well i guesses the drought is over two rainstorms in two weeks.
Jim

Has anyone changed the motor on an intermountain es44ac locomotive. I am trying to find out how to remove one without destroying the locomotive and I have had no luck finding instructions or even a drawing on line.
Charlie

Apparently, BB went down yesterday and, in fact, might have been for a few days.  Turned out to be some issue with the database running the show from the background.

Obviously, we're back up.  Check your posts from the last few days to see if they are still there. If you are having issues or anomalies, let me know here or send a PM.

Welcome to my freelance project: Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad.

History buffs will know that this was once a real line. It never really got off the ground before it merged into what would eventually become the Big Four. My scenario asks "what if?" The backstory uses a real Cleveland businessman to bring this railroad to life. I used a real railroad map from 1946 to create the CC&C, with a few creative liberties. I work in marketing, so I also enjoy creating advertisements and graphics that will probably spring up here from time to time.

Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad
“The Triple C – Lake to River Route”

Early Roots (1845–1869)
The first Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad was chartered in 1845, with service beginning in 1851. The line quickly became a critical north–south connector in Ohio, linking the Lake Erie port of Cleveland with the capital at Columbus. However, in 1869 the original CC&C was absorbed into the newly formed Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati & Indianapolis Railway (CCC&I), part of the “Big Four” system.

Over the next few decades, the identity of the CC&C faded into history as the Big Four became deeply tied to the New York Central system, focusing on east–west trunk traffic rather than north–south service inside Ohio.

The Vision (1898–1910)
In 1898, Samuel Livingston Mather, a prominent Cleveland industrialist and philanthropist, became increasingly frustrated with the lack of direct, dependable freight service between Ohio’s industrial belt, its capital, and the southern river ports. As the co-founder of Pickands Mather & Company, a shipping and mining company, he believed that a revitalized north–south line could dominate the movement of coal, steel, manufactured goods, and agricultural products.

In 1901, Mather quietly began purchasing small, underperforming lines from major systems:

Uses his connections and influence to acquire lines in Ohio coal country and links them to Cleveland's ore docks.
An NYC-controlled former CCC&I segment between Columbus and Springfield that had been downgraded to secondary status.
A struggling NKP line running from Massillon to Akron, with connections to Cleveland.

These acquisitions, completed by 1904, formed a rough skeletal network. Mather’s next move was bold: he petitioned the Ohio legislature for a revival of the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati Railroad name under a new charter, arguing that the historic identity still carried weight among shippers and investors. The charter was granted in March 1905.

Building the New CC&C (1910–1920)
Between 1910 and 1915, the CC&C purchased more surplus and abandoned trackage from larger railroads, then filled in missing gaps with new construction:

A Canton–Cleveland high-speed freight cutoff, using heavy 130-lb rail for the anticipated steel and coal traffic.
Marietta and Wheeling extensions to connect the coal region with Ohio River barge traffic.
Purchased an unprofitable PRR line connecting Middletown and Cincinnati.

Mather personally oversaw the building of key bridges and yards, often touring work sites in his private business car. By 1917, with the U.S. entering World War I, CC&C’s coal lines were operating at capacity. The USRA placed the railroad under federal control, assigning troop and munitions trains to its north–south spine.

The Interwar Years (1920–1939)
Returned to private ownership in 1920, the CC&C weathered the 1921 recession through aggressive marketing to manufacturers in Cleveland and Cincinnati. It branded itself as “The Lake to River Route,” emphasizing its role as a direct, all-Ohio connector. During the coal boom of the 1920s, CC&C added modern hopper cars and invested in centralized traffic control (CTC) on its mainline.

The Great Depression hit hard. Industrial shipments declined and coal demand dropped sharply. Mather, now in his late seventies, resisted selling the road, famously saying, “This railroad is my life’s iron spine — bend it and it breaks.” He died of heart disease on October 18, 1931. The company passed to a board of directors and entered voluntary reorganization.

By the mid-1930s, the Depression had thinned freight ledgers, and many eastern trunk lines were devoting their best power and fastest schedules to bridge traffic linking Chicago and the East Coast. In the eyes of many Ohio businesses, the state had become merely a “pass-through” for out-of-state commerce.

The year 1938 changed everything. As coal demand rebounded—driven by steel production, utility expansion, and the first wave of defense orders — CC&C management launched its “Ohio First” pledge. The campaign promised that Ohio cargo would be treated as priority freight, with direct, high-speed service. The program was more than an advertising line. The Triple C invested in modern diesel engines, rebuilt interchange facilities, and streamlined operations.

Shippers responded — rubber from Akron, aircraft parts from Dayton, and machinery from Springfield began moving over CC&C rails in growing volume.

Wartime Surge and Postwar Peak (1940–1953)
World War II transformed the CC&C into one of Ohio’s most vital freight arteries. Coal tonnage tripled between 1941 and 1945, and troop trains frequently moved between Cincinnati and Cleveland without touching congested PRR or NYC mainlines. Wartime infrastructure investments left the railroad in excellent physical shape by 1946.

In the postwar years, CC&C began another aggressive marketing campaign, this time to the public, introducing streamlined passenger service while continuing to focus on its profitable coal and steel traffic. The railroad remained proudly independent, known among shippers and railfans for its clean locomotives and reputation for punctuality.

Though rumors of mergers with larger systems persisted, the CC&C entered the mid-1950s at its traffic peak, a rare example of a revived 19th-century name thriving in the modern diesel era.

Its passenger services link the state’s principal cities in comfort and speed. In an age when most lines stretch their ambitions to distant cities, the Cleveland, Columbus & Cincinnati continues to prove that there is still power, pride, and profit in keeping Ohio First.

I was bitten by the bug at a very early age: my grandfather had an N scale layout in his basement when I was a kid. The old DT&I used to ride the rails of the small town where I grew up, and I've been taking photos of trains and wanting to build a layout of my own for most of my life. I turned 50 this year and now I'm the grandpa. 3 out of our 4 kids have moved out, and I find myself with a bit of spare time, and spare bedroom, and a little bit of spare income. It's time.

I'm not a complete newbie. About 15 years ago, I was going to make a run at this. Did a lot of research, even managed to build a few structures. But, life got in the way. Hopefully this winter, I'll start putting up some benchwork.

The plan is an around-the-walls N scale layout in a spare bedroom (about 10x13). I want to model 1953, the transition era, so I can have my favorite engines: steam and early diesel. I've created my own freelance railroad, the history of which I'll post in my official build thread. I suppose the N scale forum is the right spot for that.

has anyone else found that the new engineered plastic boxes are harder to install? they are harder to glue together I have resorted to touching the edges with a hot soldering iron.
Jim

Well, finally, after years of design, production, and testing, the first 5 of the new Acela trains will begin operating on August 28th with speeds reaching 160 mph.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M649gqtz...nel=Amtrak

Amtrak's new NextGen Acela trains are scheduled to begin service on the Northeast Corridor on August 28. Initially, five new trainsets will be introduced, with the full fleet of 28 expected to be in operation by the end of 2027, according to Amtrak. The new trains will offer expanded schedules, more seats, and enhanced features like free Wi-Fi and improved dining options. 


Here's a more detailed breakdown:

• Launch Date: August 28th. 
  
  
  
• Initial Rollout: Five new trainsets will begin operating on the Northeast Corridor. 
  
  
  
• Full Deployment: All 28 NextGen Acela trains are scheduled to be in service by the end of 2027. 
  
  
  
• Service Area: The trains will operate between Washington, D.C., New York, and Boston. 
  
  
  
• Key Features: The new trains will offer expanded schedules, 27% more seats, free Wi-Fi, and improved dining options, according to Amtrak. 
  
  
  
• Booking: Amtrak will release details on how to book the new trains as the launch date approaches. 
  
  
  
• Current Operations: For a period, both the new and original Acela trains will be in operation as the rollout continues. 
  

lost a 15-cent bottle of testors today only had about 1/4 inch left in it still have a few more though.
Jim

Conductor from WPMA-17 has a chat with the operator of Oisen's Sand car mover.

Bruce

   

Have three Walthers bridges for sale.

933-3080 Double Track Swing Bridge, $48.00 plus shipping.

   

933-3185 Single Track Truss Bridge, $20.00 plus shipping.

   

933-3147 Trestle with Deck Girder Bridge, $25.00 plus shipping.

   



Bruce