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Hello, <br /> I'm about to begin construction on my first real layout. After researching all kinds of trackplans, I found the track plan for our layout on late 1800s state maps of my area. It will be a point to point. It will be set in the 1880s-1910s. It will be a long single track line with two main spurs. The south end of the line will have part of a yard and a roundhouse. This is where the L&N mainline goes through. From the yard our branchline heads north through several small comunities some of wich are long gone now. The first spur leads to a coal mine and coke oven. The second leads to a limestone quarry and iron ore mine. The entrance to the second spur is the end of the line and has a wye. Eventually the line will continue north and loop around back to the yard. I plan to show the line under construction and after the first part is completed our trains will be involved with bringing supplies to the rail head in real life, toting as much stuff as an ho train can handle. In the late 1880s this line started out as the Birmingham to Huntsville Alabama Line L&NRR but by 1890 iron ore was discovered to the east and the line turned from north to east. By 1904 the line left Birmingham heading north turned east then south and west and back into Birmingham. <br /> How was limestone loaded into hoppers,by steamshovels along the spur? It looks like the trains on this line ran backwards for miles with the caboose at the head the engine in the middle with the gondolas on the end until the train could be straightened back out on an additional spur or the wye. Was this common for this era? My rolling stock will include 40' and 36' boxcars some flat cars, gondolas, 36' reefers, some coaches and short early style hoppers. Some of these cars will not be right for the era but at this time I cant afford to spend 20.00 plus for 1890s cars. This is OK because my son's Thomas the Tank will reside in the roundhouse with my daughter's bright but hopefully not pink 4-4-0 and my L&N steamers. What would be a good source for pre 1930 rolling stock? What type of hopper was in use in the 1890s and what would be a good standin? <br /> Thank You, Travis
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