Modeling Modern Short Lines.

[BRAKIE]

Let's discuss modeling modern short lines from spin offs and mergers.

What defines a modern short line?

These railroads are the result of the Staggers act that deregulated the railroad industry and lead to many marginal profit lines being lease or sold to short lines or Port Authorities set up by local communities or business men and then either lease to a short line operator or perhaps a use locomotive is bought or lease and operated by the Port Authority.Of course the best path is to lease the line to a short line operator.Examples of modern short lines would include Twin Cities & Western, Grainbelt,Iowa Interstate and other such short lines.There are companies such as Rail America,Rail Tex and Genesee & Wyoming Inc that operates a family of short lines in several states.R.J.Corman also operates a group of short lines bearing his name in Ohio,Pennsylvania,West Virginia and Tennessee.

Why model a short line?
There are several reasons to model a short line to include needing less locomotives and cars.One of the biggest is a short line is a good choice for a small layout to include a round the walls layout or a industrial switching layout.A short line fits waybill/car card operation like a glove seeing all you do with a short line is every day customer service by delivering or picking up freight cars..
Draw backs of modeling a short line would include no hot shot pig/stack trains,no Amtrak trains and usually slow speeds in the 20-35 mph range.

How to organize a Freelance short line.
First we must look at several angles to include long abandoned branch line track.Remember we are free to use modeling license.
Ok..Now where do we want our short line located? That question can only be answered by you.Why? Because we all have our preference in locations in a given state to include some branch line or perhaps some long gone favorite short line.

What type of freight?

The type of freight handled will depend on our short lines location...Our short line could specialize in serving coal mines,stone quarries,a steel mill , grain elevators,a industrial park or it could serve several industries located in the towns and small cities the line goes though...MY thoughts is to limit the number of industries being served because IF this was a profitable line instead of being a marginal profitable line the big Class 1 would have kept it.I also like the idea of smaller industries in small towns and cities that still depend on rail service.

How many car loads per year?
That would depend on our customer base and size..My thoughts is our WEEKLY car number should not be less then 30 since that works out to be 1,560 cars a year and based on a 5 day work week-remember most short lines doesn't operate 7 days a week- that is only 6 cars per day..Workable but,a rather bare bones short line.
My perferance is 50-60 per week which is either 2600 cars per year or if 60 cars per week 3120 cars per year or 10-12 cars per day again based on a 5 day work week.Of course that can vary as well.

Locomotives..
Here is the most interesting and hardest aspect of short line modeling.We can use a GE 44 Tonner to a SD40-2 depending on tonnage and the steepest grade we need to climb.A short line that handles small train lengths daily can use a GE44 Tonner or 70 Tonner.
However,if we specialize in coal,stone,steel etc then perhaps a second hand EMD or GE 6 axle unit would be needed.Of course 4 axle units would work as well but,more would be needed for the heavier tonnage trains.Of course here's where the short line economics plays a large roll..They may need 6 axle units but,can only afford 4 axle units..
A different approach would be to lease locomotives from one of the locomotive leasers.This way a short line could pay "power by the hour" lease where they only pay the hours the locomotive is actually used.

How about a color scheme?
A very good question! The answer will vary according to your givens..We can use a plain scheme,a complicate scheme or just use lease units from a locomotive lessor.Another approach is to buy a locomotive and paint over the road name and letter it for our short line.We can even use the locomotive's number.We don't even had to match the paint since most short lines favors black.
However,I do recommend finding a color scheme that fits your style.
Trackage.
It is my opinion the track should be lightly ballast and have lots of grass and short weeds between the ties but,fairly maintain other wise except for some broken or split ties at various locations..Thats one style the other style is a well maintain right of way that was refurbish by State and Government operating grants.

[Dave Vollmer]

Brakie,

A lot of times a new shortline will base its paint scheme off the scheme used by the railroad that used to own the track.

For example, the Juniata Valley RR in Pennsylvania uses a Tsucan red scheme like Pennsy, only its keystone doesn't say PRR; it says JV.

[BRAKIE]

Absolutely! A freelance short line can use the colors of a "fallen flag".A acquaintance of mine uses the old Walbash Blue & Gray scheme since his short line(Wabash Valley) "operates" a former branch line of that railroad.

 

[Anonymous]

Or, if it has several locos in the same second hand paint scheme, it could base it's paint scheme on that to save money and paint.

I model a freelanced line, but it's more of a regional, streaching from Albany, NY, to Palmer, MA. I get to run piggyback trains, courtasy of a RR owned intermodel terminal (freelanced) 

Amtrak also reroutes the Lake Shore Limited occasionally, seeing as part of the route runs pretty much parrallel to Conrail (in my era, fall 1996) I suppose some would call it cheating, but I don't think so. I based it on the Providence and Worcester, and they run intermodel trains!

[shawnee]

Brakie, a really nice aspect of a modern short line is using a wider range of motive power than class ones use these days.  As you know, a lot of equipment considered obsolete by class ones today are in service by regionals or shorts.  Of course, there has to rhyme and reason as to why they operate a certain set of locos, but it does give a wider latitude. One of the things I think is cool about going short line.

[BRAKIE]

Absoluetely! I am planing on buying 4 BN units for my Huron River..I will remove the BN and  add Huron River decals.These "former" BN units will retain their old BN numbers.

Currently the HR is using 2 GP7s and 1 SW7..I want to replace these units with GP38-2s.

 

 

 

[Anonymous]

Great subject,Larry. Paint jobs can be spartan patch work to elabarate schemes, the NYSW ran quick patches on some BN locos until they could be painted. And don't forget alcos, a few shortlines in New York still run them.

Another plus is you don't need to have "home road" rolling stock. mike h.

[BRAKIE]

Brakie, a really nice aspect of a modern short line is using a wider range of motive power than class ones use these days.  As you know, a lot of equipment considered obsolete by class ones today are in service by regionals or shorts.  Of course, there has to rhyme and reason as to why they operate a certain set of locos, but it does give a wider latitude. One of the things I think is cool about going short line.

 

Sure! There is several examples of that..The W&LE uses SD40T-2s..Some short lines uses newer GE units such as the B40-8..

 

This is one of the better things about modeling a short line..If your favorite prototype doesn't have your favorite type of engine your freelance short line can keeping it within reason.

[wedudler]

Brakie,

that's exact what I do with my Westport Terminal RR. Only, my time frame ist about 1975 - 1980, not so modern. We move about 40 cars per day. Transfer trains come from the outside to Westport. There the cars are to be classified for the Industrial Districts."Locals" bring the cars from the yard to the Industrial District and spot them.

 

Wolfgang 

[shawnee]

Yeah, the Wheeling and Lake Erie also has a large fleet of GP35!  I was looking the other day, and the Lake Superior and Ishpeming is still operating GE U30Cs.  A lot of these shortline/regionals have their eccentricities.

[SpaceMouse]

When I was thinking about my small switching layout experiment, I almost went for modeling the Buffalo and Pittsburgh modern times. It lost out to the PRR Indiana Branch because in my local area, the B&P only haul coal and I wanted more diversity. I do already have a modest B&P fleet consisting of a GP-38, a GP-35 and a GP-9.  

 

 

[BRAKIE]

Chip,I also avoid a one commodity short line.Like you I think the operations is to limited for modeling even though I seen impressive photos of  those types of layouts.

[Dave-the-Train]

Absoluetely! I am planing on buying 4 BN units for my Huron River..I will remove the BN and  add Huron River decals.These "former" BN units will retain their old BN numbers.

Currently the HR is using 2 GP7s and 1 SW7..I want to replace these units with GP38-2s.

Larry, what I would like to know is:-

•  what your present locos are hauling?
• What traffic growth your line is expecting to pay for these smart new locos?
• and how you're going to explain it to the powers that be?
• That's a pretty huge leap in available power...
• What will you do with the old hands?  Retire them?  Sell them off to Railfans/a museum?
• I'm also wondering what sort of stock... heck... where (which part of US) is your short line?
• Opps... better not start to demand too much

[GAPPLEG]

My idea on my layout of a local shortline spun off from the Apache RR. running out of Holbrook AZ. I even stole their paint scheme some what. It gives me the opportunity to run some oddball units that I like. Right now my poor little shortline has a GE-44 tonner, a CF-7, an RS-3 and a  ge U-18b.  Kind of a garbage collection of units. The collection does serve it's purpose as the 44 tonner is needed to reach into small industries with limited switching room. The RS-3 is mostly the yard switcher and the CF-7 and U-18b do light road work.

[Dave-the-Train]

Nah!  I want to know some more things (please)

• Is your line a dead end - or dead ends?
• or does it run between other lines - maybe carrying some bridge traffic?
• Is it a RR in its own corporate right or has it been revived by the State or someone to keep busnesses served by rail?
• What's the year(s) by the way?
• Has it always been single track or has it been reduced... has it been reduced?
• Do those GPs run together... with or without the SW?
• Is there a yard for the SW to work some place?
• Do you run cabooses?
• What crews do you use?  (Why)?
• How are you going to keep all that extra power from bumping into each other?
• Do you have a main track and seperate yard limits... or?
• Any passenger traffic?
• MoW trains/stock?
• How do you sort out derails?
• I know one Shortline RR owner had his own ex UP 8 axle diesel sitting out back of the engine house "because he liked it".  Do you have anything interesting?

Well, that should keep you busy for a bit?

Thanks for the interesting thread.

[BRAKIE]

Gee Dave,you ask a lot of questions! LOL!

1.what your present locos are hauling?

A.Commodities haul: Gain,Food stuffs,sugar,corn syrup,corn starch,steel,scrap,plastic pellets,scrap rubber,lumber,roofing,cardboard stock chemicals and other Commodities..
Total of cars handle yearly: 14,400 cars..

2A.What traffic growth your line is expecting to pay for these smart new locos?

2B And how you're going to explain it to the powers that be?

A. There is limited growth potential.However HR has a aggressive marketing team The HR is the 8th short line owned by CDB Industries.CDBI has retired all first generation locomotives except these three units.The management thinks its prudent to retire these units since all 3 are due for rebuilding.

 3.What will you do with the old hands?  Retire them?  Sell them off to Railfans/a museum?

A. More then likely the will be sold for scrap.

 

4.I'm also wondering what sort of stock... heck... where (which part of US) is your short line?

 A.The HR runs from Huron,Oh to Barberton,Oh. 62 miles

5.Is your line a dead end - or dead ends?

A.We connect with the NS in Huron and CSX in Barberton.

6.Does it run between other lines - maybe carrying some bridge traffic?

A.Yes but,there is no bridge traffic.

7.Is it a RR in its own corporate right or has it been revived by the State or someone to keep busnesses served by rail?

A. As stated The HR is the 8th short line owned by CDBI.

8.What's the year(s) by the way?

The HR took over operations on July 1st,2000 from the Huron Southern when this road did not renew their contract with the Huron Port Authority.

9.Has it always been single track or has it been reduced... has it been reduced?

A. This is a former W&LE branch line.

10.Do those GPs run together... with or without the SW?

A.No..One GP7 works out of Huron to Medina and the other GP7 and the SW7 works out of Barberton.

11.Is there a yard for the SW to work some place?

A.The SW7 makes up the Barberton to Medina Local and is used on the Barberton Industrial switcher.There is 2 yards a 7 track yard in Huron and a 10 track yard in Barberton.However,4 of these yard tracks are out of service.

12.Do you run cabooses?

A.The HR uses a caboose on the Barberton Industrial Switcher due to the long reverse moves.This is a former PRR cabin car that was painted in PRR by a local PRR Historical group.

13.What crews do you use?  (Why)?

A.We use a 3 man crew on all switch jobs due to the work involved.

14.How are you going to keep all that extra power from bumping into each other?

A. When the GP38-2s arrived the 2 will be used in Huron and 2 in Barberton.The 2 geeps and SW7 ill be sent to our Cumberland Ky shops for storage or scrap on site..

15.Do you have a main track and seperate yard limits.

A.Main line speed is 25.Yard limits is observed in the Huron and Barberton yards.

16.Any passenger traffic?

A. No..

17.MoW trains/stock?

No..We use MOW trucks.A 5 man track maintenance gang works out of Huron and Barberton.We lease boxcars from Railbox and use cars from other CDBI roads.

18.How do you sort out derails?

A. In the event of a derailment we use R.J.Corman derailment services out of Toledo,Oh.

19.I know one Shortline RR owner had his own ex UP 8 axle diesel sitting out back of the engine house "because he liked it".  Do you have anything interesting?

A.Along with the  PRR cabin car there is a GE 70 Tonner on the property but,its stored serviceable.This unit was lease to Huron Lime.

[Dave-the-Train]

Great answers! 

[Cannoli]

This posting comes at a perfect time.

I currently model a fictional B&M branch in central NH from the late 70's. Recent thoughts have been to have the the B&M spin this branch off, having the state of NH pick it up and lease the tracks out for a new short line, ala the North Stratford or New Hampshire Northcoast railroads. This way I could continue running my B&M GP9's and RS3's.

[Dave-the-Train]

3 more Qs...

(a1) if you could persuade the board to add another loco what would it be... and why?

(a2) what industrial/commercial development would you like to see where on your route to add traffic... and why?

(a3) would you let a group of local railfans run their preserved steam loco on your tracks... and what would it be?

Hope you don't mind the interogation

Looking at real RR examples what sort of number of locos would Shortlines usually have?  Did some shortlines have unusually high numbers of locos?

There's a simple reason for this question... I went a bit crazy on getting locos allocated to my theoretical shortline   It has 4 Alcos, 3 newer GEs and two GE Switchers (a 44 and a 70 ton).  In theory the GEs and one Alco work only the near end of the line to and from a  large quarry.  The Alcos spread the longer hauls between them depending on the weight of traffic and which ones are available.  The 44 ton switches the interchange yard and local industry while the 70 ton does MoW work (this is the 80s so I'm sticking with rail transport for the heavier Mow work like ballasting and changing rails).  The increasing Quarry traffic means that a lot of rail is being upgraded.

Oh yes... and an Alco FA2 'cos the Boss likes it.

Ignoring the fact that it's my world does this seem a reasonable explanation/excuse?

[Canondale61]

Very interesting thread gets the brain working. Someone mentioned a short line and a regional what would be the difference if any?  Thanks for a great thread Kevin

[WCfan]

Short lines don't have to have same or simmlar color scheams. And they don't even have to get leased or bought trackage. Take the Thomahawk Railway. For a While the TR Hosted trains in The Thomahawk area.  That was before the "Main Line" got bought by WC. Now it switches numerous industries in the Thomahalk Area. I don't know how the TR go the line but I'm assuming that it eather got it from MILW or SOO. It's Paint scheam also has no other railroad hertage. Just a Simple sky blue with a white stripe bown the middel. This would be a perfect 4x8 line. All of it's cars came from WC or railroads it interchanged with. And the Locomtoives are even easy. Just 4 SW1500s. Maybe my next layout I will model the TR.

[Anonymous]

BRAKIE: Scrap? NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 I also have a "garbage collection" of units; a C&O U23B, a B&M GP9M, a UP SDP35, and a leased Conrail C40-8. Theoreticly there is also a bunch of those GE B-39s or B-40s similer to the ones the MM&A owns, and a couple of ex-BN C30-7s.

[EspeeEngineer]

Very good points Brakie! This is a very interesting subject and other than the Southern Pacific Railroad, shortlines make up my favorite roads because they represent the basic, fundemental, core of what this industry is about.

On more of a modeling note, the versatility and freedom of a shortline is exciting and I think full of fun and options! Here is a link to one of my favorite shortlines, they are based out of a town east of Nashville!

http://www.nerr.com/

 

[nbrodar]

Before I stepped back into the 70s, I modeled a mid 90s regional, along the lines of the Reading & Northern or Mass Central. 

Conrail spun the line off, to a group of shortline investors.   They combined it with a group of rail lines serving the Port of Newark.  And voila we have an intermodal speedway.  I envisoned a fleet of modern GP50s and 60s. In reality only one GP60 got painted, in my snazzy blue lighting stripe scheme.

The line also played host to a short Amtrak train, and CP/D&H overhead traffic.

Nick

[BRAKIE]

Dave ask 3 more Qs...

(a1) if you could persuade the board to add another loco what would it be... and why?

A. I would have like to add a  MP15DC used but,those went to the C&LE.I think the MP15 would have better power for the Barberton Industrial Switcher.

(a2) what industrial/commercial development would you like to see where on your route to add traffic... and why?

A.There is a possibility of Huron Dock unloading ore boats for Consolidated Steel at Warren,Oh on the CSX.We would run the ore trains from Huron to Barberton and hand the train over to CSX.

Then Continental Grain is also talking about receiving grain unit trains from Kansas..Not sure if this will be a NS or CSX train..If NS handles the train(the most direct route) then we get the plant switching service if it is handled by CSX we will run this train from Barberton.

(a3) would you let a group of local railfans run their preserved steam loco on your tracks... and what would it be?

A. If they could provide a mechanically sound modern steam locomotive such as a 4-8-4 or 2-8-4,modernize passenger cars(tight lock couplers AC etc)  and the insurance needed I believe that would be favorable to CDBI as long as it doesn't interfere with our regular trains.Of course I can not guarantee CDBI would allow such operations even if all requirements was met.

Hope you don't mind the interogation

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Looking at real RR examples what sort of number of locos would Shortlines usually have?  Did some shortlines have unusually high numbers of locos?

A.A study of short line would answer that question due to the many variables involved to include the commodity handle such as coal,ore,zinc copper or stone .

You may want to look over some of these short lines for a general idea.

http://www.shortlinesusa.com/index.htm

 Dave,All to sadly when a short line is mention many modelers think of a one or two locomotive operation with a 2 or 3 car train running on rickety track..This is not always the case.A study of short lines is not only fun but,very interesting and will bring out many truths while killing a lot of short line myths..

Short line fever catch it!

 

[Anonymous]

Already caught it Nice work Nbrodar!

[shawnee]

http://www.thedieselshop.us/INDEXSL.html

This is a nice repository for information on a wide variety of short line loco power, FYI.  I know many of you frequent there, but thought I'd post the link...

Of course, some short lines have extensive loco fleets.

[cpeterson]

Shawnee, thanks for the resource.

[BRAKIE]

Shawnee,Thanks for posting that link..  I had it as a favorite once but,lost when my son upgraded and reformatted by computer and never could find it the second time.

[Dave-the-Train]

Brakie... yet another question...

Does your RR have its own cars?

I believe that there was a time when some shortlines had more length of cars than of track because finance paople were using the RR as an investment to run per diem cars... does this still happen... if not when/why did it stop... if nyone knows?

Interesting links.  Thanks

More Qs...

Is "overhead traffic" the same as "bridge traffic"... if not; what is it please?

You'd go for  conventional MP15 not one of the newfangled things?

Is there a simple way to tell if a shortline (with a non corporate livery) is independent or part of a group?

TIA some more