I saw this on another site and I think it is a good idea. Anyway here is my back story As a matter of "opinion" yes. While there were 3 Lawyers involved with the underdevelopment of the Acme Red River & Northern (ARRN), many, many more Lawyers were responsible for it's demise. Ikan was a lawyer responsible for western continental development, Bhee, was another that tried to guide the fledgling ARRN past its first 10 miles of current development. Lawyer Bouht, represented the Acme plant serviced solely by the ARRN, in relation to the hundreds of law suites filed by Wile E. Coyote The Acme plant west of Quanah, was nevertheless most unfortunately, systematically involved in hundreds of mis-representation cases. These cases ultimately resulted in the common carrier known as the Acme Red River & Northern (ARRN) being absorbed into the new Quanah Acme & Pacific (QA&P), and the Acme plant re-organized to produce sheet rock. That charter endeavored to persevere in a South-Westward expansion, to rid themselves of the limitations from the afore mentioned Acme debacles. The crowning achievement has, heretofore never been realized, but the saga continues.
My railroad is not in business to make money. Its reason for existence is to look good. The annual report every year is short and the same: “The Midland Western looked really good this year.” Brookhaven MS has this sign: Midland has a similar one that says “Midland - A Railfan’s Paradise.” If apprehended on the property, railfans are sentenced to an automatic minimum 1/2 hour cab ride. Repeat offenders face higher penalties on a sliding scale. Engineers are required to exercise excessive whistle blowing with an according excessive quilling requirement as stated in the rule book. The annual festival in Midland is the world’s largest whistle-blow, done on live engines and known as “Chimefest.” However, three chime whistles are prohibited in Midland and on the railroad without a special and temporary injunction. At present, diesels are banned by law for a 10 mile radius around any point on the railroad. The charter plainly states “There will never be a ‘transition’ on the Midland Western.”
Back story? Which of my themes? (Ozarks/KC area?) What era? (Steam late-1880s or diesel 1964 era?) My lands, do I have back stories. You really shouldn't have asked. Here's the diesel backstories... Basic history of the Kansas City & Gulf: http://www.vscalecreations.com/kcng1.htm Here's the diesel roster history: http://www.vscalecreations.com/kcng2.htm And here's a day spent railfanning the KC&G in '64: http://www.vscalecreations.com/kcng3.htm Want more? (I enjoy creative writing.) Andre
Yes you do Andre! Too bad the old Railroad Magazine isn’t around anymore ! You could have written for them! Remember them? They had great railroad fiction! And poetry too! “It was in the yards at Hillyard, in the year of nineteen-four, that I first saw Whistling Snyder, standing by the firebox door ........” And another one about a place on the PRR called Beverly Curve, a place that a hogger thought was so beautiful at twilight that he’d shut the steam off just to hear the crickets . So when he died, his buddy took the same run, and at twilight shut the steam off and threw his friends ashes out of the cab at Beverly Curve. Man. Still makes me cry 55 years later.
Some of the professional characters in Midland: Attorney Wood U. Stoppett Dentist Dr. Hugh G. Akenhead Dentist Dr. Phil Kaviddy Locksmith Jimmy D. Doah Doctor I. Kuttemupp
Hattie’s Hotel and Bar in Thunder Grove. Immortalizing the real one back home that we 8th grade boys used to pedal past very quickly and snickering as only 8th grade boys can, “there’s (rude term for loose women) in there” (snicker snicker.)
The yellow building to the right is the Midland Western Office Building. But being a former residence it doesn’t have a room big enough for meetings. They do that at Hattie’s.
I model a long forgotten 8 mile dead end stretch of rusty rails through the hollers of Bollinger County Missouri that stretches between two towns that are mostly obscure now. I chose this because my Grandpa Cato grew up in that area. The last whistle echoed there over 80 years ago. (Admin) "Here's a link to Jim's vision http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/new-direction-for-zalma-branch-photos.4805/ "
I started out as a model of the MP branch back home abandoned in 1983. But my inability to produce RPM level models made me give up trying to replicate anything closely. I reverted back to a freelance short line using a name I came up with in high school. It’s controlled by an amalgam of every Class 1 that I like so I can run anyone’s equipment. A lot more relaxing for me than rivet counting! Or trying to justify anything! Who cares! In the immortal words of Linn Westcott, “Model railroading is fun!” Lines like yours abandoned way before diesels have always held my attention though. The Cotton Belt from Hamilton Texas to Gatesville is one, abandoned in 1941. No diesel ever polished its rails either. Those rights of way are Holy Ground.
