MRBT 1920s Layout

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

Since its to uncomfortable to go outside I thought I’d finally get this started. I’m modeling the MRBT line from Bonne Terre to Federal mill #3 in flat river. After originally being focused in the late 40s/early 50s I’ve slipped back into the early to mid 20s. This will allow me to model the MRBT, Illinois Southern and Missouri-Illinois after the bankruptcy. I was originally modeling the M-I from Little Rock/Thomure to Bismark but was struggling getting info on that part of the line as well as making it fit in the space granted by mgmt. Now that my daughters have appeared to have left we are not sure how long or if we will stay here in Indy so all the bench work is built with cabinet grade 3/4 plywood and screwed together. All of these are built as modules which are attached to each other with hex bolts and t nuts for easy assembly or disassemble if required. On top of that is 2″ foam which is easily shaped to give the Ozark hills some shape. Most of the track is down with only the main line being powered as I have been converting my steam locos to battery power. the track plan is designed to run from the yards at BT to a yard at Central which has Mill 3 behind it. I also have a interchange track with the IS at this point and If I want to add more modules I can run to ste. Genevieve. If I can figure out how to post a diagram i will put one up on here as well. Once things slow back down and I can spend more time downstairs I have the materials on hand to start the main mill structure as well as the engine house and machine shop at BT.

[peggyrothschild]

Joe
When you post at the bottom is tab titled ‘attachments’. Click on the ‘add files’ and you can add photos or drawings from your phone or computer. Would like to see your track diagram and progress.

Charlie

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

Im still trying to get a better diagram but here is a drawing i had done earlier. Im currently fighting the backdrop color, but should have that taken care of by the end of the week. All the track is in place for the #3 mill which will be the first area to be semi-completed. Spread out about the basement is the beginnings of the scratchbuilt #3 mill and drying room along with the engine house from BT. Even though I’m planning on running it as a point to point from BT to the #3 mill I did connect them at the bottom left so I can let one just run. The switches are in for the depot and feed mill at BT and the turn to the Crawley Branch but right now those areas look like a HO scale bomb went off. There are also about 12 caboose builds going on (way to many to keep organized) a gon scratch build I’m trying to see if i can cast and a few Accurail 36′ cars that I’m playing with to see if I can MoP them up a bit.

Joe

[Bud Moss]

Nice track plan. An MR&BT 1920s era layout is going to be great! Jerry Michels

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

Since the weather has pretty much stunk all winter ive had a fair amount of time to work on the layout. I got tired of seeing most of the track laid but “stuff” piled all around so I decided to work on the Mill #3 in Flat River to at least see how the 2 major buildings would look in styrene. Almost none of the buildings i will need are available so I’ll have to scratch build them and this will be a first for me. Anyway the Mill is up along with the dryer room and loading shed. had to guess on the coal dump since ive never seen a photo of it. Im going to do the upper portion of the mill with a picture but need to find someone better at photo shop to see what i can do. I also did a basic sceniking just to get a feel for it. While I had all the materials out i decided to give the engine house and machine shop a shot in Bonne Terre as well. Pretty happy so far other then the roof on the engine house being too tall. i may or may not takle that later. All the roofs are removeable and i plan to put some LED’s in at a later date. Im also still waiting on some more windows. Im not happy with any of the smokestacks Ive found so far for either the dryer house or the plant at BT so I might end up casting those like i did for the bridge thats buried under the stuff i moved to work on these areas.

Joe[attachment=0:2vnrimc7]IMG_1766.jpg[/attachment:2vnrimc7][attachment=1:2vnrimc7]IMG_1765.jpg[/attachment:2vnrimc7][attachment=2:2vnrimc7]IMG_1761.jpg[/attachment:2vnrimc7][attachment=3:2vnrimc7]IMG_1762.jpg[/attachment:2vnrimc7]

[amosluettgen1665]

Looking great – and a speedy build!

[peggyrothschild]

Joe
Thanks for the updates on your layout. Congratulations and your progress.

After looking at photos the last several months for the Missouri-Illinois book I can see the attraction to modeling the MR&BT.

[bargetanika]

Is that an “AHM 0-8-0” poking out of the engine house? I always wanted one when I was a kid.

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

Pat, actually I think it is. Ill have to go look for it but one of the advantages of living where no one gives the Mopac a second glance is people bring me stuff like this find at estate sales and such. I think this was one of those.

Joe

[bargetanika]

I saw one once that someone had extended the pilot, added a pony truck, and made what looked like a Super Power 2-8-0 that Lima might have made, it was actually kind of neat .

The useless “trains” that your well meaning but clueless friends give you, that’s a fun discussion in itself. I’ve always done steam branchlines, but once someone gave me one of those UP 4 truck huge-mama-jama turbines that I had to put on the track whenever they came over.

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

Well after my cruise was cancelled last week. I had some time to mess around downstairs and finally got some progress done on the layout. First was ble to gete the basic structure done on the mill that will be in Bonne Terre. Im using the sanborn map as a guide for the basic shape and adjusting it to fit the area. the other buildings will be some form of photo backdrop that Ill try to play with this week. I also built a box inside the open door that I will detail to some degree later. While building this I was also building my first group of trees and am working on finding a better way to make pine trees. And lastly I finally got the group of 16 boxcars to the primer stage. I ended up building 10 MRBT 36′ boxcars showing the different mods from as built to the few that had their roofs rasied. the final 6 were M-I/I-S cars built in the middle teens. 4 will be lettered for the MI and the others for the IS since the relettering wasnt complete until 1925.

Joe[attachment=0:ezu1094y]new 1.png[/attachment:ezu1094y][attachment=1:ezu1094y]new 2.png[/attachment:ezu1094y]

[peggyrothschild]

Joe
Thanks for posting the photos. Am enjoying seeing your progress on the MB&BT. Having written the book on the line I can see the reasons why you and others decided to model it.

[amosluettgen1665]

Excellent work – I would be very interested in seeing the various boxcars you created.

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

i will try to get downstairs and get a few pics tonight or tomorrow

Joe

[jymrpvzdnskxnqtc]

[attachment=0:3prli0to]MRBT-2000-2198 as blt.jpg[/attachment:3prli0to][attachment=1:3prli0to]MRBT-200-2198 Tall.jpg[/attachment:3prli0to][attachment=2:3prli0to]IS MI-3101-3400.jpg[/attachment:3prli0to]

Here are the 3 groups of boxcars. for these layout fillers Ive been doing one of each group with Tichy grabs but leaving the rest of them with the molded on grabs. There are 2 of the raised roof MRBT 36′ boxcars that I ended up using undec Accurail DS Boxcars as a starting point. I added the truss rods, larger upper door track covers, door rub strips and the L Angle vertical braces on the ends. The rest of the MRBT cars are built using the Roundhouse old time box car where I added the truss rods, end doors and door rub strips. For the IS/MI boxcars I used the Accurail cars again but added the lower truss rods, end truss rod along with the end vertical wood supports and removed the seams from the molded on roof and installed evergreen car siding to match the prototype. I also used Accurail roofwalks on the Roundhouse cars as theirs extended past the roof line. As usual i ran out of grabs and they came in since i took these photos so the 2 MRBT cars that will have them are still on the bench but hopefully will be done this weekend.

Joe

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