12-18-2012, 12:56 PM
Jack;
You've mentioned a couple more of these "short" short lines that have always interested me. The Union Railroad of Oregon being one of particular interest. The Edgemore and Manetta was also very interesting and as you say, had things been a bit different, perhaps it too could have survived. As I recall, the main reason the E&M ceased was because their steam loco was condemned, but then of course the textile mill closed some years later, as have many such facilities. I've run across some other operations like the E&M, but don't recall their names right now. All lines with only a mile or two of track and a few switches.
Another one that I started model some years ago was the Delta Valley Southern in Arkansas. Biggest problem has always been a lack of the proper motive power on many of these little roads. Had Bachmann had their great running 45 ton back then, the DVS might well be running in the basement today.
At one time, I thought the Logansport and Eel River Short Line in Logansport, IN, had some potential, but it really had little to offer switching wise. The LER is one of those "proposed" railroads that has never managed to get off the ground.
Then there was the defunct Plymouth Short Line in Plymouth, IN. That one was gone before I ever heard about it, but did make a trip up there to check out what might have been left. Wasn't anything but a couple of hundred feet of the line still in place, but based on topo maps, it had potential for a small layout that could be built on a narrow shelf.
There are/were many of these little operations around the country that hung on by their finger nails for years. I know such small operations don't appear to many modeller's but if you've got very limited space and want to base your layout on a prototype, then they are worth looking into.
You've mentioned a couple more of these "short" short lines that have always interested me. The Union Railroad of Oregon being one of particular interest. The Edgemore and Manetta was also very interesting and as you say, had things been a bit different, perhaps it too could have survived. As I recall, the main reason the E&M ceased was because their steam loco was condemned, but then of course the textile mill closed some years later, as have many such facilities. I've run across some other operations like the E&M, but don't recall their names right now. All lines with only a mile or two of track and a few switches.
Another one that I started model some years ago was the Delta Valley Southern in Arkansas. Biggest problem has always been a lack of the proper motive power on many of these little roads. Had Bachmann had their great running 45 ton back then, the DVS might well be running in the basement today.
At one time, I thought the Logansport and Eel River Short Line in Logansport, IN, had some potential, but it really had little to offer switching wise. The LER is one of those "proposed" railroads that has never managed to get off the ground.
Then there was the defunct Plymouth Short Line in Plymouth, IN. That one was gone before I ever heard about it, but did make a trip up there to check out what might have been left. Wasn't anything but a couple of hundred feet of the line still in place, but based on topo maps, it had potential for a small layout that could be built on a narrow shelf.
There are/were many of these little operations around the country that hung on by their finger nails for years. I know such small operations don't appear to many modeller's but if you've got very limited space and want to base your layout on a prototype, then they are worth looking into.
Ed
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"
"Friends don't let friends build Timesavers"