12-17-2012, 10:14 PM
In addition to my main switching layout (under construction) – I have a narrow 12 inch deep by 16 foot long shelf on one wall that I used several years ago for a simple HO layout; now dismantled. Was thinking the other night about what I could do with that shelf insofar as modeling a prototype railroad in the available space and have some variety between operating the main layout and something that could be put into operation and brought to a completed look in a very short time. Two prototype railroads immediately came to mind that I’ve always been interested in and both only require two turnouts to model. In each case, the simple track plans are very deceiving.
These railroads are the Augusta Railroad (AUG) in Arkansas and the Pioneer and Fayette Railroad (P&F) in Ohio (both now abandoned). I actually visited the P&F just before the line was finally abandoned and was able to accurately draw out the entire track plan of that railroad – not to mention walking the entire length of the one-half mile long railroad. In the case of the AUG, I found a detailed map of that line and with what little information I could find about the railroad, was able to get a good picture of how that line was probably operated. In their last years, both railroads most likely handled 25 cars or less per year and used small 4-wheel locomotives to move the few cars they handled. I’d use the excellent Bachmann GE 45-ton locomotive rather than attempt to find reliable 4-wheel locomotives to stand in for the prototypes.
First up is the AUG – and in this case, I’d only model the “active” end of the railroad. It appears that the main customer was a cotton mill or processing plant, along with a team track and another unidentified industry that would require spotting a car for it on the “main line”. The AUG connected with the Missouri Pacific on its south end then headed north, turned west, then again turned north to the end of the line. Most of the activity appears to have been on the first segment of the railroad between the MP connection and the point where the AUG turned west.
Here’s a map of the area modeled for the AUG and my track plan (12in X 16ft):
To operate the AUG, the locomotive would be kept at the extreme right end past the street crossing, by a small wooden shed, where tools and other items were probably stored for maintenance of the locomotive. You’d run the locomotive to the MP connection and pick up your inbound cars, then work your way back north, switching out your outbound cars and spotting your inbound cars. Once that was completed, you’d shove your outbound cars back to the MP connection and then return the locomotive to its layover point. Whenever you have a car that is to be spotted on the “main line” at the unidentified industry, you’d have to either hold on to it while you took your outbound cars to the MP or leave it on the cotton mill track or the team track, then spot that car as your last move.
Traffic on the AUG would probably be inbound box cars of cotton or empties for shipping out processed cotton, along with a car or two of coal for the cotton mill power plant. Using modeler’s license, we could say we have cotton seed shipped out in box cars and covered hoppers; perhaps even an occasional tank car of cotton seed oil. The team track would get inbound loads of lumber, building products, or brick in box cars and bulkhead flats and could also have other odd loads of things such as farm machinery – whatever you want. The unidentified industry could be a produce facility that ships out or receives an occasional refrigerator car of produce. For scenery, you’d only need a few structures and I visualize a small town backdrop.
Next up we have the one-half mile long P&F. At one time, the P&F ran between its namesake towns, but the line was cut back to its half-mile length and trucks used to transfer inbound freight to those towns. The only industry structure on the P&F was a neat looking sheet metal building where carloads of feed were unloaded for delivery to a nearby hog farm and perhaps carloads of grain were shipped out in season. What makes this simple looking track plan interesting to switch is the fact that the grain shed extended over both tracks and only the locomotive could clear the shed on the siding.
Here’s a diagram of the actual P&F along with my track plan. Just as with the AUG, I’ve had to straighten out the track a bit to make it fit the narrow shelf, but it does capture the entire railroad (again 12in X 16ft):
It appears that the low section of the shed was a stand-in for an engine house, although when no cars were spotted for unloading, the engine was kept in that part. In all likelihood, most times the P&F got a car it was simply pulled from the connecting track to the NS/NW/NKP and placed in the shed, but what if you have cars to be placed at the trans-load area? You of course have to use the available siding space on either side of the shed to get those cars on the right end and in turn get around them to shove back to the interchange point and this would require a lot of moves of the locomotive from one end of the siding to the other.
Traffic on the P&F would be inbound box cars and covered hoppers of feed and/or maybe fertilizer and perhaps outbound covered hoppers of grain. There would also be various shipments of perhaps lumber and building products that would be spotted on the trans-load area. Most any commodity might be received for trans-loading for deliver to Pioneer or Fayette.
One interesting fact about the P&F was that a year or two before the line was completely abandoned they actually got a grant from the state of Ohio and completely rebuilt the line with heavier rail and new ties, with the plan being that they’d receive a lot of cars of feed for the nearby hog farm. Of course with the NS running by an equal distance from the hog farm and already having a siding there, they weren’t about to make rate divisions with the P&F to deliver these proposed shipments; and after a year or so of moving nothing at all, the line was abandoned and track pulled.
As the prototype P&F was more or less out in the middle of nowhere, scenery would consist of only the feed shed over the two tracks; some gravel roads extending from the country road crossing; and plenty of trees and bushes, with a backdrop showing only flat open farm land.
You could model either railroad from the 1940s through early 1980s or “pretend” that the line still exists and managed to keep up enough business to stay in operation. I know that simple plans like this don’t appeal to the average modeler that wants a layout that is packed with industries and track, but if you’re interested in a prototype that can be modeled almost to scale size and at minimal cost – these might interest you. There are several other similar “short” short lines out there that I’ve also considered modeling over the years, but these two would sure fit the category of “less is more” and inexpensive to build.
These railroads are the Augusta Railroad (AUG) in Arkansas and the Pioneer and Fayette Railroad (P&F) in Ohio (both now abandoned). I actually visited the P&F just before the line was finally abandoned and was able to accurately draw out the entire track plan of that railroad – not to mention walking the entire length of the one-half mile long railroad. In the case of the AUG, I found a detailed map of that line and with what little information I could find about the railroad, was able to get a good picture of how that line was probably operated. In their last years, both railroads most likely handled 25 cars or less per year and used small 4-wheel locomotives to move the few cars they handled. I’d use the excellent Bachmann GE 45-ton locomotive rather than attempt to find reliable 4-wheel locomotives to stand in for the prototypes.
First up is the AUG – and in this case, I’d only model the “active” end of the railroad. It appears that the main customer was a cotton mill or processing plant, along with a team track and another unidentified industry that would require spotting a car for it on the “main line”. The AUG connected with the Missouri Pacific on its south end then headed north, turned west, then again turned north to the end of the line. Most of the activity appears to have been on the first segment of the railroad between the MP connection and the point where the AUG turned west.
Here’s a map of the area modeled for the AUG and my track plan (12in X 16ft):
Traffic on the AUG would probably be inbound box cars of cotton or empties for shipping out processed cotton, along with a car or two of coal for the cotton mill power plant. Using modeler’s license, we could say we have cotton seed shipped out in box cars and covered hoppers; perhaps even an occasional tank car of cotton seed oil. The team track would get inbound loads of lumber, building products, or brick in box cars and bulkhead flats and could also have other odd loads of things such as farm machinery – whatever you want. The unidentified industry could be a produce facility that ships out or receives an occasional refrigerator car of produce. For scenery, you’d only need a few structures and I visualize a small town backdrop.
Next up we have the one-half mile long P&F. At one time, the P&F ran between its namesake towns, but the line was cut back to its half-mile length and trucks used to transfer inbound freight to those towns. The only industry structure on the P&F was a neat looking sheet metal building where carloads of feed were unloaded for delivery to a nearby hog farm and perhaps carloads of grain were shipped out in season. What makes this simple looking track plan interesting to switch is the fact that the grain shed extended over both tracks and only the locomotive could clear the shed on the siding.
Here’s a diagram of the actual P&F along with my track plan. Just as with the AUG, I’ve had to straighten out the track a bit to make it fit the narrow shelf, but it does capture the entire railroad (again 12in X 16ft):
Traffic on the P&F would be inbound box cars and covered hoppers of feed and/or maybe fertilizer and perhaps outbound covered hoppers of grain. There would also be various shipments of perhaps lumber and building products that would be spotted on the trans-load area. Most any commodity might be received for trans-loading for deliver to Pioneer or Fayette.
One interesting fact about the P&F was that a year or two before the line was completely abandoned they actually got a grant from the state of Ohio and completely rebuilt the line with heavier rail and new ties, with the plan being that they’d receive a lot of cars of feed for the nearby hog farm. Of course with the NS running by an equal distance from the hog farm and already having a siding there, they weren’t about to make rate divisions with the P&F to deliver these proposed shipments; and after a year or so of moving nothing at all, the line was abandoned and track pulled.
As the prototype P&F was more or less out in the middle of nowhere, scenery would consist of only the feed shed over the two tracks; some gravel roads extending from the country road crossing; and plenty of trees and bushes, with a backdrop showing only flat open farm land.
You could model either railroad from the 1940s through early 1980s or “pretend” that the line still exists and managed to keep up enough business to stay in operation. I know that simple plans like this don’t appeal to the average modeler that wants a layout that is packed with industries and track, but if you’re interested in a prototype that can be modeled almost to scale size and at minimal cost – these might interest you. There are several other similar “short” short lines out there that I’ve also considered modeling over the years, but these two would sure fit the category of “less is more” and inexpensive to build.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"