Hey all, I wanted to create a thread here for planning the layout I hope to eventually build, at some indeterminate point in the future. Here are the things I've most wanted to include in a dream layout: - Model "big time" railroading, in the 1940s-50s. - Fast freights - Interchanges with other railroads - A large roundhouse (to show off my motive power!) The Frisco's Southern Division satisfies these pretty well, and as such my basic plan calls for a double-deck layout depicting Memphis to Birmingham. Of course, modelling two whole subdivisions is a lot to ask, even from two (or even two-and-a-half) decks, and this will require a lot of "selective compression." I'm hoping I can include all six of the railroads the Frisco interchanged with in Birmingham, hopefully via "living interchanges," where the foreign train emerges from a small staging yard to meet the Frisco to drop off its cars, then heads back to staging.
First of all, James, how much space do you anticipate having to build the layout in, and what scale? For example, Rick McClellan's HO scale Northern Division fills most all of a 4000 sq ft basement.
I'll echo Keith, we need to know some more information about what you're looking to build. You've already answered a couple of the basic questions, desired railroad and area of interest. If we could find out what you have for room dimensions and what scale you plan to use we can take off from there. Rick McClellan's layout that Keith mentioned is a great example to learn from when planning for a large railroad. I'm taking a lot of lessons I've learned from operating Rick's layout and applying them to the layout I'm designing. In the mean time, checkout my 2 layout threads. The thread on my current layout start to finish I think helps show how I slowly made the transition from slapping track together on a board to operating based on a prototype. It really became a testing ground for different aspects of my future layout. I also have a thread started for my future space. I have a lot of same goals in mind as what you listed. The thread on the future layout has a lot of discussion about all the specs one should consider with a layout. Current layout: http://frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/rebuilding-the-iantha-branch-again.12577/ Future layout: http://frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/the-future-iantha-branch.13766/
If I were going to build this, I think that both Memphis and Birmingham would not be modeled, but would be “hidden” staging yards. Both cities provide enough activity to be layout in their own right. I would make Amory the centerpiece of the layout with its small yard and roundhouse. At Amory, the Frisco interchanges with the Mississippian RR, and it serves as the junction with the Frisco Mudlines. Hidden staging yards for Mobile and Pensacola could feed traffic through Amory. I would model the following locations: Holly Springs and passing track & 2 brick plants at Tours - IC interchange Tupelo-GM&O interchange Amory-Yard, Colsub Jct , Mississippian RR interchange Sulligent Guin Winfield - Brilliant Branch Jct, IC interchange Carbon Hill Jasper -IC interchange; IC has trackage rights on Frisco between Jasper and Birmingham Dora-DeBard Br Jct Quinton-L&N over the Frisco to be continued...
Memphis to Birmingham Profile Adamsville (Hill) ruling grade 1.5% Route summary, Memphis to Birmingham, 1955 Investors’ Special... attached pdf file
I like the thinking on Amory, Karl. Seems to check all of James' boxes. I always thought (and still think) that Chaffee could be centerpiece of a layout by itself, with staging/fiddle yard representing the St. Louis/Hoxie Subs to the north, and the Chaffee/Leachville Subs to the south. Amory offers much of the same.
Courtesy of Curt Ayers, who grew up in Holly Springs... Tours looking RR South to Holly Springs Tours looking RR North.... brick yard on left
First of all - a huge thanks to @Karl and everyone else who has replied. Unfortunately, I would really like to model the Frisco's operations in Memphis and Birmingham - or more likely the most interesting parts. On the subject of operations, the Frisco was using TT&TO on the Southern Division in 1948, which is exactly what I want. Does anyone know what types of motive power were common on the Southern Division in the late 40s-early 50s?
Ken McElreath @kenmc has modeled Birmingham in your time period, and Karl should be able to fill you in. Ken has posted about his modeling here: http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/birmingham-alabama-and-environs.7123/ http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/camellia-park-alabama.6025/ more tidbits: http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/would-there-be-any-interest-in-4100s.7065/#post-54375 http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/bham-sub-div-locos.4045/#post-27366 http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/first-generation-diesels.1587/#post-9116
Attached are a couple of 1955 maps of Birmingham and Memphis, which should give a good overview of both cities and the railroads that connected with the Frisco. If you don’t have the book, “Birmingham Railroads, The Last Golden Era”, by Clemons and Key, it is a must read. The Passenger Train Journal had a two issue ( I think) article about Memphis. MR had an article about “street operations" in B’ham. If your operating era is centered on 1948, then with regard to Frisco motive power, it will be 90% steam. The Southern Division was the last to dieselize... more on motive power later. As can be seen by the maps, Frisco operations extended through out both metropolitan areas.
During 1952, the Frisco management authorized CTC between Nonco, TN and Amory; the Frisco completed the project during 1954. I am away from home and my stack of stuff; I will get the dates between Amory and East Thomas, when I return.
