Good day,
I finally took the time to inventory my large scale equipment collection; rolling stock and engines. The next thing is to better understand how I’ll use them on the layout…(other than the obvious "place wheels on rails, hook up to engine, push go…)
I don’t mean to sound elementary, and I apologize if this is boring for most, but I am positive that some will help me out with this. What I’m wanting to get a better handle on is with the different types of cars that I have for the railroad, in a turn of the century small towns shortline railroad, what would these cars be utilized for?
Passenger coaches and combines I get. Passengers and mail, maybe some very small freight if need be. The rest I’d like to type out what I think, and hopefully some of you will educate me on what other uses these cars would have had.
Wooden box cars: I’m sure for just about any type of freight during the era…goods from stores, non perishable foods, grains, furniture…maybe even double as lumber cars if necessary?
Wood Reefers: Cold storage, perishable veggies, fruits maybe? Would the early 1900’s have milk and cheeses delivered via rail? Salted meats? processed meats? Did they start processing meats this early?
Also, would an ice rack be necessary to load the reefers with ice prior to the train departing?
Wood gondolas: This one is a puzzle for me. What did gondola’s carry other than minerals? Coal? Bauxite? Did they start shipping sand in the early 1900’s? What other shipments would gondola’s hold? Any boxed freights? Any lumber?
Stock cars: Other than the obvious, would stock cars double as carriers for anything other than livestock? Would the normal progression be from a small town loading dock or stock pen, to a processing/meat packing plant, then to other towns restaurants and butchers? Would stock cars carry anything else when they weren’t being used to haul livestock?
Flat cars: Mainly for hauling lumber I would assume, but would they carry any heavy equipment for businesses? Any bulk freight that could be loaded onto them?
Tank cars: Were they in use much during this time period? Were they steel already? Did they start refining and shipping oil for burning or cooking this early, or was most of the small town heating done via coal and wood?
Reasoning for this is I’d like to settle on my industry selections so I can start researching buildings to put on the layout. My current ideas are as follows:
- Meat processing
- Lumber Mill / Sawmill
- Coal storage in three towns
- Manufacturing; furniture? wood stoves? bricks?
- Graineries/Feed Mills; would these be in effect in smaller towns by this time period, or were farms and families still quite independant where grains were concerned?
- Cotton Gin: Cotton was HUGE in Arkansas…
- Brewery: Arkansas was NOT huge in brewing, but this is railroad owners license at work…LOL
Also, what other cars have I not mentioned that I might want to consider adding to the railroad??
So those who would not mind assisting a little and helping me learn more about the best ways and means to utilize my stock, I appreciate your insight, suggestions, advice, and comments.
btw; my current roster has the following:
4 B’mann stock cars
3 B’mann 20’ wood box cars
5 LGB 20’ wood box cars (these are European in look, if I can’t figure out something to use them for, might consider them milk/cheese cars for the first morning train each session?
4 B’mann 40’ wood box cars
3 B’mann Wood Gondolas
4 B’mann wood billboard reefers
2 B’mann passenger coaches
2 B’mann Combine cars
3 Aristo 40’ Steel box cars
2 Aristo steel drop end gondolas
1 B’mann Tank car
3 LGB short passenger cars
1 Aristo short flat car
2 USA 40’ Steel boxcars
5 or 6 cabooses, both bobbers and four axle center copula units
Main operation on the railroad will be the wood cars to go along with the steam engine/ turn of the century theme. The steel cars will run when I pull with the Aristocraft FA/B units…
Michael