Howdy folks! New to the forums and to Frisco, I had stumbled onto the site while researching the Ft Smith and Van Buren areas for a possible N Scale layout. What a neat area! And a special "hiya" to my good friend Andre Ming!
Welcome aboard. You will use this forum a lot if you're going to build a layout. I also have an interest in N scale but only have an RS-2 and a hanfull of rolling stock. Later.
Thanks for the welcome, Jim. I barely have any Frisco, MOPAC or related equipment, except maybe a few old Micro Trains cars collected many moons ago. I see that there's few locomotives currently available, especially from the steam era. However, my main interest is in diesels, so I'll keep my eyes on the 'bay for a deal or two on F7's to pop up. Perhaps I'll get lucky.
Maybe a deal will pop up...but maybe some are around. I've got a pair of the LifeLike Fs that I don't really need, for example. Also some cars that don't really need to be updated to 1980. As far as N in Fort Smith, I recently met a fellow who is going to start a layout when he gets back from six months in Afghanistan. I have a friend with an N layout in Fayetteville that is nominally the A&M, but just uses the name and some locos. I'm in Bentonville with Fort Smith and Van Buren modeled in N. Perhaps we should talk?
I've started collecting some N scale stuff a while back. Not much Frisco(two hoppers and a orange boxcar), but I live here in Van Buren,AR (I'm also a volunteer Conductor on the A&M RR) and I plan to someday build a layout. I'm mainly an HO scaler now(I have lots more Frisco in HO) Good luck on your layout. If you need any modern photos of some of the older buildings feel free to message me. Ship it on the Frisco!!! Murphy Jenkins "HO is the way to go!!!"--Sheldon Cooper
Thanks guys. I'm not sure of what era to model - most likely sometime in the 1960s (I'm a big fan of F-Units). I wouldn't mind back-dating to an earlier period, however, as the depots in FS and VB would make for neat projects in themselves. So long as I can cobble together enough steam to represent reasonable copies of those found on the Frisco, Mopac and KCS. Anyone have any thoughts on the new Bachmann 2-10-2s? Fort Smith and Van Buren should be relatively easy to plan for, but I've got a ways to go in learning about the various lines in the area, and whether the Frisco should head north or south from the above areas. My available space is a large one for N Scale - 21' x 24', and my brain is telling me that Fort Smith and Van Buren will take a good deal of that space. I may then need to go multi-deck, but I'll tinker with a few ideas first. I could always build a couple of chainsaw shelf layouts to test the waters, so to speak. Most of my N Scale equipment is a sorry mix of roads and eras, so I'll need to thin the herd a bit to get some continuity. Much to learn. Much to learn... (I hope you're still doing those photo building flats, Andre - I may need a bunch!) BTW, it's funny how I came upon Fort Smith. I once worked for a company that sold industrial tools, and some of those machines used Baldor motors. Although not served by rail (that I can see), the discovery that Baldor has their plant in Fort Smith really perked my interest. While I mainly model ATSF and SP, the depth offered by modeling the industries in Fort Smith and Van Buren really got my juices flowing.
Marc, I'd enjoy talking to you about layout plans. I've got a bit more room, but with the growth of industrial areas by 1980, I can't get all of Fort Smith and Van Buren in it. My plan can be found on hograils.com. I need to do some updating of the info there, since most of the data is from two years ago. Right now my focus is (or should be) reliable running. Which those of the group who have been here can attest to, unfortunately. I'm a slow learner-fast forgetter about the electronics.
Hi Steve, I came across your Missouri & North Arkansas on Hograil.com yesterday, and I believe what you have is the direction I'm headed. Great stuff - bookmarked! IMHO, the amount of industrial switching, mainline, and interchange operation is unequaled for most parts of the country. The first time I viewed the area on a map I thought "this would make a great layout!" As I indicated above (and as you have in your plans), the Fort Smith and Van Buren areas can easily take up an entire basement, which is exactly how it should be - everything is laid out in a compact curvy fashion that screams to be modeled. I'm in no hurry to get things built. I still need to finish my layout space with drywall, lighting and a new floor. I do have a new roof on the building, so things are at least in a dry state. This gives some room to dream a bit before cutting any lumber.
Ah HAH!! I THOUGHT it was you! (I got your PM.) My lands, who'd a thunk that ol' Califurny Marc would ever get silly about the Ozark hillbilly line named Frisco??? Right you are on the FS/VB area. It was very intense railroading "back then". BTW, don't know how picky you'll be concerning anacronisms, but if you're a puritist, then September 1965 was the last of the Frisco passenger service into/out of Ft. Smith. Wait 'til you "discover" the neat passenger trains the Frisco ran in/out of FS! Very "modelable", size-wise. You need to do some searching here at Frisco.org and see the FS/VB Industrial Schematics. Again: Prepare to have your mind blown. Very intense with lots happening. Back in my more enthusiastic HO modeling days, I crammed Ft. Smith to Fayette Jct into a 24' RV trailer that I gutted and refurbished into a layout room. I used the tri-level approach... and if nothing else, it did capture the "feel" of the Frisco. That layout lasted 11 years and was dismantled/sold off in bits prior to purchasing our home in 1998. OH... and another thing: Go back to the 1900's in the FS/VB era and you get the following railroads: Frisco St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Kansas City Southern Arkansas Central Midland Valley Fort Smith & Western Fort Smith Suburban WARNING! WARNING! DANGER WILL ROBINSON!... Do NOT learn about the area SOUTH of Fort Smith. Stay ignorant. South of FS was a huge coal belt area with railroads criss-crossing hither and yon to/from coal mines. Nope... stay in FS/VB and north... OR... you will be faced with the dilemma: Go north or south out of FS???? Of course, I did NOT follow my above advise... and I now have track laid for the entire Coal Belt region, FS/VB region... and the Frisco's Fort Smith Sub mainline (including towns and the St. Paul Branch) all the way up to Rogers in V scale: Circa 1900 or so. It's a sickness, I tell'ya, a sickness. Andre
I just found out about this site a few minutes ago. I live in south St. Louis county about 200 feet from the old River Line. Still haven't gotten used to the absorption of the Frisco by the BN. But I have a lot of memories. And I believe what I miss the most are the old semaphore signals at one mile intervals.
Marc, I'm embarassed that our group's webmaster hasn't changed that page title, I call the layout "The Central Divisions." Never intended to do the A&M. If you are going to use F's one could take my plan, chop off the Van Buren Industrial Park and beef up the VB depot area, put in more team tracks for oil dealers in North Fort Smith, eliminate the industries out the Greenwood line but improve the Arkansas Central and maybe make downtown FS busier. That might start to fit in your space. The plan was drawn in AutocadLT and made into pdf for the website, so I can send either format if you need. From Andre's detective work, one surmises it's Riverside, CA. Perhaps you can get back this way eventually. We need to get the next get-together together so some folks can try to schedule it in.
Yep Andre - it's "sick-in-the-head" lil' ol' me. Thanks Steve. It's interesting the way the prototype FS is laid out. Who would have thought the surveyors in the 1800s had a model railroad gleam in their eye? I'm still tinkering with ideas and your drawing is an inspiration. I may go multi-deck so as to get some country mainline along with the busy FS/VB areas, and I like the way Frisco and MP can share scenes. If you don't mind, the PDF would be great to have. Oh, and Steve - Andre cheated. We've known each other for nearly 10-years. I hadn't realized that Frisco was contagious so far from me. BTW, didn't you attend the Plano, TX show this past weekend? If so, how was it?
