My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Model railroading in all scales and gauges. HO talk welcome :)
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Pie39
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My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Pie39 »

Although I live in Ohio, I'm a bigger fan of operations in Michigan. Everything is more unique with less trains, and I love the single-track meets, shortlines, and really all in-between! This became my N-scale layout. It's a 4x8 1/2, and I'll post pictures if needed but it's nothing to marvel at right now :lol: . I want the main operator to be Ann Arbor (with my two GP35s), and there will be lots of transfer runs between very early CSX, DT&I, and maybe GT if I can get a loco. (No, I don't have any perception of era!) Anyway, I have two questions.
1. Ignoring my previous era statement, did AA use cabooses in the 1980ish time period?
2. Did B&O have routes into MI, and if not did their locomotives end up making runs up there?

Thanks a lot, I'm having a lot of fun working on this!
Modeling the Ann Arbor Railroad in the 70's in N scale.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7JFDy ... ja0S1o7Q9A

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SD80MAC
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by SD80MAC »

B&O owned no track in Michigan but after the C&O-B&O affiliation of the mid 60's and of course the creation of Chessie System, B&O and WM locomotives frequented Michigan on the old PM.
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Pie39
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Pie39 »

SD80MAC wrote:B&O owned no track in Michigan but after the C&O-B&O affiliation of the mid 60's and of course the creation of Chessie System, B&O and WM locomotives frequented Michigan on the old PM.
Good, because I ordered a B&O/chessie GP40 instead of C&O sublettered. Now I can live with my mistake :D
Modeling the Ann Arbor Railroad in the 70's in N scale.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7JFDy ... ja0S1o7Q9A

fmilhaupt
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by fmilhaupt »

Well, if you're doing Chessie-era, that's no problem, really. B&O sub-lettered (and WM sub-lettered) Chessie units ran into and through Michigan frequently.

Prior to around 1970, the "proper" B&O freight diesels were not as common in Michigan.
-Fritz Milhaupt

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Racer
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Racer »

Also, DT&I and CSX never co-existed. GTW took over the DT&I 4-5 years before CSX became an actual railroad.
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by OwlCaboose2853 »

Pie39 wrote:Although I live in Ohio, I'm a bigger fan of operations in Michigan. Everything is more unique with less trains, and I love the single-track meets, shortlines, and really all in-between! This became my N-scale layout. It's a 4x8 1/2, and I'll post pictures if needed but it's nothing to marvel at right now :lol: . I want the main operator to be Ann Arbor (with my two GP35s), and there will be lots of transfer runs between very early CSX, DT&I, and maybe GT if I can get a loco. (No, I don't have any perception of era!) Anyway, I have two questions.
1. Ignoring my previous era statement, did AA use cabooses in the 1980ish time period?
2. Did B&O have routes into MI, and if not did their locomotives end up making runs up there?

Thanks a lot, I'm having a lot of fun working on this!
Hey Pie39!

Do you want looking for N Scale? Try link "M-rail.net" http://www.m-rail.net/
The Annie Track Plans
http://www.m-rail.net/layouts/n_scale/annie/anniev2.jpg :wink:
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Pie39
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Pie39 »

OwlCaboose2853 wrote:
Pie39 wrote:Although I live in Ohio, I'm a bigger fan of operations in Michigan. Everything is more unique with less trains, and I love the single-track meets, shortlines, and really all in-between! This became my N-scale layout. It's a 4x8 1/2, and I'll post pictures if needed but it's nothing to marvel at right now :lol: . I want the main operator to be Ann Arbor (with my two GP35s), and there will be lots of transfer runs between very early CSX, DT&I, and maybe GT if I can get a loco. (No, I don't have any perception of era!) Anyway, I have two questions.
1. Ignoring my previous era statement, did AA use cabooses in the 1980ish time period?
2. Did B&O have routes into MI, and if not did their locomotives end up making runs up there?

Thanks a lot, I'm having a lot of fun working on this!
Hey Pie39!

Do you want looking for N Scale? Try link "M-rail.net" http://www.m-rail.net/
The Annie Track Plans
http://www.m-rail.net/layouts/n_scale/annie/anniev2.jpg :wink:
WHERE HAVE YA BEEN ALL THIS TIME?! Haha well I'm thinking of making a GP35 in the Ferry in the Fog scheme, so I'll need the site for that! And I'll explore the rest too, thank you!

And about the DT&I/CSX thing...well I can cut CSX out if it means having a DT&I geep :lol:
Modeling the Ann Arbor Railroad in the 70's in N scale.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7JFDy ... ja0S1o7Q9A

pbmaxno15
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by pbmaxno15 »

Model Railroaders Special Issue Model Railroad Planning 2005 has an article on Arnt Gerritson's AA layout including the carferry operations in Frankfort/Elberta. Connections with Penn Central and C&O are part of the layout. It is a very good article, including the track plan. If you are interested, let me know, and I can share my copy.

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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by CAT345C »

Didn't the B&O run a passenger train to Detroit from Toldeo? I'm pretty sure I have a movie that references it somewhere.
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OwlCaboose2853
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by OwlCaboose2853 »

CAT345C wrote:Didn't the B&O run a passenger train to Detroit from Toldeo? I'm pretty sure I have a movie that references it somewhere.
Yup, B&O were here...
See links:
http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/P ... to019D.htm
http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/P ... to031C.htm
http://www.michiganrailroads.com/RRHX/R ... &OMenu.htm
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cnw8835
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by cnw8835 »

CAT345C wrote:Didn't the B&O run a passenger train to Detroit from Toldeo? I'm pretty sure I have a movie that references it somewhere.
At least the Cincinnatian and the Ambassador.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cincinnatian
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambassado ... O_train%29

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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Racer »

pbmaxno15 wrote:Model Railroaders Special Issue Model Railroad Planning 2005 has an article on Arnt Gerritson's AA layout including the carferry operations in Frankfort/Elberta. Connections with Penn Central and C&O are part of the layout. It is a very good article, including the track plan. If you are interested, let me know, and I can share my copy.
Yes! Please scan them.
"...and I was in the front and Matt grabbed and pulled my ears from behind me and made horsey sounds."

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Pie39
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Pie39 »

Chrisracer8903 wrote:
pbmaxno15 wrote:Model Railroaders Special Issue Model Railroad Planning 2005 has an article on Arnt Gerritson's AA layout including the carferry operations in Frankfort/Elberta. Connections with Penn Central and C&O are part of the layout. It is a very good article, including the track plan. If you are interested, let me know, and I can share my copy.
Yes! Please scan them.
Seconded, if you would be so kind! :D
Modeling the Ann Arbor Railroad in the 70's in N scale.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7JFDy ... ja0S1o7Q9A

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DTIDave
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by DTIDave »

Pie39 wrote:2. Did B&O have routes into MI, and if not did their locomotives end up making runs up there?
Hi Pie, not sure if this helps or not, but in the early '90's, CSX used old GP38s, 40s and GP30Ms on the PH&D line at the time they had their riverfront yard in downtown Port Huron. They would use all kinds of these units, cycling them out regularly, so you'd see all kinds of paint- Chessie, SBD, Family Lines, L&N... Occasionally a straight up B&O in blue. Never caught a straight up C&O all those years though. Not even the GP40 that seemed to run forever. CSX also used GP15Ts (a rare series of locos that had a perfect fit on the old PH&D, and are STILL used to this day, with 1523 and 1524 the long time "home" engines. I haven't kept up with them since their move from the riverfront, and I've moved as well, but when I do catch them now, quite often they use ex-Conrail GP15-1s (non-turbocharged GP15s and much less rare than the "T"'s). It was awesome to catch the old road power that came over from Saginaw, too. I always loved the old "stretch" SD50s. Of course CSX itself was represented in the smorgasboard of paint schemes, with 8500 variations of the "yellow nose", stealth, "Bright Future", etc., so you could theoretically have a B&O and CSX in Michigan, and even though GTW took over the DT&I in what I call the "Tragedy of the Century" in the early '80's, by the '90's, there weren't too many (if ANY) left in orange. Of all the GT I photographed over the years, I HAVE caught ex-DT&I, but all in the blue and orange of GT. I always regret not having a camera handy when I was younger... catching them in their natural habitat, under the concrete arches! It's quite possible a B&O-painted (CSXT numbered) unit passed an orange "GT" Geep with a nose bell somewhere between Flint and PH... If not, you're a modeller- you can MAKE it happen! (which actually sounds like a great idea!)

B&O GP30M 4259 (I think that was the number) in the B&O Sunburst scheme was caught in PoHo a couple of times in the mid-'90s. I was geeked because I also photographed it in Lima, OH on a runthrough when I lived there during college! Those were great times to be a railfan!

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Pie39
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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by Pie39 »

Thank you for all that! Do you have any pictures to go along with it? It would help...with modeling... (honestly I'd just like to see some of this stuff!)

Also...is it possible to run a WC GP40? I mean, I will either way but it was too good an offer to pass up and it had DCC for $65, I plan to add DCC to the layout once it's mostly finished.
Modeling the Ann Arbor Railroad in the 70's in N scale.

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7JFDy ... ja0S1o7Q9A

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Re: My "Anywhere Michigan" N-scale Layout

Unread post by DTIDave »

Well... I'd love to post pics, but to be honest with you, my computer is better known as the Paperweight 2000. It's extremely slow, and to top it off, I am not very computer literate, so it takes me forever to scan my pics. I take 35mm, with a few exceptions. I have a digital camera on my work phone, so occassionally I can post something fresh, but all my old pics are relegated to being scanned one...at...a...time...

Maybe in the near future, I could get a few scanned and posted. I just simply haven't had the time to dedicate to something like that. It's bad enough I want to punch my monitor just TRYING to check my email half the time...

Take care,
DTIDave

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