I don’t have a scanner so I have taken a photo of a sketch.

However sometime ago I did take some shots looking straight down which with the plan will give a good idea of the track layout.

The photographs start at Benson at the top of the plan and work round to Colonel’s Crossing at the bottom.

The layout measures 8’ x 8’ x 10’ with CC being on the longest board.

The location is south west Arkansas and the two fictitious short lines have connections with two class 1 roads the SP and RI. The period modelled is around the mid 1970’s. (this is flexible sometimes up to the late 1980’s)

The first scene is at the Western Mining’s bauxite loading facility at Colonel’s Crossing. This part of the layout used to be exhibited. Now it is retired and forms part of my home layout .The rocks in the back ground used to hide the fiddle yard when the layout was exhibited.

A pair of SP F7s have just brought in an empty ore train and they are waiting in the siding next to the loader while the crew take a meal break. An ex DRGW SW1000 now on the Interstate & Western ( my fictitious short line) roster works the ore cars through the loader.

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The SW1000 pulls the loaded cars over the grade crossing by Colonel’s creek watched by two workers from the lumber yard taking their mid morning coffee break.

The SP F7s are coupled up and doing a brake test. It’s rather odd but when I used to exhibit I was the only one who choose f units my fellow operators always choosing a road switcher, an SP SD9 being the favourite.

The back scene I painted using acrylics and is supposed to be rolling hills covered in lush forest.

The coupler pin has been pulled but the switcher will give a bit of rear end assistance when the F units couple up at the other end. The switcher will push the cars as far as the siding into the engine house where it will drop off the back.

The throttles are notched up as the loaded ore train leaves Colonel’s Crossing for the SP main. It is seen passing KAP Lumber’s yard, they are forestry and agricultural contractors hence the varied collection of tractors.

An ex Peoria and Western GP 38-2 wearing the ill fated “ Kodachrome” merger scheme arrives with a cut of empty ore hoppers. The locomotive is working off horse power hours on the SP. The ore cars will be left in the siding next to the ore loader over the weekend and the GP 38-2 will take a grain extra back to the SP main line. However before its departure it gets a quick check over by the resident I&W mechanic whilst standing over the inspection pit.

Last edited on 20 Oct 2010 12:24 pm by Broadoak

Thanks Clif, the locomotive lifting hoist is an OO scale kit by Ratio no 545 about £18 over here. The photo shows it a bit better to give an idea of its size. I’m sure you could use it for ON30. These things vary in size in real life don’t they.

Incidentally I use it on the layout for repairing bad order cars. It’s a good excuse to have a variety of freight cars.

An I&W GP7 with a low nose resting between assignments. The model is a blue box Athearn that I’ve chopped the nose on and although the dynamic brakes are not needed on our road they might be useful if the loco is hired out to another road.

In the background is an impulse buy, she is a little modern really. A Cotton Belt GP60. Another Athearn with added details. The Cotton Belt (St Louis South Western ) really did run through Arkansas, the area I’m modelling.

An I&W SW1 at rest one lunch time in the shade of the Farmer’s Co-op elevator at Colonel‘s Crossing. The small pick up truck belongs to a local farmer who is collecting some bags of feed for his cattle. The covered hoppers being loaded at The Western Grain Co’s elevator will be made into a train after lunch then taken to the I&W- SP interchange by the SW1.

A close of a UP hopper taken one evening on the Arkansas Feed’s track waiting to be picked up the next morning for the early road job.

Another atmospheric picture of a covered hopper spotted at the Continental Grain elevator, taken on a summer‘s evening. The Fordson tractor is a Matchbox Toy and almost as old as me, but probably in better condition. Much of the grain shipped from here is destined for export via the Gulf ports.

The background is a pen and wash drawing I did on cartridge paper and pasted onto the back scene.

A busy place always is the Bantex Box Companies factory, using locally produced lumber they ship out bespoke wooden boxes all over the states. Next to them is R E Lee Farm Supplies and next to that the Farmers Co-op. This siding is also a head shunt for the Continental Grain Co so when loads arrive for them it creates many switching moves, which is what the layout is all about. It all helps to make this a very interesting layout to operate, which as I‘ve grown older I enjoy more than ever.

A couple of pictures of AD&N CF7 No 1513 arriving then switching cars at CC, it is an Athearn model. When I took it out of the box the front truck retaining clip fell out complete with the wheels and gears. I put everything back and securely clipped the cover back and it has been fine ever since if a little noisy.

The Santa Fe rebuilt 233 CF7s at their Cleburne, Texas shops between 1970 and 1978 then in the early 80s started to phase them out. They have since proved very popular with many short lines. They are a tad shorter than a GP7 so ideal for a small layout.

In the clean condition the model is in now I assume it is working for The Ashley Drew and Northern who had two, on a run collecting pulp wood or board to take back to their own road at Crosset, Arkansas. The road is closed now and the CF7s sold off, they were in rather run down condition at the end I think.

An I&W SW1000, the yard goat on this occasion, works a night shift switching cars at the Trisco Flour mill. Always a busy place with inbound cars of grain being unloaded and full cars of milled flour being loaded and then shipped out. These activities go on for twenty four hours a day seven days a week throughout the year.

A TVRR Alco S-2 rolls across the grade crossing at Benson during a switching session. The Talbot Valley Railroad is another fictitious short line.

The model is an Atlas and is I think the best running switcher you can buy. There are some with better details and so on but nothing runs as well as the Atlas, in my opinion. That is using an analogue feed back controller, I don‘t have DCC.

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The TVRR S-2 running over the grade crossing by the store at Benson whilst switching the Trisco Flour Mill spur. I’m afraid I can take no credit for it at all. The picture was taken by, and then enhanced on his computer by an old friend of mine Andy Knott on one of his visits.

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An I&W caboose and a Pilsbury hopper at rest outside the Continental Grain Co’s elevator. The elevator is a scratch built structure consisting of a plasticard shell and covered with thin plasticard corrugated sheets and cartridge paper. It was scaled up from an N scale plan based on a prototype in Minnesota.

The I&W make use of a caboose on some of the road’s small branches that don’t have a run round loop. It is easier for a man with a radio to stand on the veranda of a caboose than hang on to a stirrup on a box car when leading a train with the switcher pushing a cut of cars along several miles of rural branch line. A wonderful thing the imagination.

A couple of pictures of a Rock Island GP18 wearing the livery she was delivered in, in the early 1960’s. The gondola was filled with agricultural limestone and has been delivered to the Talbot Valley Farmer’s Co-op.

Note the blue Amador Central boxcar, a shortline in California, whose entire locomotive roster was a couple of Baldwin S - 12 switchers.

Here we see an MP SW1500 on a visit complete with a molasses car in the industry spur at Benson around 1985. In reality the real locomotive was quickly repainted in the normal UP lettering.

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Peter

I think that you did a great job on the underside of the D&H loco!



Herb  

Thanks Herb, I’m glad you like it.

I don’t have an airbrush or anything sophisticated like that I just use washes of acrylic paint. I start off lightly and build up a thin wash at a time, I like to think this is how it happens in reality.

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Benson and R E LEE farm supplies are taking a delivery of bagged fertiliser delivered in a Meridian & Bigbee (a real shortline in Mississippi) boxcar.

The building behind the freight car is a Walthers Cornerstone kit, lightly modified.

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The Arkansas Feed Co structure at Benson. It is a low relief model that is an amalgamation of the features of several real buildings. It is a plasticard shell covered with thin strips of paper to represent wooden planking.

The tank car is spotted temporarily there during a switching move.

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In the early days of building the layout a look at a Rand McNally map revealed that Mopac were all over Arkansas like a rash, so I have always had a couple of Mopac switchers in my collection. Coming more up to date we see the UP taking over the Mopac track. I have always been an admirer of UP, they generally keep their locomotives clean and they photograph well against my predominantly green scenery.

So I was easily seduced into buying a UP road switcher, the not so common GP40x at a bargain price at an exhibition I did at Northampton.

The UP had six of these 3500 hp locos that arrived in 1978, they look a bit different to a normal GP40 because of their trucks and flared radiators.

Note it wasn’t until I downloaded the photo onto the computer I noticed one of the handrail stanchions was not secured properly, now done with a touch of ACC glue.

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Having got a GP40X what I needed now was a standard GP 40 -2 for a comparison. Luck was on my side when I visited an exhibition in Armitage in Staffordshire and bought a UP version along with a couple of tractor units at a very attractive price.

UP 1349 spotting a Rock Island covered hopper at the Farmer’s Coop elevator at Colonel’s Crossing. The elevator is a lightly modified Con-Cor plastic kit.

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A CNW covered hopper is spotted at the Medusa Cement un loading facility. A fairly heavily weathered Atlas model. I find these such a versatile model taking up less space than the bigger ACF types allowing a few more cars in a train.

The long grass and vegetation in the foreground is made from a cheap shaving brush bristles and tinted with acrylics.

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This photograph shows the differences of the radiators on the GP40-2 nearest camera and the GP40X with the flared ones.

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A Conrail B23 - 7, here are a couple more photos of the locomotive working at Colonel‘s Crossing.

The model is a visitor on my layout, it actually belongs to Andy the guy who has taken the photographs.

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Here we have a Rock Island covered hopper at the Farmer’s Coop. The roadway serving as the other team track at Colonel’s Crossing. The road surface is three layers of card glued down and allowed to dry thoroughly. It was then painted with several coats of emulsion paint tinted with drawing ink and water colour paints giving it a flat slightly textured finish. A black fine line pen is used to represent the joins and cracks in the concrete.

One of the industries served by CC is drilling mud which arrives by truck and is then loaded into box cars. The important thing with a team track on a model is it is so versatile and needn’t take up too much room.

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An SP SW1500 in as new condition so it is obviously brand new, sits next to the Farmer’s Coop and team track at Colonel’s Crossing. The truck is picking up some fertiliser and seeds for a local farmer.

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A faded bankruptcy blue RI covered hopper sits on the team track at Colonel’s Crossing. The Pennsy steel gondola next to it has a load of agricultural limestone waiting to be collected by local farmers to spread on their land to improve the soil quality.

The CAT loader is for the pulp wood flats.

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The rock formation hides a sharp curve behind it. It is made of polystyrene blocks roughly cut to shape then covered with old pieces of cloth soaked in poly filler. When this was dry more poly filler was added with a spatula and then carved when dry. The whole was then painted with several washes of emulsion paint and acrylics getting darker with each wash. When dry it was lightly flicked over with a dry brush. Then it was covered with ground cover and some cheap trees that had been covered in pva then dipped into various coloured flocks were added. The structure in front of the ore car is a disused ore loader made from odds and ends from the scrap box.

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A few of the details at the loco re-fuelling and sanding facilities at CC. They are very minimal really. A small open engine house, out of shot to the left. A scratch built sand drying house and an inspection pit between the tracks in the foreground. Tools on work benches and an EMD prime mover under the blue tarpaulin. (Kitchen towel soaked in pva then painted when dry, finally a flick over with a dry brush) The grounded reefer is a tool and spares store.

It is assumed that freight cars are repaired here as well. This gives an excellent excuse for all sorts of cars to turn up on the layout from time to time.

This time we see a Rock Island SW1500 idling sitting over the inspection pit.

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A view photographed from the flat roof on top of the flour mill at Benson showing the two UP geeps coming out of the flour mill head shunt track. Between the house next to the crossing and the large grain mill can be seen a modified Ratio provender goods store. It now has much shorter legs and is painted to blend in with the grain mill. The back scene is painted with acrylics and has pen and wash drawings of suitable structures glued to it.

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Here we see the UP GP40-2 about to roll over Colonel’s creek before coupling onto a westbound freight. The bridge sides are hardboard covered with a thin layer of poly filler, scribed and then painted with water colours.

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Rock Island U33B rolls over the grade crossing at Benson. These were the heaviest four axle switchers the Rock ever owned and were intended for pool service with the UP at North Platte. I bought this model second hand in very damaged and tatty condition and with a wide fly wheel less motor. I cleaned it up straightened the hand rails and added more details and then weathered it. I lastly fitted a conventional modern Athearn motor and it has performed perfectly ever since.

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No 286 shows off its profile having spotted some cars in the flour mill head shunt. The tall cylindrical structure at the back seen behind the telegraph pole is a vertical tank store for fertiliser at RE Lee farm supplies. Another concoction from the spares box, and an excuse to spot a tank car from time to time. It is another model that takes up very little room if you are a bit pushed for space.

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Thank you Michael for your kind comments. I have found as I’ve got older I enjoy the actual operation far more. It’s easier on the eyes as well.

A picture of the Atlas Lumber yard kit. It has merely had a few figures strategically placed and loads more timber added to the racks. It is a mix of balsa wood and thin card tinted to look like freshly cut lumber, mostly sourced locally.

Behind the building itself they make roof trusses and customised window frames that are shipped out in boxcars. It is assumed that locally sourced lumber is brought in by truck to make these items.

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A photograph showing Andy’s Boston & Maine U-Boat on a visit in the head shunt at Colonel’s Crossing. It is another one of his all singing and dancing DCC equipped locos.

This side view is taken looking from the back of the layout towards the front.

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A couple of pictures of an SW1500 no 1318 wearing the UP livery with Mopac lettering which it wore for a short time. The model is an early Athearn that has a fully detailed cab and was made by the late Mike Scott. I bought it from him some years ago at an NMRA meet. The switcher is seen working the yard at Colonel’s Crossing having brought in a train from Hope AR. I read somewhere these locomotives could be very hot to work in during the Summer due to the large area of glass, a bit like a greenhouse I should think!

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This beautiful Green Mountain Alco RS1 is another of Andy’s models this one is not DCC fitted. He bought it when on a visit to the States. I think the livery suits it very well. She runs as well as she looks. In the first picture she is seen in the yard at Benson, the scenery could be anywhere really. The second shot shows her just leaving the flour mill head shunt behind the service station. Then in the third picture she is busy making up a train of pulp wood cars at east yard in Benson.

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A picture taken of an Ashsley Drew & Northern CF7 picking up a load of pulp wood flats from Benson east yard and then departing. She is now dirtier than in some earlier pictures she had taken. I often do this, a little work staining at first then after a while I add a little more weathering. It looks more natural that way I think.

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Here we see the AD&N no 1513 at the back of the Trisco Flour mill, a view you can’t normally see as it is taken from the back of the layout with the camera on the track.I must admit I rather like the CF7 and so did many real short lines. I was told that in reality that they were not very popular with their crews being draughty and uncomfortable. That is the thing with a model we are able to run what ever suits us and not worry about practicalities.

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A few more of Andy’s photos taken on one of his visits.

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The yellow as yet undecorated 44 tonner at Colonel’s Crossing.

The other two are of an EMDGP38-2 and caboose lettered for my fictitious short line but owned by Andy. I must admit the caboose lives on my layout permanently.

The geep is about to enter the tunnel at Colonel’s Crossing which in the days when the layout was exhibited hid the fiddle yard. The second picture shows her working Benson west yard.

I regret these photographs have been lost.

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I’m glad you approve of the weathering if not the subject matter Herb.

I am afraid I don’t own any steam locomotives just the ordinary diesels. When I started modelling American practice some twenty years ago now, I couldn’t afford brass, so it was diesels for me. That said the very modern stuff does little for me I much prefer the first and second generation diesels.

Many thanks for your kind words Dwyane. I am especially pleased that a non American has produced a layout that an American fellow modeller approves of.

I&W GP38-2 rolling across the grade crossing at Colonels Crossing.

A pair of I&W geeps emerging from the tunnel at Colonel’s Crossing.

Working the east yard at Benson.

I regret these photographs have been lost.

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Finally a couple of shots of the geeps laying over at Benson east yard.
I regret these photographs have been lost.

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These photographs were taken many years ago before I re-painted the back scene to look more like lush forest covered hills.

Another of Andy’s locos on a visit, a Boston and Maine Geep working in the Benson east yard making up a pulp wood train.

The 60 ton GEC loco was a conversion given to me on my 53 rd birthday by my old friend Bill Gates. No not that one, this is the real Bill Gates from Southport Lancashire of the Alameda and now Modesto fame. Two superb models made and exhibited by Bill, who sadly is not active at the moment following a serious illness.

I think Andy doctored the flashing roof top beacon in Photo Shop.

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Bill also gave me the Alco on my 57 th birthday when he came to stay for a weekend. A superb runner and one of the best switchers you can get I think.

Another view of the 60 tonner, that in reality is a cut and shut 44 tonner that Bill made for the Talbot Valley Railroad. It has a back woods look that I rather like I must admit.

It is used mainly for MOW tasks nowadays.

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The next shot is without a locomotive but a picture I like, as it seems to have a sort of atmosphere about it somehow. A close up showing the bodged provender store kit. The RI covered hopper is a rather crude early Bachmann model that I’ve had for years and weathered carefully to make it look more presentable.

An atmospheric shot of a Great Western Malting Co covered hopper catching the last of the evening sun. She is waiting to be loaded at the Continental Grain Mill’s elevator at Benson.

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A few pictures taken recently with my new camera.

The first three show a bog standard GP7 with a high hood and train heating equipment. The fiction is that she is used for diner trains in the holiday season. Though to be honest I’ve never seen one on the layout.

She spends most of her time doing straight road jobs and her regular crew like to keep her clean. She is seen here working in the yard at Benson. The model is actually a blue box Athearn that has been re-painted and detailed.

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The next group of pictures feature a very strange beast indeed. The prototype exists only in my imagination. It is a much modified blue box Athearn GP7 fitted with an SW7 switcher cab and a much lowered short hood. It is supposed to improve visibility for the crew when switching. It is unlettered and un weathered at the moment and is another job on my to do list.

The fiction is it was modified in the I&W own workshops and is now to GP18 specifications. The locomotive is seen working at both Benson and Colonel’s Crossing.

I got the idea from Conrail who did a similar thing to some of their Alco road switchers.

The photographs no longer exist and the model itself is now in the USA.

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Actually I have two more chop nosed geeps on my roster both based on blue box Athearns. The orange coloured no 6 was my first attempt at any sort of modification in fact. It was loosely based on a picture of a GP9 on the D&I railroad in South Dakota that I found in the 4th edition of “American Shortline Railway Guide”.

The first picture taken some ten years ago shows no 6 pushing a covered hopper into the Benson east yard team track. Note the awful deciduous trees now gone, just leaving their stumps. Also the green coloured elevator has been moved to a new location at Colonel’s Crossing. In the second picture the geep is seen spotting a car at the team track.

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The TVRR chop nosed geep no 8, I did some years ago as well. This isn’t based on anything really. It is another blue box Athearn concoction with a GE cab, chopped nose and Paducah style air filter yolk. Since the photos were taken some six years ago there has been a change and it now rides on GE trucks. It is assumed both locomotives were re-built in the I&W workshops at Rosston. This incidentally only exists in my imagination. I’d never get planning permission from the household authorities to build it! She is seen in the first picture pushing a Rock Island covered hopper at Benson. Then in the second she is pulling an SP covered hopper out of the yard at Colonel’s Crossing.

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You have an excellent memory Captain, Colonel’s Crossing was the layout of the month in CM in October 1992. The layout was exhibited at the NMRA convention at Stafford that year.

I must admit I’ve never had any regrets about going over to the dark side. In fact quite the opposite, I couldn’t have a freelance short line if I modelled British practice.

These rather poor quality photographs of the other grain loading auger may be of interest to anyone wanting a small unloading facility. Like the other one it is generic rather than a specific prototype and made from odds and ends in the scrap box.

Whilst taking the pictures I got in a few shots of an I&W GP7 that is used on the leasing fleet, hence the train heating equipment. It also gives some idea of the size of the little grain loading auger.

I very much regret all the photos have been lost and as this part of the layout no longer exists cannot be re-taken.

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I had a wander round Colonel’s Crossing the other evening and found a little I&W EMD end cab switcher shoving a cut of empty ore cars through the loader.

Taking advantage of the available light I took a picture of it with my wife’s compact camera.

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I am pleased and flattered that CC has given you inspiration.

I like the sound of your planned layout, it all sounds very interesting. I like the sound of the independent short line, it will give you more operating scope.

Where in the UK do you live? If it is anywhere near Northamptonshire you are most welcome to visit and have a drive.

On a rather cloudy and dull morning at Benson East yard I found a Cotton Belt GP60 idling in the lead to the cement loading facility. I managed to get a few more shots of it making up a train to take to the SP main later that day. This is another Athearn blue box model that I have super detailed. Originally it came with its own sound system, it growled when going backwards. Now having done a bit more work and got a few more hours on the clock it runs quietly and sweetly.

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Here we see I&W no 4 an EMD SW1 pushing a tank car with a load of corn syrup near the Continental Grain Elevator at Benson. It is a very early Walther’s model that they released before the model was ready I think. It originally had the rear truck driven by a piece of clear plastic tube, which was useless. I removed the tube so she now only has one truck powered. It runs very well but is not very powerful. Despite all that I still like it and think it’s an attractive looking locomotive.

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A couple of pictures of the TVRR 70 tonner working at the Arkansas Feed Company siding. The RI covered hopper is loaded with chicken feed which will be delivered directly by rail. Chickens are big business round here.

The model is a re-lettered Bachmann Spectrum with two powered trucks.

The Talbot Valley no 9 an RS1 is seen kicking cars round the yard at Benson.

The crew and their SSW GP60 having had a short break head out of the Flour mill lead and off to Colonel’s Crossing to pick up a train of empty box cars. Passing the idling RS1 in the loop at Benson on its way.

That brings things up to date now. Andy is due up later this week and we will probably have another photo session. If we do I will post any new pictures in due course.

I hope you have enjoyed the tour.

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One of my all time favourite locomotives the GM SD7 Cadillac, it’s not state of the art I know but a twenty odd year old blue box Athearn. It was purchased with working the ore trains in mind in the days when the layout was exhibited. It has always run very well if a little noisily and was like this when bought. Now despite some fifty odd exhibitions and many hours of work at home it still growls in a most realistic fashion.

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A few pictures of my friend Andy’s D&H Alco, a DCC fitted model.

She is seen working the yard at Colonel’s Crossing.

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A few more pictures of the D&H Alco RS-36 working around Colonel’s Crossing.

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This is one of my Alcos, a Century 420, it’s a Lima model that has been re-motored with a Mashima can motor. In its original form despite having a five pole motor and twin flywheels it ran appallingly, more like a Triang X03, so that re-motoring was a must. She is seen working in the yard at Benson outside the continental grain company elevator, I always think these look rather elegant.

This selection of pictures features the older of my Rock Island SW1500 switchers in the bankruptcy blue livery seen working in the yard at Colonel‘s Crossing. The actual locomotive no 947 was a slug mother and worked at Armourdale yard.

I use mine for transfer freights from the RI interchange which exists only in my imagination. The model itself is an early blue box Athearn with added details.

I very much regret these photos no longer exist, nor does the layout so they cannot be replicated.

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I have been sorting through my photograph files and have come across a few that have not been seen before. They are in two sections the first group were all taken at Colonel’s Crossing. As things have quiet on the picture posting front I thought you might like to see these.

Part of the original loading bay at the side of the bauxite ore loading plant which is no longer used and is now derelict. It is made from odds and ends in scrap box.

A view showing the sand drying hut and inspection pit at the engine house. The hut was scratch built using a plan in Model Railroader magazine of a BN prototype.

I’m glad you approve Captain

A selection of shots showing KAP Lumber’s yard next to the grade crossing. They are forestry and agricultural contractors, hence the variety of tractors in the yard.

The office building is a kit of a building site office, but I can’t remember what make it is. It is a depository for all sorts of junk as like most farmers they never seem to throw anything away.

Andy’s Green Mountain Alco RS1 working the yard at Colonel’s Crossing.

Rock Island covered hopper at The Farmer’s Co-op. The little red pick up is an inexpensive Model power die cast model.

Cody thank you for your kind comments.

The last selection of photographs are all of the Benson end of the layout.

The service station behind the store with a tow truck and the John Deere tractor receiving attention. The lead track to the flour mill runs behind the corrugated iron fence.

The driver of the white car has chosen to ignore the No Parking sign outside the Medusas Cement Co’s office.

A Rock Island boxcar being loaded with melons at the Talbot Valley Farmer’s Co-op.

A couple of roster shots of a UP and a Cotton Belt boxcar spotted in the yard.

A Rock Island SW 9 arrives with a small train early one morning.

Later that same morning a Mopac end cab switcher shoves cars around the yard while making up a train.

A modified Athearn end cab switcher still wearing the attractive Great Northern livery is seen working a cut of pulp wood racks in the east yard.

A BN SW1500 with a short pulp wood train is seen in the loop at Benson West yard.

A visiting CF7 is seen tied up for the night in the east yard. She will depart for Hodge LA at first light with a train of pulp wood racks.

Thank you for your kind words Russell, they are much appreciated.

It is nice to think that the layout is acceptable to folks in the States.

Thanks for the kind words Herb.

What I meant was I have never been to the States so my impression of what the railroads are like come from reading books, looking videos and DVD’s and watching television. Most of my research was done 20 years ago before the advent of computers. I must admit I enjoyed finding out all I could as much fun as the actual modelling.

Now old age is creeping up on me and I enjoy operating as much as anything.

I bought a couple of second hand freight cars the other week at a show I was exhibiting at, an SP bulkhead flatcar and an IC box car. They were made up and fitted with KD’s. I thought they looked a bit too new and shiny so I weathered them both using simple acrylic washes. I then took a few photos of an operating session featuring these 2 new additions to my freight car fleet.

The locomotive featured is an old blue box Athearn that I have customised for my fictitious short line the Talbot Valley Railroad.

I have been playing with the layout using a pair of end cab switchers for a change. As usual the locos featured are all Athearn blue box jobs.

The assumption being that the company like to give locomotives that spend much of their working lives at slow speeds in the yard, a chance to stretch their legs on a run now and again.

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They leave the pulp wood car in the loop and run round their train. The orange low nose geep in the background will work an ore train later in the day. The crew are in a local diner having a meal break.

The two switchers spot the pulp wood car at the team track where it will be loaded directly from a truck.

I have posted the reasons for the demise of Colonel’s Crossing in a post about layout heights in the Diorama Section.

These two pictures show what the layout looks like now that CC is no more.

Peter M

I have now extended the Benson baseboard and laid the track. It has been thoroughly tested for good running and switching moves tested out. It was then painted and ballasted.

I have spent some time trying the structures in different places but now I think they look about right. I am trying to get a spacious feel that seems typical of North American yards.

This how it looks at the moment with the structures roughly in place.

More testing with regard to the operating potential needs to be done.

A few pictures to illustrate progress so far on the Benson extension.

Some more photos of a test session checking out some switching moves.

I am happy with the track formation now it makes for some interesting switching moves.

There is still much fine detailing work to do of course.

Risking life and limb standing in the four foot as I&W #1 rolls into Benson with a train of empty pulp wood flats.

A view looking towards the new extension.

The short train passes the east yard as it heads into the Benson West yard throat.

Peter M

Passing the original Midas Cement Company buildings and plant on the left of the picture.

#1 is seen shoving the cut of empty pulpwood cars into the team track siding.

When the cars are spotted they will be loaded directly from trucks who have brought in the lumber from a local forest.

Peter M

Thanks Woodie, I will do as you suggest and post some on the operations forum.

The I&W end cab switcher collects an empty box car from Bantex Box Company premises. The car was used to bring in ready cut lumber used in the manufacture of custom made wooden boxes.

discharged its load of wheat at the Trisco Flour Mill.

#1 then makes up its small train in the loop, does an air test for the brakes and is then ready to depart for the SP interchange tracks.

Sets off out of town past the yardmaster’s grounded caboose for the interchange. ( fiddle yard )

Peter M

Last edited on 17 Sep 2012 07:12 am by Broadoak

Last edited on 13 Feb 2013 11:23 am by Traingeekboy

I am afraid I am going to boast now.

An article I wrote some time ago has now been published in the May issue of The Continental Modeller as the Plan of The Month.

One of the excellent photographs taken by my old buddy Andy Knott has made the front cover.

I must admit Andrew Burnham the editor of CM has done an excellent job, I am really pleased with it.

It is rather timely in that Colonel’s Crossing is no more having been dismantled some time ago. However the Benson part of the layout still exists and has in fact been extended.

Peter M

Last edited on 8 Jun 2013 02:12 pm by Broadoak

Last edited on 27 Feb 2015 10:47 am by Broadoak