illinoiscentral
SARM Volunteer
Hello all,
Over the years I have slowly been working on a simulation of my local rail line, Southern Railway's famed "Rathole" now operated by Norfolk Southern.
The railroad is rich in history, built in 1877 by the City of Cincinnati, Ohio to save the city from falling economically behind Louisville, KY who had a railroad and were transloading freight from river boats to railroad cars for the booming textile industry in the deep south. The city took out bonds and constructed the monstrous 347 mile railroad and called it the Cincinnati Southern, and soon leased it to the newly formed Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway. The "Queen & Crescent"! The railroad would traverse tough territory by boring through mountains, rather than winding around them along the rivers. 27 tunnels were bored between Wilmore, KY and Harriman, TN to accomplish this goal. Almost as soon as they were opened, the process to modernize started taking hold. The first to bypass? Tunnel 27 in Harriman which didn't even get completed before the tracks were pulled out of the wooden-lined bore and moved to an adjacent cut in 1900. By 1961, only 12 tunnels remained in service. Rail cars and locomotives were getting bigger and the tunnels were small. Southern Railway knew that in order to stay competitive, they must modernize. They then took out bonds and began a hefty $35-million project to bypass or replace the remaining 12 tunnels and bypass the New River valley with an impressive 389ft tall viaduct. This was accomplished by 1963 leaving just four tunnels in service. A brand new Tunnel 22 and 24 at Nemo, TN and a brand new Tunnel 26 at Oakdale, TN. Only one original tunnel remains in service, the 25 at Oakdale which had it's roof raised and new concrete walls put in. This expensive project ended in 1963 and within 12 years the improvements and subsequent traffic increases paid these bonds off in their entirety.
Today the CNO&TP is a buzzing corridor with upwards of 45, sometimes 60 trains in a 24 hour period. That number even higher in the late 1990's under booming economic times. Norfolk Southern has elected to renew the $19M/year lease with the City of Cincinnati, who still owns the property to this day and are expected to renew again in 2024 when the lease comes up again.
What is modeled here is the famous section of it. The current Second District between Burnside, KY and Chattanooga, TN. It is set in late-summer of 2013, right before the big signals changes and implementation of Positive Train Control. So, the GRS Model SC searchlights that gave this line so much character are represented and modeled.
Also included, but at this point not completed, the K&O District which branches off at Harriman Junction and runs 49 miles to Knoxville's John Sevier Yard including the interchange with Southern Appalachia Railway Museum / Heritage Railroad at Blair, TN and the CSX KD Subdivision at Dossett, TN. The Franklin Industrial Minerals railroad on the former Tennessee Central railway also makes an appearance in its entirety between Rockwood and Crab Orchard, TN. This map is over 3000 baseboards and includes 733 square miles of land. It is a true monster. Seemingly never to be completed...but, with the help of many other folks, progress is being made.
Credits that need to be given go out to Joe Folco for the DEM I asked him to make. Ben Dorsey for the model of the New River Viaduct. Jointed Rail's Mike Cyr and Justin Cornell for their wonderfully detailed NS power which completes the operations portion of it.
This thread will have progress posted as often as I can get it done...
Cheers,
Woody
Over the years I have slowly been working on a simulation of my local rail line, Southern Railway's famed "Rathole" now operated by Norfolk Southern.
The railroad is rich in history, built in 1877 by the City of Cincinnati, Ohio to save the city from falling economically behind Louisville, KY who had a railroad and were transloading freight from river boats to railroad cars for the booming textile industry in the deep south. The city took out bonds and constructed the monstrous 347 mile railroad and called it the Cincinnati Southern, and soon leased it to the newly formed Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway. The "Queen & Crescent"! The railroad would traverse tough territory by boring through mountains, rather than winding around them along the rivers. 27 tunnels were bored between Wilmore, KY and Harriman, TN to accomplish this goal. Almost as soon as they were opened, the process to modernize started taking hold. The first to bypass? Tunnel 27 in Harriman which didn't even get completed before the tracks were pulled out of the wooden-lined bore and moved to an adjacent cut in 1900. By 1961, only 12 tunnels remained in service. Rail cars and locomotives were getting bigger and the tunnels were small. Southern Railway knew that in order to stay competitive, they must modernize. They then took out bonds and began a hefty $35-million project to bypass or replace the remaining 12 tunnels and bypass the New River valley with an impressive 389ft tall viaduct. This was accomplished by 1963 leaving just four tunnels in service. A brand new Tunnel 22 and 24 at Nemo, TN and a brand new Tunnel 26 at Oakdale, TN. Only one original tunnel remains in service, the 25 at Oakdale which had it's roof raised and new concrete walls put in. This expensive project ended in 1963 and within 12 years the improvements and subsequent traffic increases paid these bonds off in their entirety.
Today the CNO&TP is a buzzing corridor with upwards of 45, sometimes 60 trains in a 24 hour period. That number even higher in the late 1990's under booming economic times. Norfolk Southern has elected to renew the $19M/year lease with the City of Cincinnati, who still owns the property to this day and are expected to renew again in 2024 when the lease comes up again.
What is modeled here is the famous section of it. The current Second District between Burnside, KY and Chattanooga, TN. It is set in late-summer of 2013, right before the big signals changes and implementation of Positive Train Control. So, the GRS Model SC searchlights that gave this line so much character are represented and modeled.
Also included, but at this point not completed, the K&O District which branches off at Harriman Junction and runs 49 miles to Knoxville's John Sevier Yard including the interchange with Southern Appalachia Railway Museum / Heritage Railroad at Blair, TN and the CSX KD Subdivision at Dossett, TN. The Franklin Industrial Minerals railroad on the former Tennessee Central railway also makes an appearance in its entirety between Rockwood and Crab Orchard, TN. This map is over 3000 baseboards and includes 733 square miles of land. It is a true monster. Seemingly never to be completed...but, with the help of many other folks, progress is being made.
Credits that need to be given go out to Joe Folco for the DEM I asked him to make. Ben Dorsey for the model of the New River Viaduct. Jointed Rail's Mike Cyr and Justin Cornell for their wonderfully detailed NS power which completes the operations portion of it.
This thread will have progress posted as often as I can get it done...
Cheers,
Woody
Great Work Illinoiscentral!