Hi, Guys. I need help. I'm planing a layout and I like to model Eastern, Ky. I have an ideal of what I want on my layout but I don't have any ideal on where to start. I don't have a loaction picked out to model just like to model around Kentucky and give the layout the fill of it. By the way I have a 24'x 24' foot room to build my railroad in. Thanks for any help offered. Donald
I have been to that area, and have seen videos of that area. Basically eastern Kentucky is CSX coal country. Pikevile, and Hazard are some very rural eastern Kentucky towns. If you know someone that has the video, Union Pacific Clinfield Challenge, borrow it. There are several trackside scenes that will give you an idea of the topography. The mountains are steep, tree covered and rugged. There are several branchlines that require long back-up moves to the coal mines. These moves require cabooses. You will have a few tunnels along with long spindly steel tressles, and tight curves. The majority of your traffic will be coal. If you can't find the Clinchfield Challenge tape then I recommend "Welch by N&W" from American Altavista or "Along the Pocahantas District" by Pentrex. The NS lines are basically just across the border/valley from the CSX lines As for automobiles, find plenty of pick-up trucks as they constitute about 90% of the privately owned vehicles. Make sure you weather them heavily as well. I don't know if you can detail gunracks in the back windows of them, but you see plenty of those as well. Anyway, good luck with your layout. If you are looking for a coal mine or two, Walther's has a kit called New River Mining. This kit is very prototypical of coal mines in the area.
Also 24x24 is a good size room. Don't try to do everything at once. I would let the layout out evolve. Once you get your basic trackwork down, start running some trains. Get a feel for what you would like. (In coal country there are mines very close to the mainline if not on it, and mines that are several miles up a branch.) If you are like me and most model railroaders you will probably make minor changes to your track plan even as you are laying it. Have a good general plan to follow, and realize you may have to make some changes. It is easiest to change the plans while your are laying track. That is why I suggested that you get some trains rolling along first. Remember, be flexible, it is your layout and have fun. [ 27 July 2001: Message edited by: ajy6b ] [ 27 July 2001: Message edited by: ajy6b ]</p>
Welcome to trainboard Donald! There are alot of great appiliacian mountain railroad track plans in the various mags and books. I would start in a library and start looking at other trackplans to see how others have modeled the area. This will help you to sort out what can and cannot be done. If you don't have the John Armstrong book Track Planning for Realistic Operation I strongly suggest buying a copy. It's 20 bucks well spent as it will save you hundreds in the long run (rebuilding sections) Try to design somethign that can be built and opperated in stages so you arn't overwelmed with benchwork or track laying without being able to run trains once in a while.
