Rewriting History- To a point.

[crrdean]

Okay, so I love EMD SD's from the 60's -70's and I model the Clinchfield. Proto-freelancing a branch into a subdivision. Anyway, I have a Bachmann 2-6-6-2 and a Rivarossi 4-6-6-4. Rewriting the CRR's transition era to accomodate the C&O style 2-6-6-2: Needing mine run power for its Straight Hollow Sub the Clinchfield opted to take four 2-6-6-2's the C&O was offering for sale. The C&O was dieselizng her Kentucky coal lines and had these steamers as surplus. The CRR, not able to wait for new build GP7's, bought the two pair of the H4's from C&O. My mallet was saved from scrap at the same time the old 4-6-0 (#1) was and the Challenger was rebuilt for specials. So, I can run my two steamers without killing true CRR history.... why do you think I proto-freelanced the Straight Hollow Sub? I do not want to have to be an exact rivet counting history follower. With my aternate history I can represent the CRR and not hve to do all of that. Neat, huh?

[icghogger]

You can always say you did it to keep the coal mine operators happy by using steam instead of diesel power to serve their mines!

[crrdean]

The CRR was leased by the ACL and L&N and both were notoriously tight wad. The 2-6-6-2's were cheaper than new build GP7's, which were already on order but wouldn't be finished fast enough. The Clinchfield already owned two classes of 4-6-6-4's....one of which the Rivarossi model depicts. The newer Union Pacific style but with single stack and no smoke deflectors. The CRR had to spend the money to redraft the smoke box to better burn bituminous coal.
The Challenger will run specials on my layout and the 2-6-6-2 will be run just because management wants some PR....