Re: [CBQ] Industries "Around the Horn"

["wcman8 via groups.io" <wcman8=yahoo.com@groups.io>]

Hi Tom.  First of all I have several photos of the bridge over the CNW, all taken from the engine or waycar  I will try and dig them out today and send them to you.  My first experience at Oliver was in the spring of 1971.  I was on train #156 and we had to pick up 3 loads at Oliver.

As I remember it the old siding was stubbed and the switch was on the north (or timetable west) end.  The industry track was also a stub with the switch on the south end.  So we pulled in on the siding and proceeded south until we got by the industry switch.  We went in and tied onto six cars and switched out the billed loads to the siding and put the rest back.  We then shoved back to the train which was cut off to clear the county highway.  This was the only time I had to do any work at Oliver.  Oliver was very busy during the spring months shipping out peat moss for the gardeners.  By 1971 the old Lass branch only went as far as Garden Plain and the other peat plant called Markman was also in full operation.  It was serviced by the Sterling job and I was only there once.  We we shoving an empty box in to spot it when the head truck derailed.  The Conductor, Walt Mettler was riding the hand brake on the point.  I was walking along side and flagged down the engineer

while Walt stayed on the car.  I later asked him why he didn't jump and he told me he was waiting to see which way the car was going to go.

Bud Linroth.

On Tuesday, November 5, 2024 at 07:15:33 AM CST, Tom Mack via groups.io <thommack=yahoo.com@groups.io> wrote:

On Wed, Oct 23, 2024 at 07:20 PM, wcman8 wrote:

The peat moss plant you referred to was Anderson peat moss plant which is still in operation.  The station was called Oliver

 

Leo and Bud,

 

Thanks for this info. I did indeed find the peat moss plant at Oliver. Oliver is shown on track chart GT18. The current plant is run by Scotts Hyponex and is considered Morrison, IL. The main plant can be seen to the left of this map view with the siding still there: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Hyponex+Corporation/@41.8020988,-90.064112,325a,35y,273.16h,44.93t/data="">

 

The reason for my questions is due to a planned expansion of my layout. I have about 26' of wall space that will allow me to have a double deck portion of my layout. The top shelf will be Savanna to Denrock, the bottom will be Chicago to Mendota. Both levels will enter a helix and the center exit point will be into Galesburg. By running the Savanna to Denrock upper shelf, then down the full helix to the Mendota to Chicago exit point, trains will be able to run Around the Horn. from either Chicago staging or Savanna (on layout) to the mid point of the helix, trains will be able to run from Chicago to Galesburg (lower level) or Savanna to Galesburg (upper level) and vice versa. Needless to say, this will expand my operations considerably.

 

I want both shelves to be open space running, mainly just tracks through the rural Illinois countryside, but with some signature scenes to set the stage. Right now for the upper level Savanna to Denrock (trains moving right to left) a train from Savanna will come around a sweeping left curve and over the Deer Creek trestle (see track chart GT 22 MP 52.9). Then about 7' to the left the tracks will cross above the C&NW double track main then over Spring Brook and US-30 (see track chart GT 19 MP 37.7). The scene I will model can be seen here on Google Maps: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.8604658,-90.0848426,3a,60y,273.16h,94t/data="">

 

About 8-10' to the left of that will be the siding at Oliver with the peat moss plant so that a car or two can be dropped off occasionally. The scene will include the small 4 span concrete trestle that crosses over the gulch next to Garden Plain Road at MP 33.8 on Track Chart GT18. (This scene can be seen well on Google Maps.) The track will then go into the upper entry to the helix. I think if I do it right I may be able to get another 2-4' of visible scenicked track to the left of the Oliver siding, thus giving me about 30' of track on this shelf with three signature Q scenes.

 

What I could use some help with is if anyone knows of photos of the trestle over Deer Creek and/or over the C&NW double track main I'd appreciate it. Also, how often did the peat moss plant get cars? Leo, you mentioned picking up a car of peat moss. I would imagine that was a boxcar, correct? Bud, do you have any knowledge of how busy the plant was in the late 1960's? And Leo, currently the siding at Oliver is spur, with the north end switch being removed. Do you recall if it was still a full siding when you worked it as shown in the track chart?  

 

--

Tom Mack
Cincinnati, OH
Modeling Chicago-Mpls/StP 1965-merger

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