I’m eventually going to model a short line that used to exist in my hometown as if it had survived to modern day (modeling the early '90s probably) . It went out of business in 1940 so it never had the chance to operate diesels. Some facts about the line from back in the day: It ran about 9 miles and interchanged with the PRR (Would now be Norfolk Southern, maybe Conrail in the early '90s). It eventually took over a short PRR passenger run with trackage rights on the PRR, bringing it’s entire run up to about 12 miles. It served a handful of small to mid-sized industries… maybe and average of two to three cars per day from each.
My question is, what locomotive(s) should I have on hand for such a road in the early '90s? I was thinking about relettering a former NS GP38 or older PRR Geep. I like the idea of re-lettering a former NS engine because I was hoping to make the paint scheme black and that would save me from having to paint an undecorated car. I also considered just making the whole run with a switcher like an SW1500.
There is a branch line that runs past my house that is roughly the length and car load of what I’m trying to model and NS runs it with GP38’s. But a small short line might not have that kind of power, especially 20 years ago.
What do you guys think would be appropriate motive power for such a small line? I have to be able to find a decent DCC model of whatever you recommend.
I could easily see such a line picking up a couple small switchers in the late 40’s or early 50’s, if it had enough business. Otherwise it might have run steam into the late 50’s and picked up some retiring F-units or Alco RS-(somethings). By the early 90’s, they might be seeing GP7’s, GP9’s, GP18’s and maybe even GP30’s on the used market (Southern and N&W liked the high-nose versions). Six axle diesels might include SD24’s and others I’m sure. I’d have to check my books to see when NS GP38’s were retired.
I see that Alco S-3 s and EMD SW1 s were popular, but there is also a variety of motive power that have been bought out in HO. I’d personally go for the “Indian Creek RR” RS-11 just for something a bit different. I also see that “Intermountain” have announced a GP 16.
The Military had a flock of small switchers that they got rid of in the 70s or so and alot of them were GE 44 tonners, and I know it is available undec, at least in HO. The Aroostok Valley railroad in Maine had a couple of them to switch the little short line that they had, they replaced electric locomotives. Interesting railroad, probably gone now.
Tough question to answer without all the facts.A short line wouldn’t use a big GP38 for 1-4 car trains while a more fuel efficient EMD switcher would get the job done…A Alco would probably be low on the list due to OEM parts.On the other hand if the daily train exceeds 12 cars then a GP38 would be mighty handy.
Of course modern short lines seem to prefer the old GP7/9 work horses.
Since we’re talking a fantasy line here, pick what ever small diesels trip your trigger. Do like everyone else does, ask the questions and do whatever they dang well please.
My view is that most short lines, regional RRs, tend to have second hand equipment which they tend to hold on to for fairly long periods of time. So I would define my layouts “date”, subtract 20-30 years, determine the locomotives of that time, and pick one or three.
The few short lines I’m familiar with used switchers exclusively (from what I saw). I would guess they did for three reasons - cost, shorter/lighter trains, and slow speed running.
But like NP2626 says, its your RR, and pick “whatever”!
As for paint scheme, rather than the NS uit, you would probably see an old Conrail unit or a Penn Central job… Just patch out the reporting marks and weather the paint.
A lot of short lines may have started operations with patched locomotives they soon realized having their own paint scheme set a better example in their customers and public eyes…
Why is that?
Since a state or regional port authority owns the track they lease the track to a shortline operator and this operator furnishes the engine(s) cars(if any) and employees.The state will issue a one time operation grant so the track can be refurbish where needed.
The short line operator must provide reasonable service and therefore the operator must have locomotives that is well maintained since failure to render service can be consider a breech of contract and he can lose the lease.
An SW unit or two would more than fit the bill. Pittsburg & Shawmut bought new ones in the early 50’s and they are still in service on other roads today. LEF&C ran SW/NW type units of some sort. Right now you can take a look at the North Shore RR between Sunbury and Berwick, PA. They usually ran a single SW unit and hauled 10 - 15 cars every day or two when I was living in that area a couple of years ago.
Thanks for the link. I live in Eustis and cross the tracks everyday in my medical bus. Know the location of the base very well. I enjoyed the ride and knew the locale every mile.
I would think that it would use old SWs or GE 44, 45, or 70 tonners. Two locos would be plenty.
If it were integrated with NS/Conrail’s system, you would probably see a 20 year old (or older) SD locomotive. They would almost certainly not run new equipment, as the line would be low priority, and the newer stuf would be saved for mainline trains and large industries.
Actually those are getting to old to be reliable and OEM parts may be a issue…
They would almost certainly not run new equipment, as the line would be low priority, and the newer stuf would be saved for mainline trains and large industries.
I seen SD70s and Dash 9s on local freights on urban industrial branch lines-a oddity no doubt…I suspect they used the engine they had on hand…
In NW Wisconsin, Progressive Rail operates a short line named Wisconsin Northern. Their work horses are a matched pair of GP-15’s. Used to be Frisco units. If you search, you can find some video of them at work. Sometimes, with a growing amount of local traffic to move, the pair of GP’s have a ruff time starting out from a dead stop. They will also run with a SW 1500, or something like that, as a helper on the back of trains, and also use this for trailing point switching operations. They have been at the beginning of the frac sand boom in W and NW Wisconsin, and I think the UP helps them out a lot with dash 9’s. When East Troy, WI served a few industries with a short 5 mile line that interchanged with the Soo, (later WC, than CN) they used a 44 ton diesel. The line was always electrified ( last remaining segment of the T.M.E.L.& R.R. Co.), and they used an electric engine for small moves and MOW. The line still operates today as a museum, and tourist attraction.
I think pair of GP 7’s or 9’s would be just right for your short line. You can operate them separately for servicing local industries, and pair them up for the moves to the interchange yard. Prototypicaly, they are still in use today and for modeling, there are lots to choose from.
Thanks for the information, everyone. It sounds like I can’t go wrong no matter what I do, but an older Geep or two and maybe a switcher might be just the ticket. I had forgotten to mention that I was probably going to run an occasional passenger excursion train, but I’ll probably have an F unit just for that purpose. That’s not my main concern though. I wish there were websites I could link to about this line, because the history of it is really interesting and like a lot of short lines serving small towns at that time it had a lot of character. Money for the construction was raised by selling shares to the townspeople, so the line was always operated as more a service to the town than as a profitable business. A guy from the area wrote a book about the line a few years ago and ran a really good website to go along with it but it appears the website is offline now. I don’t know of any other sites devoted to it or even mentioning it. It seems to have been relegated to a footnote in history. If the line had survived another two years, when one of the industries it served greatly expanded, it might still exist today. That’s how I plan to model it.