While my interests have been for either a modern Texas shortline or a 1960s freelanced Midwestern railroad the last few years, I've recently been rolling around some ideas for a much different layout. It models a powerhouse of a freelanced railroad that represents a "what-if" scenario of two classic railroads that merged to pull themselves out of financial ruin. I just thought I'd share and see what you guys think. I've fabricated a history and theme, but BEWARE.....I must emphasize that this is a freelanced railroad lol. Here's the story:Midland-Pacific System
•Milwaukee Road/Rock Island Merger•Late 1980s-Early 1990s•Pacific Coast Extension in Montana•Class 1 Railroad
Conrail of the West. The Milwaukee Road and Rock Island merge in 1975 to form the Midland-Pacific System. Locomotives and rolling stock are pooled together, a new line is built to tap the Powder River Coal Basin, and unprofitable lines are sold or abandoned when the 1980 Staggers Rail Act is passed. The large system begins to turn handsome profits and becomes a major rival to the Burlington Northern in both the Midwest and Northwest by the mid 1980s. The former Milwaukee Road's Pacific Coast Extension becomes a major corridor for intermodal and other time sensitive freights. Intermodal, unit grain trains, and unit coal trains make up the backbone of the railroad's traffic system-wide.Much like the Burlington Northern, EMD SD40-2s are a dime a dozen and handle virtually every type of mainline service on the system. Many of the hot intermodal trains are hustled by GP60s, new General Electric B40-8s, and some GP40-2s. General freights will be seen behind virtually any and every type of locomotive on the roster, including units listed above, SD60Ms (with 2-window cabs), SD50s, and GE C30-7s. Coal drags primarily see SD50s, SD40-2s, and SD60Ms. Electro-Motive GP38-2s and aging GP35s handle most branch and local service. A few MP15AC switchers are stationed in some major terminals. A small handful of SD45s left over from the Milwaukee Road are almost exclusively found in helper service over the mountain passes of the Pacific Coast Extension. The railroad is receiving its very first orders of fresh new General Electric C40-8Ws and is using them on almost every type of mainline service.All units purchased after the 1975 merger, and most from both predecessor roads, have been painted in the Midland-Pacific System scheme. Cabs and long hoods are painted black, while noses are orange with BN-style diagonal black stripes on the front. The undercarriage, including fuel tanks, trucks, and front/rear pilots are painted in Union Pacific-style Harbor Mist Gray. An orange sill stripe separates it from the black car body. Locomotives in former Milwaukee Road and Rock Island schemes are rare and have Midland-Pacific reporting marks stenciled on the cab. Though in good operating condition, these units are heavily weathered and faded.Layout would be N scale, and most likely a slightly modified version of the Salt Lake Route track plan featured in Model Railroader a few years ago. Small mountain town and engine terminal on one side of the backdrop (maybe my own Montana version of Minturn, Colorado), mountain pass scenery on the other.
Dakota