🚂. ticket to ride challenge 🗺️

[Hines (Bill)]

@Dave_Taylor

Check this out. Map of railroads growing from coast to coast.

http://www.businessinsider.com/history-map-railroads-spreading-across-united-states-train-2015-11

This started as a question about railway maps but devolved into a “Can I get there from my GR Game”.

I have only been able to find blurry transcontinental rail maps on the web. So I turned to the LargeScale Centralian Data Base in search of theoretically directly connecting my garden railway town of Susanville to some actual Bill settlement at the other end of the GR. I’m hoping to not have change railways or gauge, however if I have to board a riverboat or hop on a stage coach to make the connection, I guess I may need to model that… Billville, Williamsburg, hmmm.

Watching Dave’s posted map, I became fascinated with the number of stand alone railways that evolved and didn’t connect with a network. It made me wonder, how many LargeScale Centralians have a true or fictional history for their GR. Do they connect or are they like the Gulflander an isolated railway to nowhere.

So while I look for some “Bill” town and a route to Susanville, I’d be be interested in whether your GR theoretically connects with a network, and if it didn’t, how did it evolve?

Or I s there anyone willing to take a TICKET TO RIDE challenge? What would it take to get you from your garden railroad railway to the city where NELSTS occurs (Springfield) using mostly rail, but in the era of your GR?

Do you have a change in gauge, railroad company, or have to go by stagecoach catch a steamer etc.? Do you have some insurmountable obstacle you have to get around? Do you have to travel through another state or country? Would you need to catch a steamer passing through Tierra del Fuego, or past the Cape of Good Hope? Is there a canal you would have to use?

For me, I have to decide if I’m going through the Suez Canal and on to New York or taking a tramp steamer to San Francisco to catch the Pacific railroad…

[Pete_Lassen]

Well mine is pretty much a stand alone RR which bought new locomotives at reduced prices by getting locos with full paint jobs for other railroads, that EMD miss counted on Fridays . Some are factory oops with improper prime movers. My railroad being in the general area of Phoenix and physically close to the current BNSF line it’s an easy 113 scale miles to the tracks and then an unknown number of scale miles to Williams Az. Works for me!

[freddy (Fred Mills)]

Bill; that is an interesting observation.
I would also like to suggest that as MODEL RAILROADERS, we are in some way MODELLING part, or parts of the rail transportation industry.
By involving a purpose for your railroads’ existence can add to the enjoyment and planning of your model railroad… unless of course you are only looking for animation in your garden/basement/garage…etc.
Animation is fun for a while, just like watching a dog chase it’s tail, but soon wears off, and you wander off to some other activity… how often do you play with your Hoola-Hoop of years gone by !!!

[Eric_Mueller]

Bill,

The Triple O takes its strategic guide from the Oahu Railway & Land Co. The OR&L connected very briefly to the short-lived Koolau Railway, before sold to a plantation that fed sugar to the world via the OR&L. Other than that, the OR&L did share equipment with the various plantations over the nearly 100 years of its existence, but it did not connect to any other line. It did take 3’ gage equipment from around the United States and absorbed at least one Fowler from a defunct quarry. As the OR&L killed broke her back like an iron John Henry in the war effort, dying 3’ lines from around the country sent their equipment to serve in the war effort before heading the breaker’s track. For these reasons, we happily run European or U.S.-origin equipment, honoring the spirit of running a profitable railroad in the middle of nowhere using whatever was at - or came to - hand and shaping and maintaining it to serve a community over the course of a century.

Eric

[manimal (Dan Gilchrist)]

My railroad, The Nipmuc and Shetucket (NSRR) is a Proto-freelanced Class 2 short line operating in Windham County Connecticut mostly on the abandoned New York and New England right of way known as the “Air line”. I chose to rewrite history as this is now a recreational trail.

I am in the process of writing a back story to explain the equipment acquired, ties to Maine, Industries served, etc. My intention is to create a layout that reflects my life experiences and interests.

Getting to NELSTS would be easy as the NSRR interchanges with the New England Central in Willimantic. The NECR runs north 38 miles to Palmer to meet up with CSX who would take the 20 miles west to Springfield.
(Purple line is NSRR)

[Korm (Korm Kormsen)]

@Hines

What would it take to get you from your garden railroad railway to the city where NELSTS occurs (Springfield) using mostly rail, but in the era of your GR?

oh, oh…
first it would mean a nice little ride on horseback about two to three weeks eastward to Asuncion.
then a riverboatride to Buenos Aires or Montevideo. (maybe a week)
from there a sailship to the Canary islands or to west Africa. from there to the West Indies.
then to a port on the US eastern coast. there i would have to had find out, where in the states a town named Springfield might be.
so, my estimated guess would be: around four months of travel and waiting for connections.

@Hines

whether your GR theoretically connects with a network, and if it didn’t, how did it evolve?

when i got my first LGB starterset (about 54 years ago) it served - apart from the heavy christmas-tree duty - mainly as decoration for my changing dioramas of wild west scenes. - no name needed.
but after some years, (when i got bold enough, to be prepared to reletter and otherwise mutilate my trainstuff) i, one day dived into a dictionary and searched for words, that started with L, G, or B.
born was the “Lost Gulf Branch”.

well, “Branch” implies a connection to a bigger line.
borne was the “Southern & Gulf”.

that name stuck during more than forty years. and most probably will be used for the next layout as well.

[Dave_Meashey (David Meashey)]

Bill;

Since my railway only exists in Middle Earth, it would be of no help whatsoever!

Best, David Meashey

[Hines (Bill)]

Dave,

It’s hard to imagine embarking on another “Unexpected Journey” but fear not there is a way! For you can still cycle from Middle Earth and end up in Springfield!

Be cautious on your way to Springfield, because you’ll have to go by way of Oz and you may need to slip past some checkpoints. Definitely bypass the Yellow Brick Road and steer clear of the lollipop-wielding hobbits.

Once off the trail in Oz, sell your bike in Margaret River, hop on the Pemberton and Mandurah lines to reach Perth. From there consider catching a tramp steamer or climbing aboard the Indian Pacific (that travels along longest section of straight track in the known universe), then perhaps changing in Adelaide to explore the extended Ghan route to Darwin to get to Hawaii.

From there you might be able to catch up with the Muellers. On the other hand you could travel from Sydney east and risk being detained by the world’s largest fresh water navy, being eaten by Piranhas, and catch up with Korm, and his Tapirs as he sets sail from Paraguay.

From there is just a matter of contacting Pete and Dan and finding how to connect with the BNSF and the CSX.

Dave! Are you up for the challenge; still holding on to that ring?

[Dave_Meashey (David Meashey)]

Bill;

Yeah, but the ring is a wedding band, and as of June 13th I will have worn it 54 years!

Keep on trackin’, David Meashey

[Hines (Bill)]

That’s impressive number of anniversaries to celebrate, Dave. Mine hasn’t been on that long, and it doesn’t seem to make me disappear when on my finger either!

[Cliff_Jennings]

Fantastic animation, thanks Bill.

[Hines (Bill)]

No worries. That was Dave’s post, though.

But on the subject I’ve been quite amazed at the amount of narrow gauge railways were built in the East.

I’ve always thought it was a Wild West sort of endeavour.

[Cliff_Jennings]

Oops. Thanks Dave!

Bill, carry on!

[Neil_Wiggins]

@Dave_Meashey

Since my railway only exists in Middle Earth, it would be of no help whatsoever!

Hmmm. A little off topic, but after a little pondering I think we may be able to interchange cars Dave.

There was a direct rail link between Charming Creek and Poolburn (aka Rohan) in the era I model. We can even stop by Flaxton Creek Railway if you don’t mind a 2 mile walk from the station.

I almost think this justifies an interchange siding on the FCR?

Cheers
N

[Hines (Bill)]

This makes more sense. We looked all around for rail transport to Middle Earth in NZ but we looked on the North Island.

When we finally found someone who knew about the Shire he had only disappointing news. Apparently the locals don’t really like to travel. So while transportation is available, they don’t take cash. You have to exchange dollars for Tolkiens.

Try the Veal!