The Burnt Hills and Big Flats was organized to operate remnants of the New York Ontario and Western. Declining service by the Penn Central has led to increased traffic from Syracuse and Utica. A resurgence of anthracite coal use is also occurring due to the Arab oil embargo.
N scale is the second most popular scale for model railroaders.
The model railroad is setup in a 14 foot by 15 foot bedroom. Construction started in 1982 as a 3 foot by 6 foot portable layout. This original section is still incorporated in the current layout. Monthly operating sessions are held, with trains run to a schedule. All 200 freight cars on the layout have assigned destinations to be sent to.