It's 2024. Again.

  

Big Sky Forest Products

    As things happen here on the railroad change has come again. As this is an ever evolving project the desires and needs of the builder change and grow. But I had to drill down on what I was really wanting and what would work for my own mindset as the layout is concerned and this lead to some updates that will act as Matthew Freix would say "guiderails" keeping things on track. Terrible railroad puns intentional or not are free on this blog.

   The railroad is set in the summer of 2024.  Before construction it was the late 1950's and when construction had just begun that slipped to varying time periods but it's settled on 2024. This means that BNSF has taken over the MRL and by extension the Big Blackfoot Branch from Bonner Jct to Clearwater Jct. The Glacier Rail Park has been full and in operation for a few years as well meaning business to the north of the CSLP have had time to mature and gain customers and traffic. One thing I've heard and read repeatedly is when in doubt look to the prototype. So in this case it's the real life Mission Mountain Railroad when it operated the Kalispell branch and the Bitterroot Branch when it was under MRL ownership. What an eye opener a dozen photographs gave me. I could model this withing in the constraints of my layout size and operation. We'll get into the operations in the next installment of this blog but now I have something to work on.

     New power and rolling stock is coming to the railroad too. Currently my car fleet is almost exclusively pre-1960 40' cars. Although I tried to work them into the modern concept I've decided to simply bite the bullet and update the fleet. A few of the current fleet will be saved as we'll need rolling stock for photo work but post 1980 stock is coming. My goal however is keep the texture alive. This means a lot of leased cars and cars from smaller roads that existed in the late 20th century but were not as common as the megamergers consumed the variety and color that once existed on our railroads.  I've purchased my first modern power in the form of a ex-leased GP9 PII that will take over the bulk of assignments for the time being. As we move forward the keyword for motive power is reliability in a tough environment and this locomotive should fit the bill. 

1601 Small Livery (Notional)

    Scenery on the layout also continues. We are learning and while sometimes it's one step forward and one step back it's amazing what you can accomplish by simply watching a YouTube video and winging it.  I look forward in the future to pointing out where I started.  My bar for most of what is happening scenery wise is serviceable and I think I've managed to meet it.

With a little AI help, Happy Holidays to all us from the Clearwater Pacific!

Yard Work

 

Edmonds Landing Yard

    Today was the day I wanted to get the Edmonds Yard down. I had watched a YouTube video and I liked how the creator did it so how hard could it be? A trip to the hardware store gave me all the materials I needed for this project. Liquid Nails for Projects, a caulking gun, drywall roller, caulk saver cap and a few other odds and ends. I was ready.

    Fifteen minutes after I started the project the first phase was one. You'll see where a spur is "Missing". Well that's the caboose track and won't be installed until we know how the engine house will sit. The hole above the engine house track is for the BLI water tower. The blue tape you see is marking the spot for the dedicated programing track. Once the layout is ready we'll move from the NCE Power Cab to a smart booster and the power cab will be used to power that track for dedicated programing. 

Incline Anchor installed

    Edmonds yards is built on a slight grade. With the upgrade to metal wheels cars roll far easier. A huge inspiration to me is the Willow Creek Railroad. In one of the videos the owner mentions using the bristles of a small broom to create hold backs in a a yard. If a Master Model Railroader can do it I figured so can I. Right now the Incline Anchors, what I'm calling them,  are simply a proof of concept. They will most likely need to be replaced once ballasting is done. But it makes the yard usable once I can play with my trains again. 

    

Milwaukee Road RSC-2 #940

    It was a train show weekend with plans to attend two. Well I made it to one, spent all my money and saved three hours of driving. The big haul was a Kato RSC-2 with DCC and sound installed for under $100.  Couldn't pass it up as such a locomotive is perfect for this railroad. I did a video of it you can see below. 

    Few other things were accomplished today. In addition to the the installation of the Incline Anchors, holes were drilled for the installation of the yard feeder wires. The Superintendent has decided that the railroad will go the keep alive route instead of frog juicing. The juice is an option but having capacitors as standard on all motive power will go a long way in making the railroad operation friendly. 

    The next project will be the installation of Marvin's Curve, an 18" curve leading to Clearwater proper, and soldering joints and keepers. The railroad should be ready for full operations no later then the 1st of December of this year.  

    On the prototype front here are some shots of ACM #7 and the Library car a few weekends ago. Things are looking good. 

Headlight Illuminated. 

Bethlehem Steel

Wooden Bits Looking Good

The 70-ton Bonner Movie STar

Little Library Car in front of the Library Car

Things are progressing on the BBRy. It was mentioned that I could use hollow core closet doors as a base for my layout. I have used a door previously and with foam on top are very sturdy and lightweight. My Climax has been sold. But it's for a good cause! Dave over at Northwest Short Line needed one as a test bed for up coming Climax Parts. He lives close enough that it just made sense. But what am I getting? Some money but more importantly a set of NWSL's newest product, metal Shay gears for the Bachmann 80-ton Shay. In the words of Richard Hammond, I think you can see where this is going.
The call for summer work will be coming shortly. I only hope I can start setting the layout up before I go. I may hire an independent contractor to finish it while I'm away. Time will tell.

Where Did That Come From?

As I continually rewrite my posts relating to the story and history of the BBRy, you may have noticed a few new additions to the motive power I'm planning for the layout. The reasons are simple: I want to play with them! Here is one of those new and yet-to-be-purchased additions, a 3-truck Shay, undergoing a very tempting run at the local hobby shop.

One must remember this is on DC, what would it be like on DCC?!?!? Needless to say I have decided some day I will find out.

Relics of the Big Blackfoot

Here are some of the artifacts on display at The Historical Museum at Fort Missoula


Speeder #2. Used in the transportation of lumbermen to and from camp.


Library Car. Held over 2000 volumes of reading material. Operated in conjunction with the Missoula Public Library.


Slide Ass Jammer on a Flat car


Willamette Shay-Type #7



Log load on a flat car



Flat Car
It should be noted the cars are not native to the Big Blackfoot. They carry a mixed heritage, CB&Q and NP (BN) It is interesting to note the attached sills on the bottom of the last car, would make for an interesting project.


Set of trucks, destined for the library car. They were pulled out of the muck somewhere up the Blackfoot.

Motive Power and history of Chipman Forestry Limited

Motive power on my Big Blackfoot for the foreseeable future will in no way resemble the actual roster of either the Anaconda Copper Company, Big Blackfoot Milling Company Railway, or the Western Lumber Company. There are several reasons for this. The main one is brass is expensive! And getting the exact model can be tough. I know there are several two truck shays in brass that will make excellent early A.C.M Shays. It's when we get larger we encounter problems. Bachmann makes a wonderful C-80 Shay. To bad that's larger then anything that ever ran on the Big Blackfoot. There is a brass Willamette available but it leaves a bit to be desired when it comes to modeling the one-of that is Western Lumber Company #3/A.C.M #7, Although adding the Radley Hunter Stack and making her a coal burner shouldn't be that hard. Due to my lack of "real" models, I've decided to change the primary operating company for the railroad, and set the time frame to the late 1940's. But they say run with what you got so without further ado here is the current roster of the Big Blackfoot Railway and a short history of the company who runs them.

Chipman Lumber began as Chipman Lumber and Milling based in Bonner, Montana. Never as big as it's chief competitors Chipman has managed to carve a name for itself in the forests of Montana. Founded in 1901 by David Chipman the CLMCo didn't even have a railroad until 1916 when they negotiated to relay and operate all track in the Potomac Valley from the Anaconda Copper Mining Company. The A.C.M had moved it's operations west to Nine Mile and Chipman saw an opportunity to make some money in the void left by the Big Blackfoot Railway. Chipman invested over $10,000 dollars in the purchase and installation of the new railroad, basically bankrupting the company with construction complete by 1917. But the timber was still there, and by 1918 the company broke even..

Chipman Logging and Milling Company Railway 0-6-0T #1 & #2
-Bought new by the C.L.&M.Co.Ry. in 1917 from the American Locomotive Company, #1 and her identical sister #2 ,were the largest investment made by the railroad up to that point. As logging trains grew the little saddle tankers were assigned to heavy switching at McNamara landing and Potomac and hauling empties between the two towns.Well liked by the crews for her easy ride, #1 is usually the first locomotive to be fired in the morning and the first to have it's fire dropped at the end of the day. Both locomotives were converted to tender engines in 1919. #2 was run until 1922 when it was involved in a wreck while unloading logs at McNamara Landing. The locomotive was a total loss.

Chipman Logging and Milling Company 4-6-0 #2
-Bought third hand from the Monida Logging Company of Monida, Idaho this heavy 1912 4-6-0 hauled lumber between Potomac and McNamara until 1935. Although more powerful then the 0-6-0T it replaced, #2 was never well like by her crews as her larger size made switching the landing more difficult and she was very limited in the cars she could haul up grades. She rusted on the dead line until scrapped for the war effort in 1942.

By 1925 the Chipman Mill in Bonner was closed due to increasing competition from The Western Lumber Company and the Anaconda Company. To save the railroad and his company Dave Chipman entered into a contract with both the A.C.M and the W.L.C to provide lumber for their Bonner operations. With America still experiencing a boom after World War 1 the fledgling logging company is in need a new and more powerful locomotive to help drag the spoils of the tall timber to their log dump at McNamara Landing. Although the A.C.M and W.L.C can use the Milwaukee Road branch to get their lumber to market, the Chipman Lumber Company still drives their lumber by river. By 1930 the Chipman Operation has extended tracks to Camp 3, deep in the Potomac Valley. Here stands of old growth timber in record amounts lead to a boom time for Chipman. By now the railroad was on even footing with the mighty Anaconda Company itself having bought out the rival Western Lumber Company. Although Chipman prefers to drive it's logs to the Mill by the Blackfoot River a contracted amount of lumber is transferred to the Milwaukee Road at McNamera Landing destined for Bonner.

Chipman Logging Company 90-ton Heisler #4
-Purchased new in 1930 this modern Heisler is the workhorse of the Big Blackfoot Railway. Fast enough for the McNamera to Potomac run and powerful enough for the run to Camp 3 this piston valved and superheated locomotive was equipped with a distinctive Radley Hunter Stack, common among the big steam in the tall timber. Although finding jobs big enough to trot out this "West Coast Special" there is no job that #2 can't handle. Crew's are found of saying "If she can start it, she can pull it" and there are very few trains on the Big Blackfoot #4 can't start.

Chipman Logging Company 80-Ton Shay #6
- Purchased in 1930, this coal burning class C-80 shay was bought new from Lima Works. Orignaly another Heisler was to have been purchased but another was not available for immediate purchse. Chipman then tendered an order to Willamette Iron and Steel. When the delivery date estimate came back Chipman cancelled that order and sent one to Lima. The locomotive was in McNamara the following week. "Big Six" was the largest Shay ever operated along the Blackfoot, a full ten tons more then the rival Anaconda Companies Willamette #7. Used primarily for the Camp #3 to Potomac turn #6 was more then a match for the 6% grades. She served with distinction until the end of steam on the Big Blackfoot.

Chipman Logging Company 2-6-6-2T #8
-Purchased in 1935 from the Baldwin Locomotive Works this was the largest locomotive ever owned by Chipman. It was used for the McNamara to Bonner turn hauling both Chipman and A.C.M lumber to the Bonner Mill. #8 was sold in 1952 to Hammond Lumber in British Columbia, Canada.

In 1947 Chipman Logging was reorganized into Chipman Forestry Limited and gained a new CEO David's son, Tim. With the timber in the Potomac valley beginning to thin the new method of selective logging begins. Steam is still king on the CFLRy and will continue as such until the late 1950's but by 1949 it will be the only steam run along the Big Blackfoot Railway.

Chipman Forestry Limited Railway GE 70-Tonner #9
-Purchased from General Electric in 1948 #9 is the first diesel used in the Potomac Valley is yet another example of how Chipman has always tried to stay at the forefront of logging technology. With almost zero down time, easy maintenance and low crew costs, #9 becomes the main power for the Chipman operation.

Chipman Forestry Limited Railway GE 45-Tonner #10 & #11
-These two small engines were purchased second hand from the Maxwell Coal Company of Provo, UT. For the final years of Chipman it was these two locomotives often double headed that did the lions share of the work. #10 was donated to the town of Potomac where it can be seen in in the Chipman Forestry History Museum.

For steam the end came in 1957 when #3 was driven onto a flatbed head to a museum in the Portland, Oregon area. As the timber continued to thin, Chipman cut back it's running days per week. All timber was sent by the Milwaukee Road to Bonner. The last train was run on May 13th, 1967. Within 2 months all traces of the Chipman Forestry Limited was gone. Tim Chipman died in 1986.

Locomotives of the Big Blackfoot Railway

The motive power history of the BBRy is quite interesting. With thanks to Bob Bateman's fine book and some internet sources, I will attempt a brief history here.
The first two locomotive's were Lima Shay shop numbers #811 and #835. Using the excellent reference database at www.shaylocomotives.com we can find out that #811 was the A.C.M #1. She was built on 8/24/1903. Was a class B 37-2 Shay and burned wood. She was scrapped in 9/24/1940.

#835 was also a B 37-2 class shay, built earlier on 12/21/1903 and became A.C.M #2. Converted to coal she was scrapped on 2/11/1943.These locomotives were dismantled and pulled on horse drawn wagon to McNamara where they were reassembled.

The next major purchase was almost ten years later, with Shay's #2558 on 7/18/1912 and #2718 built on 8/6/1613 becoming A.C.M #1 and 2 respectively. Shay #2558 has a very interesting history. She was built as a class B 28-2 and originally burned wood. According to the notes she was shipped first to Trout Creek, MT. Following her tenure with the A.C.M she was leased to the Montana Logging Company in St. Regis, MT. Following successive ownership changes she was put of up for sale while in Ferwood Idaho on 1/1/1927. She was bought, not used and put up for sale again on 3/29/1928, first going to Coeur d'Alene ID, Portland, OR and Finlay Velox, WA ending up in the naval yard there.

Shay #2718 was also shipped to Trout Creek. She was a slightly larger B 32-2 and also burned wood. It appears she followed #2558 from 1916 to 1927 first going to St. Regis, then Warland, MT. On 7/15/1927 she was sold to the Washington Machinery and Supply Company in Spokane, WA.

The next two Shay's bought were builder #'s 3149 and 3203, these became ACM #6 and #5.

<= #3149 was first the Western Lumber Company #2 and delivered on 11/27/1920. She operated out of Bonner, and was leased to the Heron Lumber Company the day she was delivered. On 8/28/1928 the A.C.M took possession of what was at the time Heron Lumber #2 and based in Arlee, MT. In April of 1930 #3149 became A.C.M #6 and returned to Bonner, MT. She was a coal burner and a class C 60-3 Shay.
<=#3203 was delivered on 5/4/1923 and was a Class C 70-3. She started life as A.C.M #5 and worked out of Greenough, MT. In 1962 she was purchased by a railfan in Great Falls and put on display. In 2005 she was moved to the Arizona State Railroad Museum where she is currently undergoing restoration. The final steam locomotive that worked for the A.C.M was not a Shay. It was better. The A.C.M #7 Shay-type was built by Willamette Iron and Steel Works of Portland, Oregon, in June of 1923. The Willamette was a very successful attempt to improve upon the Shay design who's patent had lapsed. For more information on "Willies" click HERE.
<=She began life as Western Lumber Company #3 and was classed as a 70-3 and called Bonner home. Eventually she became A.C.M #7 and worked for this employer until 1948. She was returned to service in 1957 for the movie "Timberjack" and was then placed on display at Bonner. In 1989 she was moved from Bonner to her current home at the Historical Museum at Fort Missoula. She is the oldest surviving Willamette and the only one of 33 built as a coal burner.

Other steam used on the line were Milwaukee Road C class 2-8-0 Consolidations. The locomotives were oil fired and #'s 1220 and 1246 were regularly seen on the line. At the end of railroad operations various Milwaukee GP and SW diesels worked the Big Blackfoot until the track was pulled.