Let me preface this by saying (again), I new to the hobby…[:D]
What I would like to do is model my layout after a town where I spent summers aa a kid. The SMALL town located south of Selma, AL. In that region, there is lots of soybean, corn, and HEAT. They were freight trains going through, but I have no idea what type (i.e., Southern, Sante Fe, etc.). Do ANYONE have any idea what lines ran through that area. Better yet, where can I go to research the history. The time period is 1970-1980.
Thanks!!!
What small town south of Selma? That will do better in deciding what to tell ya. I was born and raised in Selma and have done a lot of railfanning from Selma to Mobile. In that area we had in the 70’s Southern, L&N, Georgia, Western of Al, SLSF (Frisco),. Nowadays there are only 3 left NS, CSX & BNSF.
My layout is based on a shortline coming out of Selma and running toward the north, although I did think alot on going south.
WOW…Really!!! The town is called Orville. It’s about 15 miles south on Hwy22. I spent many summers down there. They only excitement was going to the mall in Selma. THOSE WERE THE DAYS…[:D][:D][:D]
Unreal!!! Someone who knows of what I speak. Orville is 15 miles south of Selma.
Running directly thru Orville was what once was the Western Railway of Alabama. L&N had trackage rights, and many times F-7’s in the L&N yellow nose would pull the trains out of Selma. Biggest trains I ever saw there was a four unit lash up of WofA diesels and a train of about 50 cars. Most of the time it was just 1-2 engines and 10-15 cars on that line. Its now CSX.
Just about 5 miles west or Orville this line crossed the Southern on grade with control of the crossing done by the SRR dispatcher. The SRR was coming west out of Selma to Browns/Marion Junction. The main curved south down toward Mobile and crossed the WofA just East of Safford. Al.22 runs into Al.5 at Safford and mostly follows the hiway to Thomasville and then to Mobile.
“UNREAL” is right!!! My grand parent’s church was on a gravel road somewhere in Safford. I remember tracks running pararllel to it. So, I should select Southern, L&N, Georgia, Western of Al, or SLSF labeled diesels, eh? What is L&N?
Is that small air strip still on hwy22, as you head toward Orville? I remember the crop dusters use to fly out of there. There was soybean directly across the street from my grandparent’s house. I USE TO LOVE WATCHING THEM CROP DUST!!!
We had HUGE pine trees behind the barn, so the plane would be coming right at us about 30 feet off the ground, and at the last second he’d pull up. WOW…I’ve just been taken back 30 years.
L&N stands for Louisville & Nashville. It, Seaboard Coast Line, Wof A, Georgia, and Clinchfield (probably a few others I’ve forgot) formed Family Lines back in the late 1970’s. This became part of the B&O, C&O, & Western Maryland (again a few I forgot) into the CSX. Southern and its subsidiaries merged with the N&W to form NS, Norfolk Southern.
The grass airstrip is called Sky Harbor. Not only do a lot of the cropdusters fly out of there, but so did a lot of private Cessnas, and Pipers. I still have family in Selma and go and visit there a least once a month. I live up in B’ham so its only about a 70 minutes drive.
Still growing a lot of soybeans/corn there and are beginning to grow cotton again there.
Where do you live now?
I live in Chicago. I still have lots of relatives in Orville, Selma, and Birmingham. I haven’t been there in about 3-4 years, but my mom visits EVERY year.
Great chatting with you!!! Thanks a lot for the information!!!
Feel free to contact me anytime! My e-mail address is on my home page in my sig.