory of Simon Lake, a builder of submarines for the U.S. Navy in the early 1900s. The dilapidated building was taken down during the Covid-19 pandemic. The name I gave the model was chosen because Bridgeport once had a thriving toolmaking industry with many small shops that did specialized machine work. Once on the layout, I seldom thought about the name but it never occurred to me to ask myself whether a business with that name ever existed.

Mel,

My uncle worked for Bullard which was located in Bridgeport or a town adjacent to Bridgeport.  I have forgotten which.  Bullard made huge machine tools for the auto and other industries.  The plant had New Haven railroad service.  I recall my aunt driving her husband to work and then taking me to the Fairfield station to watch the commuter trains.  This is where I developed my love of the NH RR.  

The last time I was in the area, I saw that the huge Bullard erecting shop had been converted to a Sam's Club.  

People forget that CT was once a thriving heavy manufacturing state.  Thanks for the memories.

NH Joe

Alan, Frank, Melgar, AUBV, Pete, Steve, NH Joe

Today is a special day of presentation on the Scenic Forum.  I have enjoyed this time spent here again and learned.

This week we added fencing at the depot parking lot installation job, chain link addition to the power substation still in progress, cars parked at the OHHS gym door by my principal and ball coach.  I found a talented friend who will paint the two cars their original color sometime after Christmas.  Beginning the white picket at the Big House, my great grandfather’s home finished in 1902 after he became the freight station manager for the C&O in 1892.

Seth

Brian,

Nice work as always.

Seth,

The improvements look great along with the rest on the layout.