The Elk Valley Railroad is a fictitious short line somewhere in the north east part of the USA. The line serves the local industries including Carlisle's paper products, Elk Valley Foods ("Home of the Elkburger"!), a lumber yard and a ready-mixed concrete plant. The line also runs tourist steam and diesel trains from the splendidly restored station, with its Russian-inspired architecture. There is also an historic streetcar operation from the local museum to the station. The period is the early years of the 21st century. The layout was inspired by holidays in New England and Pennsylvania.

The locos and rolling stock are all commercial ready-to-run items from a variety of sources such as Bachmann, Athearn Atlas and Walthers. Some of these have been repainted in our own livery with the aid of home-made decals printed on a computer laser printer. The loco livery is similar to Wisconsin Central (EWS in the UK!). Most of the locos are diesel (including some older types such as a GP7), but the line has one steam loco ­ a Boston & Maine 2-8-0. Tourist passenger services are operated by Budd railcars or short loco hauled trains. Regular freight trains serve the industries and the ready mixed concrete works. The vintage steeetcar service is operated by two Bachmann cars.

The track is standard Peco code 100. The buildings are a mixture of Walthers kits and home-made items using laser-cut parts from our own drawings. The station building is based on the one at North Conway in New England, and the station inn, with its rail fans sitting on the veranda watching the trains come and go, is modelled on the one at Cresson, Pennsylvania.

Photo captions:
1. Budd railcars on an evening service on the Elk Valley Railroad.
2. A preserved street car outside Elkton station on the Elk Valley Railroad.
3. GP7 diesel loco outside the Elk Valley ready mixed concrete plant.
4. Elk Valley Railroad locos on shed.