I’m back! After a busy few months doing other things I’ve taken a nose into my pile of Model Railroad stuff.
Now I fancy doing something not too complicated - which will be an achievement for me… I always build things up, up a bit more, a bit more… You get the idea.
So maybe someone can come up with a suggestion fo something simple but interesting to build around the following…
Everything is H0, not DCC (yet) 1980s. Space could extend to 14’ x 8’. I would go round the outside of the space. [I’m not really looking for a layout plan though but something from the real world I could work into the space].Locos are:
CSX U23B in “stealth” livery Atlas
Chessie (B&O) SD9, P2K
Chessie (B&O) SD9, P2K
Chessie (B&O) GP40 P2K
Chessie SD40 patched to CSXT Kato (Nicely weathered to heavy road use except pathces),
MKT GP40 Atlas
MKT U23B Atlas
NS GP40 Atlas
Conrail GP35 Kato (Nicely weathered to heavy road use)
Various candidates for industrial or shortline locos.
I guess that I’ve weighted that list with the Chessie beasts. I’m wondering what would happen if I removed the SD9s? Maybe the sort of territory I would be looking at would move further south?
Thanks in advance for all ideas [8D]
Links to pics and lines would be really useful [8D]
Congratulations, you will be modeling St. Louis, MO. As near as I can tell, that is the only geographical location where the MKT and the Chessie System (B&O division) had a joint connection. Don’t forget to include the Budwiser plant…[swg]
That’s the spot. But, if you include the big brewery you should also include its big neighbor, and I dont think two interlocking three-track wyes will fit in your space…[:-^]
But then you could take the worst dog on your roster and paint/letter it for St. Louis Union Terminal - maybe with just the letters…[}:)]
A bit off location but that’s usual for me. The GP40 looks about the same as the SD I have. I also have similar GE 6axles… might these have wandered down to St Louis under early CSX ownereship?
…also found a different terminal road but not that reporting mark. [:o)]
Can anyone tell me more / provide links for this combination of roads and location please?
Well by the 1980’s the MKT was operating over the UP into St Louis and the MKT line was basically shut down because it was so bad that it literally took days to get from Sedalia to St. Louis. virtually the whole line was 10-25 mph (or less). The MKT didn’t switch the Budwieser plant, the MRS did.
St. Louis is probably your best bet. But if you were willing to dump the MKT units, or paint them something else. You could use any number of Midwestern cities where Chessie, Big Blue, and the Dark Side crossed.
Any specific industries you are interested in? In the upper Midwest you have a number of steel mills, auto plants, and other assorted heavy industry. If you want to move farther east, there’s the coal mining regions of West Virgina, and Western Pennsylvania.
Aw! I’d like to keep the MKT units… but their almost the only Katy stuff I havebar a couple of Atlas Cylindrical hoppers.
If anything I’d rather keep the NS GP40 with it’s high short hood. It’s a bit of a beast. [:)] I’ve checked my lists and I have some NW and NS 6axle GE units. I’m not sure whether they would be the same NS and the NW that went into what you so neatly describe as “the Dark Side”. I also have an Athern GP59 NS/Southern in green, gold and white… not sure when that crept in [%-)]
I was very vaguely thinking more in terms of Eastern States rather than Mid West. Maybe the Carolinas??? Can’t find my Rand-McNally at present so I can’t check places out so easy. Where’s Kentucky? Only industry that comes to mind for sure would be a distillery for Bourbon. (Guess why) [:-,] I have one string of CSXT hoppers, some random Eastern hoppers and could re-number some more… Thought I had some NS hoppers but their not showing on the list.
Otherwise most of my Eastern Road freight cars are boxcars.
The age old question is how to keep things simple but have plenty of interest.
I’m inclined to think in terms of having a Class 1 double track or double to single round the outside of a circuit to just roll longer consists on. For “added interest” I’d put a shortline depot or loco facility inside the Class 1 with spurs across it to industries in the outside corners of the rectangular space available.
Following Chucks suggestions I did some research and discovered that Santa uses the St Louis East Depot. [:P]
Talking of Santa… I’d quite like to try representing a late fall early sprinkling of snow/haw frost… the sort of ituation that gets most of the white stuff melted off qui
Black diamonds! Coal is one of the biggest industries in Kentucky. Don’t overlook the paper, and lumber industries. At one time, West Virginia was a glass making center as well.
Kentucky, West Virginia and Virginia would be great homes for your NS/NW fleet.
If that floats your boat…by CSX most of the locos would be in Chessie, Seaboard System, or Family Lines paint.
For the most part, Conrail rarely ventured south of the Mason-Dixion line, Delaware and Eastern Maryland being the main exceptions. Also Conrail retired it’s Alco units enmass in the late 70s-early 80s. But you could still run the U-boats.
There’s always run-thru power. Don’t forget the cabin cars! If you like the Katy units, you can always change the initials and make them your shortline power.
Yup, for paper making you could run the huge wood chip hoppers, you could also use pulpwood racks for inbound traffic, and boxcars for paper outbound.
I’ll have to find my article on West Virginia’s glass industry to answer those questions.