24 GARDEN RAILWAYS FALL 2019

READERS’

GALLERRRY

MARK BOTTRILL

The Bishopstown Subdivision may recall memories of

Conrail’s heyday in the northeastern United States, but

it’s located in Buckinghamshire county in the south of

England. The railroad features a 600-foot double-track

main line and includes a number of rail-served

industries, including a steel recycling facility and a

plastics plant that receives plastic pellets in hoppers

delivered via unit trains. Here, empties are transported

via a Norfolk Southern U25B and GP38 instead of the

usual “big blue” power. As the railroad enters its third

year of operation, Mark Bottrill continues to

scratchbuild lineside buildings and build infrastructure,

especially during the UK’s less-than-favorable winters.

Send your photos to Readers’ Gallery:

Garden Railways, PO Box 1612,

Waukesha, WI 53187-1612, USA

or email them to:

[email protected]

JOHN CUSHMAN

During a visit to the California State Railroad

Museum, John Cushman saw an engine that

used to run just a few blocks from his home in

Santa Rosa, Calif. The North Pacific Coast

4-4-0 Sonoma, paired with a combine from

the same period, was restored by the museum

and is now on display as part of their

permanent collection. John was inspired to

re-create a similar scene on his Santa Rose &

Pacific Railroad. A Bachmann Eureka &

Palisade locomotive, paired with a Pacific

Coast combine, waits for passengers at the

station. Can you see the family resemblance?