Overview of the M&K Division of the B&O
Don Cassler
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Check out the model of the M&K Division of B&O Railroad created by Don Cassler and his fellow model railroaders, Bill Hanley and Mark Vinski. Allen Keller is welcomed into Don’s home to see a 20 year long project that took place in Don’s basement. The trio formed an informal club and worked under Don’s guidance. Their model is based on memories of cherished train watching locales and was specifically designed for the space. B&O stands for Baltimore and Ohio and the B&O Railroad is the oldest railroad in the United States. The model represents the railroad in West Virginia where mountain grades are common, thus needing helpers with long trains of 50 cars. Helper engines assist trains that need more power to climb a gradient. The model has a minimum radius of 48 inches and a maximum radius of 50 feet to accommodate to the mountainous environment. All of the curves in the model are extremely elevated. The 20 years of work really shows through with this incredible M&K masterpiece.
Don Cassler's M&K division of the B&O railroad is the work of an informal club, yet all work is done under Don's guidance. The club members use the layout as a canvas for their memories of favorite train watching locales. Thus, the M&K is a rail fan's railroad with trains operating in a prototypical environment. The railroad is based on the Baltimore & Ohio in West Virginia, where mountain grades are common. This means helpers with long trains of 50 cars.
To accommodate such massive consists, the layout has a minimum radius of 48 inches and a maximum radius of an unbelievable 50 feet. Hi, I'm Alan Keller. This is Don Cassler. Welcome to the M&K, Allen. Well, thanks, Don.
I don't think I've ever seen a 50 foot radius curve. Well, you're standing right in front of one. If you want to build one, I put some tables in "Railroad Model Craftsman" several years ago that will tell you how to build a 50 foot curve. Really, it's almost straight track. It just makes the railroad look better.
The M&K division of the B&O is an island style layout that occupies a 45 foot by 27 foot portion of Don's basement. Most of the track is hand-laid, and the turnouts are built to fit the location. All curves are superelevated. Don and his friends began work on the layout 20 years ago. Today, there would be no layout without this group of congenial model railroaders.
Our tour of the layout begins at MK Junction. This is the classification yard for the entire railroad. Since this is a bridge line, most of the traffic is run through, with empties westbound and loads eastbound.
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