Probably the last of a real long line

[landnrailroader]

A few days ago, I started putting togehter what may be my last ORTS route. This is of the Henderson Div. of CSX, Evansville, IN to Nashville, TN. I say last because it is getting harder to get material from USGS in the way of DEM modules that either work as-is, or can be massaged by VTB. My son-in-law knows how to upload material to this site and I am making a list of routes in progress with the necessary specifications so that when my Last running orders are received, probably a 31-order, he will be able to upload all to the unfinished category. Meanwhile, I will continue laying track and most roads and detailing a few before uploading myself. Why the Henderson---. In 1962, a unit coal train started operating out ot the Madisonville, KY area to the Widows Creek Steam Plant (Chattanooga Sub.) on roughly a 48 hour turn-around. Three mines appear to be still functional though the steam plant is long gone but when I do the Chattanooga Sub. it will be included and activity folks ought to find it interesting to load the train on a loop at the mine, then run at 25mph or so to the mainline at Madisonville & then 60mph max. to the plant. The train had 100 bright orange 100-ton hoppers pulled by 3 new GP-30 locomotives. A helper would push on Cumberland Mtn. on the Chattanooga Sub. There was also the Dixie Flyer, a first class, all Pullman train in it's early years before 1930 or so but my the time I knew it, it was 15 head-end cars, two or three coaches and nothing else. The Georgian though had sleepers and a diner.
If anyone wishes to do the C&EI, I have track charts for that as part of a group from the L&NHS. L&N acquired the C&EI circa 1969.

Explanation: A 31-order requires signing by the engineer & conductor, so when God calls me home it is more serious situation than a 19-order which can be hooped up in passing. I feel fine and have no known issues but at 85, the last signed orders are a lot closer than they once were.

Jerry Sullivan

[jasonjedi1]

Thank you for your continued work in the sim creating routes. I know I very much enjoy our entire Milwaukee PCE route collection. I'm still patiently waiting for the Great Falls line haha.

[eric]

Jerry, I suspect you still be around long enough to surpass Don Karch's file count.

[landnrailroader]

Great Falls is in progress. Years ago I got permission to use Michael Stefan's GF city from his GN route, and I also used the more detailed version of Harlowton from the RMD-East. The last thing I did was add the Milwaukee line on to Agawam, MT about 60 miles west of GF. So it is coming.

Jerry

[landnrailroader]

Hopefully. Don was not very old when Lymphoma took him out but he did make plans to have his big route completed and asked me to do it - he knew I was a narrow gauge nut. That got me to thinking about how to preserve work beyond the grave.

Jerry Sullivan

[kennyeaton]

Jerry,

Great Falls to Butte would be really nice add-on.

[Rick-MONON]

BTW, did you ever finish the Louisville to Nashville sub Jerry?

[landnrailroader]

No, I have all the track in place for it, and I did the Louisville Terminal and Nashville Terminal as separate routes so I could start other routes with them. So the Henderson will include the Nashville Terminal, and the Chattanooga also and the latter will also have the Chattanooga terminal. I'm doing the same with a series of routes that will cover all of the C&O from Clifton Forge to Huntington, with branches, plus another route forr the Big Sandy Sub. & it's branches. The next complete route will be a 2nd version of the KD Sub. or Knoxville Division to which I have added most of the SR routes in/out of Knoxville including the ARCO unit train that I often rode to measure stability of the coal cars. The ARCO branch has been history since about 1992.

Jerry