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I have an old Atlas RS-3 and the issue of Mainline Modeler that explains how to build the TTI GP12. I can't wait to start that project.
Got a call from my conductor friend on R J Corman Thursday Sep 1st, that they were headed to Shelbyville, KY, to work Macro Plastics on the Bloomfield Branch. Macro is about the last active customer on this 2.5 mile former L&N industrial spur in Shelbyville and since I hadn't managed to catch RJC working the branch, I threw myself together and drove the 25 miles to Shelbyville.

By the time I caught up with them, they had just finished placing two cars of plastic pellets at Macro and pulling one empty. Here's a shot of the Macro Plastics facility and the spur where the plastic pellets are unloaded. 5 cars can be spotted and unloaded here. Nice grade huh?[attachment=8734]Conductor Mark Johnson has just tied in the air on the empty and they're getting ready to shove the car back to the NS crossing and to the junction with the main line in downtown Shelbyville.[attachment=8733]Here's a photo of the track looking northward from Macro Plastics. Rated for 10mph, the crew rarely exceeds 5mph on this branch and with good reason. As Mark said, the ties are just for looks! Actually was in the same shape when I worked for the L&N in the 70's.[attachment=8732]Shoving the empty ahead of them with Mark riding the rear, RJCC 7709 a former Conrail GP38-2 crosses Old Brunertown Rd[attachment=8731]I drove on ahead and made my way to the NS crossing and took this shot of the crossing gate and derail as a Loram rail grinder passed by on NS.[attachment=8730]
Continuing with RJ Corman working the Bloomfield Branch in Shelbyville, KY...
After getting clearance from the NS Louisville Dispatcher and timing off the lock on the crossing gate, lining the derail and opening the gate, we start shoving over the NS.[attachment=8739][attachment=8738]Coming in to downtown Shebyville, the track runs down 11th Street and Mark is walking ahead of the train to flag the busy US 60 crossing. US 60 has two lanes eastbound and two lanes westbound about a block apart and there are no crossing flashers or even crossbucks on the westbound lanes. Needless to say, you're taking a chance when you try and get motorists to stop for the train.[attachment=8737]Still on 11th Street, 7709 shoves the empty covered hopper toward the westbound lanes of US 60.[attachment=8736]Here's a shot looking north as 7709 shoves across westbound US 60.[attachment=8735]
Continuing with RJ Corman working the Bloomfield Branch in Shelbyville, KY...

After getting the train over the US 60 crossings and without hitting anyone in the process, Mark and Vince tie down the train for a few minutes to go grab a sandwich at a nearby store.[attachment=8741]Finally, after the short break, I drove ahead to Bloomfield Junction and got this shot of the train shoving on to the main line.[attachment=8740]There is no run around track in Shelbyville any more, so they will shove the car ahead of them another mile or so and put the car in a siding on the west side of Shelbyville. The car will then be picked up later by an eastbound Corman train and Mark and Vince will run light back to Louisville. They could easily let the car roll past them on the main to get it behind them, but Corman will no longer allow this type of move.
Ed,I'm always delighted to see R.J.Corman pictures..

I'm surprise at the condition the track is in..I have visited Corman's Western Ohio Lines and his Cleveland Lines and the track was in good condition.
Larry;

That photo of the track and ROW really doesn't begin to show just how bad that branch is. But it was about the same back when it was L&N and later CSX. The only time any maintenance was/is ever done is when a car derails, then they'll just replace a few ties, hand tamp it and that was it. Per the conductor, the Macro Plastics plant is "supposed" to increase their business and Corman is "supposed" to do some much needed upgrades to the track. But we shall see. You know how the rumor mill is.

At one time, there were several industries that received/shipped rail service on that branch, tobacco warehouses that shipped out from early November until the end of January every year. A facility that received aluminum ingots in box cars, a large lumber dealer and a fairly large farm service facility at the end of the spur, along with a few odds and ends customers. All the tobacco business is gone and their tracks have been removed, other facilities have closed down or changed ownership several times. The lumber dealer (currently Pro-Build but originally 84 Lumber) does not receive anything by rail and Crop Production Services infrequently receives covered hoppers of fertilizer. That leaves the Macro Plastics plant as the main customer and they currently get switched about 3 times a week.

The branch which originally ran from Shelbyville to Bloomfield, KY, was cut back to its present length in the late 40's and was constructed to minimal standards. Since being cut back to simply an industrial branch, it's always been operated in push-pull fashion with the engine in the middle of the train if there were cars for industries with both trailing/facing spurs. I suppose if you back dated the branch to the 70's, it might make for an interesting model railroad line. Especially with the gated crossing of NS (SOU).

If you're interested, you can follow the entire branch on Bing maps: http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qc2phc7...orm=LMLTCC. Starting at Bloomfield Junction on the map, follow the branch to the southeast and on to the end of the branch. You can still see the location of many of the tobacco warehouse spurs along with where others were/are located. These views show 6 pellet cars spotted at Macro Plastics and a couple of covered hoppers at Crop Production Services at the end of the spur.
Ed,Elmer Sulzer mention the Shelbyville to Bloomfield line in his book,Ghost Railroads Of Kentucky.. Looking over the map I could picture a L&N mixed freight behind a Alco RS3 making its way to Bloomfield.

That does sound like a interesting branch line to model back in its heyday with the tobacco warehouses and the other industries that require boxcars.

Maybe a Big Burley could be one of the warehouses.. Big Grin
Looks like a "green tunnel" of vegetation covering parts of that branchline --- there's something that seldom gets modeled.
Great pictures. Thumbsup Thumbsup
Sumpter250 Wrote:Looks like a "green tunnel" of vegetation covering parts of that branchline --- there's something that seldom gets modeled.
Great pictures. Thumbsup Thumbsup

Yeah,our layouts has a tenancy to look fake because they are to pristine for grittiness of the real world..Of course if that grittiness is overstated then it looks fake when compared to the real world.
Southern RR of NJ at Pleasantville, NJ[attachment=8984][attachment=8983][attachment=8982]

Bruce
Winchester and Western at Conrails' Millville Yard, Millville, NJ[attachment=9053][attachment=9052][attachment=9051]

Bruce
Bruce,The 954 and the 811 looks to be in good shape and I'll bet their 567s sounded like sweet music.
Brakie Wrote:Bruce,The 954 and the 811 looks to be in good shape and I'll bet their 567s sounded like sweet music.
The WW shop in Bridgeton maintains its equiptment very well.
Winchester and Western has recently got two GP 38-2s on a lease to purchase tryout and there has been talk of phasing out the GP 9s with GP 38-2s and GP 40-2s. The two 38-2s were at Bridgeton for several weeks then sent down to their Virginia operation. Never got any pics while there were here.(Check this weeks Weekly Photo Fun for the model rendition of these locos)

Bruce
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