I am having somewhat of an identity crisis for my layout. I am almost done making the contours of my layout, but i do not know where to place it in the real world.
Here are the details
If anybody has suggestions or could help that would be great.
You might have more responses if you edited the title of this thread to Choosing a Missouri Pacific locale (Note the "e" on the end of the word "locale").
I just happen to have been lookign for something related to the MP for a client and remembered this web page and the White River Division of the MP (former St. Louis, Iron Mountain, and Southern) in the Ozarks. There are a number of tunnels, including a couple of places where two tunnels are close together.
If not this specific area, the Ozarks seems like just the ticket for what you are seeking.
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Thanks. I always had the Ozarks in my mind, but was not quite sold on it. But that map does help a lot.
The White River division would also be my suggestion as first choice, there was a softcover book on the White River Div.
As alternate choices would be the River (KC to Jeff City), Jeff City (Jeff City to St Louis), Van Buren (N. Little Rock to Van Buren), or Desoto (St Louis to Poplar Bluff, Mo) Subs. All of those offer hills or tunnels, any of those would involve rivers or streams. The Van Buren and Jeff City have tunnels.
The Desoto and White River are very much rural settings, over the river and through the woods kinda territory. The Van Buren and River is a little less mounatinous, both mostly river grade. the Van Buren has more industry than the River. The Jeff City sub is heavy duty, double track, big time railroading, even into the steam days.
The Jeff City and Desoto still have passenger service (Amtrak) and the White river has or had a tourist train around Branson. The White river was sold to the Missouri & N Arkansas RR.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
You've had some good info thus far, and I'd think you could benefit from joining the Missouri Pacific Historical Society. For $40-$50/year you get a very nice quarterly magazine and calander. Over the years, they have published several articles about the Iron Mountain subdivision with great photos and maps. In addition, some or all of the back issues are available including those with articles about the Iron Mountain
I've been a member since the early '90s and my Texas & Pacific layout has been subject to a lot of revision based on MPHS information.
Good Luck.