While attending the Arkansas Fire Academy this week, I took the opportunity to do some rail fanning at the nearby East Camden and Highland short line which serves the gigantic Highland Industrial Park. I found many prototypes for things we do on our railroad layouts. Let me illustrate (pictures!) what I mean. Click on any picture for a larger shot.
First of all the EC&H railroad is a circle. Like the typical 4x8 on a board, it make a huge circle around the industrial park and comes back to its starting point.
There were large sections of track laying out, too. If you look under them, will you find the words “Atlas”?
How’s this for an off beat ballast hopper?
And something to do with that old boxcar, too!
Yep, you can truly find it all on a short line! I can’t wait to go back in three weeks. I’m going to try to catch some shots of the Fordyce and Princeton in action.
Hmmm, it shouldn’t be too hard to make one. You just have to have a way of flowing the ballest. You could put parts of a stiff paint brush under the body to spread the ballast.
Finding a car to spread the glue would the impossible, I’m afraid.
Those some awesome pics. And, yep, shortlines make use of what they have, to get what they need. Show me more, please. And, I also like the pic in your signature dragenrider. [8D][:)][tup][:D]
Lothar, I’ve tried rigging up a hopper to dump out of it’s normal compartments, and it won’t work. The ballast pushes up the flange, and derails the car every few inches. I have a few more Ideas though, and if I get any to work, I’ll be sure to let you know.
Dragenrider,
Where did you take the photos of the Great Smoky Mountain RR?
This is a photo I took in May. It was taken between Andrews and Nantahala Nc.
This part of the GSMR is not part of the tourist line. They were moving corn
to Andrews. This is, of course, the old Murphy Branch of the Southern Ry. Dave
I did an all-morning train chase starting from Bryson City and ending at Topton. I’ve rode the train a couple of times and cruised the area quite a bit during my vacations, so I know most of the roads. I followed the train and took over 50 pictures using my digital camera and downloading them to my laptop as I waited at each new location.
The spot with the garden is located about 2 miles south of the first Tuckasegee River crossing south of Bryson City. I really enjoyed visiting with the owner of the yard. He was delighted to have his work show up in a photograph and says he works on his yard 3-4 hours a day!
This shot was taken on a dirt trail north of the Nantahala Gorge. I wish I could post more of my train chasing pics, but it’d make this post more graphics intensive than it already is. I would like to see more of the your GSMR freight pics, though.
Did you take the last shot from the parking area off of Hwy 19? I’m referring to the
one where you have to climb the steps and then a hill to the tracks. If so,
here’s a shot from the same spot. We waited for awhile but the train never
came. Dave
Awesome pictures, I want to make an “Off-Beat Ballast Hopper” now, for the MoW train.
I once saw a picture of a prototype “Kitbash.” It had the cab of an F unit, and frame and trucks from a Geep, and the hood was a mesh of ALCo and EMD. It was from a Mexican shortline I believe. It was a sight.
I have a question for those of your that have been to the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad. Do you know if GSMR 1751 and GSMR 1755 are former San Joaquin Valley Railroad (SJVR) locomotives of the same numbers? From the photographs I have seen, it appears that they are former Southern Pacific, so I am guessing they came to GSMR from SJVR.
It’s interesting that you mention the fire academy.
While I was at the New York State Fire Academy in Montour Falls I got to tour the tactics room. They have a diorama/layout that has a operable HO layout running through it so officers in training can simulate real situations. Just an interesting tid bit.
ok heres one for u guys, im a member of a model railroad club in denison texas and we had a kid that built a 70 ton bobber caboose out of a 70 ton locotive, anyone ever seen a prototype pic of this???
For dave9999, no I took that picture on a dead end dirt trail. There’s lots of little spots to get out and walk for shots before the train gets there. The trains don’t move very fast and it’s easy to get ahead and scope out a good spot.
ericsp, interesting history tidbit. I was wondering where they came from. I like their paint scheme.
For ericsp, I was just at GSMR last week and my friend is a conductor for them. I will find out the history on them. I know that 2 or 3 of the gp’s they have are from the C&NW. It is really a neat little road. I wi***hey hauled more freight than what they do.
My friend, the conductor, his backyard faces the tracks so there is a great view of the trains coming by. I would like to find pictures of the Southern or NS running on this line between bryson city and dillsboro. If anyone knows where some might be.
