Your railroad's story and history

[Photogdad]

My model railroad is based on the Cleveland, Lorain & Wheeling (CL&W) subdivision of the B&O in Cleveland, OH. I chose this line because, in addition to being part of my favorite prototype road, it:

(1) has a large lakefront** steel mill as its largest customer;
(2) has numerous small trackside industries;
(3) occasionally runs short trains, of ~10-15 cars, behind lashups of 3 or more locomotives (some of which are most likely being pulled "dead" to some other division point). So my trains can look exactly like photos of CL&W trains, even without selective compression!

Unlike the real CL&W, however, my line:
(1) has a slightly higher volume of traffic [~10 trains a day] than its prototype namesake [2-3 trains];
(2) carries 'bridge' intermodal traffic;
(3) connects to the ficticious Iron Belt, a terminal short line owned by the steel mill;
(4) the names of all its lineside industries are made-up (real town names are used, however).

This setup allows me to have a broad variety of operating scenarioes, enough to keep at least 4 people occupied during a 2-hour op session.



** 'lakefront' - the mill receives its iron ore via Great Lakes ore boats

Sounds like you line is a mainly a bridge route like mine. However management wanted to expand, so we are...lol. Thanks for sharing your backstory.

 

[Photogdad]

Hey all. Sorry about the leave of absence. I'm back and have not fully updated my back story, however, the owners of the Aspen & Colt Creek RR are in talks with the Great Northern Rwy in hopes of buy a branch line off their Willmar Division between St. Paul and Willmar, MN. We will still have operations in the southwest Virginia area hauling coal between the Norfolk & Western and the Chesapeake & Ohio RR in WV. We are looking at expanding throughout the Great Lakes area and there are rumors that we might even regain control of trackage in Colorado where we started, but thats just rumored. So stay tuned for updates.

Now, spread the word, we all want to hear your railroads back story and history.

 

[Manitobamodeler24]

The Winnipeg Northern Railroad was formed in 2000 on 250 kiliomiters of abadonded track between Winnipeg, Manitoba
And Kenora, Ontario serving 4 manifacturing plants, 1 auto producer and 8 grain elevators 3 distruibution facilities but the main part Is in a smaller town just east of winnipeg with 1 grain elevator and a corn suyrup facility it provides over 1/4 of the Revenue. starting out with a pair of ex-santa fe f3a's it quickly purchaced a csx sd80mac and a ex-southern pacific sd45 As motive power. It interchanges with CN, CP, BNSF, NS and Ontario Northlandz. It hopes in the near future to provide a excellent commuter service on the towns it serves.

If you want to see the start of my layout ( i haven't got any viedeos of it up yet ) go to youtube and search manitobamodeler24

 

[logandsawman]

Logandsawman has a logging and sawmilling operation depicting the entire operation in pre 1940's. I spent over 30 years as a forester, sawmiller, and logger and spent countless hours interviewing older gents at the local cafe.

Much of my progression with the model is in my photo collection. I sold the 4x8 board a couple weeks ago and am thinking about suspending a track in our dining room or den with 40' or so of parallel track with several wide areas for buildings and scenery. I am excited about designing something that can be dissembled, since we do not own our place. What about using 1" thick pine boards in 4" to 10" width and a stiffener running under the track. It is important this weighs the minimum amount since it needs to be suspended by 4 points with minimal destruction of the ceiling.

 

[Cjcrescent]

logandsawman,

Instead of using 1x4"s that even with a stiffener could still warp, how about using 1x4's cut from 5/8 inch plywood, with a 1x4" plywood stiffener under that? I wouldn't think that the plywood would warp at all. Since a regular 1x4 is kiln dried, it can still have a fair amount of moisture in it. Since it would be mounted basically above the doors, close to the ceiling, I'd be worried about the extra heat in winter that would be close to the ceiling would dry it out even more. This extra drying from the heat, and especially during winter when the air is generally dryer, could still warp the regular 1x4 board, stiffener or not.

 

[logandsawman]

Carey,

Thanks for the input. I thought about plywood, too, and you make some very good points. The rough cut edge of the plywood was something I wanted to avoid, but now I realize that I could run a thin edge of wood, like 1/4 x 5/8 spf to cover that up.

What is going to work best as a material to add the rigidity? any type of metal product that is lightweight that can be screwed to the bottom and purchased at a hardware store.

Dave (logandsawman)

 

[Cjcrescent]

Carey, ...


What is going to work best as a material to add the rigidity? any type of metal product that is lightweight that can be screwed to the bottom and purchased at a hardware store.

Dave (logandsawman)

Either another piece of the same plywood, glued to the flat piece, or perhaps a piece of L-shaped aluminum. You may want to even look at metal studs for the flat piece. It forms a nice flat piece for the trains, and it doesn't warp! Some trim wood can be attached to it with screws to add a barrier so the trains don't fly onto the floor, if there is a derailment.

 

[Dr. John]

My fictitious Alabama Overland RR represents a class III railroad that crossed the state of Alabama from Tuscaloosa to Opelika by way of Prattville and Selma. It had its roots as part of Daniel Pratt's industrial empire (Pratt is an actual historical figure and the founder of Prattville, AL). Pratt built a large factory along Autauga Creek in 1838 to build cotton gins. In my account, he built the 30" gauge Autauga Creek & Western RR in 1860 to transport the wares from his factory to barges along the Alabama River. Seeing the benefits of rail transportation, he then began to purchase right of way to create the Alabama Western & Eastern RR with the first rails running from Prattville to Selma. The Civil War slowed construction as Pratt, though an opponent of Southern secession, nonetheless supported the Confederacy and produced uniforms for the South. Following the war, Pratt's son expanded the line both to the northwest to Tuscaloosa and to the eastern terminus of Opelika. The line was renamed the Alabama Overland in 1880. The Autauga Creek & Western was widened to standard gauge in 1895 and the line extended to Valley Grande and Autauga Springs. Although both railroads were part of the Pratt System (along with the Piedmont & Gulf and the Alabama Traction Company), they retained separate identities.

The Alabama Overland hauled cotton to the mills in eastern Alabama as well as pulpwood, aggregate, general merchandise and passengers. The AC&W served the industries of Prattville (Continental Eagle Mill, a sawmill, a cotton mill, and later the Union Camp / International Paper mill. The Alabama Overland interchanged with the Southern, the Alabama, Tennessee & Northern, Chattahoochee Valley, GM&O, Central of Georgia, Western of Alabama, L&N and of course, the AC&W.

The 20th century saw both lines prosper and expand. The Alabama Overland built a branch line from Prattville to Clanton as a WPA project in 1934 and the AC&W extended their line westward to Kudzu Bend the following year. The AO ran Mikado and Consolidations through WWII before retiring steam power in 1951. The AC&W actually went to diesel power first with the purchase of an EMD SW-1 in 1940 and two GE 44 ton diesels in 1946. AC&W No. 10, an 0-6-0 tank engine, remained on the roster until 1973, though she was only used sparingly after 1960. The Alabama Overland experimented with motive power from Alco, Baldwin and Whitcomb in the early 1950's before settling on EMD locomotives. The last AO steam engine, Mikado 118, made her last run in 1955. By 1967, the AO was all EMD except for one Alco S-2 switcher. The Overland favored hood units - GP-7, GP-9, GP-35 and then GP-38-2 units in the 1970's. The AC&W, showing its independent streak, embraced the GE 44, 45 and 70 ton switchers through the 50's and 60's, but began to purchase used EMD switchers in the early 70's to augment the aging fleet. The Overland painted their engines in Cardinal red and black with white lettering. AC&W painted their units Yellowhammer yellow and black.

While freight traffic remained strong in the post WWII years, passenger service dropped off quickly. The last passenger train ran on the AO on September 8, 1952. AC&W maintained a gas-electric passenger rail car from Autauga Springs to Prattville until 1967 for Union Camp and Continental Eagle employees. Both railroads suffered severe damage due to floods and washouts in 1961. The AC&W abandoned the line from Autauga Springs to Kudzu Bend due to the loss of two bridges and the AO discontinued service on the Clanton branch, although some of the rusting rails and overgrown roadbed remained until the early 1970s.

In 1976, the Alabama Overland became part of the Family Lines System but most of the motive power remained in AO colors until 1982 when the AO was absorbed into the Seaboard System and ultimately CSX. The AC&W filed to abandon the line west of Prattville in 1978 and the rails were pulled up in 1979. AC&W continued to provide switching service for Union Camp (now International Paper) until 2000 when CSX took over. All that remains of the former AC&W are rails still embedded in Court Street and the remains of the trestle crossing Autauga Creek. The former Alabama Overland mainline was deactivated by CSX in 1992 and abandoned in 1994. 35 miles between Prattville and Selma were turned into a bike/hiking trail. Little else remains of the Alabama Overland as nature has reclaimed most of the right of way. The last of the former AO GP-38-2s were retired by CSX in 1998. Alert railfans might still spot the occasional Alabama Overland boxcar with patched CSX reporting marks, but these ghosts of the rails have nearly faded away entirely.

Most of the Alabama Overland and the Autauga Creek & Western exist only in my mind. A small switching layout, representing the end of the AC&W line at Autauga Springs, is in the works - the setting is either the summer of 1967 or 1976, depending on the equipment I wish to run. AO engines will make the occasional appearance as AO has running rights on the AC&W.

 

[logandsawman]

Hey,

Dr. John, Quite a story! Carey, thanks for the metal stud idea! I am going to weigh one. I think the plywood--5/8"--is going to be the basis for the track, though, mainly because I can do some ins and outs for the scenery. Some type of aluminum or titanium L shaped flanges affixed to the bottom may make the base I am looking for. This is going to suspend from the ceiling, preferably by only 4 points, and hold like 50' of track.

My old logging layout mainly focused on the tasks involved; harvesting the timber, loading on the flatcars, transporting to the mill, sawing the boards, and sales of retail and wholesale nature. Also, adequate housing in the woods and sawmill town; with retail support structures. I went with steam and 40' box and flat cars, though I found a 30' flat at a hobby shop in Duluth MN. My new layout will include many of the same features. I will have to go wide enough so the stuff won't fall on the ground, however nothing fell off the track on my old layout. I am a grandpa driver.
Here is my logging operation and old 4x8, which went to a youngster a couple weeks ago.

More later about layouts. Dave (logandsawman)

 

[montanan]

Nicely done, especially for such a small space.

 

[logandsawman]

Hey Montanan,

I checked out your stuff and you must live in Montana. I grew up near the NP and GN just north of St. Paul, MN and currently work where the NP commenced construction in the 1800's some time.

There is a billboard there, and still a pretty big yard with pulpwood and bolt piles. This is Carlton, MN.
Why not put up a few more photos of your layout?

Based on the high quality of your work, you must have railroaded for quite some time. Also, thank you for the compliment.

More later, Logandsawman

 

[montanan]

If you go to my profile, scroll down to the galleries I have posted for a few more pictures.