Love for the C & O

[Anonymous]

Am I wrong, but are the major hobby suppliers ignoring the C & O. If my history is correct the rail line was a major player in the 60"s. I mean after all, they did purchase the B & O. Which if you love to model the B & O, there is no problem to purchase loco's and rolling stock. I have since started to model the "Chessie System", where I can run WM, B & O, and the C & O. Even decals for the line are hard to come by. Coal was king to the C & O, but try to find a large selection of hoppers. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places. I was just wondering if someone else, who loves the C & O, can vent with me. Thanks

[Anonymous]

You gotta be kidding, suppliers ignoring the C&O? What about B&O, WM, Chessie, Seaboard, ACL, CSX etc??? When I think of C&O, I lump the other roads with them.

I'll tell you the roads I wi***he suppliers would ignor:
NYC
PRR (except for the K4)
New Haven
Southern
Union Pacific
Milwaukee Road
Santa Fe
Southern Pacific
NP
BNSF
Conrail

I do like Penn Central a lot. More stuff needs to be made for them.

[alstom]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ted E. Bear

I'll tell you the roads I wi***he suppliers would ignor:
NYC
PRR (except for the K4)
New Haven
Southern
Union Pacific
Milwaukee Road
Santa Fe
Southern Pacific
NP
BNSF
Conrail

I do like Penn Central a lot. More stuff needs to be made for them.

Ted E. Bear- They are not so, so bad with the BNSF or SP, but the rest you named I agree with. Especially UP!!! That at least appears once on every MR Magazine you get!!!

You do seem to have a point. C & O is kind of hard to come by. But if you check out Athearn.com Link: http://athearn.com/ ,you can see their selection of C & O. They're the only major MR company that I can think of selling C & O in HO scale.

...........................

[Anonymous]

UP is everywhere. I thought when they tacked on a licensing fee the manufacturers/suppliers would back off. If anything, it seems there's been more.[:O]

[Anonymous]

I agree that the Penn Central gets ignored a lot. But go to Wathers and do a search for C & O, and see how many products you come up with. Hardly anything. When I go to Athern, most of the C & O products are sold out. If it sells that well why dont they make more. The C & O Historical Society used to have a gift shop, they dont even offer that now. Atlas, which makes some fine models, has either sold out of C & O, or discontunied them. Try to find a C & O GP 9, look real hard. I am not talking Bachman, or lifelike, those models are cheap, and make me want to throw up. Your right also, with the over production of the Union Pacfic, or the Santa Fe. I feel sorry also for someone who might want to model the Cotton Belt. Those guys should really feel snubed.

[nfmisso]

Well over 300 in HO:

http://www.walthers.com/exec/search?category=&scale=H&manu=&item=&keywords=C%26O&instock=Q&split=300&Submit=Search

You guys just are not looking.

[Anonymous]

Also T Bear, I have no problem locating stuff for the Seaborad, or the Atlantic costline, or the L & N. If you want to Model the CSX, Which by the way Stands for Chessie, Seaboard, and the X they left open, for the next major railroad they plan to acuire. Which they, and the Norlfolk Southern did a pretty good job of Conrail. So I guess they should be named the CSCX, but I am just being a smart butt there. Also why I am ont the subject of hard to find items. Try real hard to find a Greyhound bus. Wouldnt that look good, on any layout, but just try to find one.

[Anonymous]

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hoscalebuses/

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by morrisbee40

Also why I am ont the subject of hard to find items. Try real hard to find a Greyhound bus. Wouldnt that look good, on any layout, but just try to find one.

MTH makes them but in O gauge. Diecast Direct also has the Corgi models in O.[8D]

[ChessieFan13]

cool another one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well Bowser is a good one to start with, so is athearn.........Been a C&O fan since I was 2 . On our pike we go altheway........by that I mean from the 40s C&O all the way up to modern day CSX..........Love that Chessie paint...........Glad to see another one of our kind uot there

J.W.

[alstom]

QUOTE: Originally posted by morrisbee40

Also T Bear, I have no problem locating stuff for the Seaborad, or the Atlantic costline, or the L & N. If you want to Model the CSX, Which by the way Stands for Chessie, Seaboard, and the X they left open, for the next major railroad they plan to acuire. Which they, and the Norlfolk Southern did a pretty good job of Conrail. So I guess they should be named the CSCX, but I am just being a smart butt there. Also why I am ont the subject of hard to find items. Try real hard to find a Greyhound bus. Wouldnt that look good, on any layout, but just try to find one.

I wrote an email to one of the employers at CSX. He wrote me back saying that CSX stands for: Chessie, Seaboard and eXtras (for the other railroad they acquired)

Also, from another railfan I heard it stood for Chessie, Seaboard, eXcellence (which sounds pretty fake)

I heard from the same guy they were originally going to name CSX the "Federal American Railroad Transportation System" You figure out the initials. LOL

A brief history: The Chessie and Seaboard merged on November 1, 1980 to form CSX. CSX 6 years later in 1986, fought in a proxie war over Conrail with NS. The war ended in mid-1997 and an agreement arose! NS would take about 55% and CSX would take 45%, or something like that. On February 9, 2002, CSX came up with their best paint scheme yet: the "Dark Future" or "YN3." That paint scheme has been added to new diesels ever since!!!

I could tell you a book-load more, but I don't have the time!!! Enjoy!!!!

........................

[twhite]

I tend to agree that the C&O, my favorite Eastern coal-hauler, has been slighted by the manufacturers. Myself, I model Rio Grande and SP steam during the 'forties, but I've got a couple of C&O locos (borrowed for the war) on my roster, and every time I run my Rivarossi Allegheney or my Bachmann Mountain, I get 'Ooh's and Ahh's from anyone watching, because they're such HANDSOME steamers. Myself, I wouldn't mind seeing some more C&O steam available that isn't expensive brass (especially their H-7 2-8-8-2's and their Pacifics and Mikes). I always thought the railroad sported some especially good-looking steam power.
Tom

[Anonymous]

Tom,
Since you love steam so much, then why cant you find a big old Allegany engine, which at the time was one of the largest steam locos at the time. If I am correct, it had even more power that the UP's Big Boy. Walthers did have it, I remember it being a feature in the "Bible of Model Railroading", but that was several years ago. Since I am not into steam, dont hate me, It is a shocker, that, that loco is hard to find as well. Just another point in that they snub the C & O.

[BRAKIE]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Ted E. Bear

You gotta be kidding, suppliers ignoring the C&O? What about B&O, WM, Chessie, Seaboard, ACL, CSX etc??? When I think of C&O, I lump the other roads with them.

I'll tell you the roads I wi***he suppliers would ignor:
NYC
PRR (except for the K4)
New Haven
Southern
Union Pacific
Milwaukee Road
Santa Fe
Southern Pacific
NP
BNSF
Conrail

I do like Penn Central a lot. More stuff needs to be made for them.

Ted,The roads you mention are top sellers so,fat chance of those roads being dropped.

[1shado1]

QUOTE: Originally posted by morrisbee40

Tom,
Since you love steam so much, then why cant you find a big old Allegany engine, which at the time was one of the largest steam locos at the time. If I am correct, it had even more power that the UP's Big Boy. Walthers did have it, I remember it being a feature in the "Bible of Model Railroading", but that was several years ago. Since I am not into steam, dont hate me, It is a shocker, that, that loco is hard to find as well. Just another point in that they snub the C & O.

If you reread his post, he stated that he already HAS an Allegheny.[:D]

Jeff

[BRAKIE]

QUOTE: Originally posted by morrisbee40

Am I wrong, but are the major hobby suppliers ignoring the C & O. If my history is correct the rail line was a major player in the 60"s. I mean after all, they did purchase the B & O. Which if you love to model the B & O, there is no problem to purchase loco's and rolling stock. I have since started to model the "Chessie System", where I can run WM, B & O, and the C & O. Even decals for the line are hard to come by. Coal was king to the C & O, but try to find a large selection of hoppers. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places. I was just wondering if someone else, who loves the C & O, can vent with me. Thanks

Had you taken the time to do some research you would find that Athearn and Atlas leads the pack producing C&O engines.Athearn has several C&O cars.Walthers has the C&O wooden caboose.Atlas is producing the Magor C&O steel caboose plus the extended vision caboose.Athearn also makes a C&O extend vision caboose as well as a Chessie (C&O) extended vision caboose.Bowser makes the 100 ton 3 bay hopper..So,the C&O can be modeled without modeling the Chessie(C&O).

BTW..C&O did not purchase the B&O..The C&O acquired control of the B&O in May 1962.

[Anonymous]

Jeff,
Your right, egg on my face, sorry, I should read the post before sounding of my big mouth. I just fell off my perch a little bit. Great model though.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

QUOTE: Originally posted by morrisbee40

Am I wrong, but are the major hobby suppliers ignoring the C & O. If my history is correct the rail line was a major player in the 60"s. I mean after all, they did purchase the B & O. Which if you love to model the B & O, there is no problem to purchase loco's and rolling stock. I have since started to model the "Chessie System", where I can run WM, B & O, and the C & O. Even decals for the line are hard to come by. Coal was king to the C & O, but try to find a large selection of hoppers. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places. I was just wondering if someone else, who loves the C & O, can vent with me. Thanks

Had you taken the time to do some research you would find that Athearn and Atlas leads the pack producing C&O engines.Athearn has several C&O cars.Walthers has the C&O wooden caboose.Atlas is producing the Magor C&O steel caboose plus the extended vision caboose.Athearn also makes a C&O extend vision caboose as well as a Chessie (C&O) extended vision caboose.Bowser makes the 100 ton 3 bay hopper..So,the C&O can be modeled without modeling the Chessie(C&O).

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hoscalebuses/

[Anonymous]

BRAKIE,
Sir, I did research both web sites. Athearn only offers a GP 35 in C & O, unless you want to purchase an F 7, then the selection gets better. I would like the web page on the Atlas model you suggest, for I already have three of the sd 40 offered by Atlas 3 years ago. A very fine model indeed. You are correct in which the C & O did aquire much of the stock of the B & O in 1962, which would make them an owning parnter.

[locomutt]

QUOTE: Originally posted by morrisbee40

I agree that the Penn Central gets ignored a lot. But go to Wathers and do a search for C & O, and see how many products you come up with. Hardly anything. When I go to Athern, most of the C & O products are sold out. If it sells that well why dont they make more. The C & O Historical Society used to have a gift shop, they dont even offer that now. Atlas, which makes some fine models, has either sold out of C & O, or discontunied them. Try to find a C & O GP 9, look real hard. I am not talking Bachman, or lifelike, those models are cheap, and make me want to throw up. Your right also, with the over production of the Union Pacfic, or the Santa Fe. I feel sorry also for someone who might want to model the Cotton Belt. Those guys should really feel snubed.

To the BEST of MY knowledge,the C & O Historical Society does indeed have the "Chessie Shop" up and
running. In my last issue of their "News Letter",they have an ad for their(C & O) 50T,2 bay hoppers,along with books and such.
Previously,they had ads out for FP-7s.

As an FYI,I just received a book from them.

[Anonymous]

C&O continued to be one of the most profitable and financially sound railways in America, and in 1963 started the modern merger era by "affiliating" with the ancient modern of railroads, the hoary Baltimore & Ohio. Avoiding a mistake that would become endemic to later mergers among other lines, a gradual amalgamation of the two lines' services, personnel, motive power and rolling stock, and facilities built a new and stronger system, which was ready for a new name in 1972. Under the leadership of the visionary Hays T. Watkins, the C&O, B&O and Western Maryland became Chessie System, taking on the name officially that had been used colloquially for so long for the C&O, after the mascot kitten used in ads since 1934 [see Chessie].

[Anonymous]

Your right, The gift shop is still there, but before I buy Life Like, I will paint and decal them myself. Can I get an Amen on that brothers. Thanks for your post

[Anonymous]

keep this topic burning, I love it

[Anonymous]

Around here, Huntington, WV., the C&O is almost sacred (as it should be). I model N scale and C&O rolling stock is not as plentiful as in HO. Of course, nothing in N scale is as plentiful as it is in HO. For C&O Nscalers the last few years have been sweet. Atlas released the C&O RS-1, the C&O GP-9, which I've been waiting for ever since I got into Nscale, rereleased the C&O U25B. Add to that Bachmann's C&O H-5s and Life-Like's C&O Berkshires. I'm hoping Atlas will do the C&O U30-C? in Nscale that they have released in HO. Atlas has rereleased the C&O 90 ton coal hoppers. Athearn has 70 ton C&O hoppers out. I know that this list is not all inclusive, I can think of other C&O models released in the last few years, I just don't want to keep typing. I hope and pray that in the next few years the manufacturers release some more C&O goodies in Nscale. The last few years have been sweet (and I jokingly add-its about time!!). God bless the C&O and her memory. She will always be in our hearts.

[BRAKIE]

No C&O engines you say Sir..[;)]
Atlas.
S2
RS1
GP7-Soon to be release.
RSD5
RSD12-If you can find 'em.
GP38
U23B

Athearn
GP35

Stewart
F7
AS616-if you can find 'em

P2K
GP7
GP9
GP30
E8

There may be others that has escape my mind..I did not include the Chessie(C&O) units.
You can have C&O,B&O and WM units thrown in with your Chessie units.
Please oh please do not make the common mistakes that most Chessie modelers make!

You see Sir,I am a C&O modeler and worked on the C&O under the Chessie and CSX banner from 1978- early 1985 for a total of 61/2 years as a brakeman.
============================================================
WVHagan,I am looking for information on the Peach Creek Yard on the Logan Sub..Can you pass along any information?


BTW.I worked the Big Sandy Sub out of Russell..

I also use to shop at Hobbyland when it was located in Huntington on 8th street then he moved on a side street across from the yard then finally to South Point Oh.There was a great hobby shop in Charleston that carried lots of N Scale..

[gregmc]

Indeed the number of C&O models in both scales as steadily increased. It is hard to believe the list Brakie has supplied has been produced in the last 6-7 years. Couple additions I can think of are U30Cs from Atlas. BLI has made an NW2 or SW7 in multiple C&O paint schemes. Now they have released an E7 or E8 and C&O RSD7s have been announced. Also Brakies list doesn't include the steam locos that have been produced such as the H5s, H8s, and T1s.

The freight car side of things have blossomed also. Life Like's war emergency hoppers with rebuilt steel sides lasted into the 70s. Bowsers 100 ton hopper is dead on for many C&O classes, but their lettering job leaves a lot to be desired. In Bowser's first run, they left the "o" out in Progress. Their are still many other errors in the lettering which have not been corrected. If you model late Chessie to early CSX, then the Bachmann Silver Series 100 ton hopper can be used painted either Chessie or with or without the Chessie logo. Most of the Stewart hoppers are correct for the C&O at some point in time, just depends on your modeling date. The old MDC hopper is pretty close to several of the old C&O 9 panel C&O cars, but the shell is getting pretty long in the tooth, plus it has S scale ribs which is probably its most glaring problem. I was hoping the new Atlas 9 panel would fix this, but it appears they chose a western prototype for their 9 panel. It is about 2 scale feet to long for anything the Chessie roads had.

The biggest problem one faces with modeling the C&O is they built a lot of their own cars making them unique prototypes. Something a model manufacturer would be unlikely to produce. This is very true for most of their hoppers.

Brakie, what information are you looking for concerning Peach Creek? I lived right across the river from the place for 1.5 years from 1997- 1998. I have several friends in the area who had family who worked for the C&O and Chessie.

Greg McCartney

[BRAKIE]

Hi Greg,I really would like to model the Peach Creek yard in the 60 era and would like to know:
What type of engine house?
Was the coal tower still standing in the 60s?
Number of tracks.
What type of trains operated out of Peach Creek-I know about the mine runs?
When did the RSD7s leave Peach Creek?
Was the RSD5s used at Peach Creek?
Was the Butt-head doddle bug still running out of Logan in the 60s?
Freight other then coal?
Any and all help will be deeply appreciated..[:D]
=============================================================
Thanks for adding to the list of C&O models especially BLI's RSD7 in C&O! [:D]

Also,MDC/Roundhouse made a peaked end 40 foot C&O gon some years ago..I hope Athearn releases it again..Also Athearn is releasing a RTR PS2 2893 covered hopper in C&O with 3 different numbers.[:D]
Yup looks like us C&O modelers is finally getting our long awaited models.[;)]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

No C&O engines you say Sir..[;)]
Atlas.
S2
RS1
GP7-Soon to be release.
RSD5
RSD12-If you can find 'em.
GP38
U23B

Athearn
GP35

Stewart
F7
AS616-if you can find 'em

P2K
GP7
GP9
GP30
E8

Don't forget the P2K Heritage C&O 2-8-4 Kanawhas. Probably the best HO C&O steamer you can buy.

I'd personally like to see BLI or Bachmann Spectrum do a C&O J3a class 4-8-4 Greenbriar. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!

[andrechapelon]

QUOTE: Originally posted by 4884bigboy

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

No C&O engines you say Sir..[;)]
Atlas.
S2
RS1
GP7-Soon to be release.
RSD5
RSD12-If you can find 'em.
GP38
U23B

Athearn
GP35

Stewart
F7
AS616-if you can find 'em

P2K
GP7
GP9
GP30
E8

Don't forget the P2K Heritage C&O 2-8-4 Kanawhas. Probably the best HO C&O steamer you can buy.

I'd personally like to see BLI or Bachmann Spectrum do a C&O J3a class 4-8-4 Greenbriar. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!

Also don't forget the C&O J-2 4-8-2 and H-5 2-6-6-2, from Spectrum.

Andre

[gregmc]

QUOTE: Originally posted by BRAKIE

Hi Greg,I really would like to model the Peach Creek yard in the 60 era and would like to know:
What type of engine house?
Was the coal tower still standing in the 60s?
Number of tracks.
What type of trains operated out of Peach Creek-I know about the mine runs?
When did the RSD7s leave Peach Creek?
Was the RSD5s used at Peach Creek?
Was the Butt-head doddle bug still running out of Logan in the 60s?
Freight other then coal?
Any and all help will be deeply appreciated..[:D]
=============================================================

Well lets see. Your interest in 1960s info may be a bit harder for me to answer but I will ask my friends and see if they can fill in the gaps.

Peach Creek had a turntable and roundhouse. Not sure how many stalls off hand but I can find out pretty easily. The turn table is still there and was being used up until very recently to turn locos. They still may be using it though.

There was also a long shop building along the river that had the steam power house and a ramp track on the back side for loads of coal. I believe two tracks may also have ran through the building. The tall smoke stack that you see in pictures was attached to this building. The smoke stack was torn down around 98 I think. This building is still standing but in very bad shape. MoW forces had been using it but I think it is now condemned.

The coaling tower stood up until just a few years ago. I have a photo of two AC4400s sitting under it.

Not sure how many tracks were in Peach Creek over the years. Definitely not as many today as there were. Best bet here would be to call the C&OHS and see if they have a map. As with many large yards, they are usually made up of several smaller yards, and Peach Creek was no different. The lower yard was generally for loaded cars and the upper yard which extended from the yard office to FD cabin was the empty yard. Most pictures of Peach Creek are of the larger lower yard.

Not sure on the exact operations out of Peach Creek, but as you already know they were mostly coal trains. What little freight traveled up the Logan sub probably was just tacked on to coal trains. I will ask about this and see if any of my friends can answer. I have heard stories of a few NW reroutes that occurred when there was a derailment on the NW main. The trains came through by Gilbert.

Not sure if the RSD5s ever operated on the Logan sub. I will ask and see if anyone knows.

The RSD7s were moved to the B&O sometime in the late 60s early 70s prior to Chessie. Somewhere I read they were used for helpers out of M&K before being moved to the Fairmont WV area for service on the FM&P.

I know nothing about Passenger operations on the line.

Some of the freight operations I know about include a local that switched a local news paper office in Logan. Power was a alco switcher of some sort. This operation was still ongoing when I left Logan a few years ago. As far as I know they are probably still receiving a boxcar of paper a month. There was also a produce distributor that received several carloads. I will see if I can track down some dates. In the 70s and 80s, there was a wood-chip shipper above Man WV.

While I lived there, non coal related traffic included stone, news paper, and prell (ammonium nitrate blasting agent).

I would recommend joining one of the C&O yahoo groups such as [C_and_O_Rwy] , [ChesapeakeOhioRailway], and [sacomodelers]. Pose these questions there and you will get a wealth of info. Here are the links.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/C_and_O_Rwy/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ChesapeakeOhioRailway/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sacomodelers/

Greg McCartney