Broadoak

Three more visitors to Benson, all from the same railroad, The Bangor & Aroostook, but all with different liveries. First up is the most modern being an EMD GP 38 #83 in a dark blue with yellow lettering and silver trucks, seen rolling over the crossing into the west yard at Benson. Next is an EMD GP7 #60 in red, grey and black with white stripes and silver trucks, with a cut of loaded pulpwood cars. The last is another EMD GP7 #562 wearing a blue and white scheme with yellow stripes and silver trucks, she is seen switching loaded pulpwood cars in Benson east yard. Photos by Andy Knott Peter M

The Talbot Valley Rail Road 60 tonner #43 once belonged to Bethlehem Steel where she worked in a steel mill. Now she has exchanged heavy industry for the relative quiet of switching cars in a forestry environment since she was purchased by the TVRR. She is seen in the west yard at Benson with a Rock Island wooden gondola. Photos Peter M Peter M

Another busy day at Benson featuring another 2000 HP EMD GP38-2 but this one is not fitted with dynamic brakes. She is seen arriving with a cut of RI covered hoppers filled with grain. She is then seen delivering one of the Rock Island’s covered hoppers to the Mutual Service Elevator in Benson’s east yard. Photos by Peter M Peter M

The photos show a typical busy day day at Benson with Interstate & Western #381 a GP38-2, a locomotive fitted with dynamic brakes arriving with a cut of empty pulp wood cars. The cars are then backed into the pulp wood loading track where they are loaded directly from trucks. Photos by Peter M Peter M

A Talbot Valley Railroad (a fictional short line) Alco S2 working in the yard at Benson. The model was a birthday present from my old friend Bill Gates who did the paint job and lettering. It is an Atlas model and is superb for switching, being quite heavy giving very slow quiet running. Photos by Peter M Peter M

A few photos of a typical 1950’s yard switcher lurking in the yard at Benson. She is an Alco S2 1000 HP with Blunt trucks. Judging from the paintwork and general condition she has just come out of the works after a major overhaul. Real Alcos have a large following of fans mainly because after idling for any length of time they emit huge quantities of particulate emissions, black smoke to you and I. Photos by Andy Knott Peter M

Three shots of a Suzy Q Alco RS1 road switcher working in the yard at Benson. Photos by Andy Knott Peter M

Another visitor, a Delaware & Hudson Alco C424 road switcher seen at the ore loading facility at Colonel’s Crossing. She has just coupled up to a cut of loaded bauxite ore cars. Photo by Andy Knott Peter M

A Mopac EMD SW1200 end cab switcher is seen rolling over the grade crossing at Benson with a cut of box cars. She is then seen working at the other end of the yard spotting the cars she brought in earlier at the various industries there. Photos by Peter M Peter M

Hi Rob, thanks for your kind comments. The layout was set in south west Arkansas, in an are where bauxite ore was mined. The other major industry was pulpwood used for making paper or board. The tunnel hid the ore car loading and fiddle yard. The ore loads were actually crushed iron ore found in my garden. This was glued onto a plasticard base and loaded through the back of the ore loading facility into the empty cars using a specially made tool. Kind regards Peter M

A pair of I&W EMD Gp38-2 emerging from the tunnel at Colonel’s Crossing wearing the later livery. Note the second loco #381 is fitted with dynamic brakes the blisters on top of the hood side indicate this. The hood sides on #382 are plain as she is not fitted with dynamic brakes. A Talbot Valley Alco S2 can be seen resting at the minimal facilities. Photos Andy Knott Peter M

Rock Island SW1500 #947 wearing a coat of bankruptcy blue heads out of Benson with a train of Rock Island covered hoppers. In reality #947 was a slug mother, she was coupled to an engineless chassis that just had traction motors for the trucks. This gave extra pulling power in the yards without the cost of a bigger switcher. Photo Peter M Peter M

Great Northern EMD GP 30 pushing a covered hopper to the Farmer’s Coop Elevator at Benson east yard. These 2250 HP road switchers had a distinctive appearance with a raised hood top that tapered down to just in front of the radiator grilles. They were slightly shorter than a GP7, so on a model a useful locomotive to have if space was tight. Photo Peter M Peter M

#63 a GE 60 tonner, is passing the yard master’s grounded caboose in the east yard at Benson with a cut of loaded pulp wood cars. Normally used on track maintenance work she is used occasionally switching the yard when the usual yard switcher is employed elsewhere. Photo Peter M Peter M

A bird’s eye view of the East yard at Benson showing a Burlington & Northern end cab yard switcher still wearing its original Great Northern paint job. She is pushing a cut of empty pulp wood cars into the loading siding, where the pulp wood is loaded directly from trucks. The loaded cars are then taken south on the Rock Island line to a large mill in Louisiana were the lumber is pulped for making board or paper. Photo by Peter M Peter M

Captain Kernow, your photograph is absolutely superb. As indeed is the model itself. Most realistic. Kind regards Peter M

A Kodachrome 2000hp EMD GP38-2 in the bright merger colours that never happened. The merger being between the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific, some locos were painted with the SPSF some suggested this meant shouldn’t paint so fast. Several hundred locos from both companies were painted in fact. Photo Peter M Peter M

An SP Cadillac, actually, an EMD SD7 noted by the crews for being very comfortable hence the name. She is seen in the yard at Benson Arkansas. I like the proportions of these low powered but useful locomotives, they have the feel of a steam engine to my mind. I think it’s the long hood reminiscent of a boiler. Photo Peter M Peter M

An EMD end cab SW9 #779 Rock Island yard switcher with a tank car in the east yard at Benson. Photo Peter M Peter M

Mike, Yes I know what you mean they are often so dirty you wouldn’t be able to see out of the cab windows. I had a video of Tehachapi loop and in the middle of a set of SP mid train helpers is a UP loco that is the same colour as the SP tunnel motors, covered in soot. I presume you don’t see that now I assume with more modern power meaning less locos, I can’t say I have seen any recently made films. Kind regards Peter M

A Southern Pacific EMD SD45 V20 3600 HP road switcher in a rather grubby condition shuffling cars in the yard at Benson Arkansas. 8803 looks as if she has just been pulled out of a mid train helper set. Photo Peter M Peter M

Sorry about this, my apologies it is a Shay of course, a senior moment on my part. Getting more frequent I must admit. I can't read my own notes. Regards Peter M

A Talbot Valley 60 ton Switcher built by my old friend Bill Gates for my 53rd birthday here seen at rest at the minimal facilities at CC. It is actually a cut and shut job on a Bachmann 44ton chassis using two 44ton bodies. Photo by Andy Knott Peter M

Another of Andy Knott’s models, a three truck Climax on a visit to Colonel’s Crossing at the time of a County Fair. Photo Andy Knott Peter M

A birds eye view of part of Colonel’s Crossing on a typical working day. Photo Andy Knott Peter M