I’ve always been a big fan of narrow gauge equipment, so I’ve always been looking for a prototype that fits the narrow gauge mold. While the prototype KVR was standard gauge, there is no reason to think that the Lauder Company couldn’t have built the railway as a narrow gauge carrier from the beginning to save money.
I like this prototype-freelance approach as it permits me flexibility in modeling locomotives, rolling stock, etc. I will try, where possible, to model the KVR buildings and trackage patterns from photographs, and will keep rolling stock and locomotives from the right eras.
Why O scale? I like the size for building rolling stock and buildings. The drawback is, of course, that O scale takes up much more room than, say, HO scale. But the PM&TCo. will be a simple railway with a very low trackage to scenery ratio.
The PM&TCo. has been designed for operation from the beginning. I hope to run all the trains the prototype KVR ran, including the passenger operation via railcar. I will be using a car waybill system to direct car movements, and may someday even recreate the phone system for dispatching the railway.