GandyDancer
Member
The idea of this challenge is to develop a proper roster for the railroad described.
One can consider power needs, manufacturer, past history, aesthetics, economy, economics, marketing appeal, and even preference of the General Manager or President. The answer is a simple list of the era appropriate locomotives, quantity, and their assignments. The list is then followed by a brief description of why these locomotives were chosen.
Due to the comment in the prior challenge about being unfamiliar with the era, the challenge is basically the same as the prior. It is simply upgraded to the 2nd Generation Diesel era.
Railroad - The Midwest Link Line
The date is 1977. Geography is plains, max grade .04% and never more than 1/4 mile at a time. The railroad has just emerged from receivership brought on largely due to the truck competition of the 1960s. In receivership it just purchased a small segment of track from a Rock Island abandonment. The "new" track allows it to make a second connection with a more prosperous (healthy) class one. With the Rock Island out of the picture, it is now a trunk line which happens to be the only connection between the two Class 1 railroads for 200 miles in either direction. It is in the enviable position opposite of most railroads during the mid 1970s, business is booming. It is getting enough interchange pass-through traffic for two through trains a day in each direction (20-60 cars each). The pass-through traffic is mostly merchandise with a few regional drags thrown in. No through unit trains of coal or TOF (TOF will pass through but not in large units). Occasionally it will get an Amtrak reroute, but Amtrak provides their own power. They might need a loaner in the case of a failure.
The railroad now has its own interchange yard at each end of the system. There is locomotive servicing and storage at each end but there is only one locomotive shop.
The railroad is the sole provider of services in six small towns between the two large roads. There are the normal 1970s mid-west industries in almost each of these towns (grain elevator, cement plants, junk yard, gravel pit, and lumber yard). Also on the line is a farm implement and auto dealership (large enough to get rail shipments), a couple petroleum loading stations, a refinery, a limestone quarry, and a chemical (fertilizer) plant. With depressed agricultural prices and inflation spiraling these industries only generate enough traffic for a tri-weekly local in each direction. There is one major industry (a water bed manufacturer) that generates enough traffic for one train a day in each direction. This manufacturer is nearly in the center of the line and far enough away from the "main" to almost be considered a branch.
Name that roster.
One can consider power needs, manufacturer, past history, aesthetics, economy, economics, marketing appeal, and even preference of the General Manager or President. The answer is a simple list of the era appropriate locomotives, quantity, and their assignments. The list is then followed by a brief description of why these locomotives were chosen.
Due to the comment in the prior challenge about being unfamiliar with the era, the challenge is basically the same as the prior. It is simply upgraded to the 2nd Generation Diesel era.
Railroad - The Midwest Link Line
The date is 1977. Geography is plains, max grade .04% and never more than 1/4 mile at a time. The railroad has just emerged from receivership brought on largely due to the truck competition of the 1960s. In receivership it just purchased a small segment of track from a Rock Island abandonment. The "new" track allows it to make a second connection with a more prosperous (healthy) class one. With the Rock Island out of the picture, it is now a trunk line which happens to be the only connection between the two Class 1 railroads for 200 miles in either direction. It is in the enviable position opposite of most railroads during the mid 1970s, business is booming. It is getting enough interchange pass-through traffic for two through trains a day in each direction (20-60 cars each). The pass-through traffic is mostly merchandise with a few regional drags thrown in. No through unit trains of coal or TOF (TOF will pass through but not in large units). Occasionally it will get an Amtrak reroute, but Amtrak provides their own power. They might need a loaner in the case of a failure.
The railroad now has its own interchange yard at each end of the system. There is locomotive servicing and storage at each end but there is only one locomotive shop.
The railroad is the sole provider of services in six small towns between the two large roads. There are the normal 1970s mid-west industries in almost each of these towns (grain elevator, cement plants, junk yard, gravel pit, and lumber yard). Also on the line is a farm implement and auto dealership (large enough to get rail shipments), a couple petroleum loading stations, a refinery, a limestone quarry, and a chemical (fertilizer) plant. With depressed agricultural prices and inflation spiraling these industries only generate enough traffic for a tri-weekly local in each direction. There is one major industry (a water bed manufacturer) that generates enough traffic for one train a day in each direction. This manufacturer is nearly in the center of the line and far enough away from the "main" to almost be considered a branch.
Name that roster.
