# Idea for a shortline layout.



## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

Been looking for an idea for a shelf layout for my small room I have for a layout. The room is only 8' by 9' in size. Four axle power will be the rule, HO scale and I am trying to get by with the minimum of repainting on the units. What I have for power is 4 EL EMD GP's. Three are GP7's, 2 that are non dynamic and one that is, all are Atlas/Kato yellow box units. I also have an old Athearn blue box GP35 with metal trucks, its been reworked with a can motor and LED lights. I am taking the old EL main line thru Indiana and rerwriting history to where it wasnt all torn out, the line survived under the EL for years later than it did, till the boon of shortlines was going in earnest. So lets imagine that the line was kept intact westward from Decatur IN all the way out to Rochester . Customers being the refinery at Laketon, grain elevators along the way, various smaller industries in Huntington, Rochester, Laketon, Decatur ect. Interchange with the NS at Huntington(Lake Division) and at Decatur(New Castle Division). Unit grain trains could be handed off in Decatur to be sent southern destinations. Power being what was available cheap off the EL dead lines at start up. Engine shops/home base in Decatur. Power remains in EL colors, but relettered Decatur & Western. Let me know your thoughts, ideas for improvement ect. I am thinking of putting shelf type benchwork around 3 of the walls of my room, Decatur at the one end and a few abreviated industries along the way with a simulated west end(Rochester end) via a staging area since I lack enough space to cover all the line. I am thinking of overgrown right of way, weedy/grassy track and 10-20mph train speeds max. Mike


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

The other line I have looked at is the Adrian and Blissfield up in Michigan. They have some EMD GPs that I could paint my EL units into. I probably wouldnt remove the dynamic fans like their units have had done though. My third and final option I am looking at is going total freelance and setting the line somewhere in the midwest , with grain being the primary freight, line overgrown with weedy right of way, using the A&B color and striping but a new road name. Something like Western Prairie Railroad.


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

Rather than focusing on prime movers what about more switchers for that layout. You can get away smaller radii. You can also put some elevation elements on it as well. That way it will have some eye interest and have some additional track length. Just some thoughts.


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

I plan to add elevation, although the flatlands of northern Indiana doesn't allow much of that. But making the tree lined portions grown over, with plenty of weeds overgrowing the track will add to the feel. I was more looking for opinions on my plan with the motive power and rewriting history being something plausible to have happened. Obviously most shortlines get similar power from class 1 or 2 railroads deadlines or from an independent dealer, this is what the shortline I worked for in the early '90s did. Mike


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## Chet (Aug 15, 2014)

This sounds like you are building a smaller version of what I have for a layout. I built mine primarily as a switching layout. I have a bit more room than you but I'm sure that you can spend hours switching industries. Mine is a freelance railroad. I model the area where I live and grain is one of the important industries on the layout. 

I grew up with the Northern Pacific and the Milwaukee Road, but even with the space I had available I felt that I couldn't do justice to even a part of a subdivision of either railroad, but in my freelance world, I do connect to both of these railroads which gives me modlers license to have power from both railroads to show up on my railroad. One nice thing about freelancing is that anything can happen.


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