So as winter closes in, the call of On30 beckons…I’m considering going in a different direction now. Instead of the On30 layout being simply another division of my Large Scale Effort, I’m thinking that I would like to do an entirely different concept.

I’m intrigued by the idea of an island railway, one whose only connection to the outside world would be through a car ferry and barge traffic. I’d like some modest industrial traffic, several industries that need switching, and passenger traffic. While I don’t plan on basing on any real world situation, I would like some input on what industries might be found on an encapsulated line like this…timber? Mines (of what?) Quarries of substance? Petroluem products?

Looking for suggestion and discussion…

Bart,
I’d go with Bananas, Sugar, Coffee. Maybe a Caribbean division of Salmon’s Produce
Ralph

Hehehe I was thinking more of a northern climate…Perhaps Great Lakeish…

I see island, I think tropical.
Michigan has salt mines. Used to have copper mines.
Ralph

Try looking at Vancouver Island, and the old CPR line there…modern though it is, it used to ship coal, and raw wood products out…also scrap metal. Today it is shipping hydro poles, and scrap…the plywood mill is closed so are the mines.
It gets propane and fertilizer, along with dynamite, coming in…all by barge from Vancouver… It also gets the Via Rail Bud cars going out for repairs and then their return.

NYC was at one time served almost entirely by car ferry. Most any industry and consumer of rail goods you can think of in that environment.

Cuba works , pre 1960 , lots of reasons why , US locos , cars , etc , check it out .

http://www.makingsteel.com/rrh191_Cuba-RROre.pdf

just one of many possibles

http://www.tramz.com/cu/hy/hy.html

a sweeter idea

Depending on how big the Island is, depends on how much industry/raw materials are there… Of course, you can do timber, coal and ore mines, quarries… Livestock could be moved to and from the island… The timber could go to a sawmill on the island, and then to a furniture factory, or the lumber could be ferried out, or both… A cannery for packing fish, requiring tins for the cans, and fish… Fish could also be moved in Reefers, packed in ice… A grainery for the storage of harvest commodities to be shipped elsewhere…

Just a few thoughts…

Bart,

Are you considering a full functioning economy on the island or an “estate railroad” with a couple of little engines hooked together hauling freight and passengers. I believe there are good examples of both.

I’m thinking of a fully functioning economy…I had forgotten about Vancover, but had been looking at Newfounland…which was even narrow gauge!

Dennis Paulson said:
Cuba works , pre 1960 , lots of reasons why , US locos , cars , etc , check it out .

http://www.makingsteel.com/rrh191_Cuba-RROre.pdf

just one of many possibles

http://www.tramz.com/cu/hy/hy.html

a sweeter idea

And that second one is even a prototype for pantographs connected to noting (no wire). Cool photos.

So after a lot of consideration…I’ve got a basic kernal of an idea for the Cedar Island Railway and Navigation Co…

The line will be fed from a car ferry operation, the connection to the outside world. the highest level will be a large resort hotel with a dedicated express passneger train that comes by ferry from the mainland and operates the length of the railroad. Natural there will be trains of supplies and groceries necessary for the operation of a luxury resort. There will also be a timbering operation that takes advantage of large stands of timber that gives the island its name. Commuter/excursion runs will figure in and there will most likely be a few additional industries fed by the line as well…

Interesting concept. Will Cedar Island be in a lake, or in the ocean? If a large lake or the ocean, the car ferries could get pretty interesting in bad weather. Sure would suck to loose a coach or two full of passengers at sea :o If you decide to model the ferries and tugs there was a great picture in the last Classic Trains of the Lackawanna Railroad’s tug fleet. A little small perhaps, Dumas makes a RC Lackawanna tug in 1:48

(http://www2.gpmd.com/image/d/dumb1251.jpg)

Cedar Island lies in the Great Inland Sea…pretty much a temperate climate year round…A weird geological event flooded Ohio…

Bart:

I really like the idea of an island RR served by car ferries! Doing it in 0n30 should provide lots of modeling opportunities.

For a car ferry idea, here’s a link to an article about the Sacramento Northern Railroad’s Car Ferry Ramon that ran across the Suisun Bay in N. California. This ferry was on the Sacramento Northern’s mainline between Oakland and Sacramento, and ran from 1915 until 1954!

It carried whole standard gauge electric trains and had three tracks, one centered, and two on the outsides. Depending on the number of cars on board, they either loaded only the center track, or both the outside tracks. The track spacing was too narrow and boat’s weight capacity was too small to use all three tracks.

The Ramon even had a lunch counter that served ‘meals’ on the crossing that typically took less than 10 minutes! Gives a whole new meaning to the term “fast food.”

Good luck with your new model RR venture!

Happy RRing,

Jerry

Double post: Deleted.

Happy RRing,

Jerry

Ok so I have decided the town that is home to the Chandler Quarries and Schofield Lumber will be known as “Rockwood” and the ferry port town is gonna be known as “Mills Portage”. I still have to come up with a name for the Resort/Hotel…something like the Upstate NY club resorts from the 50’s…any ideas?

Chandler’s Crossing

Bart, I know these aren’t mostly from the 1950’s, but, here’s a list of resorts…

http://www.resortsandlodges.com/lodging/usa/new-york/adirondacks.html

Seems like a few in there, would sound like they are from the 1950’s

Hey Thanks Andy! Just what I needed!!!