I love those Southern steam era shortlines.

I don’t know how much information you have on what you want to model specifically but I can recommend some things for you if you would like. I model a freelanced southern shortline in the 50s and I have books and other references that I drew inspiration from if you are interested. They may not be specific to what you are modeling. I cannot remember if the Mississippi Central is in any of my books or not. I will let you know if I see anything. What you can get from the books I have is a serious “feel” for what you are wanting to model.

Regards

Thanks Chris

Thanks for your offer Chris, though I think I have just about all the written word on the railroad that is/was in print. The Natchez Route: A Mississippi Central Railroad Album by David Price and Louis R. Saillard is the only book I know of about the line. Louis also wrote the well known Delta Route about the Columbus & Greenville. Plus I am lucky enough to know both of them. I also work just three blocks from the Mississippi Archives and History building and have spent many hours doing hands on research.

Other things I have been lucky to find is blogs by locals that lived along the main line who felt the need to tell their stories about living next to the MC. I'll get into these more as I drop more blog posts.

Cool

I clicked on you user name after I posted to see if you had any other blogs. I quickly realized you have been on here a while and you have modeled or at least have interest in multiple scales. I could tell this isn’t your first rodeo. I found nothing in my books on the MC. They contain some photos of the BH&S, the M&A, the Mississippian etc. but no Mississippi Central. I googled the MC and that is a very interesting line. How is that Natchez Route book? Does it contain a lot of photos? Anyways this is a blog I will be trying to follow. I’m looking forward to seeing more.

Regards

@Chris

The book is full of great locomotive pictures from a famous photographer whose name completely slips my mind (EDIT: C.W. Whitbeck) right now.

Here are a couple of Hawkins Rail pages with good information.

http://hawkinsrails.net/steam/msc/msc_steam.htm

http://hawkinsrails.net/shortlines/msc/msc.htm

Miss. Central #98

Let's start out with one of the crack passenger engines MC #98

• Builder: ALCO Schenectedy
• arrangement:4-4-0 American
• built:Jan 1909, Alco #45921
• fuel:coal/water

#98 is the only operating Miss. Central engine left. She is currently running at the Wilmington & Western railroad in Wilmington, DE.

#98 and #99 were pretty much identical sisters that pulled MC passenger trains into the 1930s.

Here's a picture in her current paint.

Here is my version. I know it is not real close but I am happy it is at least an Alco.

MR June 1998

In case you weren't aware of it, there was an article about the railroad in the June 1998 issue of MR. It also included a proposed track plan for a layout. The author is Louis Saillard.

Duane Goodman

@Duane

Hi Duane! Yeah I used one of my 'free for 24 hours' weekends to go through all the MR Archives and make PDFs of everything they ever had on the Miss. Central.

I need to look it back up though because I don't remember who's layout that really was!

Bachmann

The Bachmann Spectrum 4-4-0 comes closer to the type of engine you are wanting to model.  The boiler of the engine on your model is actually one from an SP 2-6-0 so its rather large.

On any of those, operation can be improved by adding extra power pick up contacts on the tender wheels and drivers.

Miss. Central #100

Yep that's why I said 'freelance', Dave, after all the years of bad running small HO locomotives I'm just happy to get something close!

Let's look at the next locomotive on our list, #100.

• Builder: Baldwin
• arrangement:4-4-0 American
• built:Aug 1905, Baldwin #26510
• 62" drivers (All the 4-4-0s on the MC had 62" drivers)
• fuel:coal/water
• Scraped in Hattiesburg December 1942

Here is #100 freshly delivered from Baldwin.

Here is my version.

#100 had the honor to haul the first East bound passenger train from Natchez to Hattiesburg.

I love these old southern shortlines.

Along with my books I also like to collect rolling stock when I can. After seeing your blog I searched on eBay and found this boxcar. I have a bit of work to do to it. This is also my first 36 foot boxcar for my layout. I’ve been wanting one for a while and finding one for the MSC was a good excuse to buy one. Thanks for drawing my attention to the MSC. I am enjoying your blog. I may post a picture of it after I get it weathered. It’s a great addition to my collection. By the way that’s a nice locomotive you’re working on. Keep it up! 

I love

I love that car, but I honestly don't know if it ever existed. That's not to say I don't have several to go on my layout! Intermountain is supposed to be bringing out a new run of the all metal cars soon...hopefully soon that is.

The 'famous' (most well known) Miss. Central box cars are all metal like the one in the attached picture. There is one picture that I will try to find where they are posing one of the 2-8-2s with about 51 of the boxcars hauling Lafayette Oakland-Pontiac automobiles. This is one of my great mysterys of the MC! How did the freight manager convince the automobile company to ship a train load of motor cars from Ohio Pontiac Michigan, southeast and then across the Natchez Route for them to end up in LA, California? Plus taking time out to pause along the way for pictures? LOL! Just seems to me that there would have been a faster route.

Well when I mess up I do it big! This is what I get for not having my data in front of me when I was posting. I have made edits but here is further story of the automobile train.

Instead of the MC metal cars, they seem to have been 50 foot wooden outside rib automobile boxcars. The cars left the auto plant at 2pm Feb. 4th, 1931 by Grand Trunk RR, arriving in Brookhaven, MS where it went west to Shreveport, then T&P and SP to California. It is claimed it took only 62 hours from Pontiac to Shreveport.

Very Interested

Hi Tim

I'm glad to see you're blog and am looking forward to following it.  Agree - thank Goodness for Bachmann.

@Tim

I have to share this link with you. This has to be the best construction blog I have seen on modeling a southern shortline. Honestly when I began to build my model I was only going to model a branch to a textile mill in my town. I got the Model Railroader where Steve won the small layout contest back in 2001 because I knew his layout had a lot of the same “feel” that I looked to recreate. That’s when I got turned on to mixed trains and southern shortlines. I got the books that he said inspired his models as well. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying the history, reading the stories and looking at the photographs of these unique railroads across the southland. I know you will probably draw a lot of inspiration from another one of my favorite models the Mississippi Alabama and Gulf as well.

Although a lot of the methods used in this blog may not be something you will do I’m sure you will find that Steve has really captured the feel of rural railroading in the Deep South. I especially like how he holds nothing back in terms of what he used as far as scenery goes. He also gives details about all of the products and methods used on his railroad. Although not exactly my type of trackplan/scenery I have found this blog useful. (I have a perimeter layout around a 15x15 room that depicts a wet spring/early summer)

I also can’t wait for those Intermountain boxcars to come out either

Enjoy

http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=8458

@Chris

Chris do you follow Cliff P and his Mississippi Alabama and Gulf on Facebook?

If not I hate to be the bringer of bad news but the MA&G is coming down. Cliff is a friend and lives only about five miles from me. He has decided he needs a change and wants to go a different route with his modeling. He is a ghost member of our CMMRA club and several of us have been over the last few weekends helping him add onto his railroad building so he can have more running room. The building was 14 x 32 to begin with and he is adding another 14 feet to one side. Half the upper level has been sold and will be going to another home as soon as he holds one more open house to say goodbye. After that the rest will come down and he will be going to a single level layout based on, I think, the C&O.

If you do not have one of the DvDs of the MA&G, I would look for one on Ebay.

Here is a couple of pictures.

I guess after awhile you can

I guess after awhile you can get tired of almost anything. I thought he had one of the nicest layouts around for the space he had to use. There were things that he likely did not like due to his space limits. A few more feet would have eased the minimum radius a good bit and managed to give him much better looks for his passenger cars. Not a knock on the layout but just imagine how much better it would look with say a 36 inch or 42 inch minimum radius with those passenger trains.

I do not recall anyone I have shown this layout (via videos) to that was not tremendously impressed. This is another one that I will be sad to see go. On the bright side I will be looking for his next layout on the tube!

@Tim

I hate to hear that. That’s one of my favorite layouts. I get it though. Things get old or just become impractical. At the end of the day it’s just stuff. I’m glad his work is still on the internet so I can see it. I’m looking forward to seeing his next project. The MA&G has got to be the best layout I have ever seen depicting Mississippi in that era. It must be nice to have a friend in the hobby with that much knowledge living so close. 

This weekend I am in for a treat. I’m supposed to go with a friend of mine to visit Thomas Kilimoski’s Georgia Northeastern. I’m really looking forward to it. With young children and working as much as I do I don’t get to take the time for something like this often. I’m looking forward to meeting Mr Klimoski and seeing his layout.

MA&G open house?

Miss Central #101

Let's look at the next locomotive on our list, #101.

• Builder: Rogers
• Arrangement:4-4-0 American
• Built: Oct 1887, Rogers #3849 for UP Railroad as #768 Arrived on MC Dec 1904.
• fuel: coal/water
• Sold for scrap in Hattiesburg Jan. 1943

Even though she was the oldest on the property, she hauled the last east bound passenger train on Feb. 27^th, 1941.

Here is a picture of #101 with a standard MC passenger train. Oddly she looks just like Baldwins #100 & #102.

Here is my version, a Bachmann Baldwin standing in for her.

@ Scott

No not yet Scott.  The date keeps moving.

Miss Central #102

Miss Central #102

Let's take a quick look at the next locomotive on our list, #102.

• Builder: Baldwin
• Arrangement: 4-4-0 American
• Built: Jan. 1906
• fuel: coal/water
• Sold for scrap in Hattiesburg Jan. 1943

Pulled the last west bound passenger train on Feb. 28^th, 1941. She was sold for scrap in Hattiesburg Jan. 1943.

Here is the builder’s photo of #102 from Baldwin’s archives. I currently do not have a model for this engine.

Miss Central #103 and #104 The Moguls

Let's take a look at the next locomotive, #103.

• Builder: Rogers
• Arrangement: 2-6-0 Mogul 52” drivers
• Built: Feb. 1881. Rogers #2937. Came onto MC property May 1921. Returned to seller, Southern Iron & Equipment, in only a few months.
• fuel: coal/water
• Sold for scrap in Hattiesburg Jan. 1943

I found a picture of #103

Next locomotive, #104.

• Builder: ?
• Arrangement: 2-6-0 Mogul ?” drivers
• Built: Bought second hand, sold to Ingram-Day Lbr. Co. after about 2 years is my understanding.
• fuel: coal/water

Also no pictures of this engine as far as I know.

Apparently moguls did not do well on the Miss. Central. I will have a model of #104, represented by a Bachmann ALCO 2-6-0 just because I like the engine model.

Thought you might like this.

Thanks for the inspiration Tim!

That looks great Chris!

That looks great Chris! The only thing I might do personally is dirty up those trucks just a little more.

This brings up an interesting point. That car as weathered is what for me would be a medium grade level of weathering. What I mean is the car has been in service 5 or 6 years without much body maintenance.

Oddly enough I have never seen a picture of a heavily weathered MC car. I am sure there had to be some, but most pictures I see they just have a lot of grime, not breakage and damage.

Another thing is I know of only one or two pictures of wrecks. One is a derailment on the Camp Shelby line where the engine and several cars hit the ties but seemed to have stayed upright and only tore up some track.

The other picture claims to be from Sumrall. The engine is buried under a bunch of boxcars and to be honest I would be surprised if that engine survived. But, I know of no records of any engine on the MC being scraped from wreck damage. Also another questionable point about the second picture is all the cars in it are Illinois Central cars from the 20's or 30's.

@Tim

Thanks. I’ve only dusted the trucks. I haven’t developed any method to weather them yet. Right now, when I actually have time, I tend to focus on getting the layout completed by working on scenery etc. Weathering and detailing are things that I dabble with here and there. I like to have the cars weathered a little bit and I personally don’t visually focus on the trucks as much when I’m running trains. My friend is just the opposite. The trucks are the first thing he looks at! Fortunately for me the prototype rolls by about fifty feet from my front steps and often stops on the siding in front of my house. In fact the local just set out some cars and ran around its train. I’m assuming that the trucks probably didn’t look that much different in the steam era.

Modeling the steam era is new to me. I’m crossing over into modeling the transition era in HO from modeling modern N scale. One thing I’ve noticed is that I don’t see a lot of rust bucket freight cars from the transition era. It seems like they got repainted more often. I may be wrong but that’s just my perception based on limited knowledge.

From what I’ve read the Southern Railway took a lot of pride in their equipment. I’m sure a lot of other railroads did too.