I have a SW1500 switcher, a GE 44 toner and a GP35 4 axle switcher. All painted for Norfolk Southern except the 44 toner. I am wanting to design a small layout to fit into a spare bedroom that I have and I want it to be some what prototypical but not 100%. I want the Setting to be in the early to late 80’s Somewhere in South Georgia or Alabam. Where would I find something Simi prototypical of this scenario that I could model after that uses these loco today or back then? Summary: I want to model a branch or shortline in Georgia that uses these locomotives. Something I can gain inspiration from.
I live in GA and will also be building a layout with a similar theme, albeit from anywhere around 1994 to 2015. I free lance, meaning, make up my location and reason for a railroad to exist; rather than model a specific prototype or branch line.
If I was in your position, I would start by researching the NS and their branchlines in Southern GA or AL as background.
At any time since the merger, they may have spun off a lesser used line to a private shortline, who may have then also bought the NS (now ex-NS) locomotives that ran on the branch. Personally, I would leave the 44 tonner in a different road name. I doubt NS ever owned a 44 Tonner in NS paint. Maybe your shortline has painted its 44 tonner in its home colors but runs the exNS locos as is.
Google short lines of GA, and that will give you a start. I have a PDF map of current GA shortlines downloaded from GDOT, but its a big file, be warned. You may be able to find a GA RR map dated in the 80s.
Same goes for AL.
Edit: Not exactly southern GA, more like mid GA, but checkout the NS branch line that ran (runs) from Barnesville to Thomaston. An excellent candidate for modeling. NS just recently disposed of it. Lots of industry in Thomaston that needed rail service to the mainline interchange at Barnesville. You can Google Earth and follow the rail line now since it still exists.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Thomaston,+GA+30286/@32.8985733,-84.3182914,2118m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x88f37953def5718b:0xed0b77cdc0418123!8m2!3d32.8881879!4d-84.3265854
There is also a former NS branch that ran from Valdosta to Clyetteville in Lowndess County, near the FL border. Its currently served by the Valdosta RR. You may have to freelance some additional industries to make it viable.
Here's the current loco roster of the VR. Not a stretch at all to assume they had a GP35 and a SW1500 back in the 80s.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/modelListRR.aspx?id=VR
Not a 44 Tonner, but the best home-road scheme of all...grey primer dip!
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=623220
And the Georgia Southern RR, GASR, near Fort Valley GA is another shortline based upon the NS.
- Douglas
The Barnesville to Thomaston option looks pretty good, thanks for the link to google earth, how do you downsize such a large area into a small model railroad?
I’ve never built a model railroad before, I guess I could just freelance every thing.
I live in Macon/Perry Ga. I see the trains running down the main line but never see where their final destination is.
nscsxThe Barnesville to Thomaston option looks pretty good, thanks for the link to google earth, how do you downsize such a large area into a small model railroad?
You don't, really, you do some serious compresion of the railroad to include the areas you want, into the space you have.
nscsxI’ve never built a model railroad before, I guess I could just freelance every thing.
That's a good idea to start with, for your first layout. Maybe include one of the areas you want to model, and build your layout around that, freelancing as you go.
Mike.
My You Tube
My layout might look similar to Scott Perrys HOG railroad
nscsx The Barnesville to Thomaston option looks pretty good, thanks for the link to google earth, how do you downsize such a large area into a small model railroad? I’ve never built a model railroad before, I guess I could just freelance every thing. I live in Macon/Perry Ga. I see the trains running down the main line but never see where their final destination is.
Just search around MR and the internet for bedroom sized layouts. Most of them can be adapted to fit whatever theme you want.
Nothing needs to be copied. Its your layout, do what you want. We just toss out ideas, but many different ideas would work. Its up to you.
In a four sided bedroom, I would think about placing Barnesville on one wall, Thomaston on an adjacent wall, then have two walls with mainly scenery to give you a sense of distance in between. Maybe Thomaston would have to spill over onto part of another wall. Or just model Thomaston, or not. Or something else.
Ideally, Barnesville and Thomaston would be separated by the entrance to the room. Since your operation would be point to point BV to T, the connection would be a liftout that would be in place only for continuous running when you wanted to do that. Just an idea about how the chunks of space could be used.
Also notice that Thomaston has a loop cutting right through town. A reversing loop found on many model railroads, if you wanted to shape the layout differently.
Thomaston had many textile plants back in the day. Thomaston brand sheets. And a BF Goodrich tire plant. Apparently, radial tires use cotton threads embedded in the tread for durability.
I have been there, as looking for inspiration for a layout. The line is currently run by a shortline operator CaterParrot Railnet. There is a graphics company and a solo cup factory that gets railserved just outside of Thomaston. I don't think Thomaston gets rail served anymore, although it was in the 80s.
https://hawkinsrails.net/shortlines/cpr/cpr.html
https://cprailnet.com/
And this scene could just as well be modeled with a 1980s GP35 or SW1500 instead of a GP38 in 2015.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4316777
Get yourself a GA railmap from GDOT. The 2013 loads much faster than the 2018 version. There are other lines out there. Perry/Fort Valley has an ex NS branch right in your back yard. How easy is that?
Good luck.
I just checked it out.
http://hogrr.blogspot.com/
Wow Doughless,
thanks for all the information about the short line. You have been so very helpful!
You can run lots of pulp wood racks also.
Russell
Just wanted to post youtube video on the Valdosta Railway in 2011. The Class 1 (Oops, it looks like CSX) is handing off a cut of cars to the VR. Typical interchange move. No crossing gate, the road is blocked by the conductor/switchman.
It could be modeled using DCC or DC if a DC block were put just off screen to the right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5CG6IV8-dY