Chessie System-Athens Subdivision....

[CandO7430]

Ok, let's back up the line a little to look at the Monday Creek Branch. Here is a closeup of the Sunday Creek #25 mine. Even though it's rundown there are never a shortage of hopper cars to be switched out.

[CandO7430]

Here is a closeup of Monday Creek Mine #6. This is the Walthers mine that they just rereleased in January. I picked it up at the train show last weekend. The Sunday Creek mine used to be here but this one fit better IMO. The coal conveyor will be installed between the tipple and the hillside soon. I'm also thinking about making either a large swamp or coal waste pile about where the dead tree is now. BTW the entire hillside will be covered with the trees that I am making with the ground up seat cushions.

[CandO7430]

Farther down the line is the church and the famous and haunted Blum Cemetary. I'll be installing retaining walls next to the tracks and in front of the church. The haunted story is that before the railroad came to town the cemetary occupied the land between the church and the current location of the cemetary. When the surveyors came along, being in a deep valley, the only way for the rails to reach the mines was right through the cemetary. Every family agreed to have their loved ones moved except for the Blum Family. The Blum's were a very wealthy family in the area and refused. Finally after a long court battle the remaining plots were moved and the railroad allowed to proceed. Legend has it that at night, train crews have spotted ghostly figures roaming the tracks looking for their graves.

[CandO7430]

Here is a row of company houses owned by the Monday Creek Coal Co. Typical of company house, it was no frills just some walls and a roof. In the distance is Monday Creek Mine #1.

[CandO7430]

The final stop on our tour brings us to the Monday Creek Mine #1. This is by far the busiest mine on the railroad and is always stuffed with hopper cars. The ACY boxcar and covered hoppers are sitting on the main for delivery to New Straistville. Notice the small family of deer next to the creek. In the foreground is the combination freight house/passenger station. It recieves supplies for the local mines as well as a station stop for the RDC's carrying miners from the bigger towns.

Well folks, that's it for now. I hope you enjoyed the last part of my layout tour. I'll keep all of you up to date on various projects as I go along as well as my plans for expansion. Take care all and until next time............

[jefelectric]

Keep the photos coming, I'm a big fan of coal mines and hopper cars.

[Trucklover]

Nice Progress!! I especially like the Walthers coal flood loader that they just re-released

[CandO7430]

Thanks guys. I'm trying to get this part of the layout finished so I can put it in video.

trucklover-When I went to the train show the flood loader was the one thing that I wanted to find if nothing else. I actually got a real good deal on it. I thought about painting it blue like the picture on the box but I like it the way it is.

[chessie4155]

Lookin Good! Looks like a really great layout to run on and do lots of switching on....Hurry up and get some scenery done!!! Freight is backing up out here on the St. Louis Division, we need to get it moving East! lol
Mark

[LiveSteamer]

Looking great so far.

[CandO7430]

Thanks steamer. Things have slowed down a lot over the last week as I've been very busy trying to get my new company off the ground. I should have some time over the weekend to get some more scenery done. Don't worry Mark, I'll get the St. Louis Division cleared out ASAP. One of the big projects I have in the works is to make my staging area more useful. I'm planning on extending the staging tracks another three feet or so and I'm going to make the PC crossing active by connecting to the end of one of the staging tracks and also instead of the PC extending to the edge of the benchwork, it will now make a curve and parallel the main for a few feet before tying into the main. The PC main will now become an engine escape track.

[LiveSteamer]

Can't wait to see more.

[CandO7430]

Greetings all,
Sorry it has been so long but life has been in the way for the past few months and I haven't been able to work on the layout very much at all. I do however visit this site often to check up on what you all have been up to and to look at the great projects and photos. I had the chance recently to get a little work done on the layout so I thought I would share with you all. First up is the farm that I have been working on. The house is in place and some horses have made a nice home here. Lots of work to be done, but it's getting there.

[CandO7430]

Next is a quick pick of my new bridge and a cut that has yet to be named. Before this was all foam but I've made some enhancements. I still have some cutting to do on the bridge but it's where it will be when finished.

[CandO7430]

My Fathers Day was spent mostly in the basement where I was able to finally build some control panels and get rid of the old train set power packs that I have been using in favor of something better. Here is the main control panel right across from the farm. They may not look like much but they were super easy to build and I think they will work just fine. The next step is reattaching all the wiring BTW, notice the ancient layout planning book in the background. I bought that thing probably 20 years ago and I used the biggest layout in the book to guide me when I wired my layout.