G-Trax answers the prayers of steam fans!!!

[CArailroader]

> Will the 2-10-2s work on the old main or are they too big for that part of the line?

They can negotiate the tightest radius sections but with much flange squeal and complaining.

That's going to sound awesome. I can imagine those large engine's barking up the grade!

[Train-a-Mania]

PRR at Greenville ** ( modeled from Osgood to Shanango )

You mean the Erie at Greenville? The PRR didn't go through Osgood or Shenango.

[gtrtroger]

Your both right.....

The PRR and the Erie shared trackage thru Greenville:

PRR from Sharpsville to Shenango to Greenville to Jamestown
Erie from Sharpsville to Shenango to Greenville to Osgood to Kennard to Meadville
NKP from Jamestown to Osgood to Stoneboro
B&LE from Albion to Osgood to Greenville to Kremis to Fredonia

(all of these known by other names over the history of the area....)

...a lot of railroading in a small space...

[wacampbell]

Your both right.....

The PRR and the Erie shared trackage thru Greenville:

PRR from Sharpsville to Shenango to Greenville to Jamestown
Erie from Sharpsville to Shenango to Greenville to Osgood to Kennard to Meadville
NKP from Jamestown to Osgood to Stoneboro
B&LE from Albion to Osgood to Greenville to Kremis to Fredonia

(all of these known by other names over the history of the area....)

...a lot of railroading in a small space...

Thanks for the information. Its an interesting area and a lot of B&LE operations are located there.

BTW, does everyone know how to operate a transfer table?

24010_20171207062529_1.jpg

[gtrtroger]

“Make sure the transfer table is in place ‘before’ you move the train.....”

Interesting Note:

“Counting the earlier road Consolidations, Class C1; the later road Consolidations, Class C2; and the "drag" Consolidations Class C3 and C4; the road owned a total of 119 Consolidation type locomotives, out of a total of 279 steam locomotives, and this type was the mainstay for hauling freight from 1898 to 1916, at which time it was displaced by the 2-10-2 Santa Fe.”

Neither of the Connie’s we have have have the same specs as these engines....
All of these were in service during the timeframe of this route....


Watching “Emperor of the North”....

[CArailroader]

Thanks for the information. Its an interesting area and a lot of B&LE operations are located there.

BTW, does everyone know how to operate a transfer table?
IMAGE

Interesting story about transfer tables: At the California State Railroad Museum we have a transfer table we use that is located in the old SP Sacramento shops just north of the museum. It is electric powered and its length runs East-West. At the time of the incident in August 2013, I was employed by State Parks in the Maintenance Dept for Capital District which included Old Sacramento State Historic Park and the Museum. Because I had already been a volunteer with the railroad for over a year, I got to help (as a paid employee) in the shops on restoration of engines and cars.

On this paticular day I was tasked with operating the transfer table as engines were being shuffled around. When we were all done, I was returning the table light to its standard position. I was maybe 15ft from my destination when the tables shuddered to a stop. Somehow the heat had warped the rails just enough that the wheels (having no weight of an engine to hold it down) rolled over the top and the table shifted and got caught in between the sides of the pit.

There is supposed to be a 1in gap from either edge of the table to wall of the pit. After the table shifted, I had a 0in gap on the northwest corner and a 2in gap on the southwest corner. The true rang for the opposite corners on the east end of the table. We tried reversing the table and when that didn't work, the Chief Mechanic started turning off and on individual traction motors and moving the table VERY SLOWLY in an effort to "turn the table."

It finally popped free and back on the rails. That was not the first time it had ever happened and I doubt it will he the last. But there is something about knowing it happened when you were at the controls. The shops guys gave me crap about it for a year and a half after the fact since I was/still am the young guy. Since that day I have been very careful with the transfer table with or without load

[wacampbell]

Here's a photo taken on the B&LE route at Conneaut in 1920. Conneaut was an important hub for the movement of coal from Pennsylvania mines and the car ferry Marquette and Bessemer No 2, part of the Pere Marquette's fleet, connected Conneaut to the Canadian ports of Erieau and Port Stanley. This is actually the second No 2, the first being tragically lost in a winter storm in 1909. Here switcher 229 loads No 2 with coal destined to London, Canada via the L&PS railway. Some of you may know the L&PS from the MSTS route I built many years ago.

Loading No 2 is a tricky operation. A floating slip bridge connects the car deck to the shore while allowing for movement of the ship. Crews know how to shunt hoppers on and off the ferry in a way that maintains the ship's balance. Notice the two empty gondolas behind the locomotive so it can reach into the ship without adding its weight to the slip. Men onboard and men on the platform over the slip relay directions to the locomotive crew. They have only a few hours to turn the ferry around so they keep cars staged in a yard immediately beside the dock. Lake Erie freezes over in the winter and all operations stop at Conneaut harbor until the spring thaw so the pressure is on to turn these ferries quickly.

24010_20171211070240_1.jpg

[JohnS]

I love the L&PS route. I got to ride with a friend who was working for the NY-NJ cross harbor. We loaded a barge to ship cars to jersey city. First thing I learned was to use only engine brakes so you don't push the barge with the train brakes. pretty cool operation.

[Chacal]

I would never have thought of that!

[JohnS]

you can see the lock in the center left and the gap and guardrails.

nych 011.JPG

Here you can see us loading the center track first. Engine Brake only.

nych 009.JPG

I wish I had the pictures of us using the engine to push the float bridge down into the water to meet the loaded barge. the tide came in and the bridge was too high we had to move the engine from one side to the other and lock each side separately.

[gtrtroger]

So much to look forward to in this route...../

Curious as to how TWC and switching are handled.......?....without giving too much away. I thought I saw wigwags in a screenshot. Will this be handled similar to the the Stevens Pass Backdating package......?...hidden switches for AI operations, or manual,throughout.

Sorry for being a pest....

[wacampbell]

>Curious as to how TWC and switching are handled

I think TWC wasn’t used in our era - it was all Timetable and Train Orders

> I thought I saw wigwags in a screenshot.

Yes, I think they were seen in our era

>Will this be handled similar to the the Stevens Pass Backdating package....

No further backdating is planned, but a 1950s version has been talked about

> switches...

Automatic switches are used at control tower locations, the rest are manual.


BTW John, nice pics and stories from the real world ... thanks

[ozinoz]

Just wondering what the chance might be, he asks expectantly, of getting a Xmas gift and being able to do some Xmas reading during the break, of the manual for the route

Never know till you ask

[gtrtroger]

Looks familiar......

[More here: http://www.conneautohio.us/oldphotos_lake.htm ]

[wacampbell]

Looks familiar......

Here's a shot taken from the perspective of your postcard ....

24010_20171216044648_1.jpg

Also, for those interested, our band leader will be posting the instruction manual in the next day or so.