Hurry up and wait...
#1
Grand Valley 2-8-0 25, along with sister 26, simmers in the mid-morning haze on the passing track at Lowbanks.
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On the drawbar is interchange tonnage off the TH&B, bound for points east and north. A firedoor opens, then clangs shut as another scoop of coal is added to the fire, the pressure hovering just below the 200 mark that will open the pops. 25's hogger, "Dutch" van der Heuven, pulls a fresh cigar from his grip, strikes a match on the backhead, then pauses momentarily as a whistle sounds in the distance. "Sirty-fife minuten ve are vaiting" he spat out the words around his cigar. "Ve could haf been at Alvreeda (Elfrida) already." The fireboy shrugs as he rolls a smoke - it'd be the last he'd enjoy once they finally get underway - "It don't make no never-mind to me - the trip's still all uphill." The whistle, closer, sounded again, this time for the Lowbanks station. "I don't see why we gotta wait fer no dang detour Extra."

Suddenly, the view south was blocked as a loco silently moved by on the main, followed by another, its rods clanking slightly.
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"Well, la-dee-dah, ain't she purty!" sneered the fireman. He was referring to the 4807 on the point, one of the EG&E's fast Mohawks. He knew that her speed would be of little use on the twisting climb to Elfrida and then beyond to South Cayuga. From here to Elfrida, the speed limit was 35mph or less, and while 45mph was allowed between there and South Cayuga, trains were generally required to stop at Elfrida for permission to proceed. Re-starting the train and getting up to 5 or 6 mph in the few hundred feet before the uphill climb continued would be difficult enough, and there was little chance of gaining speed on the 2.5% grade. Compounding that problem was Speed River tunnel, where the rails were wet year round.
"Dutch", meanwhile, was watching the train as it rolled by, silently counting the cars. Obviously an express, mostly head-end stuff, with a mix of roadnames. Much longer than the usual express trains around these parts, too, where 3 or 4 cars were the norm. It was longer even than the frequent excursion trains that burnished these rails during the summer months, those being seldom more than 6 or 7 coaches.

While Dutch counted under his breath (and attempted to calculate just where the Extra would stall), local rail buffs were busy with their cameras. Here's a selection of their work.

Road engine 4807, as she approaches the Lowbanks' Car Shops:
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And again at the crossing:
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...along with Mikado 632:
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...and the train. First up is CNR 8907 (ex-GTR 1207), a horse express car. This time of year it could actually be carrying racehorses, but with 24 collapsible stalls, it could also be carrying regular express shipments. (The model started life as a Rivarossi 73' steel coach, modified with Evergreen styrene car siding.)
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...next is New York Central 4748, a 73' wooden baggage car (built from an Athearn all-steel Pullman)
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Grand Valley 2035 is an insulated express car, normally used in fish service, but like the horse car, could be carry any type of express cargo - newspapers, storage mail, parcels, etc. (The model started as an Athearn wooden reefer, with the steel ends and roof replaced with "wood". As it's no longer a reefer, there are no ice hatches)
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CNR 7776 is an 73' Express/RPO (A slightly modified Rivarossi RPO.)
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CNR 11078 is an all-steel express boxcar, probably carrying storage mail. (The model is an Accurail car with upgraded brake gear and Athearn express trucks.)
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Pennsylvania 2705 is a steel express reefer. (A re-detailed and re-numbered Walthers r-t-r car)
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Pennsy 6866 is a 1924 X-29, rebuilt for express service in 1934. (The model is a heavily re-detailed Red Caboose kit, and its prototype is still in existence.)
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Grand Valley 2066 is a mail storage car (built from an MDC Harriman baggage, it got modified doors, a new underbody, and six-wheel trucks.)
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EG&E 2034 and 2033 are insulated express cars (no ice bunkers) similar to 2035 shown earlier. (These are MDC bulk milk cars, modified to carry packaged cargo.)
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Still the cars kept coming: "Seffen, eight, nine..." said Dutch, by now speaking aloud.

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Grand Valley 2036 is an insulated express car, the same as 2035 shown previously.
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DL&W 47835 is, as far as I can tell, a regular boxcar, although it must be fitted with with a signal line and, perhaps, steam, too. (It's a modified Train Miniature ARA boxcar, and actually a freight car - I thought that it looked good in this train, and wouldn't be subject to close scrutiny. :oops: Misngth )
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Nickel Plate 13285 (another modified Train Miniature freight car. :oops: 35
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CNR 10459, a 50' wooden express reefer (A re-detailed Athearn kit)
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Grand Valley 2072, a 64' wooden baggage car (re-built from an Athearn 72' all-steel Pullman)
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EG&E 2054, another 64' wooden baggage car, similar to 2072, above.
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EG&E "Macassa", a 76' coach, with seating for 88. It's used here as a rider coach for the tail-end crew and perhaps a few paying passengers (railfans) accumulating rare mileage. (This is a Branchline kit, slightly modified)
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"Vifteen, Zixteen, Sebbenteen!", cursed Dutch, by now fairly hollering.

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"Dey vill schtall at Alvreeda" he bellowed, "Und vill hef to duppel da hill. Ve vill be schtuck here until efternoon."

"HEY!"

It was the Lowbanks Operator. "Here's yer orders", he yelled, poking the hoop into the gangway.

"Form 31 Extra 725 East: Follow Extra 4807 East, maintaining minimum distance of 2,500'. Be prepared to stop at any time. Take siding at Elfrida."

As they signed the order, they knew that the preceding train could be, in many spots, out of sight within much less than 2,500'. "Whatta way to run a railroad!" commented the fireman to no one in particular. After an exchange of whistle signals, the two Consolidations dug in and got their train underway. A switch tender had lined them for the main, and they were soon trundling out onto the Maitland River bridge.
"Twenny-fife hunnert foot" bellowed Dutch, the stub of his cigar clinging tenaciously to his lower lip. With the tonnage ratings of their two locos equal to those of the express, and less tonnage trailing, they could overtake the earlier train at any time. The fireman, silent now, went about his work, glancing nervously at the track ahead.

No further photos have been found, but Extra 725 East made it safely to Elfrida, its crew never even glimpsing the rider coach on Extra 4807 East. The crew later learned, as they waited in Elfrida for a parade of westbounds to pass, that the express had rights all the way to South Cayuga, and had stopped in Elfrida for neither water nor orders. By the time they attained South Cayuga, the express was well on its way north to the CNR interchange at Mount forest.

Wayne
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#2
great story, and great pics! Icon_lol
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#3
Fantastic Wayne! Thanks for putting that together. Smile

Could you provide some more detail on the mix of cars seen in the consist?


Andrew
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#4
Thumbsup Thumbsup Thumbsup Thumbsup Thumbsup
Great story and pictures. Glad you are feeling more "railroady"
Charlie
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#5
Another winner Doc Thumbsup Excellent story,even better photos --- Ian Wilson would be proud Worship Worship Worship
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#6
Great pics...Great story...and great accent on that engineer..!!! Goldth

I like how traffic kept piling up at the crossing... Thumbsup

And it looks like no-one has laid a hand on that little shifter on the enginehouse siding in years.... Sad
Gus (LC&P).
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#7
Thanks for the kind words, folks. Worship

MasonJar Wrote:Could you provide some more detail on the mix of cars seen in the consist?

Andrew, I went back and added captions to the pictures - probably easier for viewers than making them flip back and forth to match a separate post with the pictures.

Wayne
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#8
Love the effect of scrolling fast down through the pictures and almost getting a movie effect, as car by car drives up to the railroad crossing and stops. Great work - both the story, the modeling and the photography!

Smile,
Stein
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#9
Too Cool!! Great pics and story!! Smile

Great modeling too (As always) Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin

........ now I'm wondering "who" was so darn important that they had ROW and Clearance!! Big Grin Big Grin Big Grin
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
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#10
Cool and neat traffic back up effect Thumbsup

Great vehicles as well.
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#11
doctorwayne Wrote:Thanks for the kind words, folks. Worship

MasonJar Wrote:Could you provide some more detail on the mix of cars seen in the consist?

Andrew, I went back and added captions to the pictures - probably easier for viewers than making them flip back and forth to match a separate post with the pictures.

Wayne

Wayne -

Thanks for adding that info. Great to see all those cars again - amazing work!

I find the order of the cars really interesting. You've written before about how head-end cars sometimes end up on the "other" end for various reasons; in this consist I find it interesting that there seems to be a mix of everything compared with what we'd think is "normal" (or maybe it's just me Wink 35 ) i.e. a couple of head-end cars followed by passenger accommodation.

So here's the order as I understand it:
  • horse express
  • baggage
  • insulated express
  • express/RPO
  • express box
  • express reefer
  • express box (X-29)
  • mail storage
  • insulated express cars x3
  • regular box (with steam line?)
  • "freight" box
  • express reefer
  • baggage X2
  • coach*

for a total of 17 cars. Big Grin

* coach here is noted as being for the crew. Would there be a dedicated crew that travels with some or all of these cars?

And I am guessing that this train generates quite a bit of revenue for the company - more so than the passenger trains would. Hence the higher priority and relatively valuable cargo being moved.


Andrew
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#12
You've pretty much got it Andrew. The RPO would have a crew on-board (Post Office employees) and a baggage car (BEM - baggage/express/messenger) could have a number of railway employees on-board if parcels, etc. were to be taken on or dropped off. The rider coach at the end of the train is for the tail end crew - conductor and rear brakeman - and is the equivalent of a caboose. I think that passengers could buy a ticket to ride if space were available - this may (or may not) have something to do with the laws concerning common carriers and their obligations to the public.
In the scenario shown, the express is a scheduled EG&E train, but not on its home rails due to a wreck. Since the EG&E is the parent road of both the Grand Valley and the Erie Northshore (the latter whose tracks are shown), they're exercising running rights on this route, which is roughly parallel to their own.
On these lines, the only regularly-scheduled trains are passenger trains, with all others run as Extras. Scheduled trains normally have rights over Extras, but the dispatcher can override those rights when necessary. In this case, the waiting train, a regular freight and running, as usual, as an Extra has been held due to the approach of the re-routed Express. The Express, because it's a train not usually on this line, is also carded as an Extra. The dispatcher has give it rights over the waiting train (which would have normally been the next to go) because it's considered to be "Superior" (a faster train and one of higher priority). He's also given it trackage rights all the way to South Cayuga, as the train will be turned there in order to continue its trip north. Normally, all trains stop at Efrida for Form 31s - orders which have to be signed and countersigned, allowing them the use of the track to South Cayuga. (Most locos also needed to stop in Elfrida for water, but obviously not the ones on this hotshot.) Goldth

On this line, Eastbounds are normally superior to Westbounds of the same class, so a scheduled (passenger) train heading east would be superior (by direction) to all westbounds, while an eastbound freight would be superior to a westbound freight, but inferior to a westbound (scheduled) passenger. This railroad is "dark" (unsignalled), so trains, both scheduled and Extras, are assigned rights to a section of the line (usually from one station to the next) (known, I think, as a track warrant). This is issued based on what's happening at other points along the line and the information is relayed via telegraph.

I hope to eventually install train order semaphores at Elfrida, Cayuga Junction, and Park Head (the first town on the as-yet-unbuilt second level). Cayuga Junction is the point where the east/west Erie Northshore meets the north/south Grand Valley, and can be a busy spot even with only one train at a time in motion. Wink

I hope that my rambling reply hasn't made you sorry to have asked. Misngth

Wayne
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#13
I'm not sorry - - that's a great answer!! Smile Smile Smile Thanks for the explanation!! Thumbsup Thumbsup
~~ Mikey KB3VBR (Admin)
~~ NARA Member # 75    
~~ Baldwin Eddystone Unofficial Website

~~ I wonder what that would look like in 1:20.3???
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#14
Absolutely not! Great info. As noted above, it would do Ian Wilson proud...! Wink

I think that the EG&E's obligation to passengers (whether home tracks or subsidiaries) is based on how much public $$$ went into the building of the lines. CNR and CPR for that matter dropped passenger routes as quick as possible even as long ago as the 1920s, either through schedule changes, equipment changes (motor cars), or turning the passenger run into a mixed train.

Andrew

PS - Is the Park Head that's planned for the second level the same Park Head up on "the Bruce"?
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#15
MasonJar Wrote:PS - Is the Park Head that's planned for the second level the same Park Head up on "the Bruce"?

Yep! That's the one, although, like the rest of my towns (all named after real places), it will bear little if any resemblance to the real one. Others planned for the second level are Shallow Lake (just down the road, same as the real one) and Mount Forest.

Wayne
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