Taking a coffee break here at the office.

As I sip on a hot cup of joe, thought I'd pontificate for fun.

When it comes to routes, it seems my mind is always looking foward to "what next"? I've pondered this n' that, but really haven't come up with anything truly solid. Very much in the running is to go ahead and build the 2nd installment of the Ozark Lines concept, the Arkansas River & Northern.

However, I would like to keep my route product selection somewhat evenly divided between diesel and steam. Building the AR&N next would mean I have 4, possibly 5, steam products (The StLNA, NAP, ON, and the future AR&N) and only two diesel (the A&O and upcoming LNE Pack). So, IMHO, it really behooves me to make a diesel route next. (Of course, as always: "We shall see".)

This much I DO know:

* Needs to be a reasonable length. (Takes forever to single handedly build a route over 30 miles long.)

* Needs to have good "interest".

* Seems to me that curvy (as opposed to long tangents) is good. Less chance for boredom after one has "explored" the route. Plus, I think it makes the headout view more fun (looking to the rear and watching your train snake along behind you.)

* It needs to be "do-able".

By "do-able", I primarily mean an ability for ME to become familiar with the route and find/procure usable photo textures.

Well, over the months/weeks, I've taken a gander at several. During that time, a few of them indicated promise:

* Some Appalachian routes
* The Rutland
* The Tennessee RR

Then the problems hit.

Appalachian routes:

It dawned on me that Marc is doing one, as is All-Aboard. (Can't wait for both, by the way!)

The Rutland:

Though an old interest of mine since about 1974, looking at it with the idea of replicating it in MSTS, I quickly learned why it went broke: There's a lot of track with little to do in between the major points. The most likely candidate was the Rutland/Bellows Falls portion. However, again, lots of work with little play value once finished. Plus, there's the familiarity thing as well as photo textures. The books I recently purchased go a long way toward orienting me with the "way things were", but still not quite enough. How much $ can I afford to spend on books? Not enough. Plus, the Rutland/Bellows Falls portion is something like 52 miles long. Length was one of the reasons the LNE project fell on hard times. Just too much time to populate it to the levels of detail I'm accustomed to. To further eliminate the Rutland was the density at the key towns: Way too much yard trackage. This eats up CPU resource like no tomorrow. (Yet another reason for the demise of the LNE project.)

The Tennessee RR:

Neat area. Far enough removed from the area that Marc and Rich are doing to be a possibility. Definitely curvy. Neat power (Alco's). Unfortunately, it too, was long on mileage and short on play value. Dense trackage wasn't a problem. ENOUGH trackage was! Again, 50 plus miles... but simply not enough play value at all. Further, there is scant little "hard information" on the fool thing. What sounded like a good candidate turned south in a hurry.

And so it has gone. I would look at a potential route (spending the $ if necessary to truly evaluate it), only to find some issues that become terminal.

But, however unlikely as it sounds, there's this funky little Rock Island branch in the Ouachita's* that sounds quite interesting.

Who would have thought that the Rock Island had a nifty little mountain line and ran neat trains in the pine covered hills of south Arkansas? Well, they did. And not only did they run some trains there, they ran some very interesting trains there.

In it's favor would be the fact that I've been there on several ocassions, as well as it being within striking distance (a two hour drive). Also in it's favor is that I have an old friend that worked that line for many years, and can thus give first-hand input as to its operational nuances and detailed input in regards to industries.

Another plus: Mileage from the Malvern connection to Hot Springs is about 23 miles. Twenty three miles that contain a surprising amount of interest and industry/interchange.

So far, so good.

If you would like to take a peek at it, the best way I would suggest is by using Topozone and following the route to Hot Springs, Arkansas. As you do, note the interst along the way, and bear in mind there was even MORE there in the tentative target era of late 1960's.

If you want to take a look at it, do this:

1. Go to www.topozone.com.

2. Type in "Malvern" and select "AR" in the search fields.

3. Click on "Malvern" once the search result page loads.

4. After the map loads, select the "Large" size and hit "Update Map".

You're now set to start tracing the line. Begin by heading north out of Malvern. Once at Butterfield (junction), the main to Hot Springs swings west. However, while at Butterfield, exlpore the mud spur that leaves due north from there. This industry would be included should this route be selected. (BTW, the line to the east is the Rock Island's track to Little Rock, AR.)

When finished exploring the mud mine, follow the main west/northwest to Hot Springs, and note all the semi-heavy industry along the way, as well as the switchback interchange on the south edge of Hot Springs. Be aware that there were customers in Hot Springs proper that do not appear on the map track. My old friend Bill has already clued me in... I just need a refresher is all.

Oh, by the way, during the target era, this line used RS3's a lot, so there's a potential for some nice BLW engines to serve it. Also, I could bend the prototype a bit and possible assign some Rock Island RS1's there too?

So, there you have it. A nice potential route.

Of course, as with all things VSC: "WE SHALL SEE."


* Startling looking Native American name, eh? It's locally pronounced "WASH uh taw", however, I suspect the more accurate pronunciation is "o WASH uh taw".

Erdna, you diffenatly got some good traffic options there on that route...just in the freight business alone. Forgive my lack of knowledge on the Rock Island in that area...but did they run a passenger train out of Little Rock like the MoP did? I've seen several photos of the MoP's eagle that went to Hot Springs. Most of them were a single E6 with about 4-5 cars in tow. Hot Springs has been a "tourist trap" for well over a hundred years; though the city hasn't grown as fast as other traps have. A diesel route you say? Sounds like your listening to the dark side of the rail (using James Earl Jones' voice in Darth Vader) I will admit that I've had the plans here at the house for a HO scale version of the Rock Island's Memphis-Tucumcari line that I felt had enought "what if" to keep a modler/railroad busy. Ya'll have a great day, and a very Merry Christmas.

kcaZ:

I suspect the RI passenger traffic declined quicker than the Mop's. I would have to go back to my resource library to attempt finding when the Mop ceased passenger service on the line.

As for freight: Yes indeed, one of the reasons that line gets pushed on top of the "possible next diesel route". A few years back I was over that way aboard an Arkansas Midland freight and was pleasantly suprised at the feight levels. Plus, the chop-nosed geeps sound great to boot!

However, as stated, this is all very early on and who knows what I'll do?

As for the Memphis/Tucumcari line: Expect drastic selective compression if you want things to do once your layout is finished. Either that, or pick an intense area to model. Believe it or not, I looked at portions of that line as a possiblity for a route "someday". Same problem only more so: Too much track an' not enough rev'nue. Guess the Rock folded for a reason, huh?

Andre, looking at the map right now, and it looks good + more than happy to have another route dedicated to Gaetan's stock .

In my ignorance of the area and what it would involve I can do nothing more that contribute enthusiasm and encouragement from the sidelines, so...

"Yay Team Andre

Andre is the man for us
He builds his routes without much fuss
From end to end they're pretty neat
They come with stock and are complete"



Rodster

"In my ignorance of the area and what it would involve..."

Don't feel too bad. I would need to take a trip over that way and refamiliarize myself with the lay of the land and such. I would also need to go see all the remaining industries to get a feel for their appearance. In addition, I would be on the lookout for "relics" and links to the past via abandoned industrial spurs/roadbed, industries, etc. As I do the above, I would be filling about 200-300 megs of flash cards as I begin the long process of gathering the textures needed.

"...I can do nothing more that contribute enthusiasm and encouragement from the sidelines, so..."

<snip: an "interesting" hip-hip-hoorah>

Um. Thank you for that rousing round of a rally cry.

Wow... do I feel a group hug coming on?

Reported by AP News service

Like any model railroader, lots of compression compared to miles of actual trackage. The area of interest to me is from Howe to Perry. The plans are drawn up in a fashion similar to a Frisco Central Division I used to know rather well; as far as bench work and town spacing. But that is model railroading; we're talking MSTS here.

I have a Rock Island color pictorial and it has at least one photo of a RS2 on the turntable in Little Rock...Biddle Yard to be exact. The caption under the photo says that when the RS2 & RS3 were pushed from mainline duties they ended up on the Arkansas Division; those that weren't in commuter service that is. Sounds like allot of trackage for Alco power! And with the 1960s as a target era...there is that possibility that some of them are still in red & black paint...SWEET. That was a classy paint scheme, and most likely what sent the Rock Island south.... too expense to paint. I looked through the book again a couple of hours ago to see if I could find any other photos of RI Alco power in Arkansas and all of them were in the simple maroon scheme. Though there is a couple during the late 1960 that had been EMD re-powered. And a couple of them had yellow ends. Rock Island was gone when I was a wee lad, so I have no memory of them and only a handful of slides I've traded for...but they looked like a neat railroad up to the end.

I'm for a group hug, but your not getting my diet root beer man!

Hi great oh Great Poobah you!

With you hit my favorite US-diesels!
Rich G will provide them with Cumberland for the L&N made by Dick Cowen and you for a RI-route?!!!!
Would be one of the nicest presents you could give to me!!!!!

Would be really fine if you`ld proceed with this route-idea!!!!

Another thing I like at your probably next routes is this:


Its just my taste a route must be for me. Branchline, curvy, hilly, steep....
and in days ago I wasn`t born yet.
Born in 1978 one year after steam retreated from regularly western german federal railways operations I can`t tell how lucky you more expireinced of life people are, seeing steamers and the early steamers live!

Listening my fathers stories from his university times in the early 70ies seeing the last steamers running in Munich its just a sad thing because I was born after....
Yes, to you in the States this happened more early in the late 50ies but I am gelous for everyone who saw the day of ancient railroadoing.

Christian

So what is Marc up to? I've been looking all around the 3D forums and haven't found out.

Enquiring minds want to know.

Kerry

Andre,
I rode the MoPac line from LR to Hot Springs in the mid 50's -- probably 1956. I believe that passenger service was nearing an end at that time and was probably gone by around 1960.
For the Rock Island, racing season in Hot Springs was a source of passengers and the morning train from Memphis dropped passengers in LR in time to catch the train to Hot Springs in time for the daily races.
Bill Hobbs