RailRag, Febuary, March & April 2012

February, March, April - 2012 The Rail Rag Page | 1

Visit Fostoria Ohio & Fostoria Photography

Come along, as Chris, Bill and Richard take you though one of the most amazing

Railfaning locations in America in the photo story visit to Fostoria Ohio

'The Challenge' N scale Bridge Building

Read along, as Sam Stokes takes you though how he constructed a space saving N

scale bridge for his freelance SAXT railroad

Churnet Valley Railway Photography

After reading Neil first story, 'Churnet Valley Railway' you can also view some of his

photos of the railway and its working operations

Norfolk Southern's Patriot Corridor

Learn More the Patriot Corridor with Josh Powers

Churnet Valley Railway

Visit the Churnet Valley Railway, in the UK. Learn about daily operations

and the challengers faced by its volunteers - Neil Higginson

Trees and Vegetation

Learn about full scale railroading, and how many things on this exciting

museum railway can relate to scale modelling - Dave Ruffner


Letter From The Editor- Isaac Logan






Trees and Vegetation - Dave Ruffner





Churnet Valley Railway Churnet Valley Railway/Moorlands

And City Railway Permanent Way

By Neil Higginson


Here in North Staffordshire, England is the Churnet Valley Railway, an 8 1/2 mile long heritage line. This is

connected to the Moorlands and City Railway, a new project to connect the Moorland District with the network

mainline at Stoke on Trent. These lines were last used by passenger trains in the early 1960's and by freight in the

1980's.

They were then mothballed until the North Staffordshire Railway company bought the track from Leekbrook Jn to

Oakamoor in 1996.


Extensive track renovation has taken place with

many track panels completely replaced, and 1000s

of sleepers (ties) replaced due to the damp track

bed. Our permanent way gang is totally voluntary,

mainly being golden oldies (me being an exception).

The MCR line from Leekbrook Jn-Cauldon Lowe was

completed in 2010, and work is underway to renew

the line from Leekbrook Jn-Stoke on Trent as we

speak.

There are many varied duties to perform on the

Permanent Way gang, from track renewal to weed

killing, crossing replacement to drain clearing. It’s

not always the easiest of jobs, but it’s a very

satisfying one to watch trains roll by when it’s done.

We have acquired a mobile tool van to help us out

on our endeavours, a Permaquip 4wd to get us to

where our tasks take us. It also helps to eat our

lunch in the dry, as its often raining up on the

moors. All people working on the railway, be it on

the national rail system (Network Rail) or on a

railway like ours are required to wear orange hi-

visibility kit at all times. Safety is priority number one

for us.


Professional rail contractors have been brought in

from time to time with their time-saving (and labour

saving too) machinery such as tampers and sleeper

changers. These will have to be hired in again as the

Stoke on Trent line needs much upgrading. Over

5000 sleepers will have to be changed, and many

chairs replaced, as well as line side fencing,

signalling cable and bridge/crossing/ station

infrastructure restored/replaced.

Once finished, the line into the quarry at Cauldon

Lowe can be extended into the premises, and

cement brought out to various UK destinations.

Freight will also be taken into Cauldon Lowe, as their

power station burns green energy sources, imported

by rail. The revenue generated by this will allow a

further line from Leekbrook Jn to Leek to be

reopened, and also a link to Alton Towers, Britain's

biggest theme park, to be reopened from

Oakamoor. An hourly passenger service is planned

from Leek to Stoke, and in season trains

--Neil Higginson


This is us at the stop at Cauldon Lowe I'm on

the right, my son next to me then my Dad!



Visit Fostoria Ohio By Chris - with photos from Chris, Bill and Richard








Churnet Valley

Railway Photography

By Neil Higginson







'The Challenge'- N Scale Bridge Building - Samuel Stokes





<< This is an Empty western coal

drag on the LSRC (Lake State Rail

Road) between Bay City and

Saginaw Michigan, it was in the

winter of 2007 and was shot by

Chris Klemm of Bay City mi. This is

crossing the old Peer Marquette

bridge new M-13 just south of Bay

City Mi


^^ It's an early August morning in Lowellville Ohio, Just east of Youngstown at

BG68.4 as the horn of CSXT 5390 echoes off the valley walls as Q158 races east

towards Newcastle PA with single stacks. The signal pictured here was

removed a few weeks later bringing an end to the B&O presence in Lowellville.

- Ryan Vince


^^ The Peer Marquette 1225 and the NKP 765 at train fest 2009. Owosso

Michigan Photo by Chris Williams I thought this will be a cool photo to take

when I was there at train fest. The two Sisters. - Chris


^^ CN westbound Durand, Mi on a snowy winter Sunday Bill Chumack


^^ Great Western 914, an EMD SD9, crosses the Cache La Pouder River just

south of Windsor, Colorado on a cold February Day.


^^ Holly Mi - CSX southbound approaching the CN-GTW diamond - Bill

Chumack.


^^ Empty grain hoppers sit, waiting for the bumper crops from this season to

arrive at the Echuca Silos - Hoppers sit in Echuca yard, in Northern Victoria,

Australia

<< Some old Victoria Railway

wagons sit at the Echuca yard,

covered in modern day graffiti.


<< CSX AC4400CW at Cayce, SC. Taken from

the ground with Kodak Insta Share digital

Camera. - Samuel Stokes


Article Writers

With the first issue done and now out

there to read, for the team its onto

next month's issue but we need your

help. As you would have noticed most

articles are written by you, our readers.

We are always looking for more

articles. Please use the article submit

link under 'Magazine' on the railstream

website. There is no way to attach a

document in this section, this is

because before you write your article

we would like you to let us know what

you idea is.

Please include the following

The main idea of your topic

The approximant length of your

article

Your name

Any further info we may find

helpful

Columnists

RailRag is also looking for some

columnists, these people write

something for each issue under

the same topic but on different

ideas and sub-topics. These could

be on model railroads, real trains,

train simulators or anything in

between. If you have an idea and

would like to contribute in each

magazine, you will be required to

write your column on a bi-

monthly basis.

Please use the submit article

page and include the following

Topic idea

A brief overview of what

could be included

Name

Once we look at this, and if

we like the idea, we will

ask you to write the

column for the first month

and we will decide

whether to include it.

Editors

We are also looking for

editors, please contact us

via submit article page for

more info

-Isaac Logan

RailRag Editor

Looking for Articles and columnists


Q. What do you call a man who

steps on a live 3rd rail?

A. A conductor

Q. What's the angriest piece of

track?

A. A cross tie

Halloween Train

Monster: I have to walk 25 miles

home.

Grandma: Why not take the train.

Monster: I did once but they made

me give it back

Humour & Last Word - Isaac Logan

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RailRag, Febuary, March & April 2012

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