Re: Sumpter Valley Railroad track layout for a model railroad: Baker, Whitney. etc.

Here is a plat map of Whitney which is a bit better than a profile map for observing actual orientation. These maps were hard to post years back when the file limit was so much smaller.
There were no facilities at Larch summit beyond the sidings, storage spurs, wye and a telephone booth. At Alder Springs (known as Telephone Springs by locals) there was a siding that was often used for meets, and also at the siding an OLC logging line connected dropping below the main, and a BWP logging line going up hill on the other side. Also there was a phone booth at this location. Styx trestle sometimes referred to as Alder Springs is down grade from the Alder Springs siding. There was a logging spur line that took off at the west end of the Styx trestle. Also another phone booth. The next significant location headed toward Whitney was McCoy water tank and siding, which also had a phone booth. There are a number of logging lines that connected at one time or another both above and below this location. I am not aware of an engine house for the logging engines at Whitney. At the WHEccles mill in Austin there was a building that may have been an engine house, though it has no smoke jack. Likely it was for repair work under cover. At Bates there is was a building that also was probably an engine house, but also without smoke jack, so more for repair than covered storage. At the White Pine mill there was a building that most certainly was an engine repair building as we have a photo of one of the BWP Climax engines peaking out through the open door. Going back to your question on S. Baker, the line going across the Powder River went to the WHEccles mill which was up against the OWR&N main on one side. In the late 1930's SVRy had a tie treatment plant on the other side of the river. In the final configuration of the SVRy a girder bridge was installed across the river perpendicular to the river at the location of the former pile trestle angled crossing, which had been salvaged from the mainline further up the line. This revised track scheme lead over to the OWR&N/UP main where SVRy ran parrallel on a 3 rail interchange track.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/25/2016 04:46PM by J.B.Bane.