02-19-2009, 03:18 PM
Greetings all, I created this thread to document the progress of my Chessie System layout. I hope to gain some good feedback and I hope that you all enjoy following my progress. The line I model is the Athens Subdivision of the Chessie System in the 1970's. The line ran from Parsons Yard in Columbus, Ohio to Athens, Ohio. The real Athens sub was once the main coal artery of the Hocking Valley Railway, but during the 30's the coal mines played out and the C&O merged the Hocking Valley to utilize it's line from Parsons Yard to Toledo. As traffic declined over the years the Athens sub was little more than a branch on the C&O system.
I chose to model this line as a "what if". In my world, the coal mines are still running strong and the Chessie uses this line as a vital link in it's system. The Penn Central also takes full advantage of trackage rights to bypass it's own hilly and curvy West Virginia secondary, which the NYC really did. I like big six axle 2nd generation power and coal and I represent them both well on my layout. You'll see six axle PC power, leased Reading Geep's and even a DT&I SD38 that finds it's way to Logan once in a while. I built this layout largely out of my head meaning that I had a plan and just started building benchwork. I also laid out the trackage without a trackplan, just a general idea of how I wanted it to look. I've reconfigured the layout several times mostly to enhance the operation and in the last case to open up my train area. I think I've finally settled on something and I've been busy building scenery and trying out various techniques. I'll post pictures as I go along and I hope that you all enjoy watching my progress. To start out here is my layout as it exists today. I figured this way it would be easy to look at a picture and find it on the layout. This should be fun. Take care all until next time.
I chose to model this line as a "what if". In my world, the coal mines are still running strong and the Chessie uses this line as a vital link in it's system. The Penn Central also takes full advantage of trackage rights to bypass it's own hilly and curvy West Virginia secondary, which the NYC really did. I like big six axle 2nd generation power and coal and I represent them both well on my layout. You'll see six axle PC power, leased Reading Geep's and even a DT&I SD38 that finds it's way to Logan once in a while. I built this layout largely out of my head meaning that I had a plan and just started building benchwork. I also laid out the trackage without a trackplan, just a general idea of how I wanted it to look. I've reconfigured the layout several times mostly to enhance the operation and in the last case to open up my train area. I think I've finally settled on something and I've been busy building scenery and trying out various techniques. I'll post pictures as I go along and I hope that you all enjoy watching my progress. To start out here is my layout as it exists today. I figured this way it would be easy to look at a picture and find it on the layout. This should be fun. Take care all until next time.
CandO7430 (The poster formerly known as IandOFan71)
T. Blackstone,
Division Superintendent,
Ohio Div, Chessie System Railroads
T. Blackstone,
Division Superintendent,
Ohio Div, Chessie System Railroads