about gettin started!
I’ve come to the decision to get started building my modules. As an active-duty Coast Guardsman, I’ll be moving arround alot in the forseeable future. I’m goin to: keep working on the N scale cofee table layout, build my 2 section Fred’s locomotive shop modules, and build 2 more NMRA standard modules depicting a coal mine on one and a train wreck on the other.
The Coal Mine module will depict a rare on-line coal mine that was abandoned in the late 40’s. The tipple will be on the viewer’s side of the 2 track, ex-VGN Extension main, and the mine itself will be buit into a hill across the main. The conveyor comming out of the hill will be removed, but the concrete feet for the supports will remain, and the opening for the conveyor will be cinder-blocked in. The Tipple will be boarded up and dilapidated, but the 2 loading tracks will remain as storage for MOW equipment. The main mine entrance will be acessed by a road/walkway underneath the main lines. The Entrance will have a marble slab over it. These few words are written on that stand: “At the bottom of this mine lies one hell of a man, Big John” (yes, the whole scene was inspired by the song “Big Bad John” There are several versions out there, I prefer the Charlie Daniels version)
The Train Wreck module will be on a 2 track ex- PRR branch line. Way back when, the V&AL decided to test the 4-8-8-4 Big Boy. A test train was made up of 3 instrument cars, and a 4-8-2 to load test were sent up into coal country. It was a wet spring, and unbeknownst to anyone the main line was a bit too soggy in some places. As the test train rolled across a culvert that had been clogged and was leaking out under the roadbed, the 4-8-8-4 caused the culvert to collapse. The entire train went sliding to the bottom of the hill, 70 feet below. Alco and V&AL MOW engineers (techinical, not
