I am starting a layout based on the area that Casey Jones ran at the turn of the last century. What other locomotives and cars are period correct for that area other than AHM’s #382 ten wheeler. I would need the proper or as close as possible to Casey’s consist on that night. It looks like from what I can find that the road freight engines were 2-8-0’s but there isnt much info out there. I know that both mantua, AHM, IHC make or made some old timer freight cars. Were the passengers cars open platform or closed vestibule cars? Any and all info will be greatly appreciated. Thanks Mike
I would start with a search of Danville Virginia, Wikipedia has a little blurb with a picture of the wreck of the Old 97 in one of the links. There is a historical society there, and there is a memorial marker by the bridge which still stands over what is now route 58 in Danville. The picture caption states that 11 people died in the wreck, so there must have been passenger cars involved as well. Hope this helps. J.R.
Trains magazine had a review of the accident in its April 2000 issue. If you can find the ICC accident report, it will probably list the consist of the train. The reports available online contain such listings, although the date of Casey Jones’ accident is before the period covered by the ICC online report collection.
I’d guess a train consist about 6 cars long, one RPO, a baggage express car or two, a smoker, a coach or two, and a sleeper at the end. All cars of wood construction, possibly some open platform cars along with closed vestibule ones. Now that I’ve made my guess, I’ll see what I have at home on this.
If you are modeling HO, LaBelle woodworking makes beautiful cars of this era, although they’re difficult to assemble.
Regards
Peter
conford
Casey’s consist that night was a baggage, RPO, two coaches and two sleepers. It was considered a light load for the 382 to pull. I have built a few of Labelle’s narrow gauge kits, not easy, but not to hard. I will have to do some more digging to find some pics of the wreck, might be able to see what style of cars he had than night. besides brass, does anybody make a decent running 2-8-0 that looks right for the turn of the century? From what I can tell the IC was running ten wheelers on passenger and 2-8-0’s on freight in 1900.
There’s a good Casey Jones website that includes the text of the oricinal IC accident reports here:
http://www.watervalley.net/users/caseyjones/wreck.htm
The reports include the engine and car numbers involved in the wreck.
Your best bet for pre-Harriman standard IC passenger cars are the old MDC/Roundhouse Pullman Palace cars and Overland cars. By 1900, the IC was switching rapidly from open-vestibule, relatively short cars to closed (or partially closed) vestibule, relatively long cars. I’d imagine a mix: closed vestibule full baggage, open vestibule RPO and coaches, and brand-new, Pullman closed vestibule sleepers. You’ll have to kitba***wo of the MDC combines to come up with a wood full baggage.
According to this website, these are two photos of the actual wreck:
http://www.trainweb.org/caseyjones/wreck_photos.html
Notice that all the cars are closed vestibule, 75 foot long plus wood cars.
As for 1900 freight cars, the best on the market are Westerfield and Funaro & Carmelengo. MDC/Roundhouse also makes a nice line of plastic “old timer” cars, but if you want accuracy, you’ll have to do some (fairly simple) work to them to bring them up to resin standards. But pre-1900 all-wood freight cars are pretty simple to scratchbuild too, especially out of plastic. Art Griffin makes a HUGE like of appropriate decal sets for pre WWI rolling stock.
According to the Casey Jones report, he destroyed two IC boxcars, numbers 11380 and 24116. I don’t have a photo of a 11000-series box, but DO have a photo of number 24368, which is a 40-foot, trussrod box (the IC really didn’t have many 36-foot boxcars). I’d use the Accurail 40-foot wood REEFER kit as a starting point, as the IC box had wood ends. Use Grandt Line queenposts for the trussrodded underframe, use Tichy wood Camel doors over the reefer doors, and fabricate a new wood roof out of Evergreen car siding.
I don’t have a photo of any of the 98000-series cabooses (Casey ran into 981
If you’re looking for an IC 2-8-0, look no further than the Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0. The model is based off the 900-series IC engines, which were originally the 960-series engines, built in 1911. They’re virtually identical to earlier IC consolidations (63" drivers, similar weight) built in 1903 and 1904. Earlier, smaller IC consols built in 1891 and 1892 (and only numbering 39 engines) had 56" drivers. The only thing really close to these early engines are the MDC old-timer 2-8-0s and the Model Power 0-8-0 (add a lead truck). Of the two, the MP engine is actually closer, as it’s based off a Rogers prototype.
I wasnt sure what locomotives the trains casey hit had, I know that his regular locomotive prior to getting promoted to passenger service was a new 2-8-0 that IC had just gotten. Please send me the pics you have, anything helps with getting the layout to look somewhat close to correct. Email is cadetpwr@hotmail.com. Thanks for all the help guys
OK Mike, look for an email with 24 IC 1900-era photos heading your way! I included steam, caboose, freight and passenger car images, including a post wreck image of one of the freight engines. I’ve also included two photos of a similar wreck, in Farmer’s City IL, in 1909.
Enjoy!
Got them, thanks olsen, I will try to print them out as soon as I get some more ink. It wont be a very large layout for a few years, current size is only 3.5 ft by 6.5 feet big, a small shelf branches off down to an yet to be determined industry. So a turn of the century layout is nice with all the smaller equipment that was still around. For now I will “fudge” the passenger train with the smaller MDC Overton cars in the IC colors. Are there any good books that cover the IC at the turn of the century? What freight operations they had. I plan to make the scenery to look like generic country side between Durant and Vaughn MI. Once we get a house in a few years, then the more scaled line will come. Thanks Mike
There have been dozens of books written on the IC, but very few get into operations (nor do many RR histories).
http://www.bestwebbuys.com/0405099142
An extremely boring book, but illustrative of the working conditions of the IC.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1583880631/qid=1120740741/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/104-3613830-6464726?v=glance&s=books
A decent little photo guide.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/002614980X/qid=1120740741/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-3613830-6464726?v=glance&s=books
The “standard” IC history.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0006P257K/qid=1120740822/sr=1-8/ref=sr_1_8/104-3613830-6464726?v=glance&s=books
In my opinion, a much better IC history, and probably the best source for operational data.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0974797006/qid=1120740890/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/104-3613830-6464726?v=glance&s=books
A brand new IC book, and a absolutely fantastic resource for IC steam. I’ve flipped through the book, and definitely need to pick up a copy!