Rome, Lafayette, and Northern Railroad

[legostudios34]

High Point and Rome has bought the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railroad from Genessee and Wyoming. The line runs 57 miles from Chattanooga, TN to Rome, GA. The portion from Lyerly to Rome has been abandoned since 2008, as a bridge was found to be in very poor shape. The track is all FRA excepted, but as soon as the bridge becomes operable, trains will begin running. No intermodal anytime soon, as a 10 MPH intermodal train is not really competitive with anything NS can offer between Chattanooga and Birmingham. This will operate as the subsidiary Rome, Lafayette, and Northern RR (RLNR reporting marks). All 4 Alcos and the RS36 slug will be assigned to this operation. Run through trains will operate with regular HPR power. I will be creating a new topic for this subsidiary, so more info will be there. I will be developing a timetable for both this and HPR as time allows, so look out for the files in the photo gallery.

Trains that will run on the RLNR -

RLNR 1 - Chattanooga to Rome
(Mixed Freight - Replaces NS 371)
RLNR 2 - Rome to Chattanooga
(Mixed Freight - Replaces NS 370)
RLNR 3 - Chattanooga to Birmingham via HPR
(Mixed freight - Replaces NS 367)
RLNR 4 - Birmingham to Chattanooga via HPR
(Mixed freight - Replaces NS 164)
RLNR 5 - Chattanooga to Lafayette
(Local turn, switches industries along the line)

Locomotive power -
(All are permanently assigned to the trains listed below)

RLNR 320 - RS32 - RLNR #5
RLNR 221 - GP40F-2 - RLNR #1 & 2
RLNR 424 - C424 - RLNR #1 & 2
RLNR 425 - C424 - RLNR #1 & 2
RLNR 426 - C424 - RLNR 1 & 2
RLNR 606 - Slug (ex RS36, mated to RLNR 320) - RLNR #5

3 and 4 run with regular HPR power.

[legostudios34]

Inspections on our bridge are progressing. It will probably require a full replacement as most of it is rotting away.

#5 ran today with NS 4148 for power. We have not moved the power from HPR because we don't have a bridge to move it over.

[Saturnalia]

Inspections on our bridge are progressing. It will probably require a full replacement as most of it is rotting away.

#5 ran today with NS 4148 for power. We have not moved the power from HPR because we don't have a bridge to move it over.

We at MQT can build and ship a new bridge to you. Just give us the specs, and our engineers can prefab it in GR and ship it in sections to you. If you get the abutments in place, we can have it in place in one day...

[legostudios34]

Inspections on our bridge are progressing. It will probably require a full replacement as most of it is rotting away.

#5 ran today with NS 4148 for power. We have not moved the power from HPR because we don't have a bridge to move it over.

We at MQT can build and ship a new bridge to you. Just give us the specs, and our engineers can prefab it in GR and ship it in sections to you. If you get the abutments in place, we can have it in place in one day...

Won't be necessary, we can do it. Not too much maintenance going on the the main HPR system, so we'rejust sending our MOW guys there.

[legostudios34]

Bridge work was completed today. The first train to Rome in 20 years on this line will run tomorrow, although it may take a while. Speeds between Summerville and Rome will likely be less than 5 MPH. Some areas of track appear to be worse than the ND&W RR. The train will consist of NS 4148 and a NS passenger car that are leased to RLNR.