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Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:06 pm
by TCtrainguy17
This is a paper railroad I've been creating for a while now and decided to share. For me it's all about the realism of the story so I created an entire history from beginning to the current date.The story starts with the the Little Kanawha Railroad Company being organized in 1896 to build a railway east from Parkersburg, WV to Burnsville, WV. In 1903 the Elk and Little Kanawha Railroad was built as a logging railroad. But it effectively connected the LKRR with B&O's Grafton-Charleston line. Also in 1903 the Chesapeake Western Railway attempted to take over the Little Kanawha Railroad but was turned down. So far this all happened, but here is where reality ends. In my world the Chesapeake Western took over the Little Kanawha Railroad and in 1908 successfully conected the two railroads with trackage rights on the B&O and WM from Gilmer to Elkins, WV and a new line from Elkins to the Chesapeake Western in Stokesville, VA. Managment soon realized that even with the coal from there wasnt enough traffic along the railroad to be profitable, so in 1914 they built a main line from Parkersburg north to Zanesville, OH and then continued further north the port of Lorain, OH. In 1920 the 3ft gauge Elk & Litlle Kanawha was puschase by Chesapeake Western and standard gauged.
Fast forward 39 years to 1959 and the Chesapeake Western is a highly profitable railroad and after several months of negotiations managment agreed to merge with the Virginian Railway. Both companies were combined into a new railroad called Virginian & Western Railway. Two railroads were conected by using New York Central's need for cash and purchasing 51% of their Columbus-Charleston route in 1961. Two years later the Interstate Commerce Comission ordered the B&O Railroad to sell it's majority share of WM Railway. The Virginian & Western was the highest bidder and took control of the WM in 1963. Soon afterwards the Virginian & Western leased the Pittsburg & West Virginia Railway in 1964 with the option to purchase. Three years later that option was chosen and the P&WV was purchased in 1967.
When the Erie Lackawanna opted out of Conrail they started looking for a merger partner. After Chessie System fell through the Virginian & Western was the next in line. This time the merger was succesful and both railroads were placed under Erie Western System along with the WM and P&WV in 1975, but all four continued to operate seperatly much like Chessie System.
This continued until 1983 when the Erie Western System merged with the Appalachian Central Railroad. Which is another one of my paper railroads that operates between Nashville, TN and Ironton, OH via Corbin, KY. All of the railroads under Erie Western System and the Appalachian Central were merged into Appalachian Western Railway by 1984.
1985 brought low profit margins for Chessie System and to make some quick cash they granted trackage rights between Parkersburg and Ironton, OH and sold the Parkersburg-St. Louis route to the Appalachain Western. In 1989 the Appalachian Western purchased the P&LE's share of the Monongahela Railroad. Shortly after in 1991 the P&LE was purchased by the Appalachian Western. In 2004 BC Rail was put up for sale by the Providence of British Columbia and after a bidding war with Candian National the Appalachian Western ended up leasing BC Rail. In 2009 the Elk River Railroad was purchased and after years of trying the Appalachain Western had finally gained ownership of part of the ex B&O Charleston-Grafton route. Two years later in 2011 the Appalachian Western was asked to operate Big Eagle Rail, West Virginia's oldest short line, in Winifrede, WV. Below is the system map.
ImageThe locomotive roster is further down on this page.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 5:16 pm
by DT&I
Is this part of the organized paper railroads? Just wondering. It sounds like you have a great railroad here! And the detailed history is just interesting.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 6:32 pm
by atrainguy60
Cool railroad. I like how you added so much backround history to it.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:34 pm
by TCtrainguy17
DT&I wrote:Is this part of the organized paper railroads?
If nobody minds I think it will be.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:38 pm
by Saturnalia
TCtrainguy17 wrote:
DT&I wrote:Is this part of the organized paper railroads?
If nobody minds I think it will be.
I'm fine with you joining.

Unless 3 others in the group say no, you're in :D

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:40 pm
by AARR
I vote hes in :)

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:44 pm
by Michigan Railfan
AARR wrote:I vote hes in :)

Me too. No problems here :)

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 7:51 pm
by Saturnalia
You are officially in :D

when are you going to post a map?

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:27 pm
by Ypsi
im late but sure! :lol:

does anyone connect whit this RR?

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:28 pm
by DT&I
YpsiAmtrakBoy wrote:im late but sure! :lol:

does anyone connect whit this RR?
DT&C in Washington Courthouse
TSCR in Pittsburgh
and I vote yes!

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 8:30 pm
by atrainguy60
Extremely late. Of course you can join.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:05 pm
by TCtrainguy17
Thanks everyone for letting me in.
AW current locomotive roster.

1060-1084 RS3m (note 1)
2000-2047 GP38-2
2200-2211 SD22ECO (rebuilt SD40-3)
2250-2274 Road Slug (ex BNSF GP30u)
2300-2316 SuperB23-7 (rebuilt U23B)
2317-2319 CCRCL (Control Car Remote Control Locomotive, rebuilt U23B)
2320-2334 B23-7
2500-2504 ROAD SLUG (ex-WM SD35)
2550-2556 GP35-2
2563-2587 GP35-2
3000-3091 SD40-2
3100-3134 GP40-2
3200-3241 SD40-3 (rebuilt SD40)
3500-3518 SD50-2 (note 2)
3600-3612 SD45-2
3700-3735 SD60
3800-3851 SD60M (3 piece windshield)
3853-3985 SD60M (2 piece windshield)
4000-4014 C40-8
4016-4029 C40-8W
4030-4039 C41-8W
4050-4064 SD70M
4100-4199 SD70MAC
4200-4244 SD70ACe
4300-4399 SD70ACe
4400-4414 C44-9W
4415-4564 AC4400CW
BCOL 4601-4626 C40-8Mu
BCOL 4641-4644 C44-9WL
BCOL 4645-4654 C44-9W
4600-4724 ES44AC
4900-4905 PR43C
6000-6009 AC6000CW (note 3)
6050-6059 SD90MAC (note 4)
9100-9160 SD9043MAC (ex-CP; except 9128, 9129, 9133)
E1400-E1414 ES14E (electric)
E1500-E1514 GF15C (electric)
E3300-E3311 E33 (electric)
E5000-E5021 E44a (electric) {retired}
E6000-E6014 E60C (electric)
E6050-E6064 GM6C (electric)
E6065-6079 GF6C (electric)
E6081-E6087 GF6C (ex-BCOL electric)

2013 Orders-
30 SD32ECO 2350-2379

Note 1- Rebuilt by Erie Lackawanna using retired EMD E8 prime movers
Note 2- SD50 rerated to 3000hp
Note 3- Rebuilt with GEVO-16 (like CSX's)
Note 4- Rebuilt with 16-710G3C-T2 and SD70ACe electronics

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:09 pm
by DT&I
I think I see a partnership with the TSCR... lol if you want it.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:39 pm
by TCtrainguy17
Sorry i forgot to add that the electrics since the electrified section of the Virginian still exists.
DT&I wrote:I think I see a partnership with the TSCR... lol if you want it.
I believe that would benefit both sides :D

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 10:45 pm
by DT&I
Where in Ohio and Pennsylvania do you have tracks?

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:10 pm
by TCtrainguy17
In Pennsylvania I have all of the Pittsburg and Lake Erie which is Youngstown to Connellsville via Pittsburg. The Pitsburg and West Virginia which is Connelsvile to Pittsburg Junction, OH (this is currently the east end of the W&LE). And the Erie Lackawanna which is in the northwestern corner of PA.
In Ohio the EL and that runs east to west: Youngstown-Akron-Mansfield-Marion-Lima and on to Idiana. Also I own the ex B&O across southern ohio from PArkersburg, wv-Athens oh-chillicothe-Greenfield(just south of Washington Ct House)-Cincinnati and on to St. Louis. I also created a line north from Parkersburg-marietta, oh-Zanesville-coshocton Wooster-Lodi-Lorain where i have a pier for loading boats on the great lakes with coal. I think thats it.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:21 pm
by DT&I
We have tracks in Coscocton, St. Louis, Pittsbugh, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnatti, etc

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:47 pm
by TCtrainguy17
Okay so we can interchange in all of those cities. Do you serve Detroit? If you so would you be interested in runnning an intermodal hotshot between detroit and New York with the TSCR running it to Cleveland and the AW takeing it to New York?

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Thu Jun 14, 2012 11:52 pm
by DT&I
TCtrainguy17 wrote:Okay so we can interchange in all of those cities. Do you serve Detroit? If you so would you be interested in runnning an intermodal hotshot between detroit and New York with the TSCR running it to Cleveland and the AW takeing it to New York?
We'd love to! Once our contract with CSX expired this July 4th all trains running on the CSX to New York will be shipped on your line.

Re: Appalachian Western Railway

Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2012 12:08 am
by TCtrainguy17
Awesome! It may not be water level like CSX's but is shorter and I'm pretty sure that AC traction power is meant to tackle tough grades.