History and Background

THE NORMANED RAILROAD traces its origin from 1965 when it began as a commuter-freight mixed shortline with one restored locomotive of uncertain heritage and six or seven various pieces of rolling stock servicing a model raceways layout in the basement of our Milford, Connecticut home.

      The NORMANED is named after its co-founders, Norman and Ned Wright, the model railroad's name being an obvious overlapping combination of their two first names. A totally-owned subsidiary company, the “Tiny Transportation Company,” is named after the wife and mother of the founders, whose nickname in her Ohio hometown was “Tiny.” The TTCo., which was in charge of the raceways operation in Connecticut, now is represented on the NORMANED by the following:

      The present railroad (layout) of the NORMANED is its third. It was moved once, in 1967, from Milford to Southington, Conn., and again in 1971 to its present location. Although much equipment, train trackage, scenic materials, accessories, etc., was salvaged with each move, only two areas on the present layout are exactly as they were on the original - the station control panel at the Christopher passenger terminal, and the winding branchline serving Wright's Bend and Panthorne. [Rail service on this branch was discontinued following abandonment of the line from the Bridgeport terminus and the Genesee Junction interchange. However, since most rail remains in place, some consideration is being given to attempt restoration on this section as an operating tourist attraction].

      By 1980, an estimated 75 to 80 percent of the equipment on the NORMANED (including trains, structures, track and accessories) had been restored by the management (over the years) to useable condition, having been obtained at little or no cost as someone else's junk or castoffs. Some new equipment was purchased in ensuing years as the railroad's revenue permitted; however, much if not most of this was not placed in regular service on the layout but, following a few test runs, was held in storage as part of the collection for possible future expansion. (Negotiations for additional space for expansion are frequently unsuccessful, as is often the case with prototype [“real”] railroads).
      Some of the railroad as it now exists was built in sections or “modules” which, it was intended at the time, might be disassembled and moved virtually intact if another relocation ever became necessary. Unfortunately, as the layout grew, more and more track inter-connections between these sections became desirable, and the electrical wiring became so complex that an attempt to relocate the entire layout in toto would probably be futile - although there are several discrete sections which could be disconnected and salvaged for use on another model railroad in some other location.

      As is the case with most model railroads, the NORMANED has never been considered “completed,” since “completion” in a hobby operation would imply, in our opinion, abandonment of the hobby. Although activity on the railroad has slowed - and for some years nearly stopped entirely - it has escaped complete abandonment. Visitors to the NORMANED will be aware of areas unfinished and/or still under construction, as well as indications of provisions which have been made for possible future development. Scenery, detailing and maintenance are always ongoing - only the rate of development may vary from very little to a lot at any one time.-

      The NORMANED utilizes “O” Gauge track (1¼ inches between rails) and is constructed to one-quarter inch scale (1/48^th actual size). Electrical power for locomotion (12 to 20 volts AC) is carried through a center third rail in what is synonymously referred to in the hobby as either Tinplate, Hi-Rail or Semi-Scale operation. [Later developments of additional scale model train layouts in both 'N'- and 'HO'-gauge sizes by the “railroad crew” of the NORMANED are detailed elsewhere in these pages].
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