is the title of the article by Paul Dolkos about the Clinton Branch. It is on pages 22-27 of the 2008 Model Railroad Planning. Since I'm moving the railroad downstairs, I've decided to build it. I'd like any comments, insights or critiques of this plan. I will say upfront that mine will be in an 11'-9" square bedroom rather than 9' x 11', and I have a few changes in mind (obviously, altering to fit my room, and elimanting the MOP interchange to add an "Elevator Row" in front of the North Staging. What do you-all think? Glenn, in Tulsa
Glenn, I don't know how much traffic the interchange generated or what it was, but I think the number of comments that a recent discussion about which road the Iantha Branch should interchange with showed how important many feel it is. I'm biased, having three roads all tangled up and having room for that.
It's possible to fit a branch in a small room. Currently the Iantha branch "represents" the Iantha area, except for the interchange, which is something unreal. But I have drawn up a plan for a 8x6 layout that would represent the whole Iantha Branch. But the only thing I know about the Clinton Branch is that it was an alternative route from KC to Springfield via Clinton instead of Ft. Scott, unless that is something else.
I am building the Clinton Sub too, only my version is N scale. A previous thread included the original track plan. Link to that thread is at http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=2905 There were many comments posted in the linked thread that were very helpful and insightful. I revised my track plan after receiving the comments but have not yet posted it. I began construction around Christmas and have benchwork, rough scenery and some trackwork in at Harvey, Blairstown and Harrisonville to just south of Dodson at the Blue River crossing. If you are ever up my way let me know and I'll give you a tour of the layout. I am modeling the Mopac interchange at Harrisonville. Will also include MKT interchange at Clinton and interchange at Kansas City's 19th Street yard. Dale Rush Blair Line LLC Carthage, MO
A year or so ago I was looking at what to model and eyeballed Dolkos track plan. It just didn't look like there was enough operation per foot of plywood for me. If I was going to do it I would back date to late 1940's and run Bachmann 2-10-0 decs. Passenger trains would be 4-6-0's and without brass the best bet would probably be to try and upgrade an old MDC 4-6-0. It would require an operating turntable at Clinton, unlike Dolkos chopped off version.|-|
Glenn, I too, have been looking for a bedroom-sized layout plan, and when word came out that the MRP 2008 had a Clinton Sub themed layout within its pages, I bought a copy. I was disappointed. In my view, the plan does not include any design feature that proclaims that this is the Frisco’s Clinton Subdivision. In my book, any Highline layout should include pieces of the Leaky Roof, which followed the Highline in caduceus-like manner. Places such as Belton, Harrisonville, Clinton, and Deepwater had extant KCCS trackage that the Frisco utilized. At Harrisonville and East Lynne, the Frisco served industries on former MKT trackage. At Clinton the Frisco used the MKT to get to South Clinton where industries were still served by KCCS trackage. Commercial kits of the Grandview and Blairstown depot are available, and some thought should be given to include these locations. I think that the “KC staging” takes up a lot of space, and I wonder if both KC and Springfield might be hidden underneath in order to make space to create a more Clinton Sub-specific layout. I’m with Boomer John, and I’d opt for a steam layout with 182 Class 4-4-0’s for psgr power and Bolsheviks for freight. There is some ETT evidence that the 4000 class 2-8-2’s worked as for south as Clinton.
Glenn: Last year when I was looking for a theme I had in my memory a trackplan in MR maybe 20 years ago that was Frisco based. It was an modern (at that time) switching layout based on I think Birmingham. I started developing my own idea based on my hometown of KC and didn't track down the back issue of MR. The only thing I remember was it had a modest footprint, a key industry was a coke dealer (mineral, not drink) and a signiture building was a BBQ restaurant that the Frisco track went around. Obviously if you were looking at the Clinton sub because of scenary and passenger trains this would have no interest. Does anyone have this article in their files and is is useful to someone looking for a Frisco prototype? It was back when MR use to do "Railroads You Can Model" features. I loved those and caused a lot of track plan drawings and decal purchasing on my part. I wish they would do more of that. John
Glenn - The Scissorbill Country fan in me would recommend a look to the southeast at the Caruthersville Branch that ran between Kennett Mo and Caruthersville, MO via Hayti and a junction with the mainline River Division-Chaffee Sub. The 1940 timetable lists a daily x-Sunday 3rd class train each way, along with motor car service between Kennett and Hayti (881 and 882 also rean from Kennett to Brooks Jct. MO on the Leachville Subdivision line between Brooks Jct. and Leachville, AR; 895/896 continued on to Poplar Bluff on the Piggott Branch). Service between Hayti and Caruthersville was already down to extras as needed. http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=3784&d=1149083178 Kennett had a small yard since it sat at the junction of the Leachville Sub main and the Piggott/Caruthersville branches. Hayti featured a yard and small engine facilities, not to mention all of the mainline River Division freight and passenger traffic ("Memphian" and "Sunnyland" for this date). http://www.frisco.org/vb/showthread.php?t=1961&highlight=Hayti At least two towns on the branch - Bragg City and Pascola - would offer small towns with a minimum of industry http://www.frisco.org/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=6362&d=1234500116 I'm not sure whether Bragg City's abandoned cotton gin operated after 1928 but for modeling purposes, why not? There was also a SSW crossing to the west that was interlocking-protected in the earlier days, but I don't think there was an interchange with the SL-SF. Tim Cannon has a photo of the Bragg City depot on his website: http://www.chaffeemissouri.com/depotbraggcity.html Between the photo and the wealth of standard depot designs that Karl has recently provided, scratchbuilding this depot should be reasonably easy. I've not found any track charts or maps for Pascola, but it is located where the old Deering Branch (abandoned c. 1934-35) cross the Caruthersville Branch. All in all, I think it offers a lot of potential operational flexibility and little in the way of substantial scenery construction (flat, Bootheel topography here). I still plan on modeling this someday but meanwhile, perhaps I will live vicariously through your endeavors. Best Regards,
