The Final Redux of the Louisiana South Central RR

[KCSRailfan]

Well guys after thinking over and over again on this, I have become content with the revised version. Its smaller than the original that I can admit got alittle too large for my taste. So this version is gonna be the final version im going with this time around.

So to start off as you all know the same of the railroad is the Louisiana South Central Railroad. The railroad operates primarily in Louisiana, but operates and owns trackages in Southern Arkansas, and in Texas along the TX-LA border,also the route miles total out to be 487 miles of trackage so this makes it an regional railroad.


The line that runs from McNeil,Ark to Alexandria,LA has been upgraded from the old run down 90 pound jointed rail to upgraded welded rail due to traffic increases and so has the Crosset,Ark to Winfield,LA line also. The Texas extension already had welded rail when it was purchased from Watco. The Minden extension, and the Rock Quarry Branch that runs out Winfield are all still jointed rail.

Operations

The Operations along the LSCR are pretty simple. In Magnolia, AR, customer Partee Flooring Mill is the last Parquet (hardwood) flooring manufacturing company to still be served by rail.
and other companies along the McNeil Subdivision are-
JM-Eagle
Commercial Metals Company, Inc.
Albemarle Corporation- which is the larges company along this line making 30+ products
Weyerhaeuser’s Veneer Technologies plywood mill
Kinder Morgan Inc. which is an large frac sand business along the line
Top Dollar Scrap Co
Clarke Veneer and Plywood
Berry Plastics
Tactical Cleaning Company
ADM Grain Mill which resides in McNeil

The Gibsland Subdivision is pretty much just an line with 2 industries along it which includes
Walsh Chemical
Danville Steel, and Scrap
Also along this line is an steep 2 mile grade which lies betweem Liberty Hill, and Danville.

Hodge Subdivision has quite a few notable things on it.

Rock Tenn which is the largest paper mill in north LA
Gunderson Car Rebuild and Repair Shops
Northern Louisiana Locomotive Rebuild and Repair Shops
Transload Intermodal Faculty
Texaco Chem
Weyerhaeuser
Chevron
JKM Pulpwood,an Sawdust
Winfield Frac Services
Schlumberger
Wilson Materials

Rock Quarry Branch has only one purpose and that is to serve the rock quarry that is at the end of this branch line. It has 4 Unit 40 car trains that leave out each week.

The Pineville Subdivision has one main industry along and thats the Swepco Power Plant that sees 1 daily coal train every week from via UP in McNeil,Ark. In Alexandria is where Traffic comes in from the Texas extension and vise versa.

In another time I'll talk about the Monroe, Crosset Subdivisions and the Texas Extension, so lets go on to Motive Power and the trains.

Motive Power

The Power this time around will be simple along with some of the real power that are used in real life on the lines.

with the Frac sand trains getting larger and the and the recent opening of the ADM Grain Mill 6 SD70ACes were put on order for 6700-6705

SD70ACe--6700-6705 (6)
SD40-3 --6720-6734 (Rebuilt from Alstom SD40s,nee CN) (14)
SD40-2 -- 6748-6752 ( ex- KCS and TFM SD40-2s) (5)
SD40-2W- 6753( ex- CN) (1)
C30-7 - 6754-6755 (ex-CSX,nee SBD) (2)
GP9R -- 97-100 (4)
GP35R --101-104 ( ex-SP) (4)
GP40-2L -- 4745-4747 (ex- CN) (3)
GP40-3 -- 4742-4744 (3) (ex-GT)
GP15 -- 45 (1) (ex-NS, nee CR)
GP22ECO-- 4700-4701 ( ex-UP, nee CNW) (2)
GPTEB-C -- 10-11 (ex-CSX GP40-2s, nee Chessie) (2)
GP28-2s -- 2800-2803 (ex-ALM) (4)
SW1500 -- 1000-1003 (ex-UP,nee- SP) (4)

Some of the more notable trains on the LSCR system are the Large 60+ Frac Sand Trains that Run on the McNeil, Gibsland,and Hodge Subdivisions. Also the Rock Trains that are interchanged with various railroads, like KCS,UP, and BNSF. The Swepco Coal train that runs to Pineville, and also the ADM Grain train that runs daily from McNeil to the Texas Extension to have the grain exported at Beaumont via KCS. 2 Daily 40 car Intermodal trains that are built at both Hodge, and Monroe and handed off at the Texas Extension at Beaumont via KCS then KCSM. Last but not least the Woodchip Express witch is an combination of woodchip cars picked up in between McNeil and Pineville and made into an 2 30 car trains at Winfield, an one will be sent to the Texas Extension and the other to Monroe to KCS.

I finally feel like I got an pretty good operation here with interesting motive power, im open to any ideas that can help the LSCR improve.
More Info will come later......

[icghogger]

I Like It!! I think you need to put that branch over to Georgetown so you can service my car repair shop!! I hate giving all of my business to the UP!! ;D

[KCSRailfan]

Thanks Man haha, in real life the lines that my RR operates off are the Louisiana Southern(Watco), ALM(GWRR), LNW( Patriot Rail), Timber Rock RR (Watco).

[Deleted]

That is one of the most realistic rosters I've seen for a freelanced regional. Not too large but also varied enough with a great mix of old and new.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[Canadian Atlantic Railway]

It appears you have come up with a great concept for your railroad. The roster looks like it will handle the needs of the industries and the ACe's & ECO units will give it a modern flair.

[KCSRailfan]

Thanks Guys alot of thought went into the roster on being conservative and not over doing it.

[enginseer]

I like the roster as well, shows a well run and economically viable regional. Heck, there are even some ACe's as gravy. Shows business is doing well!

Really cool.

[Deleted]

Jan 1, 2013 16:38:12 GMT -5 KCSRailfan said:

Thanks Guys alot of thought went into the roster on being conservative and not over doing it.

You nailed it!

Sent from my GT-I9100 using proboards

[Deleted]

I really like how you brought it down in size and reorganized your road to bring "proto" into your protofreelanced road. Nice and very believeable.

[KCSRailfan]

Thanks guys,Im very happy with the Roster, and the different power that I can build when the time comes, and thanks for the comment Brian you are doing some great work with your RR.

[KCSRailfan]

As promised more info on the other parts of the LSCR.


The Monroe Subdivision Starts in Winfield and ends in Monroe, and there are a couple of key businesses along this line. One of the business is the new Ford plant that lies between Eros and Chatham. Also is an natural gas well that was recently built in the last year along the line. There is 2 Pulp Mills,a scrap yard,CWR maker along the line, and the North LA Paper Mill in Monroe that carloads like , Paper,lumber products, chemical, and also an large Intermodal Faculty is at this mill where one of the intermodal trains are built at which is I-MOBE( which is Monroe,LA to Beaumont,TX). This train is usually bout 50 or more cars with some hand off empty auto racks from UP for the Ford Plant, and that pretty wraps up that line.

The Crosset Subdivision is pretty much an thru line that UP runs traffic on from time to time, has an couple of industries along it also, The main industry along this line is the Southern Cool Storage Company with similar like the UP the LSCR runs an 30+ refrigerated reefers usually CEFX leased, and that train comes off the BNSF and is interchanged with the LSCR and is unloaded at this plant.

The Minden Extension is not as important as the other lines named, but it serves a good purpose. It still has its old 90 pound jointed rail, and any one could say it needs upgrading. The GP9Rs, and the GP28-2s are pretty much the power used on this part of the railroad. The Bossier Branch that runs from Minden to Bossier, has 4 Industries along it. The industries, is an Packaging Company, natural gas transload faculty, Chevron,and an a cement company. Also cars are stored along this line from various other RRs. The Line from Minden to Springhill has 4 industries along it, and thats the International Paper Mill, Trinity, CM Pulp, and a coil plant.

The Texas Extension was that part of the railroad that was an gamble when it was purchased from Watco. When ADM announced that they where going to build an grain mill to export grain to Port Arthur and points south. LSCR saw it as an great time to win the contract and then look in to seeking gaining its own trackage into moving the grain to Port Arthur. Then Watco announced they were looking to sell the Timber Rock RR. LSCR stepped in an made the buy. By this time the ADM mill was 1 year away from being complete,LSCR quickly started upgrading the DeRidder to Beaumont portion of the line to CWR. Now LSCR still was to use via UP Trackage rights out of Alexandria, and then KCS trackage rights to reach this portion of the line but it was worth it. This also opened up to running the Intermodal,Auto, and other trains that where bound for Texas on its own trackage instead of using haulage rights. The main commodities for this line are Forest products ,and rock which explains the old name under Watco.


more to come.....

[KCSRailfan]

LSCR SD40-3 Rebuild(ex-Alstom)

[antlorch]

Very nice. Cant wait to see it in paint.

[KCSRailfan]

SO I decided to jump back into this after,being super busy these Last months

I redid the Locomotive Roster a bit and here it goes.

Road Power
SD70ACe--6700-6705 (6)
SD40-3 --6720-6734 (Rebuilt from Alstom SD40s,nee CN) (14)
SD40-2 -- 6748-6752 ( ex- KCS and TFM SD40-2s) (5)
SD40M-2- 6753( ex- ERIE SDP45) (1)
ES44AC  - 7000-7001 (2)
C30-7 - 6754-6755 (ex-CSX,nee SBD) (2)

Local Power
GP9R -- 97-100 (4)
GP35R --101-104 ( ex-SP) (4)
GP40-2L -- 4745-4747 (ex- CN) (3)
GP40-3 -- 4742-4744 (3) (ex-GT)
GP22ECO-- 4700-4701 ( ex-UP, nee CNW) (2)
GPTEB-C -- 10-11 (ex-CSX GP40-2s, nee Chessie) (2)


Yard Power
SW1500 -- 1000-1003 (ex-UP,nee- SP) (4)

Sold off Power
GP28-2s -- 2800-2803 (ex-ALM) (4) (Retired Sold to LTEX)
GP15 -- 45 (1) (ex-NS, nee CR) (Involved In a side swipe, sold to LTEX)

The LSCR has Sold of a few of its power which includes the rare 4 GP28s that they owned to LTEX, due to them trying to update and rid of none needed units. The GP15 was involved in a wreck and was also sold to LTEX. LSCR also Put in a order for 2 ES44ACs to help for the need for more road power needed on the mainlines.

[enginseer]

I really like your roster and its given me some additional food for thought where my own PFR is concerned.

Hope I don't sound too ignorant, but are your GP22ECO donors GP40's as opposed to GP9's for simplicity's sake?

[KCSRailfan]

Yes the GP22ECOs are donor ex-CNW GP50s, although the GP9 ECO would be interesting.

[KCSRailfan]

The First Painted unit will be an SD70ACe,gone place the order for the shell and parts very soon from Athearn.

[KCSRailfan]

Heres the first preview of the SD70ACe. Its an ex-EMD Demo unit from back in 2004, The real unit was an test bed for the Tier 3 specs and was out fitted with odd compartments but still looked cool. It was on the KCS for 2 years for testing before being returned to EMD in IL where it now sits. In my world the LSCR, wanted to test the SD70ACe before ordering 6701-6705,but at the time the New EMD Demos were out testing on other roads. So EMD worked out a deal with the LSCR to retrofit EMDX 70 to the modern Tier 4 specs and Mod it to LSCR specs and sell it to the LSCR for a good price. So it was fitted with UP style PTC equipment, Dual Snowplows, Dual Ditchlights, and it got DPU equipment added on to it among other things. LSCR fell in love with the SD70ACe so they placed and Order for 5 more.

[stevef45]

do you have a larger pic to view?

[MitchGDRMCo]

It would only be Tier 3 sorry, you'd need a bulge for the DPF like the UP 9900 to get it close to atleast Tier 3.5.