Is there a suitable theory of "home vs. away" reporting mark for a layout depicting N&W in the early 1980s in southern VA (by Radford). I have a few other reporting marks cars too--C&O, PRR, and Reading. I figure that 80%+ N&W is a suitable representation. What other reporting marks to consider that would appear (VGN since N&W bought it)?
In this part of the country, coal is king, so I have plenty of open-top cars. I also have other industries represented (e.g., hoppers, boxcars, tank cars, etc.) in the sidings and yard.
Thanks,
Lee
Make sure to Have Southern freight cars too! Radford is up in Coal country so plenty of coal cars, I don't think any VGN cars would still be around by the 80s.
Probably N&W coal trains would have been 100% N&W cars unless they were part of a run-through agreement with a connecting railroad.
For general freight, 80% seems way too high. My guess would be having 20% of general freight cars being N&W, 40% connecting railroads (Southern, Chessie System) and the other 40% being non-connecting railroads (Conrail, ATSF, BN) would be more accurate.
N&W would primarily be using their own cars for situations where both the company shipping the freight and the company receiving it were both located on the N&W. N&W wasn't a huge railroad geographically (compared to say Conrail or Santa Fe) so those shipments wouldn't have been going very far, only a few hundred miles. By 1980, they probably would be going by truck.
"Local" roads should certainly predominate, but there should be a diminishing number of farther-away roads, based on distance.
I photographed an N&W hopper in Oakland, CA in 1975. For example. It seemed rare enough that I photographed it, which kind of makes my point.
Of course, a lot depends on how much rolling stock you will have. If you have 50 cars, and 80% is N&W, then that leaves 10 cars for not-N&W. That small a number could certainly argue against one of them being SP.
Ed
Normally the "classic" 1950's mix is 50% home, 25% direct interchange, 25% all other. That would exclude coal trains, which as mentioned before would be virtually all N&W. That mix can vary by the specific area of the layout and the mix of traffic.
A modern, 2000's era, layout would be 50% private owner, 25% home road, 25% other. In the modern era private owner cars are waaaaaaaaaaaay more common.
The 1980's would be somewhere in the middle. I would suggest about 20% private (tanks, covered hoppers), 40% home, 20% direct interchange, 20% other. A lot of it depends on if you have a lot of intermodal or finished auto business. Then the private owner piece goes up because the TOFC/COFC and autos will be on TTX cars.
The caveat is the mix is entirely dependent on the traffic mix. The classic example I use is Ft Worth, TX on the UP. A main N-S route crosses a main E-W route. But it would look like two different railroads. The E-W route would be heavy on auto parts, intermodal and reefers. The N-S route would be heavy on covered hoppers, tank cars and coal cars.
If you are modeling the N&W near Buffalo or St Louis, it will look VERY different than the N&W near Roanoke or Norfolk.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
A model based on the N&W of the 1980s may plausibly include cars from the Nickel Plate and Wabash as well as the Virginian which became a N&W component in1959 or 60. The Official Railway Equipment Register, Vol. 103, No.3, issued January 20, 1988 lists a total of 98 cars still bearing VGN reporting marks. An interesting note is, 24 of these cars are pulpwood racks, paying homage to an important secondary source of traffic in the mountainous regions the coal roads served.
This is very helpful information. Thanks! I have very few coal hopper cars that aren't N&W. They can still get added in a consist and no one will question the realism.
Here's my coal hopper breakdown: 10 N&W, 1 B&O, 2 Clichfield, 2 RRR, 2 SOO, 2 SCL. Should I only have the 10 N&W in a consist or add a couple of other lines? Should I get more N&W coal cars?
The answer to any "should I get more cars" question is always yes.
I used to drive by the lakefront docks in Toledo in the late 70's and early 80's and the yard which held all the coal cars for transhipment to the upper lakes by boat was made up of a lot of N&W cars. In the strings of cars I would see Virginian and NKP Triple Hoppers, but never saw a Wabash car. In each string there would be one or two Virginian and NKP cars but not very many, almost 100% N&W.
Rick Jesionowski
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Perhaps I might have one or two non-N&W cars and the rest off the rails. Of course I can put those cars in a yard or tipple to get picked up for future consists. Ah, the possibilities!
I can't decide now between getting more N&W boxcars or hoppers. The latter are a 50% more expensive on the HO swap site. I have some boxcars, but hardly any N&W. Should I bite the bullet and get more N&W hoppers? I already have 10 and about eight non-N&W..
What do you need? Do you have industries that use boxcars or industries that use hoppers? Do you have staging tracks that can hold a solid coal train? How long of a train can you hold on your layout?
kasskabooseIs there a suitable theory of "home vs. away" reporting mark for a layout depicting N&W in the early 1980s in southern VA (by Radford).
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Thanks for this helpful information. Where to put the layout? Should I shift it between Glenvar or or Waburgn, VA? Both areas are between Roanoke and Bristol, TN.
Thanks!
kasskabooseor Waburgn, VA
Gotcha. Where to put the layout along that line?
kasskabooseGotcha. Where to put the layout along that line
In my reply via PM, the third paragraph should begin wit "Not".