01-04-2018, 01:24 PM
I am in the process of picking out some motive-power for my modern-era proto-freelance railroad and could use some input. It's a short-line railroad covering about 40 miles, serving a quarry in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania, an industrial bakery, a couple of breweries, and a smattering of other local industries. I've done some googling, and have come up with what I think is a pretty decent motive power roster, but I'd like some input to see what you guys think.
So, to handle the quarry and bakery traffic (both are up the mountain on the same stretch of track), I'm looking at an SD9 as an "It's old, but it still works" type of power or an SD35. The rock trains are heavy and the quarry is up a mountain, so a piece of heavy duty power to handle heavy trains up and down a mountain seems to make sense.
To handle the mixed train for the local industries and transload tracks, I am looking at an SW1500. It would also handle the yard switching duties.
To handle the beer trains, two of them, I am looking at either one or two GP30s or GP10s.
The part of the layout I am going to be doing first has 18-20" radius turns, which shouldn't be an issue since the SD9 or SD35 wouldn't be running in there anyways except for possibly slow speed.
Does anyone have any input or other ideas? DOes this seem normal or typical? Would appreciate thoughts.
So, to handle the quarry and bakery traffic (both are up the mountain on the same stretch of track), I'm looking at an SD9 as an "It's old, but it still works" type of power or an SD35. The rock trains are heavy and the quarry is up a mountain, so a piece of heavy duty power to handle heavy trains up and down a mountain seems to make sense.
To handle the mixed train for the local industries and transload tracks, I am looking at an SW1500. It would also handle the yard switching duties.
To handle the beer trains, two of them, I am looking at either one or two GP30s or GP10s.
The part of the layout I am going to be doing first has 18-20" radius turns, which shouldn't be an issue since the SD9 or SD35 wouldn't be running in there anyways except for possibly slow speed.
Does anyone have any input or other ideas? DOes this seem normal or typical? Would appreciate thoughts.
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Modeling the East Broad Top as it was between 1937-1942
~Amanda
Modeling the East Broad Top as it was between 1937-1942
~Amanda