Maine On2 layouts – Trevor Marshall’s Somerset & Piscataquis Counties RR

Editors note, 21st April 2020; this topic was originally written in 2013 as a link to Trevor’s own site. It has been revised at intervals as additional pictures have been found, or have been provided after requests to illustrate particular features for other topics. Early in 2020, Trevor had problems with his internet collections, and the site showing his On2 layout was one of the casualties. Trevor has been providing photographs and captions in batches from his archives to allow them to be published here instead. During this process, we will simply post the pictures and captions as they come. The joints maybe obvious, and that is deliberate. Enjoy.

Editors Note, 13th November 2021; Trevor has now re-posted his own commentary on his Somerset & Piscataquis Counties RR on his new blog. Click here to visit on a new page.

Here’s a snapshot of Trevor Marshall’s Somerset & Piscataquis Counties RR. This freelanced line was based around his interests in slate quarries and Maine Two Footers, and existed in his Toronto basement from 2003 until 2011.

The first iteration occupied a 14 x 16 foot space;-

The picture below shows the Enoch Pond station area under construction. The Depot building was later used in the second iteration of the S&PCRR as the Snowdon Station.

And here is a picture of the transfer yard at Snowdon on the second iteration of the S&PCRR.

The original layout was superceded by the plan below when more space (31 feet x 14feet approximately) became available. This plan was not completed before it was supeceded itself by the S scale Canadian National layout “Port Rowan” which now occupies the space.

To view a video of the Mount Snowdon area of the second layout, go to

To visit Trevor’s current blog about his S scale Canadian National layout “Port Rowan” click here.

Update 16 March 2017:- Trevor has written about the design of his layouts and some of what he learned on his Achievable Layouts blog, and he has illustrated the posting with a lot of pictures – so if you enjoy looking at Trevor’s modeling or are inspired by his writings, then you should take a look. Click here to view on another browser page.

Trevor is an exponent of telling a story with his model railroads and pictures. Below we see the sequence of operations as the S&PCRR took delivery of a new snowplow and prepared it for winter operations, including turning it on a turntable.

November 2016: we have found more pictures of Trevor’s layout hiding away in the files featuring the S&PCRR. Shown below are 2 pictures of  Pulpwood flat car #327 with rack.

Here is a rare overhead shot of the Hebron Pond Slate Company sheds and trackage showing the railbus and trailer waiting at the small passenger depot.

3rd April 2020: Trevor’s website showing pictures of his previous Maine style layout was noted as being lost in the recent problems with his Port Rowan and associated blogs. In response to a recent specific request for any pictures showing Maine style buffer posts he found these two pictures from his personal albums;-

In a former Yahoo, now io, group thread about “buffers” Trevor wrote;-

The (now out of print) “Two-Foot Cyclopedia Volume 1 – Kingfield, Maine” has a set of drawings for a rather complex SR&RL style bumping post.
– Trevor in Toronto

and later followed with these two pictures plus an explanation;-

My layout is freelanced, but I’m following prototype practice.  Therefore, I’m building the SR&RL bumper posts for use in places where, if a car was shoved off the end of the track, “badness would occur”.

For example, if a car is shoved off the end of track at Quarry, it would go through the wall of the slate mill.  If you look at this picture, you’ll see what I mean:

The main building of the mill included areas for finishing and shipping slate products.

9th April 2020: Here are some more of Trevor’s pictures originally published on his own site;-

A small station served the workers at the slate mill.

The wood shop provided everything from packing crates to framing for the mines in the quarry.

A Forney takes a spin on the Quarry turntable. The red building is the water tank.

An overview of the left end of the Quarry layout.

Workers take a breather at the slate company.

A couple of workers prepare a block to lift a slab out of the slate quarry.

A flat car with side boards delivers coal to the slate company’s power house.

A pair of railbuses, used to transport workers to the quarry, are spotted out of the way between runs on the turntable lead.

These flat cars are the back bone of the fleet, transporting everything from roofing slates to curb stones and headstones from the company to the standard gauge connection at Snowdon, Maine.

A railbus pauses next to the water tank and coal shed on the turntable lead at Quarry.

Two ways to lift slate in the quarry – a crane in the foreground, and a derrick behind.

A steam crane in the quarry.

Number 24 shoves flat cars into the shipping shed.

Number 6 pulls a load of roofing slates from the shipping shed.

21st April 2020: Here are more of Trevor’s pictures originally published on his own site;-

A close-up of the office of the Snowdon depot photgraphed before installation on the layout.

The interior of the car shop (taken before installation on the layout)

The carshop and engine shed in situ at Snowdon: Quarry can be seen across the aisle in the distance.

The coal shed at the end of the transfer yard in Snowdon, based on the one at Monson Junction. The upper door is for loading locomotive coal. The standard gauge track is on the opposite side.

An overview of Snowdon, taken from the roof of the car shop.

A view of the turntable at Snowdon.

Combine 104 in a train.

Trevor comments I did like the way my passenger cars turned out: the trains were very handsome, in my opinion!

The track inspector has left his car on the main at the Hebron Pond Slate Company. This is the Train & Trooper model, fitted with DCC and Sound as described in the March 2004 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.

One of the two B&SR tank cars – the only tank cars on the Maine two-footers.

S&PCRR 6 (ex B&SR) pulls loads of roofing slates from the mill.

S&PCRR 6 (ex B&SR) spots a car of polishing sand at the mill.

B&SR 41 was the subject of a group build led by Trevor on the now-defunct TwoFootProjects Yahoo Group.

Another view of the B&SR 41 flat car.

S&PCRR 21 (ex-Eustis) pauses at the small station at the Hebron Pond Slate Company.

Boxcar 156 would carry a variety of slate products between mill and transfer yard.

Dairy Car 59 is not normally found in the quarry. The crew must be spotting it somewhere on the return trip.

Pulpwood Car 327 is not normally found in the quarry. The crew must be spotting it somewhere on the return trip.

S&PCRR 21 (ex-Eustis) repositions a wedge plow during a special move.

A closeup of one of the derrick houses in the slate quarry. (On the layout, this one operated a virtual derrick, located in the aisle. The “cables” emerging from the house under the window at right were made from piano wire and clipped off at the fascia)

The powerhouse at the slate mill featured a full interior, lighting and sound. It was written up as the cover story for the June 2006 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman magazine.

A worker enjoys a cigarette while waiting for the railbus to arrive and take him home. (The Maine On2 FAQ’s does not endorse smoking).

A photo album view of S&PCRR 21 (ex-Eustis).