Hi all I'm thinking about planning a small 4x8 ho scale RR based on the L&N rr in the late 30's to mid 40's maybe a little later my questions are
1. what states can I use?
2. what rr's connected with them
3. I know king coal would be a major item shipped what othertypes of loads
thanks J Urich
There are people with a lot more knowledge than I have, but I'll start the ball rolling: I'd expect the L&N to connect (in the South) with Southern Rwy., with GM&O, possibly Illinois Central and Central of Georgia. The passenger service connected thru to Florida, so Seabord Air Line and Atlantic Coast Line aren't out of the question. If the Kansas City Southern did not directly connect with the L&N, there would have been no more than one road separating them in a couple of places. Along the way and at the Midwestern end, Pennsylvania RR, Monon, Chesapeake & Ohio, possibly Wabash. There are probably more from this time period, but I cannot recall them.
It is very important to note that the L&N owned the Clinchfield outright, so that gives you lots of fun possibilities like modeling Appalachian forests, coal mines and small towns. I think the once-a-year Clinchfield "Santa Claus Express" was up and running then; it continues to this day. Ohhhh-because of all the branch lines for coal, definite connection to the Norfolk & Western. (Whether they cooperated with each other is a different matter indeed!).
Yes, you could justify about any kind of L&N freight car from that period. I for one would go light on agricultural and forestry-oriented rolling stock and a little more toward manufactured items -- some ore and wire (and of course lots of bituminous coal), but also finished goods--you can definitely justify lots of boxcars, and since the way they were painted (with advertising or not, route map or not, etc.). changed often, I expect you'll have a lot of fun with them. Cabooses are fun, too.
Which states? Kentucky and Tennessee, home turf, and most if not all of the states touching them.
Have fun! And please feel free to let us hear how your dream is taking place.
PS: If you have not already done so, this post is ideally suited to the Model Railroading site.
During the 1930s and 1940s the L&N was controlled by the Atlantic Coast Line, and together they owned the Clinchfield. The L&N controlled the Nashville, Chattanooga and St. Louis.
L&N was heavilly envolved with coal in eastern Kentucky, and with steel making around Birmingham, Alabama.
I believe the heavist passenger traffic would have been between Evansville (from the C&EI) to Nashville (and the NC&STL).