Model Railroading > Working on the Railroad--Georgia Road Style

It has been some time since I posted anything on the Georgia Road.  As the Deep South finally cools down and the near 100 percent humidity of the dog days of Summer are quickly becoming a memory, I find I have time to model in short binges.  As many who follow my sometimes long winded posts can attest, I continue to build the trains that will run the layout while I try to figure out just how to shoe-horn a multi-deck layout into a 25 X25 shop.  My pictures are at times rudimentary at best, but they give me a few moments to "dream the impossible dream" and pretend for a moment my trains actually have scale lives of their own.  I have survyed the organized and dishevelled piles on my work desk into what I affectionately call "Stephens Railcar".  It gained a life of its own from the early days a just lines of locomotive and cars waiting for time to be kitbashed, painted, decalled and finished.   I seem to be most challenged on the last three, as many projects hang somewhere between structurally complete and primed.  Other sit wating on paint and decals.  On some mad and rare occasions, I actually have something to show for the effort and for brief periods, Stephens Railcar (or my workshop as it is in truth) actually outshops projects, if only for cameo shots before being packed down until called to run on a layout that is little more than raw benchwork for now..  Tonight was one of those occasions when more projects finished that started, so once again I invite you into the world of my imagination so that hopefully you can see what I see in the depths of the mind's eye.

I am a local in the Birmingham, AL area, and call myself a railfan to the area.  I get to see much of what goes and comes through the two large Georgia Road yards on each side of town, along with the interchange and separate operations of BNSF, CSX and NS.  In recent years a new player has taken over the Birmingham Southern RR operations.  I often wondered how US Steel would relinquish such an operation with its sprawling Fairfield Works being the centerpoint of operations for the terminal road, but nevertheless, it did find itself in the hands of the Alabama Midland System some years ago and now the Alabama Midland System itself has been folded into yet another larger shortline congolmerate, the Florida & Gulf Coast System.  The effect on the Birmingham Southern was neglible at first, with the Alabama Midland simply adding additional equipment for use around the steel mill in full AMRR  "Dixie Line" colors.  Later, Birmingham Southern locomotives when overhauled could as likely or not find their new paint matching the Alabama Midland with the only change being the reporting marks under the cab.  When Florida and Gulf Industries purchased the Alabama Midland, and by default the Birmingham Southern, things as they say, "they are a changing."
US Steel announced this year that the last working blast furnace in Birmingham will be shuddered by years end, and with it, all casting, rolling and treating processes.  The pipe mill will continue, but only through the addition of an electric arc furnance fed solely with scap metial, mostly coming from the idle mills and industry wiped out in the world economy and the Great Recession of 2008-2009.  The old workhorse Birmingham Southern was now just a point on the new shortline conglomerate map, but for now, an important one with the coming Post Panimax rage that is sure to hit the Gulf States very soon.  The new Alabama Midland is a sibling operation and connection to its recently prosperous sibling, the Florida & Gulf  Coast RR.  Two pairs of trains now roll into Birmingham from the Gulf side every day, one heavy with Hurricane Intermodal traffic , and one hauling the goods of the pulp, paper and basic material industry that continues to thrive in the area.  As with Genesse and Wyoming (GWI), Florida & Gulf Industries beleves in its brand, and the sometimes eclectic colors of the old Alabama Midland and its trove of shortlines are numbered.  The goal is to sell the new brand, and ot do it, all the shortlines need to sell the same integrated family colors.​​

1-The Bay Line RR, or formely the Atlanta and St, Andrews Bay RR, has been in the fold of the Alabama Midland for many years following the purchase of then owner Rail Management out of Panama City, FL.  While Alabama Midland did paint some units in the "Dixie Line" colors, most kept original paint or the Alabama Midland RR scheme of the time.  Florida & Gulf Industries set out to change this, putting its sunburst logo across all family shortlines far and wide.  ​

2-The Alabama Midland units traded sea blue and yellow for the Florida & Gulf Coast red and yellow as demonstrated by one of the AMRR Operation Lifesaver units.
3-Even the lowly Radio Control Consist Leader units got the family treatment.  At least the new owners think enough of crews to add HVAC to the new paint also.

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For those who forget the railroad that started all this, the Florida & Gulf Coast is demonstrated by these drawings.  There is some irony in this mix, as many of the roster mates come from cold climates only to retire to a new life in sunny Florida and Alabama...

4-  Do you wonder why local railfans call these "Snow Bird" when referring to them?  A cowled unit looks a little warmer these days after years in the cold Canadian Rockies as demonstrated by a Florida & Gulf Coast SD​40-2F.  She is even pimped out to the Florida Board of Tourism--hey--billboards make money--especially rolling billboards.

5-​Road Slug sets are quite usefull on the Cross Florida Division in the panhandle region.  Get used to the Tourism banner...seems it is getting to be the norm since these units now run all over Georgia, Alabama and Missisiippi under the new rule and shout "Florida Vacation" to all who find themselves stopped at a crossing for a train.

6--Do not forget the Hirricane Intermodal Service either.  While it was somewhat of a regional brand and business model, the expansion of containerism in the Gulf when the Panama Canal widening is completed may push this vague brand into the national spotlight.  All of a sudden linking regional ports in the Gulf to Class One connections in Birmingham, AL makes sense on a global scale---well they hope so anyway!

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I have been chided in the past about the lack of real models.  Today I can say to all the detractors, "my friends, you are in luck and here is proof that drawings are a means to an end, and not the counterwise."   (so tell me, in the eternal struggle that is modeling in the freelance world, which came first the chicken---errr--I mean the drawing or the model?) 

As I said eariler, I see much of what transpires in Birmingham, AL in my "goings and comings".  Stephens Railcar completed its new John Tyler Stephens Shops (JTS) on the site of the old Ensley Steel mill ​earlier in the year.  This site is state of the art when it comes to rebuilding locomotives and frieght cars, and has an equally cutting edge paint shop.  It sits adjacent to the Birmingham Southern Ensley Yard, and caddy-cornered  (or is it kitty-cornered...you say kitty, I say caddy...Tuh- MA ter, orTo-MAH-toe...)
to the Warrior RASC, or Warrior Regional Automotive Service center, a fancy name Georgia Road gvies to a combination automotive mixing and loading yard and intermodal ramp.  I happen to work at the Warrior RASC as the on site manager of Modal Management Services  (MMS) the labor and logistics contractor to the ramp owner, Georgia Road.  Georgia Road owns the facility, runs its trains  (and those of the Hurricane Intermodal ) into it, but we, meaning me, is responsible for the white-knuckle tedium of getting autorack and container​ trains spotted, switched, cycled and re-assembled.  As with most contractors, you try to keep your permanent asset portfolio fluid to adjust to changes in contracts  (read this to mean the END of a contract).  MMS leases two units from a cowboy leasing outfit out of New Jersey called ED Lewis Leasing. (EDLX).  To date we use whatever Georgia Road will give us, but that will soon change when the first unit arrives next week.  EDLX  #1223 is a ex UP MP15AC that has had some practical modifications including updated electricals, silenced exhaust and cab HVAC in the form of a Sears window unit protruding out of the front conductors windshield.  Don't laugh until you understand that this is very practical.  If it breaks you snatch it out and go buy another and Sears is EVERYWHERE down SOUTH.

The second units will be a SD38 in the same scheme.  It will have the more usual rooftop air is this one will occasionally have to stray into the Georgia Road yard a few miles to the east to extract or return autoracks and well cars.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/15 00:33 by georgiaroad.

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Two weeks ago Friday marked to end of an era.  Since the Alabama Midland started up in 1996, it has always leased a huge block of railcars to support its sometimes cyclical pulp and timber business.   This leased fleet included several dozen PACCAR and Thrall 62ft rotary woodchip cars from Golden West Service, all of former SP heritage.   We called them "blockheads" due to the block logo on the blue bodies. These could be parked and banked and pulled as needed.  This ended when Georgia Road decided it had enough woodchip cars to support joint Georgia Road and Alabama Midland RR woochip business in Alabama.  It did not hurt that Florida & Gulf Coast RR had its own fleet of cars, many of which from the Bay Line and Applachicola Northern RR, all surplus with mill closings in the last ten years.

The cars massed at Stephens Railcar for a final sign off and headed westward to rejoin the owner pool.​  I managed to shoot the power on the train.  Both were Cincinnati & Lake Erie RR locomotives.  Georgia Road bought this heartland regional in February.  CLE was as flush with business from Bakken and Marcellus oil trains as it was cash strapped to complete upgrades to keep the business.  The railroad gave the Georgia Road a line into the Northeast conections, and to Lousiville,KY, a major point in the foreign automaker distribution chain for the eastern half of the US and Canada.  Georgia Road local personnel have their share of conspiracy theories since it seems lately all the switching power out of the nearby Georgia Road Leigh Yard seems to be CLE Tuscan Red.  My sources say it is simply a fact that deferred maintenance and heavy usage has resulted in a need for overhauls now instead of later.  Do you think the nearby location of a brand new Stephens Railcar shop might possibly be the reason for the sudden collection of CLE units.  I mean look at them--they need attention.  I guess that would be TOO OBVIOUS.  Repeat a suspciion or conspiracy more than a few times and it gains more weight that the truth.  We switched with one of the CLE Geeps last week.  It ran pretty good but smelled like fish.  We figure going in the hole up around Lake Erie on the CLE might mean to not only meet a train but to get in a little Walleye fishing during the wait.  I think they may have actually cooked the darned thing for lunch on the locomotive engine from the smell.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/15 00:28 by georgiaroad.

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This week was just as eventful when I passed by Stephens Railcar.  I work it out so I catch the Georgia Road local out of Leigh Yard as it picks up and sets out.  This is one of the last moves of the day, so the crew wastes little time switching out inbounds for outbounds.  You want to hear wailing and gnashing of teeth, let the beat up Stephens Railcar Switcher be parked in the way. They have been known to drag it out of the way, locked up and brakes set.  I guess they have not flattened the wheels yet, but it gets to be quite a show with a couple of units in throttle eight position roaring ahead of a little SW holding the rail for dear life.  Along with Blue Diamond cement hoppers in for brake work  (makes you wonder  how the brakes went bad since this same crew switches their mill in Bessemer)  and several woodchip hoppers set to replace all the "blockheads" that went home a week or so ago.   Thankfully, the cars look better than the pictures I take.

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Some interesting odds and ends---the generic Stephens Railcar swticher and a former GBW caboose tow some Horizon coaches out of storage eariler in the week.  Some fellow up in Maryland bought them at a good price and hopes to put them back in service.  They sat around literally for the better part of ten years.  I was glad to see them go to a good home.

Not sure how many of you remember Dude.  This was a first run Athearn SD70ACe I nicknamed as it was my first look at a Genesis unit.  Dude went to Texas for painting.  As you can see, he is a long way from the BNSF colors when he arrived three years ago.  Georgia Road acquired a fleet of these units to help in DPU coal train service for Alabama and Georgia Power coal trains out of the Powder River Basin.  When Georgia Road bought the DME , it completed the long dreamed and finally realized third way into the Basin.    Look up a post from a year or so back called "the Adventures of Dude"

Stephens Railcar is now firmly in the rebuilding business.  What at first glance looks like a SD9043MAC is not your daddy's EMD.  Welcome the the REVOLUTION, boys!  This is the TGX Program Revolution Series locomotive is Tier 3 compliant, CAT powered 4405hp SD75ME-CAT.  I built this thing ten years ago, so any resemblence to the real world is intentional, and a little ahead of its time.  This one is on a SD50 core, but you will find little else above the walkways resembling a SD50.  This unit is in the psuedo-demonstrator colors.  SRCX is the leasing arm of Stephens Railcar, and you can see it is a walking poster child for everything  Stephens Railcar, even down to the "Power by the Hour" blue logo typical of spot lease SRCX Leasing units.​​   There is a story about Bettie and Macie in a post way back also.  The last picture, is Macie.  The program engineers like to give the prototype units nicknames to protect unreleased details duriing the developmental stages.   http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?3,1882890,1883122#msg-1883122
 
In the true southern maven declaration of Minnie Pearl, "We through playin' now!"

Thank you for your support, and as always, comments and amicable criticism is welcome.

H in AL

"Did I do THATTTTT???"​​​

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/03/15 00:38 by georgiaroad.

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I can't wait to see your stuff when it's done. I've always like seeing realistic proto-freelance roads.

Joe

Having watched the GARD over what must be a decade now I've enjoyed the work you've been putting in Hank, love seeing the models!

Well, you take the term Franken-Engine to places I didn't know it could go, or should go. LOL, that right there, well that's somethin, to be sure. Also, I see a lot of engines, but little to no handrails...I suppose GARD considers them a nuisance item...at this point, I will wonder if we ever see any in run through service here in these parts, God help us if they break down, pretty sure no one around here would know how to fix them....

They were extensively tested for ten years.  That is how long it took me to get this model to a finished point.  The unit has handrails now.  We put on aftermarket hand bent brass, so it takes a while.  We follow GE's lead and send technical support with purchase.  There are also TGX certified shops across the country.  The idea was to standardize as much as possible.  That is very hard to do with the EPA emissions standards changing every other year.  Railroads do not like exotic or hard to find repair parts.  The CAT primemover in all variations is the same, with the changes in the amount of aftercooling, radiator configuration and control systems all to reach this ridiculous emission standard  The PR43C was inspiration for the final configuration.  I shot the demo unit now in contract service, sans NS logos, at the CSX-BNSF Fairburn (Atlatna) Intermodal Terminal.

 

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Gaining on it Hank!!

Gotta get that trackplan finalized....

SV

Well, having seen one with actual handrails installed, we are emboldened to consider a request for a couple of demos to be used in our sulpher service and heavy haul ARMN potato trains which we haul up to Canada to interchange with the CP and CN. Let us know if you think these engines can handle this level of work and send us specs and availabilty..thanks...

P.S. We expect to secure a new contract next year at some point to start a new service for Tropicana running North to Canada also....seems we are quickly becoming the go to bridge route between the BNSF and the CP and CN....and we are looking for big power to help us get frieght over this mountain of ours...EMD and GE have sent reps and we are also in talks with them on power solutions to suit our needs in the short term..thank you for your consideration.


georgiaroad Wrote:
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> They were extensively tested for ten years. 
> That is how long it took me to get this model to a
> finished point.  The unit has handrails now.  We
> put on aftermarket hand bent brass, so it takes a
> while.  We follow GE's lead and send technical
> support with purchase.  There are also TGX
> certified shops across the country.  The idea was
> to standardize as much as possible.  That is very
> hard to do with the EPA emissions standards
> changing every other year.  Railroads do not like
> exotic or hard to find repair parts.  The CAT
> primemover in all variations is the same, with the
> changes in the amount of aftercooling, radiator
> configuration and control systems all to reach
> this ridiculous emission standard  The PR43C was
> inspiration for the final configuration.  I shot
> the demo unit now in contract service, sans NS
> logos, at the CSX-BNSF Fairburn (Atlatna)
> Intermodal Terminal.
>
>  

SandingValve Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Gaining on it Hank!!
>
> Gotta get that trackplan finalized....
>
> SV

...with a rememberacne of GA Road's new overhead route, the "V&A" ... from Sumter SC as far north as Baltimore MD (instead of the rather unreliable CSX).  Great work, Hank!  Please keep it up.