Here's some advice, if you don't have a place for a layout, don't immerse yourself into the virtual and storytelling sides, you just end up making the final plan harder. Ask me how I know this... Been playing with a concept for what is basically storytelling. As some of you have read, I have an interest in modelling the City Of Madison Port Authority. I also wanted to include Amtrak, but the closest train was the Kentucky Cardinal. Now, the KC is easy enough to save, especially if one retweaks the ExpressTrak to go into a Louisville hub as a direct Amtrak service. (Much to the same effect of what they do now in Baggage cars)) But the KC heaads north <20miles west of North Vernon on what I think is the CSX ex-Monon. there used to be a Northern line out of Vernon that rejoined the KC's route in Columbus, but the Penn Central scrapped that in the 80s. Here's what I'd like to see, that somehow the old PC line could be rescued, and tied back into the rest of th old PC/PRR line so that the Kentucky Card can slipacross to orth Vernon, and pick up any Express or Private Varnish coming out of Jefferson Proving Ground, and not have to backtrak. (Amd possibly allow me to backdate to the 50s PRR). I'mlargely seeing th KC to become an Amtrak mixed train-express and not an Amtrak passenger though. My problem, thre's only two industries outside of Columbus that show signs of rail service, and a third that's close enough I could swing it. Not enough that I see to justify a shortline; and pay for itself. Columbus, yes. There's enough in there to justify the use of a small switcher. But the 20 mile stretch from there to North Vernon, cutting through Elizabethtown. Am I wrong? Up into 2010 CMPA was run by the city, who didn;t need any track once they got theri industry connected to the main rai network. The State of IN passed a law giving the Port Authorities more autonomy, and the CMPA cou;d comcievably purchase into the connector, but I can't see it justified to rebuild a dead roadbed, something else already needs to be there. And yes, I know I;m oveercomplicating things, and that plan C "Because I want to" but I like havibng a grain of plausibility in a fiction. Here's a map to the area. Still working on priod photos, amd thank you for reading my befuddlement. If you can't make out what I said and wouldlike to help, please Iask, I'd appreaciete the thoughts. http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...086,-85.630585&spn=0.002251,0.006518&t=h&z=18
