I am completing the track on my version of the 2nd District of the CNO&TP (Southernn Rwy.) which I intend to complete to a further degree than the Virginian, but still incomplete. There are 4 independent railroads that branched off the CNO&TP (actually 5 but one was narrow gauge, abandoned by 1920). In laying track for one of these, the Oneida & Western, abandoned in 1954, it descends a pretty good grade (1.4-1.5%) to reach the South Fork Cumberland River which it then follows for a ways. In laying this gradient, I find what I have seen before. My habit is to lay the track as close to the markers as possible for a mile or so and then back up and put in the grade. I find that once the level portion, just laid, and the portion I am adjusting, exceeds about 1 meter in different elevation, I cannot get a "lock" between pieces of track. So I hide the terrain shape, and then it works. But, if the difference then exceeds about 3 meters, selecting the next piece, dropping the database link (Z key), and moving this piece does not work. The solution I have found is to note what the new piece is, then select another copy and place it as "NEW". Before that, though I delete the piece I was trying to move, while it is still selected, otherwise I get another orphan down near where we think hell is.
There is a book which can be found on Ebay called "Ghost Railroads of Tennessee". This covers the short history of the O&W which died in 1954 and also that of the Emory River RR which died in 1946 or so. The other two, the Tennessee RR and the Brimstone RR survived to be part of the Southern for some years and both have been abandoned in only the last decade or so. The Emory River and O&W lines were steam powered to the very end, while the other two got diesels when the Southern acquired them. Tennessee RR got it's own RS-3 diesels around 1956. I was able to visit the Brimstone in 1956, when it was still independent and used a Shay engine for power. These 2 survived until after the above book was published. Emory R was about 15 miles in length an originally was a lumber, then later coal, hauler. Brimstone is a little longer was a coal hauler. O&W was 40+ miles and agricultural for the most part, while Tennessee with some long branches totaled around 80 miles and was a coal hauler. I am incuding all branches that I can find evidence of in aerials.
The strictly SR part, i.e. most, of the route will include the route as prior to 1963, and as after 1963. Manual turnouts, normally straight, will allow the morbidly curious to find out why the 2nd district was called "The Rat Hole". If no turnouts "take other exit" you will have it as it is today. In 1954 there was a line relocation at Burnside, KY which town was also relocated when Wolf Creek dam (Corps of Engr.) was completed on the Cumberland R. In this case, if the old route is taken, the train will have to wade through 6 feet or so of water but otherwise things would still look and feel normal. The biggest change was from Tateville, KY to Greenwood, KY, and from Helenwood to Robbins, TN. Originally there were 27 tunnels, 23 on the 2nd district but now there are 2 on the 2nd district and 2 on the 3rd district. 3rd district has been in the library for a while.
Jerry Sullivan
(landnrailroader)
There is a book which can be found on Ebay called "Ghost Railroads of Tennessee". This covers the short history of the O&W which died in 1954 and also that of the Emory River RR which died in 1946 or so. The other two, the Tennessee RR and the Brimstone RR survived to be part of the Southern for some years and both have been abandoned in only the last decade or so. The Emory River and O&W lines were steam powered to the very end, while the other two got diesels when the Southern acquired them. Tennessee RR got it's own RS-3 diesels around 1956. I was able to visit the Brimstone in 1956, when it was still independent and used a Shay engine for power. These 2 survived until after the above book was published. Emory R was about 15 miles in length an originally was a lumber, then later coal, hauler. Brimstone is a little longer was a coal hauler. O&W was 40+ miles and agricultural for the most part, while Tennessee with some long branches totaled around 80 miles and was a coal hauler. I am incuding all branches that I can find evidence of in aerials.
The strictly SR part, i.e. most, of the route will include the route as prior to 1963, and as after 1963. Manual turnouts, normally straight, will allow the morbidly curious to find out why the 2nd district was called "The Rat Hole". If no turnouts "take other exit" you will have it as it is today. In 1954 there was a line relocation at Burnside, KY which town was also relocated when Wolf Creek dam (Corps of Engr.) was completed on the Cumberland R. In this case, if the old route is taken, the train will have to wade through 6 feet or so of water but otherwise things would still look and feel normal. The biggest change was from Tateville, KY to Greenwood, KY, and from Helenwood to Robbins, TN. Originally there were 27 tunnels, 23 on the 2nd district but now there are 2 on the 2nd district and 2 on the 3rd district. 3rd district has been in the library for a while.
Jerry Sullivan
(landnrailroader)