WIP: Cornhusker Ordnance Plant

[TDHenderson]

With the New Year I decided to finally go full into making a route. Well, this is more of a large complex than a route, but does have approximately 32 miles of track within the complex.

First, a little background on the Cornhusker Ordnance Plant (COP), also originally known as the Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant (CHAAP).

In 1942, the U.S. Government initiated the construction of the COP in Hall County, Nebraska, approximately 6 miles west of the town of Grand Island. During World War II the facility was used for the production of artillery shells, mines, bombs and rockets. The COP was placed on standby status in September 1945, and reactivated for the Korean War in February 1950. In 1957, the COP was once again placed on standby status and then reactivated in 1965 for the Vietnam War. The site was closed once again in 1979, and then declared excess property in 1989. COP contains 11,936 acres of land, the equivalent of 19 square miles. At one time the COP functioned as a self contained community with 50 miles of electrical distribution lines, a water production and distribution system, 12 miles of sanitary sewer collection lines as well as 220,000 gallons per day of wastewater treatment capacity.

The COP site contained 645 buildings, including 11 housing units and 219 ammunition storage magazines. The COP site, however, is dominated by four large munitions production facilities referred to as load lines. Three of the load lines are essentially identical facilities. A fourth load line, constructed in 1945, is somewhat larger. Each load line is basically a collection of large buildings interconnected with a series of covered walkways. Raw materials for munitions production was stored in large warehouses at the south end of each load line. A fifth load line, substantially smaller than the other four and arranged in the shape of a "T", was used for the production of fuses and boosters during the Korean War and the manufacturing of microgravel mines for the Vietnam War. Other facilities at the COP site includes buildings used for administrative and residential purposes as well as structures for maintenance and storage. Also on site was a Nitrate Plant that produced weapons grade fertilizer.

Initially, the COP was operated by the Quaker Oats Ordnance Corporation, a subsidiary of the Quaker Oats Company. During the Korean and Vietnam Wars the COP was operated by the Mason & Hanger-Silas Company.

Currently DTE Railcar occupies the buildings in the former Shop and Nitrate areas and uses the remaining track in the COP for railcar storage.

This will be freeware. For tracks I am using the wonderful GN Tracks set by GreatNortherner. Buildings will be what is available as freeware to the community, but I hope to entice a willing scenery developer to help with a few of the more iconic buildings at the site. Any willing rolling stock repainters are also welcome to contribute with any U.S. Army repaints. DTM is working on a 44-ton center cab switcher (payware) that will be right at home at the COP.

Also, if anyone here has any detailed knowledge of rail operations at a plant like this, I am all ears.

Here is a high-level overview.

COP_High_Level_Overview.jpg

And a more detailed look.

COP_Detail_Overview.jpg

And I have managed to lay down 1/9th arc second terrain, decals via RWDecal, and some track. Here is a view looking south to the Classification Yard.

COP_NorthWye_LookingSouth.jpg

And finally from the south end of the Classification Yard looking north.

COP_ClassificationYard_North.jpg

Trevor

[bnsfsubdivision]

looks pretty nice.Keep up your work on it and inform us about your progress.Cant wait to drive my sd40-2 on it!!

Regards Kevin

[PapaXpress]

Wow, talk about unique! I know I said this before but its amazing how we turn into historians when get into route building.

[TDHenderson]

Wow, talk about unique! I know I said this before but its amazing how we turn into historians when get into route building.

You are exactly right on that point Papa! I have accumulated some good research material, mostly from documents regarding the EPA cleanup efforts at the site (a major superfund site this is and unfortunately the by-products of manufacturing have poluted the ground water). The Nebraska State Historical Society has a large collection of maps and blueprints for the COP that I will be reviewing and photographing soon. There is a good record of what was there, but not much I can find on how the plant operated in real life. I assume that goods coming into the COP would come in on common carrier railcars, but not sure if the finished products went out the same way or on U.S. Army rollingstock.

Lots to learn!

Trevor

[PapaXpress]

I figure since we have seen, and can still find tanks and Humvees transported on all our Class I's (as well as nuclear waste) that ordinance could have been transported as well.

For example I would not be surprised to find out if SP or WP (or ATSF who had SP trackage rights) delivered goods to Oakland Terminal and then have the Army base pick it up from there:
http://www.militarymuseum.org/OaklandArmyBase.html

[spec5sx]

Speaking of government weapons facilities, I'm in a similar situation with my current WIP route.

Serviced by the NS Christiansburg Line is the RAAP (Radford Army Ammunition Plant).
6183 Acres, 1088 Buildings:



It's so huge, I've been debating weather or not to even attempt to build it or include it in the route.

[TDHenderson]

Maybe leave it for a Phase 2 of your route build? It would be a heck of an addition.

Found some good detail maps in this document. http://www.radfordaapirp.org/inforepo/L ... 990-01.pdf

Trevor

[spec5sx]

Wow TD!
Thanks for that little nugget of research gold!
That will go a long way in the creation process if I decide to take the plunge and build it!

[TDHenderson]

Work has resumed on the COP. Right now I am stripping out the decals placed by RWDecal in favor of the new Google overlay, and looking at using ScaleRail (freeware version) for the tracks (still under evaluation). Am also going to try my best to not use any payware assets, sticking with RCAP items and what I find over on UKTrainSim.

I'll post screenshots as I move along. Hopefully I'll have something to show later this weekend.

Trevor