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This is a reprint of an article the originally ran in the C&OHS Newsletter and later in the Layout Design SIG Journal
| This "last and final" layout of mine has been in the planning stages for the past four years. Surprisingly, the more I planned the better the layout fell into place with the actual C&O between Gauley, West Virginia on the New River Subdivision to Hinton and from Hinton to BS Cabin, just west of Covington, Virginia on the Allegheny Subdivision. The layout is on two levels but the natural hillside of the area eliminates the need for bench work separation | ||
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Also, it should be noted, that the grades on both subdivisions are an approximation of the prototype. From Gauley east on the New River Subdivision all the way through Hinton to Allegheny we are increasing our elevation. From Allegheny, eastward on the Allegheny Subdivision, our elevation is decreasing. We are looking at this part of the C&O in the summer of 1938, so it is all double track and all steam. Hinton is the main city and since all power was changed at Hinton, there is a lot of operation there. It is the staging area that makes the whole thing work and it is under Hinton. More on that later. Let us take a look at this layout plan by taking a ride on an eastbound (loaded coal cars; east, empty west) coal drag powered by an 11-7 (2-8-8-2). Our train comes into view (from the hidden staging area) at Gauley; Mile Post 416 on the New River Subdivision. The palisades, close to the main line, make an excellent separation from the tracks above on the Allegheny Subdivision. The bank of the New River is in the foreground. The river bank and part of the width of the river is modeled at the edge of the layout. Shortly we are at Hawks Nest and our eastbound train crosses the bridge over the Sewell, M.P. 398 comes into view with its coke ovens on the hillside along the track. A small portion of the Mann's Creek narrow gauge railroad that brings coal down to the coke ovens can be seen. The beautiful little station with its octagon tower is another landmark of Sewell. All the way from Gauley east to Hinton, along the New River, we are on a slight upgrade as the river is flowing downhill to the west. We have now rounded a wide bend of the river and reached Thurmond. We see the engine house, large coaling tower and the two-story station of Thurmond between our train and the river. Again, the steep hillside at Thurmond, on the left side of the train, separates our view from the 'other tracks" in a tunnel here. After leaving Thurmond, at mile post 391, we follow the river for a long distance and take a broad sweeping ~80 degree curve, looking for all the world like the horseshoe curve as viewed from Grandview State Park, but not quite in the proper sequence. Suddenly, we enter Stretcher Neck Tunnel and come out only a short distance from Prince at M.P 380. We leave Prince and round a sweep-ing curve of the New River. Within only one mile we are at Quinnimont, M.P. 379. To our left is the wye where the Laurel Creek Branch joins the mainline and also the unique and historic " cabin is seen. From Quinnimont we continue up a slight grade past Meadow Creek, M.P. 370, past 'W" Cabin and into the yards at Hinton, M.P. 357. Our train pulls of the main; the H-7 on the front end is changed with another H-7. Our conductor's caboose is removed and an H-7 trailing a caboose nudges up behind our train to assist it up the grade to Allegheny. Historical records indicate that in this steam era of 1938, no engines, freight nor passengers ran through Hinton. The lighter equipment of the New River Subdivision is changed for heavier engines or pushers for the Allegheny Subdivision. We are now leaving Hinton, past MX Cabin; both engines are working hard on the steeper Ronceverte, M.P 323 that lies beyond Second Creek Tunnel, is not modeled. If we were using timetable operations, the train can be held in this tunnel to simulate unmodeled, off-the layout running time to and from Ronceverte. Our train comes back into view as we cross the Greenbrier River near Whitcomb. At this point, the Greenbrier branch to Cases joins the mainline. Eight miles further east brings us to White Sulfur Springs, M.P. 312. We've modeled this beautiful, classic station with run-around track behind it. Pullmans from the east get dropped off and picked up by our crack passen-ger trains returning east. Fortunately, we have a clear board and don't have to stop on this grade at White Sulfur with our heavy coal drag. Now we are out of sight in Allegheny Tunnel. As soon as we come out of the tunnel, "A" Cabin is in sight. Our lead engine continues past the turntable and Allegheny station at M.P. 307 in order to bring the rear of the train near the siding to the turntable. At this point we stop. The 11-7 helper engine is cut off. The helper is turned on the turntable; gets clearance from "A" Cabin to cross to the westbound main and will return light to Hinton. In the meantime, our train is leaving Allegheny; now it is on a steep down grade. We enter Lewis Tunnel; cross the fill at Jerry's Run; run through a series of short tunnels. Kelly's Tunnel, Lake Tunnel, and M6ores Tunnel. We continue past Moss Run, "BS" Cabin at M.P. 292 and disappear from sight. Actually, we have reentered the staging area under Hinton. Our eastbound coal train entered the scene at Gauley, M.P 416 and de-parted from the visible portion of the pike at "BS" Cabin M.P. 292 for a total distance of only 124 miles. By translating this 124 miles into "smiles" and a 12-to-I fast clock, this layout is very adaptable to operating on the actual C&O time tables in effect in 1938. Many thanks to the C&O Historical Society past president, Tom Dixon, for making these timetables available. The bench work is approximately three feet wide on the sides of the room and eight feet wide in the center peninsula, making it accessible on both sides for operation. You will notice, on the Allegheny Subdivision - which is the higher level and towards the rear of the layout there is only switching at two points: White Sulfur Springs and Allegheny. This works well to keep it simple on this less easily accessible area. Also notice, that for the most part, a town or special interest scene on the lower level will have the track in a tunnel and out of sight on the upper level, or vice versa. This helps the viewer and operator to separate any view and connection between the two subdivisions. The layout provides 10 station stops for locals (freight and passenger) including unmodeled Ronceverte and stock pens at Allegheny in 1938. The hidden staging area is what makes it all work. |
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While longer trains can be run by holding one train instead of two on each hidden track, they don't look that good on the layout, tending to reach from one town (or viewing scene) to the next. There is a loop on each end of the staging area to turn through and local passenger trains and mine runs from east to west or west to east Of course, the major traffic of this section of the C&O is loaded coal trains moving from west to east and empties returning to the west. Incidentally those coal cars should nearly all be C&O with perhaps a few Berwind and There is much operating potential. in bringing local mine turn empties to the mines and to the several branches (with hidden tracks in the hills). The loads will be picked up from these same sources and brought to Hinton for classification and pick up going east. These loaded coal cars will always keep moving from the staging area from west to east. The empties will move from the staging area from east to west. The engines will not have to be changed in the staging area. An eastbound coal drag appearing at Gauley will use a single engine for power on the slight grade up the New River Subdivision. The empty coal trains returning from the East did not need extra power on the Allegheny Subdivisions up to Allegheny and of course not from there down to Hinton. Head end power would again be changed to single engine to proceed on down the New River Subdivision and out of sight at Gauley. Through passenger trains are another matter. In 1938 there were three crack passenger trains in each direction every day: the George Washington, FFV, and Sportsman. The first two passed this area at night, while the Sportsman was a daytime train. From west to east these trains enter the layout powered by those beautiful Pacifics. At Hinton they were changed to a Mountain type, and proceeded up and over Allegheny and eventually to leave the layout under charge of a Mountain. Upon entering the staging area the passenger trains switch off the right hand track to return again from the East, traveling west with the Mountain engine up front for the westward climb to Allegheny. When our now westbound train enters Hinton, the Mountain is removed and a Pacific is tied on to continue over the New River Subdivision. Upon entering the staging area to the West, the same process is repeated with this passenger train now ready to return again from the West headed by a Pacific. Within a 24 hour operating session, both the east and westbound George Washingtons, FFVs, and Sportsmans can be covered with just one of each of the three trains. Through passenger operations are enhanced in prototypi-cal style by dropping off and picking up Pullmans from Cleveland (Nickel Plate or NYC), New York (PRR), Richmond, and Washington at White Sulphur Springs. In addition, there were a number of daily locals operating on this section of the main line in 1938. Tbe specifics on these trains can be found in C&O employee timetables from the period. It seems that this 124 miles with its steep hillsides, numerous tunnels (at all the right places), small towns, picturesque stations make this an ideal setting for a model railroad. Heavy main line traffic both freight and passenger, the C&O's distinctive use of steam power for each separately defined function (as evidenced by the power changes at Hinton) adds a lot of operating interest. By modeling one key location (Hinton) with complete terminal facilities, then adding all the through traffic, I believe you truly have a 'dream" model railroad layout.
C&O Hinton Yards, Circa 1938 Top My Hinton yard is 20' long by 4' wide. As you can see, it occupies a corner. Our model railroads seem to have all too many corners. But, even though you may not be thinking specifically of Hinton, there are several lessons here that may be of help for any yard you may be contemplating. Three feet is about the widest our railroad shelves should be, due to the 'maximum arm's reach of an 0-5-0. However, the rear one foot of this 4' wide area is the bank, overlooking the yards from the city of Hinton with trees and city houses. There is no track or trains here to get into trouble. Also, I've found that those old-fashioned, round kick stools that roll on casters are excellent for extending the reach of that 0-5-0. Looking at the yards from the west (left side of plan), CW Cabin is the first Structure to be seen. As with the prototype, CW Cabin is at the base of a steep hill that follows all around the rear of the yards and makes a perfect background. Just beyond, the mainline crossovers are #8's. Since we are modeling 1938, we are dealing with 2-8-8-2 H-7's. All of the yard turnouts are #6. The minimum main-line curves are 40" radius, and the yards are 32" radius. As the yard is entered from the west, you notice there are no reverse or S curves off the turnouts. With big engines or long cars (passenger cars), these can cause problems. There is also a fairly long section of straight track off the turnouts except tracks 7, 8, 9, and 10. This straight section of track is an aid in our use of Kadee couplers. Tracks 1, 2, 3, and 4 serve as arrival and departure tracks. Tracks 5, 6, 7, and 8 are primarily engine servicing tracks for both arriving and departing engines. Track 9 is a servicing track for coal to the 800 ton Fairbanks Morse coaling station and sand to the 200 ton sanding station. Track 9 is also used for picking up cinders from the three conveyors and delivering supplies to the roundhouse, coal to the power-house, and a tank car for lamp and engine oil to three 6000 gallon tanks behind the shops. Track 10 goes up the hillside to the Hinton Freight House. The yards at Hinton were primarily for engine servicing, while most classification was carried out at the Avis yard just to the east. However, blocks of empty and full c')al cars were dropped off for later pick up. The ladder in the center of the yard, servicing arrival/departure tracks 1, 2, 3, and 4, and run around tracks, are all #6 turnouts with no reverse curves off the turnouts. They also have a sufficiently long straight track to assure reliable coupling/uncoupling. The only non-prototypical turnout is a three-way on the ladder, in order to give the necessary length to the caboose track. This puts the caboose track in a convenient place for both dropping off incoming cabooses and picking up outgoing cabs, it is also close to the location of the prototype. Track 12 for passenger cars is shown on the Hinton yard maps of this era, for there was a considerable amount of passenger car servicing and origi-nation at Hinton. Tracks 13 and 15 are the east and west switching leads, which keep all of this activity off the main line, Track 14 is for the ice house and platforms. Originally built to ice refrigerator cars, by the mid- 1930's the new air-conditioned passenger cars of the George Washington were also serviced here. With both refrigerator and passenger cars being serviced at this small facility, you can imagine how intensive the activity was. Along the riverbank are nine small structures as described in a plan from Model Railroader magazine. The mallet engine house is located to the east of the roundhouse. The passenger station, with the Railroad YMCA on the hill behind it, are the eastern most yard structures, just as in the prototype. The mainline crossovers in front of the passenger station are all #8's. The siding between the cast and west main lines, in front of the passenger station, is almost like the prototype and works right into some great passenger operations, as wee shall see. Hinton yard operations Top Now for the real fun the mainline and yard operations at Hinton, circa 1938! First, let's get a little idea of what was going on here. Hinton was a very busy place. It was a crew change point for all passenger and freight movements between the New River Subdivision to the west and the Allegheny Subdivision to the east. In addition, all head end power was changed here. To the west on the New River Subdivision, passenger trains used Pacific 4-6-2's and coal drags used H-7 mallets, 2-8-8-2's. Local freight engines were 2-8-0's, 2-8-2's or 2-6-6-2's. To the east on the Allegheny Subdivision, passenger engines were the Mountain 4-8-2's and Greenbrier 4-8-4's. Loaded coal trains to the east added a second 11-7 to the rear as a pusher as far east as Alleghany. To get an idea of the traffic in and Out of Hinton in our 1938 era, a look at The total represents at least forty trains per day, all changing crews and engines. Considering that those twelve eastbound coal trains required a second pusher engine, we are looking at least fifty-two engines per day in and out of the Hinton Yards. The coaling station required an average of 170 50-ton hopper cars per week and 55 50-ton cars of sand per week. The Hinton yards were prima-rily for engine servicing. Most of the classification function took place to the east in the Avis yards. Westbound freight trains did pull into the yard arrival/departure tracks for engine, caboose, and crew changes. Due to the eastbound grade at Hinton, eastbound coal drags were taken to the Avis yard where the front engine, rear pusher and caboose were coupled on. Passenger Trains Top Let's follow the eastbound George Washington train number 2. It is 12:43 a.m. as the George Washington flashes past CW Cabin exactly twd miles west of the Hinton station, but she is already slowing down for the shop at the station. As the George Washington rounds the bend with the New River on the right and the dark hillside to the left, the Hinton yards come into view. What a contrast - there are lights everywhere, the powerful flood lights atop the giant coaling tower face both east and west. The smoke and steam rising from the many engines in the yards is illuminated like white clouds by the giant flood lights. There are hundreds of lights all along the servicing tracks, at the small grand central yard office, at the inspection pits, at the water columns, on all sides and under the great coaling tower, at the three cinder conveyors. at the engine washing platforms, at the turntable, roundhouse, shops, office building, mallet engine house, the Icing house and plaitform, and the many small shanties to our right along the river. Hinton is indeed a beehive of activity day and night. However, very few lights show through the windows of our train, most everyone is asleep as we glide smoothly and quietly without the slightest bump to a stop in front of the Hinton station. It is now 12.46 a.m., we are right on time. In the station, the dispatcher's office at the bay window is brightly lit, lights show through the windows of the passenger waiting rooms and baggage room on the first floor, but the offices on the second and third floor are dark. Very few passengers on our train will be aware of what is happening, for this is the way it should be. The crews are very much aware of not disturbing the sleep of these passengers. As we pulled up in front of the Hinton station on the eastbound track, there is already a Mountain 4-8-2 engine facing east on the siding between the east and west mainline tracks. There was also one empty Pennsylvania heavyweight Pullman behind the Mountain. This Pullman had been previously serviced and iced at the Hinton icehouse and platforms. The eastbound George Washington will drop it off at White Sulphur Springs for loading. Another eastbound train will pick it up later in the day. lust as soon as our engine stopped, a switchman is already standing by at exactly this point to uncouple our Pacific 4-6-2. It now pulls forward a few engine lengths until the front of the Pacific is opposite the front of the waiting Mountain. (These are the great daytime pictures we see of the engine changes in front of the Hinton Depot.) The switch is thrown behind our Pacific, the headlight goes dim, the tender light is on as it quietly backs up light across the crossover of the westbound main and into the entrance to the yard. For a moment, let's look back at the station. The switch behind the Mountain on the center siding has been thrown and it is already backing a short distance to clear the switch to the crossover to the eastbound main. The switch is thrown and it moves quietly and slowly forward to come upon the eastbound main in front of our waiting train. Again, the eastern switch is thrown and our Mountain In addition to the crew changes, a couple of passengers have gotten off and a few boarded, baggage has been unloaded and loaded. The engine light goes to bright, two quick whistles and the George Washington easily and quietly pulls out of Hinton at 12:55 a.m., right on the advertised. Again, we are surrounded by almost total darkness as the city lights quickly fade away. We are gaining speed rapidly and just get a quick look at the lighted second floor of MX cabin at the eastern approach to Hinton - again, it never closes. Back at the Hinton yards the hostler is backing the Pacific through the center ladder to thoroughfare track number 5. Re will Continue to the western ladder and after clearing the turnout of track 5, move forward to the next track, number 6, and continue forward to stop the engine over the inspection pit. Brakes being set, he will walk back to the grand central yard office between tracks 7 and g, report his movement and await his next assignment, On the inspection pit, oil is checked, as well as springs, brakes and brake shoes, air hoses, coupler knuckles, engine tools, flags and flares. Needed repairs are sent by vacuum tube to the round-house. The engine is now brought forward to the water columns at the west of the coaling tower. After the tender is filled with water, the engine is moved forward and spotted so that coal is put in the tender at the same time the sand domes of the engine are filled from the sand bunkers on the eastern side of the coaling tower. The engine is next moved over on one of the three cinder conveyors and cinders dumped into the under track cinder dollies. The engine now proceeds to the wash rack where laborers on each side wash the engine wheels and side rods with hot water and detergent. Next the engine is moved to the 115 foot turntable and placed in the roundhouse for the needed repairs. After repairs are completed, the engine is backed out of the round-house, turned on the turntable so that it is facing west. Since this is a Pacific it will be leaving Hinton in a westerly direction. It is moved slowly to the ready track number 8. When its next assignment comes up, it will proceed forward to the western ladder to thoroughfare track 5' and proceed to back through track 5 to the eastern yard entrance. It will again be spotted on the center siding front of the Hinton station facing west. When its westbound train arrives on the west main in front of the station, the Mountain on the train will be coupled and be ready to proceed west on the west main of the New River Subdivi-sion. As nearly as we can determine from historical records and personal ac-counts of Hinton employees, we have been able to exactly follow the engine servicing movements and procedures in our model Hinton yards. Next, we will examine freight operations at the model Hinton yards. Freight Operations Top We saw the Hinton yards at nighttime with an eastbound Pacific passenger engine arriving from the New River Subdivisions. Now let's take a look at a heavy loaded coal drag also coming into Hinton from the west. In the year of 1938 we have mostly 50-ton hoppers with an H-7, 2-8-8-2 on the head end. We are told that due to the grade eastbound in front of the Hinton yards, that motive power was actually changed just to the east at the Avis yards. Since this is a railroad model, we can't duplicate both yards, so we will perform this function at Hinton. However, the engines were all serviced and turned at Hinton. just as we do on our model. As our engine approaches CW Cabin to the west of Hinton, the switches and signals are set for our train to cross the west main and proceed into the Hinton yards on arrival track number 1. There is a manifest freight only two blocks behind our Coal drag that should not be held upon the long grade from Hinton to Allegheny. The engine of our coal train is now up almost to the eastern ladder in front of the turntable. The engine crew leaves their engine here and checks in at the yard office. From there they will climb the hill to the Hinton YMCA behind the passenger station for a welcomed shower and rest.
The Hinton roundhouse was much too short to accommodate mallets. Even though longer additions were added prior to 1938. with the steep hilt behind the entire yards, there just was not enough level ground to appreciably lengthen the roundhouse stalls. In fact, prior to 1938, the stalls were lengthened a few feet by adding a wooden canopy to the front. Because of the hill behind, the canopy in front, and enlargement of the turntable to 115 feet is why the roundhouse is so close to the turntable. (However, for us modelers, this also saves space.) In the meantime, two H-7's facing east on the ready track are being moved. The first has backed through the west ladder, moved forward on the run around track 5 to track I on the east ladder and backed down to couple to the head end of our heavy coal drag. The second H-7 will be pushing our train. The conductor's personally assigned wooden caboose was picked up by an 0-8-0 switcher from the caboose track, moved through the run around track 5 to the western ladder and coupled to the tender of the H-7 pusher. The switcher clears the western ladder, the H-7 backs through the western ladder to track number I. It now moves forward and couples to the rear loaded coal car with the caboose behind the tender and our east bound coal train is ready. When this has been going on in the yards, the manifest that was behind our coal train has arrived on the eastbound main line and stopped with the K-3 (2-8-2) in front of the passenger station. The engine and caboose crews are relieved here. The engine is taken into the yards by a hostler. Since there is a shortage of H-7's today, two other K-3's have been assigned to double head the manifest to Allegh-eny. The K-3's have been waiting on the center track in front of the Station They are backed into the train on the east track and leave in a few minutes. When the manifest clears the inter-locking, our coal drag blows off two whistles and slowly moves out of the yards, through the crossover to the eastbound main. The heavy coal train is a long time in snaking out through the yard ladder and across the main-line crossover Finally, the rear pusher, with caboose in tow, clears the crossover and fades into the distance past MX Cabin. For a moment, all is quiet in front of the Station, but not for long. When our coal drag reaches Alleghany, the H-7 pusher will be cut off, the caboose coupled to the rear of the train which will proceed downhill through Lewis Tunnel and Out of sight. The H-7 pusher will be turned on the 115 foot turntable at Allegheny and proceed light back to Hinton on the westbound main. It will again enter the Hinton yards and turn on the turntable so that it will again be facing east and back to ready track 7 or 8 and be ready for its next pushing assignment up to Allegheny. On Our model the eastbound coal train that we left at Allegheny will proceed eastward to Meadow Creek where it 'will disappear into the hidden staging area under Hinton. At a later time in our operating session, this loaded coal train with the 11-7 on the head, will again appear Out of the staging area as another train near Gauley on the New River Subdivision, still going east. As you can see, some exciting and realistic action is possible when the layout design is based an actual prototype . |
