Lee,
Thanks for the reply!
Those are neat little engines I am hoping Bachmann comes out with the 4-6-0's next.
In regard to references, aside the two great Dunn books, I recently picked up the following books:
1. Tracks to the Trenches (Canadian Railway Troops in the Great War (1914-1919) by David R.P. Guay
2. Narrow Gauge In the Arras Sector by Martin and Joan Farebrother
3. Narrow Gauge in the Somme Seactor by Martin and Joan Farebrother
All three are highly recommended.
Like your fictional branch line of the ET&WTC, I plan on doing a brick factory from the quarry to the plant utilizing the two trench engines and about 24 side-dump mine cars. I may put a further twist on it by utilizing two different era's...one steam and one with diesels. The steam era will utilize the trench engines and two truck shays and the diesel era will utilize scratchbuilt 6 axle diesels and about 32 - 2 bay hoppers. Same line two different eras. The plan is to utilze 50's era 1/50th diecast construction stuff in the clay pit for loading the side dumps and changing them out for modern CATs for the modern era stuff. I am hoping to see some like the USG loco's by the time I am finished for the modern era operations.
I fully agree with your take on the Army/Military expertise regarding preservation of equipment. I spent some time at Ft. Belvoir and Ft Benning as a Marine Officer. I was appalled how the little
2-6-2 was displayed at the old hospital museum location on Benning back in 1980 when I attended jump school there. It is in a far better display now just wish they had painted it in the grey paint scheme to properly represent the era. The Belvoir Transportation museum is a bit better though.
I used to live to Tallahassee for a few years until moving down here in the late 90's and have stayed ever since... despite having endured a cat 5 storm that destroyed or damaged just about every building in the county...we love it here!
Talk more later,
Jon
