Palmetto Brick Company (HUGE PHOTOS!)

[magickmaker]

The Palmetto Brick Company railroad is the LAST railroad of its kind in the United States. While steel companies still have some narrow gauge railroads, by and large brick companies have gotten away from this.

Located in South Carolina, this railroad is only about a mile and a half long, and operates in the most curious method. Namely it is push pull. The locomotive is always on the factory end of the train, pulling the loaded clay cars one way, and then pushing them the other.

As a route, it took some work to complete. I actually did two versions of this. One, a one baseboard, was used as a plan for a possible route that I would create. Not satisfied with it, I built this one. I think it's about four baseboards in length, and as you will see features a TON of details. I didn't follow the exact route, but I got pretty close.

Starting out, this is a shot from the static camera near the company.

Leaving the yard area, pushing the mine cars.

Passing the local inmates at work.

Someone is having a BAD day.

The one and only bridge on the route.

Your Tax Dollars at Work...

Must be a union job. So many guys but only one working...

Men at work...

Flagman ahead. Man I'd hate to be caught in that traffic.

(note, the shadow is missing under the truck because I've not added it yet. Also I need to add one more building to the brick company.)

 

[zues]

Thats a nice looking route, or short line.

Austin

 

[nicky9499]

Wait. Judging from the video, isn't the bridge supposed to be a small one, something resembling a culvert? A little bit of grass beside the tracks will also go a long way in adding realism. Apart from that, great job with the route and custom rolling stock.

Cheerio,
Nicholas.

 

[magickmaker]

The bridge is the limitations due to 2006. If it were 2009, it'd be more accurate.

 

[Jananton]

Nice shots. In case of the bridge, what are the limitations you refer to? Maybe there's a workaround.
And, I'm obviously just an innocent bystander , but I would take up ZapperJet on his offer to create the rolling stock, that would certainly enhance the experience.

Greetings from nighttime Amsterdam,

Jan

 

[Tokkyu40]

I just found this while looking up info on the prototype. Very nice job.
The real line used a pair of 10 ton Plymouth DHL locos. We need those in Trainz. We don't have enough Plymouths.
At last report, they had put the trains in storage due to the recession. With only one kiln working, they didn't have enough demand to make the train economical.
So how did the finished route come out?

Claude