the Ironton Railroad

Rooneth3808

New member
The official screenshot thread for my upcoming Ironton Railroad route is here. :)

The route represents the real Ironton Railroad as it was in December 1940. The Ironton Railroad was an eastern PA shortline railroad initially constructed to haul iron ore, but soon prospered with the rise of the cement industry. In 1905, the 10 mile, rural Ironton Railroad hauled 35,000 carloads (for roughly 100 a day). As of 1940, the road was jointly owned by the nearby Reading Railroad and Lehigh Valley RR. The RDG supplied motive power and rolling stock while the LVRR took care of the physical plant.

I've been working on the route for a month now, and you may have seen pictures of the route posted on various threads on this forum before. Regardless, enjoy!


Two IRR steamers sit in the company's enginehouse. The old Thomas Iron Works (closed in the 1920's) as well as the four track Lehigh Valley RR mainline are to the left.


An earlier shot taken before AngelC completed the custom enginehouse. The bridge abutments were from a bridge that allowed the IRR tracks to access the mill. The bridge was removed shortly after the mill closed down.


The coaling facilities on the IRR. Coal cars were pushed up a trestle on the opposite side of the enginehouse, then coal was transported up a moveable conveyor into waiting locomotives. It was common for the IRR to fuel locomotives for both parent RR's (the Reading had their nearby C&F Branch).


The offices and HQ of the railroad (originally the Thomas Iron Works). Built in the mid 1800's, both buildings still stand today and are used as residential buildings. The large barn in the background was the barn used by the Iron Works for stabling its mules.


Finally, you can't have the Ironton Railroad without cement mills. This is Lehigh Portland Cement Mill "D" at Ormrod, PA. It was in operation from 1902 to 1958. Most the buildings still stand. The long steel trestle going across the screen was the narrow guage railroad that brought limestone from the nearby quarries into Mills "D" and "F" (which is just behind where this shot was taken).

Many more screenshots to show, but i will save the rest for another day.
Hope you all enjoyed seeing and reading about them! :)

~Roon
 
As I said to deadpoolmx in another thread, I hate winter and snow in real life, but in Trainz it's a different story ;).

GREAT work.

// Erik from Sweden
 
Last edited:
Snow does add allot of depth and feel to a route, especially if it is sparse patches, windblown bare in spots, with a grayish textured now ... and running that route in the heat of summer (which it will be soon in Australia) will feel as refweshing' as a York Peppermint Patty !
 
Wow, thanks for all the great comments guys...especially some of you who i consider some of the best and most influential creators in Trainz. :)

Now on to screenshots round 2.


Jumping to the other end of the line. This is the end of track at the village of Ironton. Originally there were three large, separate ore pits here (you can sort of see the first one behind the small station...the closer trees mark the near edge of the pit, and the far trees mark the far edge). After the iron mines closed and passenger travel ceased, trains would travel out to this station to unload livestock, from where they were driven a quarter mile up a road to a slaughterhouse. In the 1800's, the railroad had its main offices and enginehouse here.


Now on the southwest side of the village of Ironton, the engine has just pasted another abandoned iron mine (would have been behind the greenish house) and is about to roll over the switch for Eastern States Farmers Exchange (later Agway), which received all sorts of agricultural shipments up until Conrail.


Looking the opposite direction. Building used for the industry subject to change.


Further outside of Ironton, the small shack represents the original junction of the mainline (to Ironton), and the two mile long Siegersville Branch. Lehigh Portland Cement Mill "F" stands in the background. The continued expansion of the large quarry here caused the railroad to move the junction a few hundred feet further up the Siegersville Branch, as following the mainline would have dropped the trains 100 ft directly into the quarry. Mill "F" closed down 1936, negating the need to keep the spur on the left connected (it was for inbound coal to the mill).


An overhead shot showing where today's pictures came from. The village of Ironton runs down the road in the middle. Mills "F" and "D" are on the right, with the village of Ormrod above them. The grey square building in the middle is Ironton Elementary School, my childhood Alma-matter. The red track at the bottom shows (partially) the original mainline alignment. The Siegersville Branch also extends off the screen from the bottom.
 
Looks really cool! :)
Roon, could you please let me know the kuid/location of that barn-like building in your 3rd shot? I think I have some uses for it :)

Keep it up! :D
Cheers
Stevo
 
Very nice stuff. I am definitely impressed.
Thanks George! That means a lot considering i view you one of the first truly gifted route builders and have often tried to emulate your techniques. :)

Looks really cool! :)
Roon, could you please let me know the kuid/location of that barn-like building in your 3rd shot? I think I have some uses for it :)

Keep it up! :D
Cheers
Stevo
It's "Mail Pouch Barn 1" by Zorronov (its on the USLW site).


Now on to the pictures!


Just did this today. This is the small yard at Egypt, PA, roughly the halfway point on the railroad. The town of Coplay is in the distance. The old passenger car was built in the 1880's, and has rested at this location as a crew building since passenger service was discontinued in the 1920's.

The actual car still resides there today, and is ever so slowly being fixed up:







Half a mile west of there sits another ancient railroad related building that still stands. This is Kohler's Coal Yard. Coal hoppers were pushed up into the barn before dumping their coal which could then be accessed on the backside of the building. The old boxcar is possibly from the 1800's as well. BOTH still stand today. The building still stores stone and building supplies and the rails are still in place leading into it. The box car has received aluminum siding and is hardly recognizable as an old boxcar. The first cement mill located on the Ironton Railroad, the American Cement Co., Egypt Mill, sits in the background. The mill closed in 1911.


And finally, the water tower and facilities at Ormrod, PA.




Spur tracks shoot off everywhere, going to either old iron ore pits, newer limestone loading spurs, or two nearby cement mills. The bridge in the foreground carried the mill-operated narrow gauge line that brought in limestone from nearby quarries.

More later...lots of "almost finished" areas, but not ready for screenshots just yet! ;)
 
Last edited:
Amazing, I love the snow and detail! I think the The old passenger car could be replaced by the one of the "derelict" items (I think it was "derelict baggage car" or something)
 
Back
Top