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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 24, 2012 8:34:25 GMT -5
Modeling ERA: 1995-present
During the middle 1990's a class II regional railroad formed serving the Northwestern PA, Northeastern OH, and Western NY region. This was formed by merging the Bessemer & Lake Erie, the former Pittsburgh & Lake Erie, and later acquiring the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad from Genesee & Wyoming Industries.
The primary business would be hauling iron ore, coal, fuel oil, lumber, pulp, paper, metal, and salt. Later the company while working with Amtrak decided to build a passenger line linking the Erie and Pittsburgh Amtrak stations.
The Lake Erie Rail Link interchanges and has trackage rights with Amtrak, Chessie, Norfolk Southern, Canadian National, and Canadian Pacific.
A subsidiary of the company, Erie Rail Equipment (reporting mark EREX), is the leasing branch of the Lake Erie Rail Link. They deal with rebuilding and leasing out used locomotives and other rail equipment.
Any feedback to make it more believable is welcome! I still need to create a modern paint scheme and logo for the freight locomotives as well as for the passenger train.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 14:57:10 GMT -5
I model NS in PA and I interchange with RoyalBlue72 and his modern Chessie system and I am trying to figure out a modern D&H.
I am looking for a modern lakes road to ship ore into the Bethlehem area to serve the dwindling Bethlehem steel mill, which, in my alternate reality is still operational (not booming but still going) and needs a supply of ore. I have ten ore jennies looking for decals although these may be replaced by hoppers as is the modern norm for ore shipments.
Could this be something you are interested in?
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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 24, 2012 15:15:01 GMT -5
I'd definitely be interested in that. I can change the back story to interchange with the modern day Chessie instead of CSX to keep continuity and can include providing iron ore shipments to the Bethlehem Steel Mill.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 15:40:27 GMT -5
Well its upto you if you want to keep CSX or go modern day Chessie. Sure Paul would welcome you accepting his alternate (much prefer his way myself  ) but its upto you, the more the merrier! Did you road include ore shipments anyway? |
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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 24, 2012 15:47:43 GMT -5
I hadn't written down ore but since the B&LE shipped iron ore it fits well into my freelanced road. And I much prefer the Chessie over CSX anyways..it makes it all much more interesting! ;D
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Post by MitchGDRMCo on Sept 24, 2012 17:19:04 GMT -5
Just thinking, maybe use the 'Rail Link' part of the name and use the MRL/IMRL livery and logos? Just an idea...
On the iron ore side, if the mill was served by ore jennies originally then they'd still have the rotary dumper operational (possibly upgraded) so continued use of that type of wagon would be the ideal (lighter tare weight so higher load per wagon is a far better use of rolling stock than the Minnesota and Missabe type ore hoppers).
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Post by Deleted on Sept 24, 2012 17:50:33 GMT -5
I was thinking bog standard 3-bay (100T I think) coal hoppers. I've seen pictures and videos of NS ore trains in the Cresson/Cassandra/Gallitzin/Altoona region using these. Not sure why or to where they are going but I figured id just go along with the 'trend'. I do have ten roundhouse 24' or jenny kits (mixture of high and low side) that I bought at discount price for batch lots on evilbay and figured a 15-25 car train would look neat but not sure if it fits the post 2000 era?
Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards
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Post by MitchGDRMCo on Sept 24, 2012 18:13:15 GMT -5
NS (UP, BNSF, etc) only use the normal coal hoppers because they have them...they can only be half loaded when in iron ore service due to the density of the ore vs coal and so is a totally inefficient use of the hopper. QNS&L and QCM just as North American examples use iron ore gons or jennies to this day as it's the most efficient way to transport the stuff.  And just look to the Pilbara ore operations here in Australia. I know Bethlehem was served by PRR with ore jennies back in the day (followed by PC then CR) and if they had kept running (which in your scenario they still do) they'd continue use of their rotary dumper and jennies, whether by nowadays owning their own wagons or subsidizing the purchasing costs of the operator RR. |
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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 24, 2012 21:07:49 GMT -5
I designed a quick paint scheme for the Lake Erie.  I'm not so sure about the font and lettering style/placement but that can easily be changed. |
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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 24, 2012 21:19:29 GMT -5
As for hoppers, I'd say the current norm around here is the standard 3-bay hopper. While the ideas are flowing couldn't we just upgrade the rotary dumper at Bethlehem to accept the modern day hoppers? If it were a surviving mill I'd think it would change with the equipment being used.
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Post by Randy Earle on Sept 24, 2012 22:17:06 GMT -5
I model the abandoned B&LE Meadville Line to Linesville PA, and then the abandoned PRR E&P from Linesville to Thornton Junction west of Girard PA. I also run excursions from Conneaut Lake Park to the Spillway at Epsyville.  |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 2:47:04 GMT -5
I designed a quick paint scheme for the Lake Erie. I'm not so sure about the font and lettering style/placement but that can easily be changed. I have always liked the mix of black and blue on locomotives. I think a paler blue might work better though. You maybe want to break up the front and rear by adding your logo in miniature to the hood ends, just a thought? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 2:52:50 GMT -5
As for hoppers, I'd say the current norm around here is the standard 3-bay hopper. While the ideas are flowing couldn't we just upgrade the rotary dumper at Bethlehem to accept the modern day hoppers? If it were a surviving mill I'd think it would change with the equipment being used. I'm thinking Bethlehem wouldn't invest to heavily in new equipment, either rolling stock or reception facilities because it is a slightly above marginal operation these days. Maybe we could just mix hoppers and jennies. I have some jennies so I was thinking I could use those until I can get hoppers and then maybe make a decision one way or the other? |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 2:53:43 GMT -5
I model the abandoned B&LE Meadville Line to Linesville PA, and then the abandoned PRR E&P from Linesville to Thornton Junction west of Girard PA. I also run excursions from Conneaut Lake Park to the Spillway at Epsyville. Pardon my ignorance Randy but what is your road? |
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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 25, 2012 7:43:39 GMT -5
I have always liked the mix of black and blue on locomotives. I think a paler blue might work better though. You maybe want to break up the front and rear by adding your logo in miniature to the hood ends, just a thought? I can try a lighter shade of blue and see if it clashes with the logo. I don't really like the logo anyway so I may revise it. I was thinking about painting the hood ends blue as well to break up the black. Or by adding chevrons to them, or both. I'll try it a few different ways. |
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Post by eriejeeper on Sept 25, 2012 7:46:04 GMT -5
I'm thinking Bethlehem wouldn't invest to heavily in new equipment, either rolling stock or reception facilities because it is a slightly above marginal operation these days. Maybe we could just mix hoppers and jennies. I have some jennies so I was thinking I could use those until I can get hoppers and then maybe make a decision one way or the other? I'm cool with either way really. I don't have any rolling stock yet so I can go either way. If you have jennies then we can get started with those and go from there. |
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Post by MitchGDRMCo on Sept 25, 2012 7:56:41 GMT -5
You'd be better off running the jennies and even have them lettered or stenciled for the mill as a 'captive' fleet. A marginal mill will want to make the most out of it's dollar.
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 9:19:32 GMT -5
You'd be better off running the jennies and even have them lettered or stenciled for the mill as a 'captive' fleet. A marginal mill will want to make the most out of it's dollar. Hadn't really thought of that but its definitely something to consider. Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 9:24:01 GMT -5
I have always liked the mix of black and blue on locomotives. I think a paler blue might work better though. You maybe want to break up the front and rear by adding your logo in miniature to the hood ends, just a thought? I can try a lighter shade of blue and see if it clashes with the logo. I don't really like the logo anyway so I may revise it. I was thinking about painting the hood ends blue as well to break up the black. Or by adding chevrons to them, or both. I'll try it a few different ways. Chevrons would look cool. I was thinking that earlier but didn't want to try influence you to much. Maybe a couple of narrow white chevrons like Missouri Pacific on their blue scheme would work well? I like the simplicity of your scheme, makes it plausible so whatever you do don't jazz it up to much or you'll risk spoiling it. Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards |
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2012 9:25:20 GMT -5
I model the abandoned B&LE Meadville Line to Linesville PA, and then the abandoned PRR E&P from Linesville to Thornton Junction west of Girard PA. I also run excursions from Conneaut Lake Park to the Spillway at Epsyville. Pardon my ignorance Randy but what is your road? Just looked at that again and realised the answer is staring me straight in the face! Welcome to get in on the act if you'd like? Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards |
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) but its upto you, the more the merrier!
