Flood Up ToThirty Cars An HourOut in the western coal fields,surface mining yields anamazing amount of clean-burning, low-sulfur coal.Under the prairies and up inthe Rockies, the depth of somecoal seams are measured inyards, not feet as in most oldereastern mines.

Huge shovels and gigantic,125-ton-plus dump trucks feedconveyors stretching for milesbetween mines and the rail-head. The tall concrete silos ofwestern coal flood loaders, sonamed because they literallyflood 100-ton gondolas andhoppers with coal, seem toscrape the big skies; theirlong, angled conveyors creat-ing a geometric skylineagainst the horizon. Most canload a 100-car train in just afew hours.

While most western mines usethem, you’ll also find thesecylindrical loaders at newermidwestern mines in Illinois,Indiana and Ohio, and in theAllegheny and Appalachiancoal regions at new or rebuiltmine heads. British Columbiaand Nova Scotia are also

home to similar structures. Insome cases, conveyors runfrom the mine to an olderwashing facility and then intothe loader. Such is the case ofone prototype facility used inthe design of the CornerstoneSeries® HO and N New RiverMining Co. kits.

Grab A Chunk Of The Coal Industry For Your Railroad

In the U.S. alone, coal is a $21billion per year industry. Withthe easy-to-build Western CoalFlood Loader, you can feedentire unit trains of gondolasor hoppers to your modern-eraHO or N railroad. Adding theflood loader to your pike iseasy; read on for a few model-ing suggestions.

Perhaps the easiest way to addthe Western Coal FloodLoader to your pike is to con-struct a loading loop and posi-tion the mine head conveyorso it appears to come from amine off the layout or under-ground. If you want to includepart of a mine on your layout,you can place the loader on aloading loop at a surface mine.

This way you can add heavy-duty mining equipment toyour scene.

In some locations, the loaderis on the site of an older minefacility or along an existingbranch with limited space;cars are loaded on a sidingrather than a loop track. Often,the flood loader is built next toan older tipple like the NewRiver Mining Co. At a fewsites, the older facility stillhandles occasional cars andhas its own trackwork; at otherlocations the older tipple isabandoned or has been con-verted to alternative uses suchas a washer. The photo of theColorado mine and loader isan example of the latter.

V o l u m e 2N u m b e r 1

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This structure, located incentral Colorado, has beenconverted into a washingfacility fed by a conveyordirectly from the mine.Trains are loaded by theflood loader. WalthersArchives Photo

Here are a few sample place-ments for the flood loader.Make sure to place theloader at the center of a sid-ing or loop long enough tohandle double the length ofyour longest train, includinglocomotives. This way trainscan pull completely throughthe loader without foulingthe mainline.

Set Out Track

Mainline

Flood Loader

Alternate Conveyor Location

To Other Loaders (Optional)

Loading Loop

Conveyor Location

HO Western Coal Flood Loader 933-3089 $39.98 N Scale 933-3247 $36.98

Flood Up To Thirty Cars An Hour . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Amtrak Makes ItsPassenger Trains Make Money . . . . . . . . . . . 3

95 Reasons to Take Auto Train . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Turnouts For More TrackPlanning Possibilities . . . 7

Very, Very Versatile . . . . . 8

In This Issue

1

As for blending the floodloader into your scenery, thesurrounding grounds are usu-ally quite clean. Aside from alittle black coal dust aroundthe loading tunnel, under theconveyors and along thetracks, the sites blend into thesurrounding countryside andvegetation.

Don’t Forget The Freight CarsSince Western Coal FloodLoaders have beenaround since the1970s, you can usea variety of coalcars to serve them.Back in the 1970s,railroad-ownedcars likeWalthers 49'100-Ton QuadHoppers and amix of other 100-ton and 90-ton hoppers were the norm.Also on the scene were boxy,high-sided rotary dump gon-dolas. Today, long trains ofidentical cars, like WalthersBethgon Coalporter® Gondolas

and similar bathtub cars arecurrently most common. 100-ton-plus aluminum hoppersare also popular. Both utility-owned and railroad-ownedcars operate to the coalfields.

Various kinds of other suitablecoal cars are available in bothHO and N from a variety ofmanufacturers.

Walthers HO Scale BethgonCoalporter® Gondolas Ready-To-Run 6-Packs $59.98

First Roadnumber Series932-5301 BN 932-5302 CSXT932-5303 UP932-5304 NS932-5317 BNSF Early MergerScheme (aluminum, black, white)Set #1932-5319 BNSF (green)932-5330 CN932-5331 BNSF (Mineral Red)932-5332 CSXT (silver)

Second Roadnumber Series932-5311 BN 932-5312 CSXT932-5313 UP932-5318 CSX 932-5327 BNSF Early MergerScheme (aluminum, black, white)Set #2

Single Car Kits932-5300 Undecorated $9.98

Bethgon Coal Load 6-Pack933-1039 $14.98

Walthers Cornerstone Series®

Western Coal Flood Loader VitalStatisticsThe Western Coal FloodLoader includes a ground-level metal conveyor shed,four sections of covered, open-sided conveyor, a silo with aloading tunnel and realisticdecals. Sectional constructionallows you to customize theflood loader height to fit yourscene.�

This large facility in thePowder River Basin includesfacilities for sorting differentgrades of coal and maintain-ing machinery. Photo bySteve Barry

A train of bathtub gondolasskirts past a large floodloader in the Powder RiverBasin in 1994. Photo bySteve Barry

2

HO Scale 933-3089 $39.98 Overall dimensions as shown: 32 x 4-1/2 x 16" 81.3 x 11.4 x 40.6cm

Conveyor sections each 7-1/16" 18.0cm

N Scale 933-3247 $36.98Overall dimensions as shown: 19 x 2-11/16 x 9-5/8" 48.3 x 6.8 x 24.4cm

Conveyor sections each 4-1/4" 10.8cm

31"

4-1/2"

Bethgon Coalporter® Gondola

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Here are a few cars you can use to serve your Western Coal FloodLoader. Back in the early 1970s when these loaders came into use,some roads were still using a few 70-Ton cars for coal service.

Car Model Manufacturer Era

Bethgon Coalporter Walthers 1980s-Present

49' 100-Ton Quad Hopper Walthers 1960s-Present

45' 100-Ton 3-Bay Hopper Bachmann 1960s-Present

Greenville 12-Panel 3-Bay Hopper Con-Cor 1960s-Present

Greenville 15-Panel 3-Bay Hopper Con-Cor 1960s-Present

100-Ton 3-Bay Hopper Life-Like 1960s-Present

Thrall 50' High-Side Gondola Roundhouse 1970s-Present

50' Bathtub Gondola Roundhouse 1970s-Present

54' 5-Bay Rapid Discharge Hopper Roundhouse 1970s-Present

AAR 70-Ton 14-Panel 3-Bay Hopper Stewart Hobbies 1960s-1970s

H39 70-Ton 12-Panel 3-Bay Hopper Stewart Hobbies 1960s-1970s

70-Ton Offset 3-Bay Hopper Stewart Hobbies 1960s-1970s

Walthers 49' 100-Ton Quad Hoppers

Amtrak®

Makes ItsPassengerTrains MakeMoneyOn day one of Amtrak in May,1971, what little mail and par-cel business Amtrak inheritedfrom the passenger railroadswas hanging on by a thread.As part of Amtrak’s charter, itwas given the authority tooffer mail and express service.

Over the last 29 years, mailand express business has beenan ever-increasing contributorto Amtrak’s bottom line. Today,with an aggressive new busi-ness plan, new express traffic,new express rolling stock, newroutes and a new mandate forself-sufficiency, Amtrak hasturned many passsenger trainsinto moneymakers.

A Long Uphill ClimbBefore Amtrak’s creation in1971, its predecessor passen-ger railroads had long knownthat mail and express ship-ments helped their trains covercosts. In the late 1960s, disas-ter struck; the Post Officepulled most of its mail ship-ments and railway post officesoff the rails. As a result, manypassenger trains which hadhandled mail became bigmoney losers; most were dis-continued.

When Amtrak took over thenation’s passenger trains, itstarted marketing its expressparcel service as a way to sup-plement its subsidies. By themid-1970s, new express con-tracts were signed, and eventhe Post Office began returningsome bulk mail to the rails.

Wanted: More Baggage CarsAdded business quickly out-stripped Amtrak’s cargo capac-ity. Because of its recentinvestment in new Amfleetcars, there was little money onhand for additional baggagecars. Amtrak tapped formerpassenger railroads for the fewbaggage cars which hadn’t yetbeen scrapped. In addition,

Amtrak acquired a fleet of for-mer U.S. military ambulanceand kitchen cars and convertedthem into baggage cars.

Reinventing The Express Box CarExpress traffic grewrapidly during the 1980s tothe point where dedicated mailtrains began operating alongthe Northeast CorridorBetween Boston andWashington D.C. Amtrakneeded more cargo carryingcapacity. By this time, howev-er, the former passenger rail-roads had scrapped their pas-senger fleets. Amtrak’s solu-tion was a new twist on an oldidea – the express box car.

Designated Material HandlingCars (MHC) and numbered in

the 1400 series, these carswere the first express box carsto be built in decades. Withina few years, these

were joined bymore cars numberedin the 1500 series.

The 1500 Series MHCs weredelivered with new GSC pas-senger trucks, a door mecha-nism wheel, side ladders and adiagonal-panel roof. AllMHC’s are outfitted with elec-trical connections so they canbe used anywhere in the trainconsist. The Walthers 1500Series 60' Material HandlingCars are accurate replicas ofthese Amtrak workhorses.

Even More Cargo Space NeededUnder pressure to end itsdependence on governmentmoney, by the mid-1990sAmtrak was scrambling formore ways to meet its expens-es. Its cash-cow mail andexpress business continued to

grow and it

needed more hauling capacity.But again, money was a prob-lem; the company was just tak-ing delivery of new SuperlinerII cars to cope with soaring rid-ership.

The delivery of newSuperliner II cars saw old sin-gle-level coaches become sur-plus. Amtrak saw these oldwarhorses as the basis for aninexpensive conversion pro-gram. The road’s shops guttedthe coaches, plated over thewindows, cut a roll-up door inthe center of the car and voila-- a baggage car was born!Numbered in the 1700 series,these cars are easy to spot; just

look for the single baggagedoor in the middle of the car.

Like MHCs, these cars haveelectrical pass-throughcabling, so they can be usedon the head end behind thelocomotives or on the rearend, ahead of the RoadRailers.In service, you’ll find themmixed in with MHCs and

express box cars.

Thenew Walthers

model is based onthe cars rebuilt from Buddfluted-side stainless steelcoaches. Walthers 1700 SeriesBaggage Cars feature metalGSC passenger truck side-frames, metal wheelsets, add-on metal grab irons, workingdiaphragms, and an interiorvestibule bulkhead.

Amtrak’s Make Or Break Challenge

In 1998, Amtrak was given ahuge chunk of money on thecondition that it become self-sufficient by 2003 or be liqui-dated. With a steady and pre-dictable funding source, thecarrier put into action a busi-ness plan that it says will keep

3

An AEM-7 hustles MHCs and a 1700-Series Baggage Caralong the Northeast Corridor at Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania inJanuary, 1995. The “Fast Mail” handles bulk mail and expresson an expedited schedule. Photo by Steve Barry

Walthers 60' MaterialHandling Car is based onAmtrak’s 1500-series cars.This photo shows the cardecorated in Amtrak PhaseIII colors.

Walthers 60' Express BoxCar decorated in AmtrakPhase IV colors. Some of theprototype cars were deliveredin plain Platinum Mist.

A 1700 Series Baggage Car gets switched at Amtrak’s Chicagopassenger yard in May, 1999. Photo by Jim Hebner

it from being broken up. Muchof the new business planhinges on express trafficexpansion and the AcelaSM

Express high speed trains.

For the first time in its history,Amtrak could plan ahead.

Amtrak Orders MoreExpress Box CarsNew routes and longer trainscarrying more mail andexpress created an immediatedemand for more cargo capac-ity. To accommodate theincrease, Amtrak ordered hun-dreds of express box cars.These new 50' and 60' cars,plus another 100 ordered inlate 2000, have no electricalconnections and must be oper-ated on the rear of the train.This round of new cars haschanged the look of Amtraktrains across the country.

The Walthers 60' Express BoxCars feature detailed bodyshells with plug doors, free-rolling trucks, working knuckle

couplers and both as-deliveredpaint schemes. Because the carswere delivered as the companywrangled over how to paint itsexpress fleet, some of the 60'cars came in plain PlatinumMist, the rest were deliveredwith Phase IV striping. Manyhave since had U.S. Mail letter-ing and pooling informationapplied. In December, 2000 afew cars even received the newAcela-like Platinum Mist andBlue scheme with the newAmtrak logo.

Beyond The Boxes and MHCsEntry into new express freightmarkets has brought about theintroduction of even more newequipment. Amtrak now oper-ates RoadRailers, highwaytrailers designed to operate onrailroad wheels, on the rear ofmany of its long-distancetrains. Time-sensitive cargo,such as auto parts, printedmaterials and perishables, isshipped in RoadRailers. Inaddition to Amtrak’s own cars,you’ll also find BNSF,NS/Triple Crown and SwiftRoadRailers tacked onto therear of many trains. In HO,Bowser makes these cars.

Amtrak’s sales force is alsocourting western growers fortheir shipments moving toeastern markets. In mid-2000,Amtrak began hauling test

shipments of Washington Stateapples in express reefers.

Fill Out Your AmtrakTrain ConsistWith all its added mail andexpress business, Amtraktrains have become fun towatch and interesting to modelin HO Scale. Just as in the

days of railroad-operated pas-senger trains, Amtrak now runsa few dedicated mail trains andeven an occasional extra trainof express box cars. You’ll alsosee trains performing switch-ing enroute. In 2001, just as inpre-Amtrak times, switchengines work express cars at

major terminals like KansasCity, Toledo, San Diego andthe Twin Cities, where theymove express cars betweendepots and truck transfers orRoadRailer facilities.

With Walthers HO 60'Material Handling Cars, 60'Express Box Cars and new

4

The first Lake Country Limited scoots through Walworth, Wisconsin in April, 2000. This trainwas created to carry mainly express and mail traffic between southern Wisconsin and connec-tions to other Amtrak trains in Chicago. Dash-8 Locomotives, Horizon Fleet Coaches, 60'Express Box Cars and RoadRailers are typical on this train. Photo by Bob Gallegos

Express and less-than-car-load freight was big businesson many trains in pre-Amtrak times. Even thisErie commuter train, prepar-ing to leave Port Jervis, NYfor Hoboken, NJ in the mid1960s, carried express trafficin its baggage and combine.Bob Gallegos Collection

95 Reasons to Take Auto TrainInterstate 95 between Washington D.C. and Florida is a traffic night-mare. Luckily, there’s an alternative which allows you to take yourown car along for the trip: Amtrak’s Auto Train. While vacationersdriving between Washington D.C. and Florida deal with bad traffic,you can sit back and relax as you glide along the high-iron.Meanwhile, your car is cooling its wheels in the security of an Amtrak75' Auto Carrier. Upon arrival, there are no rental car hassles; just pick-up your car and you’re on your way.

Here’s how these cars look today. Following rebuilding, the carsnow sport high-speed trucks, short ladders and no roofwalks. Afew cars have also received new doors. Walthers Archives

1950s-Era Cars Find A New NicheAmtrak’s 75' auto carriers first hit the rails in the 1950s asCanadian National embraced multi-level cars to carry autos. Thenew end-door cars were huge by the standards of the time; eachcould carry 8 vehicles. The cars were a big success and helpedlead to the development of today’s enclosed auto racks.

A CN 75' Auto Carrier poses with doors open for the companyphotographer sometime in the 1950s.

In the early 1970s, Auto Train Corporation began hauling passen-gers and their autos between Washington D.C. and Florida. Thisstartup company began service with the same fleet of former CNauto carriers. The service was a big hit with travelers and soonAuto Train was looking to expand into other markets.

A new train serving the Chicago market lasted for only a fewweeks before the company realized it was overextended. Soon, allservice ceased and the Auto Train Corporation’s purple, red andwhite fleet was put up for sale. Eventually, Amtrak acquired AutoTrain’s rolling stock and terminals in Lorton, Virginia, andSanford, Florida. After thoroughly rebuilding the equipment,Amtrak reintroduced Auto Train in 1983 and before long, passen-gers began to flock to the trains. Today, Auto Train is Amtrak’sshining star along the east coast.

Add Amtrak’s Star Performer to Your LayoutNew Walthers Amtrak 75' Auto Carriers are just the thing forbuilding your Auto Train consist. Under Amtrak ownership, thetrains have operated with both Heritage Fleet and Superliner con-sists. Heritage Fleet cars ran on the trains through the mid-1990swhen Superliner II cars arrived.

According to Amtrak, in 2001 trains typically carry two to threelocomotives, six coaches, six sleepers (including two DeluxeSleepers), two Lounges, three diners and 32-34 auto carriers duringpeak season. Off-peak trains operate with slightly smaller consists.Over the years, locomotives have included F40PHs, Genesis P40sand P42s and, during the 1980s, P30CHs. On an HO layout, a real-istic Superliner consist could include a pair of F40PH or AthearnGenesis locomotives, three coaches, two regular sleepers and onedeluxe sleeper, a diner, a lounge and ten auto carriers.

1700 Series Baggage Cars,you can fill out yourSuperliner and Amfleet con-sists to represent trains acrossthe country.

Express business has alsoincreased the size and alteredthe arrangement of train con-sists. Before the delivery ofExpress Box Cars andRoadRailers, Amtrak operatedMHCs and baggage cars in thetraditional head-end locationjust behind the locomotives.Because the new box cars lackelectrical equipment, all cargohandling cars now operate onthe rear end, except forHeritage Fleet and 1700 Seriesbaggage cars, which operate inboth locations. For a few sam-ple long-distance train con-

sists, check out InsidersReport Volume 1, Issue 1,available in PDF format atwalthers.com.

Here are a few more typicaltrain consists, including a typi-cal Northeast Corridor mailtrain and a solid express boxcar move.

•The Fast Mail, WashingtonD.C. - Springfield, MA,1990s-Present: 1-2 AEM-7, 1-20 mixed MHCs, Baggage,1700-Series Baggage, 60'

Express Box Cars. Carries anAmfleet Snack Coach orCoach on the hind end, north-bound only.

•Ann Rutledge, Chicago-Kansas City, a great small lay-out-sized train, Fall 2000:F40PH or Dash-8 Locomotive,2-4 Horizon Fleet Coaches,Horizon Fleet Food Service, 1-4 50' and 60' Express BoxCars or 60' MHCs

•Hiawatha Service, last trainof the evening and first in themorning, Chicago-Milwaukee,Winter 2001: F40PH or Dash-8Locomotive, 3-5 Horizon FleetCoaches, NPCU (nonpoweredcab/baggage car convertedfrom an F40PH), 1-2 60'Express Box Cars or BaggageCars.

Box Car Extra, Summer 1999:Genesis P42, 17 empty 50' and60' Express Box Cars beingferried between Chicago andToledo for forwarding toPhiladelphia and New YorkBox car trains are operatedonly as needed; are limited tofreight train speeds; and haulonly empty cars in order toreposition them for loading.�

Amtrak 1700 Series BaggageCars $31.98 Each, April Delivery932-6231 Phase IV932-6232 Phase IV w/U.S. PostalService Markings932-6230 Undecorated60' Express Box Cars, $19.98932-6041 Phase IV Scheme932-6042 Silver Scheme932-6040 Undecorated

Amtrak Material Handling Cars,Single Cars $19.98932-6021 Phase III932-6022 Phase III w/U.S. PostalService Markings932-6023 Phase IV932-6020 Undecorated

Amtrak Material Handling Cars,2-Pack With Limited-RunRoadnumbers $43.98932-26021 Phase III932-26022 Phase III w/U.S.Postal Service Markings932-26023 Phase IV

In January 1992 theCalifornia Zephyr carried itsMHCs and Baggage Carsahead of the passenger cars.Photo by Bob Gallegos

5

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In the Twin Cities, MinnesotaCommercial (MNNR) han-dles Amtrak’s switching. OnNovember 24, 2000, an AlcoRS18 has just positionedsome MHCs and 60' ExpressBox Cars at Amtrak’s trans-fer warehouse. Photo by BobGallegos

Cars unique to Auto Traininclude Deluxe Sleepers, withten deluxe, four economy, onefamily and one handicappedbedroom; and a SuperlinerLounge, which is a SuperlinerI Diner outfitted with loungeamenities. Except for its letter-ing, the lounge retains thesame external appearance as adiner. Walthers offers thesecars as a limited-run two-carset, 932-908 $49.98, whichincludes a special decal sheetwith Auto Train-specific carnames and numbers.With the release of Walthers

75' Auto Carriers you can easi-ly model the Auto Train overthe course of its career withAmtrak. Walthers offersSuperliner I and II cars(Insiders Report vol. 1 no. 1)for modeling post-1996 con-sists. Before 1996, HeritageFleet cars ran ahead of theauto carriers. Budd-builtHeritage Fleet coaches, dinersand sleepers are also offeredby Walthers. In addition to the75' auto carriers, Auto Trainalso carries some 89' tri-levelauto carriers with unusual flatside panels. No models ofthese cars are available.

75' Auto Carrier SpecificsWalthers ready-to-run 75' AutoCarriers come with add-onseparate door details, short orlong ladders, roofwalks, andbrake details. The cars havethese details applied as appro-priate for each prototype.Other features include GSCexpress trucks and workingknuckle couplers. The carsdecorated for CanadianNational come with Bettendorffreight trucks as this is howthey operated on CN.Undecorated cars come withGSC trucks and unattacheddetails so you can match yourspecific prototype. $21.98each, 2-Packs $43.98 �

932-6220 Undecorated932-6221 Amtrak Phase III, ShortLadders, Optional Roof Walk932-6222 Amtrak Phase IV, ShortLadders, Optional Roof Walk932-6223 CN/Auto Train, LongLadders, Roof Walk932-6224 Auto Train Corporation,Short Ladders,Optional Roof Walk2-Packs932-26220 Undecorated932-26221 Amtrak Phase III,Short Ladders,Optional Roof Walk932-26222 Amtrak Phase IV,Short Ladders,Optional Roof Walk932-26223 CN/Auto Train, LongLadders, Roof Walk932-26224 Auto TrainCorporation, Short Ladders,Optional Roof Walk

6

Auto Train Corporation wasresponsible for bringing the75' Auto Carriers to theUnited States. Here, one ofthe company’s U36Bs restsat Lorton, VA. Photo bySteve Barry

Walthers limited-run Amtrak Auto Train 2-Pack 932-908includes a Lounge and a Deluxe Sleeper.

In 1956 CN officials look on as a new car is driven into a new75' Auto Carrier. Walthers Archives

In 1989 a trio of GE P30CHs totes a Heritage Fleet-equipped Auto Train consist through ruralVirginia. Photo by Steve Barry

Compare the HO 75' AutoCarrier with the prototypecar. Over their careers, sever-al cars have had their doorsreplaced because of damageor wear. The Walthers carscome with as-delivered doors.This Amtrak phase IV modelhas no roofwalk and includesappropriate low ladders.

Walthers HO Amtrak Phase IV 75’ Auto Carrier, 932-6222 $21.98

Turnouts ForMore TrackPlanningPossibilities Turnouts For Tight SpacesIn a big commerical district,the squeal of flanges on sharpcurves and the growl of aswitcher revving up reverber-ate off the walls of the brickand concrete canyon betweenbuildings as a crew works theindustry sidings. All along theswitching lead, spurs branchoff in all directions. Someduck into huge roll-up doors atfactories, others wind theirway through curved alleys,and a few fan out to huge mul-tiple track loading docks. Tinypocket yards, squeezed intospaces between buildings, arecrammed with cars wait-ing to be spot-ted atloadingdoors.

Wouldn’tyou like torecreate thetwisting trackwork of abig industrial district on yourpike? Now you can, usingWalthers HO Code 83 #4 and#2 Wye Turnouts. Designedfor use in tight spaces wheresharp radii are a must, thesenew turnouts allow you to add

sidings and escape trackswhile maintaining completecompatibility with the rest ofyour Walthers Code 83 track.

New #4 and #2 Wye turnoutsare designed to be usedtogether. Check out the trackdiagram to see how easy it isto make a center escape trackor siding at a station or indus-trial scene.

High-Speed High IronOut on the mainline, the goalis to keep trains moving byeliminating delays.Crossings,

junctions, curves,crossovers andencounters withother trains can reallyslow things down. One wayto keep speeds up is to reducethe number of speed reduc-tions trains must make as theycross over between mains ondouble track or as they negoti-

ate the turnouts into passingsidings.

When you look at a high-speedmainline switch, you’ll see thatthey’re long and the divergingroute has a very wide radius.In HO Scale, modelers usuallyuse #8 turnouts to simulate thelook of high-speed turnouts,but they still appear too sharp.Now, realistic-looking high-speed crossovers and siding

switchesare yourswith newWalthers Code 83

#10 Turnouts. Just imaginehow good your passengertrains and long-wheelbaselocomotives will look as theyglide through the gentle curveof a long #10 turnout. No side-ways jolts here, just a smoothflow from one track to another.

Walthers Code 83 HOTrack System Offers WideVariety Of TurnoutsWith the addition of new #4,#10 and #2 Wye Turnouts,Walthers offers the widest vari-ety of Code 83 track available.Manufactured exclusively forWalthers by world-renownedtrack expert Shinohara,Walthers HO Code 83 track ispatterned to look like typicalNorth American track.

Walthers Code 83 Track fea-tures oxidation-resistant nick-el-silver rail that captures thelook of typical 132 poundmainline rail. Thin-profile

plastic ties with realistic woodgrain and color add detail toyour lines and live frogs andpower routing keep your trainsmoving where you want themto go. Walthers Code 83 railjoiners also feature simulatedbolt and joint bar detail.Transition tracks are availablefor Code 100 to 83 and Code70 to 83 rail. For completeinformation about Waltherstrack products including scaletrack planning templates, seethe Walthers HO ModelRailroad Reference Book. �

New Walthers #4 and #2 Wyeturnouts, $14.98 each.948-801 #4 Left Hand Turnout948-802 #4 Right Hand Turnout948-887 #2 Wye Turnout

Walthers #10 Turnouts, $26.98 ea.948-884 #10 Left Hand Turnout 948-885 #10 Right Hand Turnout

At stub-end passenger sta-tions and multiple loadingdock scenes, trains can pullin locomotive-first. Enginescan uncouple and switch tothe center track to depart.

#4 Right Turnout

Passenger Platform or Loading D

ock

Passenger Platform or Loading D

ock

#4 Left Turnout

#2 Wye

When you need to lay as much track as possible in a smallspace, sharp turnouts can help conserve space. CanadianPacific’s ex-Soo Line yard at the Ford Twin Cities AssemblyPlant uses small turnouts and close track spacing to conservespace. Photo by Bob Gallegos

#2 Wye Turnout

#4 RH Turnout

#10 RH Turnout

At Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, pairs of passengertracks serve adjacent platforms. Escape tracks allow locomo-tives to be removed from the train while passenger cars remainat the platforms. The turnout in the foreground leads to a cen-ter escape track as in the diagram. Photo by Bob Gallegos

7

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Very, VeryVersatileHave you ever wanted a build-ing you could use just aboutanywhere on any layout? Howabout a structure which isequally at home on your pikeas a small, stand-alone busi-ness or as part of a largerindustrial complex?

When Walthers released itsCornerstone Series® MidstateMarble Products a couple ofyears ago, modelers praised itas a realistic model of a track-side business you might findanywhere decorative stone isquarried. Since then, however,modelers have latched onto itbecause you can use it in somany different ways.

Set Your Scene In Stone

The Cornerstone Series®

Midstate Marble Products kit,933-3073 $39.98, is a detailedmodel of a typical early-1900s stone cutting shop.Businesses like these wereonce commonplace in all cor-ners of the continent, withlarge concentrations of themin the slate and marble quar-

rying regions of the northeast.A few similar structures arestill standing today.

Stone finishers like Midstateuse rock saws to cut downfreshly quarried stone intousable, shippable slabs. Atthese businesses, freshly blast-ed or rough cut stone is movedto a staging area next to thecutting house. A jib crane isused to place the chunks ontonarrow gauge push carts forthe trip inside for cutting.

Once they’re cut down, theslabs are carted or forkliftedoutside into a storage andloading area served by a rail-road siding and an overheadcrane. Flat cars, gondolas andtrucks haul the slabs to spe-cialized shops for further fin-ishing into products such asgravestones, tiles and architec-tural trim. Some quarry shopssimilar to Midstate also

offered the aforementionedconsumer products, makingthem even busier becausethese products were oftenshipped in box cars.

Everything in a stone cuttingscene is usually covered witha fine layer of light gray dust.Even nearby trees and busheshave a powdery look. At thebase of the jib crane andalong the tracks of the over-head crane, dark patchesappear anywhere oil andgrease contact the dust layer.It’s easy to simulate this lookusing chalks.

Midstate Marble ProductsIs More Than Just AStone Cutting ShopEven though the box saysMidstate Marble Products, thecomponents in this kit lendthemselves well to a myriadof uses. The kit includes aboard-and-batten stone cutting

building, a jib crane and awooden beam supported over-head crane.

Board-and-batten structureswith large doors were usuallyin demand at all kinds ofindustries. Logging railroadsoften laid track through thelarge doors and used the over-head crane to handle truck andwheel changeouts on skeletonlog cars and flat cars. Smallsawmills, especially those han-dling short hardwood logs,performed cutting inside andstored finished lumber outsideas in the diagram. All you needto add is a chain conveyor or

forklift to move logs indoors.

Along the waterfront, thebuilding makes a good net orcordage shop. In shipyards,creaky, old wooden overheadtraveling cranes are great forunloading freight cars andtrucks and for moving partsaround. Jib cranes are used formoving fishing nets andmachinery between piers andvessels. In waterfront settings,make sure to weather thestructures heavily to givepainted surfaces a faded lookand to give wood parts a sil-very, exposed look.

At mines, quarries, older papermills, and other large industri-al complexes, board-and-bat-ten buildings are used asmachine shops, garages, toolshops and, in early 1900s set-tings, wagon works. It’s easyto detail these scenes withmachine parts, old machinery,oil drums, barrels, tires, pipe,building materials and junkvehicles.�

At a sawmill, logs are sortedusing the jib crane. Shorthardwood logs are draggedinside using a winch andchains or they’re brought inwith a forklift. Cut lumber isstored outside for drying andshipment.

Here’s an arrangement for astone cutting facility. Thesecomplexes are usually adja-cent to the edge of a quarrypit. The layout would be sim-ilar for a small carshop.

10"

11-1/4"

Mai

n B

uild

ing

OverheadCrane

JibCrane

Chain conveyor or chain/winch

Siding

Rough-cut piles

Small Sawmill

Log sort pile in ring

Stone Cutting Shop

OverheadCrane

Dressed Stones

JibCrane

Push Cart TrackFreshly Quarried StoneMainline

Railroad Spur

Control House

HO Midstate Marble Products 933-3073 $39.98

This modern crane in Big Stone City, South Dakota loadsfreshly quarried granite from mine haul trucks into gondolasfor shipment to a finishing shop. Photo by Bob Gallegos

This small structural slate mill in Pennsylvania produces shin-gles and tile. The side door and block and tackle are used forloading pallets onto trucks. Photo by William C. Schaumburg

Here’s a closeup view of fresh-ly blasted and drilled stonebefore it is cut into slabs.

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8

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Walthers locomotivesand rolling stock men-tioned in this issue:HO Bethgon Coalporters®

932-5300 SeriesCoal loads for Walthersgondolas and hoppersHO Amtrak 1700 SeriesBaggage CarsHO Amtrak 60' ExpressBox Cars

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HO Amtrak 75' AutoCarriers

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Trainline® HO AmtrakLocomotives

HO Amtrak SuperlinerPassenger Cars

HO Amtrak Horizon FleetPassenger Cars

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HO Amtrak ViewlinerSleepers

Walthers Code 83Track featured in this issue:Walthers HO Code 83 #4 Turnouts

Walthers HO Code 83 #2 Wye Turnout

Walthers HO Code 83 #10 Turnouts

Links To Walthers Products Mentioned In This Issue Of Insiders Report