Elvas Tower: The Lewisburg, Danville, & Shamokin - Elvas Tower

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The Lewisburg, Danville, & Shamokin Don't call it a comeback Rate Topic: -----

#1 User is offline   Mipman25 

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Posted 23 September 2018 - 01:16 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, my magnum opus. I posted about my newest fictional railroad in the fictional railroads thread, but not a whole lot of you seemed to notice. This isn't just a cheap attention ploy, however. I've fleshed out the story of what used to be called the Danville & Shamokin since then, and I've been waiting for so long to get a screenshot ready to accompany this post. I'll be posting the story of the LD&S in chapters as I've written them out. Let's take a trip back in time.


PROLOGUE

Danville, PA, is a riverside town located in the Appalachians. While the town only has a rich history to boast nowadays, it used to be one of the biggest iron manufacturing centers in the country. Danville's Montour Iron Works is credited as the first US manufacturer to roll T-rails, a design still in use today. At its height, countless iron and steel mills formed an industrial skyline, and several railroads branched outward to link this Pennsylvania gem with the rest of the world. One, however, only sought to connect it to a city not even 20 miles away.


A SHAKY START
1873-1883

In 1873, a railroad was chartered to feed Danville's hungry blast furnaces. This would involve reaching into the Western Middle coal field and the iron and limestone deposits near Danville. Shamokin was chosen as an endpoint, and the project was known as the Danville & Shamokin Railway. The plan was a 16 mile route no other railroad had covered, cutting through the Appalachians instead of retreating to the Susquehanna River. The best route was along a tributary of the Susquehanna called Logan Run, where the land was relatively flat.

Building the D&S was an arduous and expensive undergoing, costing far more than expected. A good amount of the cost came from a huge bridge that had to be built across the Susquehanna. Additionally, a banking panic battered the poorly managed effort into submission, and the company went bankrupt the year it was chartered. The railroad only reached a few miles down Logan Run and was left to rot, not seeing a single train.

The D&S was reorganized in 1879 as the Danville & Logan Run Railway when the depression lifted. The D&LR was headed by the same management, president John Wilford and chief engineer Henry Slater. The line was refurbished and extended down Logan Run, and a branch was built to an iron ore mine. Sidings were also installed near a farm and a sawmill, and their products would be interchanged with the DL&W in Danville. The railroad's first locomotives were a pair of Dickson 2-6-0s named after the railroad's president and chief engineer.

The D&LR saw potential in an extension of the mainline from Danville to Milton. This would further tap into the limestone reserves and establish a connection with the Philadelphia and Erie. However, the Catawissa Railroad covered the route, and it would be more convenient to build the line to Lewisburg. This section of the mainline would be known as the Lewisburg Extension. The extension was completed in 1880, interchanging with the P&E at Montandon and the newly reorganized Lewisburg & Tyrone in its namesake city.

The extension looked to be a good fit for passenger service, with plenty of demand from workers looking for a morning commute. A 4-4-0 was purchased from Baldwin to do the honors, leading a vivid trio of cream Jackson & Sharp passenger cars. The 4-4-0 received the name Ludwig Derr after the founder of Lewisbug. This also yielded the purchase of their first 2-8-0, a Baldwin beauty named William Montgomery after the founder of Danville, to keep up with the new possibilities for freight service. The D&LR, which had consistently operated in the red before, finally had a stable income. Although the original plans to reach the coal fields in Shamokin had not been completed, the D&LR took a break from construction to let the money roll in.

That would change in 1882, when management caught wind of a railroad charter following their original route. Not wanting to be outdone, the D&LR immediately resumed construction to Shamokin. This would require a tunnel through the mountains, which would later be known as the Parting of the Waters due to both rivers along the line splitting off near the tunnel. However, as they approached Shamokin, competition was fierce between the PRR and the D&LR's new rival, the Shamokin, Sunbury, & Lewisburg. The latter had reworked their route to reach West Milton instead of Danville due to easier grades along the west branch of the Susquehanna. The D&LR clung to the banks of Shamokin Creek, but space got tight as the two opposing railroads bottlenecked through the mountains. The D&LR asked the PRR to obtain trackage rights along their Shamokin Division, as they were closer to the D&LR than the SS&L. However, the PRR was unwilling to agree, leading to the most ironic decision the D&LR had to make. After laying rails just north of Shamokin, the D&LR reached the city via trackage rights on the SS&L, the railroad they sought to beat out.

Over the years, the railroads the D&LR rivaled would be merged into larger companies. The SS&L would be be leased by the Reading in 1883 as their Williamsport Division, and it would be purchased outright 30 years later. In 1953, the Reading would also acquire the Catawissa Railroad. The Philadelphia & Erie and the Lewisburg & Tyrone became part of the PRR in 1907 and 1915.

==========

This is the earliest known photo of the LD&S. No date on this one, but it has to be from 1879 to 1883 judging by the roadname. Unfortunately, the photographer was a little late to get the engine, but he did end up photographing their first ever freight car and one that had an eventful life on the LD&S.

Attached Image: D&LR 201.jpg

And here's our map! Not only does this outline the LD&S's route, but it also shows when each section was built. You'll definitely want to view the image in its full size.

Attached Image: LD&S map.jpg

I got a big question to ask. As much as I would love to create more LD&S equipment and post it here, most of the steam roster doesn't even exist in MSTS! This is one of the few times I've come up with a fictional railroad while thinking outside the limits of what MSTS currently has to offer. Granted, I could attempt to model it, but I only have so much time and my school schedule is pretty crazy. Even though this is a screenshot thread, would any of you mind if I simply post the story without any screenshots for the time being? I really really really really really want to post the entire story here, but I don't want it taking years either.

Any feedback is appreciated! If anything is rubbing you the wrong way, like my possible misunderstanding of how railroads work or my lack of knowledge of what a Dickson 2-6-0 should look like, let me know!

#2 User is offline   wacampbell 

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Posted 24 September 2018 - 06:03 AM

I enjoyed reading the story of your railway. Keep it up.

#3 User is offline   Mipman25 

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Posted 24 September 2018 - 09:57 AM

Thank you, Wayne! Likewise, I love reading your Columbia Valley Pacific updates.

So I'm in a bit of a pickle concerning part 2. At the risk of spoiling a bit of the story (which is, ironically enough, about not spoiling something else), milk plays a part in the LD&S's history. I was thinking it was carried in a baggage car for the first few years since the LD&S wasn't a very long railroad, but they found an opportunity to interchange it to other railroads which ran their own milk trains. The DL&W and Reading, both of which interchange with the LD&S, picked up milk from branchlines and took them to big cities in high-speed reefers or specialized tank cars. How would this work for the LD&S? Would they (or the farm or two they get their milk from) use their own cars? Would the interchanging railroads drop their own reefers off at the interchanges, which the LD&S would take to the farms?

EDIT- Looks like I've got my answer. I'll throw it in here for anyone with the same issue. It sounds like the long unit milk trains picked up milk from creameries rather than farms. There most likely weren't any creameries between the big cities, as it was very rural with little industry. However, there was most definitely at least one dairy farm. As such, what the LD&S most likely did was take milk from farms to creameries in the baggage car of a local passenger train. Lewisburg to Shamokin is only about 32 miles, which would be roughly an hour assuming the speed limits were low. I don't know how long it takes canned milk to spoil, but I assume it would be short enough to not warrant a baggage car. Unfortunately, this means the absolute peak of my genius, a reefer car numbered 420, is now off the roster. Chapter 2 coming soon!

#4 User is offline   SD45T-2 

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Posted 26 September 2018 - 07:17 AM

Dustin, you can keep your express reefer. Milk in those days always seemed to be hauled in a refrigerated express box car no matter what. (Better safe than sorry.) I can't even recall milk being hauled in a tank car in North America. (I blame PopTop Software for creating that misconception.)

#5 User is offline   Mipman25 

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Posted 26 September 2018 - 09:49 AM

That's because they weren't your run of the mill tank car. They resembled butter dishes with side doors for loading and had high speed trucks for use on fast passenger trains.

http://www.nyow.org/Articles/Butterdish/butter.jpg

Would the LD&S really need a high-tech express reefer? They're pretty short and I can't imagine the speed limit being over 50 miles per hour, so I was thinking a regular reefer could do. Even then, I'm not sure if the amount of milk the LD&S received would warrant an entire car. Then again, I'm not sure how much milk the farm would produce and how frequently the LD&S would pick it up.

#6 User is offline   ebnertra000 

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Posted 26 September 2018 - 10:14 AM

The high-speed reefer might still be useful if it's interchanged with another road that does run at higher speeds. That way, they can just pick up the car and go at express speeds

#7 User is offline   SD45T-2 

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Posted 26 September 2018 - 10:22 AM

Okay, let me get a few things clarified....

This means the absolute peak of your genius, a reefer car numbered 420, isn't a express reefer in the most normal sense, but a dedicated milk car? I thought it was a normal express reefer.

Edit: I now get it.
I have seen the butter-dish milk cars, and I also can recall a milk car looking like a express reefer, but having two large tanks at each end with a space in the middle for the side doors.

I am so scanning that article from Railroad Model Craftsman, and sending it to you if you keep up with this milk madness. http://www.elvastower.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/lol.gif

"Milk: it confuses a Dustin good."

#8 User is offline   Mipman25 

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Posted 26 September 2018 - 11:37 AM

I'm not even sure what I want to do with the reefer anymore. I'm wondering if it carried more than just milk. Maybe fruit or meat could have been on the menu. If that's the case, I could see the reefer being used on freight trains when not delivering milk.

#9 User is offline   Mipman25 

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Posted 09 October 2018 - 08:40 PM

Welp, I'm out of steam again. It had to happen. However, I promised more LD&S two weeks ago and never delivered on it, so I decided to just nix the reefer from my screenshot for now. This could be the last LD&S update for a while, depending on a question I want to ask again later on. Let's see how the LD&S grows and develops now that the line to Shamokin has been built!

THE DIRECT CONNECTION THROUGH THE APPALACHIANS
1883-1899

The D&LR once again reorganized, this time as the Lewisburg, Danville, & Shamokin Railroad. The LD&S's mainline now spanned 32 miles from Lewisburg to Shamokin, not counting the branches that spread out to various industries. They now served several steel mills in Danville, limestone and coal mines near Lewisburg, a lumber mill, a farm, and an iron ore mine along Logan Run, and a coal mine and an ironworks near Shamokin. There was also a plethora of manufacturing industries in Lewisburg and Shamokin which the LD&S supported, including the Eagle Silk Mill in Shamokin. The Eagle Silk Mill was notably the largest textile mill under one roof in the country. Passenger stations were built at Lewisburg, Danville, and Shamokin, with flagstops at Montandon, Mooresburg, Mausdale, and Paxinos. Due to its direct route between its three namesake cities, the LD&S branded itself as "The Direct Connection Through The Appalachians."

While late to the mid-19th century iron boom, the LD&S still played a role in feeding the steel and iron mills in Danville. Coal, iron, and limestone were hot commodities, and steel and iron went south and west to industries and the interchanges. To handle the coal drags, the LD&S returned to Baldwin to purchase another pair of 2-8-0s. These would be the railroad's first camelback locomotives, a design which would prove to be very effective on the anthracite-hauling shortline. Local freights also played a part, usually consisting of goods, lumber, and agricultural traffic. There was also a healthy dose of bridge traffic from the three interchanging railroads.

Not long after the LD&S was completed, the owner of a dairy farm south of Danville had a bone to pick. He wrote a personalized letter to Henry Wilford saying he had had enough of their trains disturbing his peace. While the farmer used horses and wagons to take his milk to Danville, there was a dairy factory in Shamokin that would greatly benefit from his milk. The LD&S tried to appease the farmer by promising to pay him if he would let the railroad serve his farm. The farmer agreed, and a platform was built near his farm to load milk cans. Milk was usually placed in the baggage car on passenger trains, but an increase in perishable traffic led the LD&S to purchase a refrigerated boxcar later on.

However, disaster was just around the bend. The Panic of 1893 caused the economy to collapse until the turn of the century. The LD&S had been operating at a loss during the Panic, but the events of a chilly winter's day in 1898 made this far worse. A local passenger train was stopped at the Mooresburg flagstop, and the signal leading to the flagstop had frozen. Meanwhile, a merchandise train was headed east out of Lewisburg and had no knowledge of the pasenger train. As soon as the passenger train was about to depart, engine #2 slammed into the back of the passenger train. While most of the passengers had rushed to the front of the train, both the crew of the freight train and 8 passengers were killed. Additionally, the Mogul, both coaches, and the flagstop itself were total losses. The "Lie, Derail & Smash" ended up facing several lawsuits which cost them $300,000, a huge amount of money during the turn of the century. The LD&S was in its worst state since the D&LR days, but some wise investments would save the LD&S not just then, but for many decades to come.

==========

The Ludwig Derr approaches a flagstop with the daily passenger train somewhere in the late 1890's.

Attached Image: LD&S 3.jpg

Now that the rest of the fleet requires kitbashing and I don't have the motivation to do it at the moment, I want to ask again about how I should upload the rest of the story. I know this is a screenshot thread, but if any of you want to read the rest of the history without any screenshots, I would gladly post the rest of it here. While going through with a screenshot for every chapter would add life to what would otherwise be a wall of text, it could take a long time to do. I'd be down for either; it's up to you.

#10 User is offline   thegrindre 

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Posted 10 October 2018 - 05:07 AM

Absolutely! I'd love to see text and pix! http://www.elvastower.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/clapping.gif http://www.elvastower.com/forums/public/style_emoticons/default/good2.gif

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