Introduction
This is the beginning of a build log for the inner loop of my outdoor layout. I call the inner loop the Choctaw Coal and Railway Company (CC&R). It is an imaginary 26 mile branch line that runs from a primary connection with the Rio Grande Southern (RGS) at Rico to the town of Choctaw. It also has a secondary connection with the RGS at Kalin Junction.
In addition to Choctaw, the CC&R provides rail service to the towns of Shadyside, Elkhorn, Jocelyn, Tayler, and Nemo. The railroad serves coal mines, lumber camps, stock loading facilities, and minor industrial customers along the route. The CC&R is a wholly owned subsidiary of the RGS, and occasionally borrows RGS motive power as needed. It also has trackage rights over the RGS main between Rico and Sawpit to move timber to the mill at Sawpit.
The area occupied by the CC&R is within an egg-shaped oval, approximately 160 feet long by 60 feet wide. This build log will allow you to follow along as I move from initial planning, through the various phases of construction, to actual operations. I’m sure the final product will end up looking a bit different than what I have drawn up to start from, but incorporating real-time changes will be part of the fun. I welcome your comments and suggestions as I go along.
Planned Operation
The CC&R will be capable of operating in point-to-point or continuous loop modes. Two reversing loops will allow trains to be reversed from either direction. Here is a schematic depiction:
There will be five major bridges on the line. They are shown in blue on the schematic. Towns are in red. Passing sidings are located at Elkhorn and at Kalin Junction. Run-around tracks for local switching are located at Shadyside, Jocelyn, and Tayler. To better understand how the route is actually laid out and to see the operational possibilities, here is a physical (not to scale) depiction of the loop:
Route Description
The CC&R branch line begins at the Rico on the RGS main line. Leaving Rico near the north end of the yard, the CC&R goes through a deep cut in the ridge to reach the upper end of Dead Horse Gulch. The line passes over the gulch on a wood truss bridge with approach trestles at each end.
After crossing Upper Dead Horse Gulch the line enters the small hamlet of Shadyside. There is a small depot for passengers and freight, and a water tank. A spur leads to a siding for the stock pens at Sheep Meadow. There is a runaround track on the spur to facilitate switching moves. The spur continues on to a timber loading track at Camp 1. Another spur leads to the Meadowbrook Mine.
The line crosses Meadow Creek on a wood truss bridge and continues across sheep meadow on a raised causeway. There are a couple of short low trestle spans and culverts along the causeway. There is a passing siding at Elkhorn and a connection to the north leg of the Choctaw Wye that provides a reverse loop back to Rico and a loop to Choctaw.
Beyond Elkhorn the line crosses the stone walkway leading to the gazebo before crossing the Jocelyn River on a wood truss bridge. A spur leads to the small town of Jocelyn and the Columbia Mine. A short runaround track at Jocelyn is handy for switching moves at the mine.
After crossing the Jocelyn River, a spur leads to the Pinnickinnick Mine and continues on as a reverse loop to Kalin Junction. After the spur the line climbs gradually to a major river crossing at Tayler Falls on a long steel deck bridge. Under the bridge the water from Lake Tayler cascades down into Lake Chloe.
The line continues past Tayler Falls to a crossing of Kamryn Creek to reach the logging area above Windy Point. A short siding facilitates log loading at Camp 2. Beyond Camp 2 the line descends gradually to Kalin Junction. Here the CC&R has a secondary interchange with the RGS.
The line continues eastward toward Nemo. Nemo was once a major boomtown with vast stands of timber and several mines but is now nearly deserted. A single-ended siding and a few deserted structures are all that remain. Bare ties, now stripped of rail, show where various spurs once led to the logging camps and mines.
The line crosses a stepping stone pathway and becomes the south leg of the Choctaw Wye. Heading left leads to Elkhorn for loop operation that bypasses Rico. Heading right the line has a long passing siding on the Choctaw Wye where the depot and servicing facilities are located. Continuing on, the line becomes the east leg of the Choctaw Wye and continues into Rico.
Here are the planned future installments of the build log listed in the order in which I intend to work. I will include before, during and after photos of each section as I proceed.
Part 1 – Rico to Shadyside
Part 2 – Spurs to the Stock Pen, Camp 1, and the Meadowbrook Mine,
Part 3 – Shadyside to Elkhorn
Part 4 – Elkhorn to Tayler
Part 5 – Tayler to Kalin Junction
Part 6 – Kalin Junction to Choctaw
Part 7 – Choctaw
More to follow,
Bob