[Mipman25]

It's almost a disgrace that there isn't a screenshot thread exclusively for fictional railroads on this site. This thread is for posting screenshots of your fictional railroads, from something like a private model railroad to a full-fledged railroad with an immense backstory. I'll start this thread off with a few of the fictional railroads I run.

The Full Bucket Line was the very first route I ever downloaded for MSTS, and it never lost its luster despite how much I've run the route and its sparse scenery. I've also created and released rolling stock for this route as well. We see one of my creations, FBL 1225 as majestically reproduced by the great Bob Chamberlain with a few modifications, performing a photo runby in the historic town of Bucket Springs.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/1225atBucketSprings_zps158089e6.png

The very first serious attempt at a fictional railroad I ever came up with for MSTS, the Raikensburg & Eastern, has yet to be completed. Most of the rolling stock is done, but the route hasn't even been started yet. However, thanks to a concept route of the Raikensburg yard by Fleegle411, I was able to simulate what the finished route might look like. The route is a tourist line (formerly a logging branch) located somewhere in the Northeastern US, somewhere around tourist railroad country near the Tristate area. Here, we see 0-6-0 60 departing the Raikensburg depot. The Sumpter depot is what Jimmy chose for the concept route, although I'm making a model of the depot in Sketchup.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/Raikensburg%20and%20Western/Breakingground_zpsdbd63cc0.png

My biggest fictional railroad ever is the Collinwood, Parker, & Allegheny, a fallen flag in dire need of a renaming. The line stretched from Pittsburgh to Chicago, connecting cities like Columbus, Indianapolis, Erie, Cleveland, and Toledo, and competing with names like PRR, NKP, B&O, and NYC. Its prime commodity was steel, and the fact that the railroad connected four "Steel Cities"; Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Lorain, and Gary; led the railroad to be nicknamed the Steel City Route. However, coal, merchandise, lumber, and even iron ore weren't uncommon on the CP&A. While it had a rich history, it had a tragic demise in the 60's due to rising competition from other mediums of transportation and declining industries and eventually merged with many other dying companies into Conrail. Here, we visit an age of rising glory, the late 30's, where we see the Raven streaking through the night. The Raven was the CP&A's crack passenger train and used the newest or classiest possible power whenever and wherever. Leading this consist is one of their two streamlined R-37b Northerns, 6009. This photo dates back to June of 1939, indicating this was merely months after the R-37bs made their debut.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/Collinwood%20Parker%20and%20Allegheny/TheRavensinaugralrunedited_zps72311fef.png

Here's something a little more modern, although what they own says otherwise. The Eastern Railroad Preservation Society, a group currently hosted in Butler, PA, is an operator of excursions that take riders straight to the past. Among the collection of the group include the last steam locomotive built by the B&O's Mount Claire shops, two E-units, a B&O Big Six, and a 4-6-0 from a mining railroad called the Snickersville & Berlin decked out as a CP&A engine. They were hosted in an old B&O roundhouse in Lawrenceville with a 20 year trackage lease from CSX, but the lease expired in July which resulted in a massive move to Butler. Here, we see one of the last trains out of Pittsburgh, led by Big Six 6159 with RS-27 640 providing braking.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/ERPX/6159stormingthroughtheAllegehnyValley_zps89a2fe05.png

The move to Butler wouldn't have been possible without the help of the Butler Valley Railway, a shortline headquartered in Butler which heads southeast to Freeport. The company was inaugurated in 1989, when Conrail abandoned the ex-PRR Butler Branch. The line had closed due to iron ore mills in Saxonburg closing, but BVR had a solution in the form of an industrial park that was being built. When the industrial park was completed, BVR gained trackage rights on Bessemer & Lake Erie rails to reach the industrial park. The line functions as a bridge line, interchanging goods with NS and CSX at Freeport and CSX and B&LE at Butler. Ore trains from B&LE are used for a steel mill in the industrial park, so steel is a big commodity for BVR. Here, we see SD40-2 105 and MPI-painted SD40M-2 (ex-HLCX SD45 with SD40-2 stats) taking a loaded train of coil cars toward Freeport. The trailing unit, numbered 9004, would soon be painted into 105's PRR-esque scheme and renumbered to 109.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BVR105inaction_zps3f23fd99.png

Finally, here's a fledgling fictional that has yet to rise. The Chenowaukee & Pahusett River, soon to become the McKellen & Pahusett, is a shortline which manages to cross the Washington-Oregon border. The line was electrified in the late 1920's, although a good chunk of their eight steam locomotives (three 2-8-0s, three 4-6-0s, and two 0-6-0s) were preserved for emergency service. This came most in handy when the banks of the Pahusett River flooded in the late 30's, leaving the steamers to do all the work. The railroad also served as part of the set of a movie called The Money Man, which was a box office flop. The railroad is still in development, so all I really have from the McK&P is a shot of C&PR 2-8-0 1 leading a consist of Pahusett Electric coaches.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/CampPR1_zpse1ce9a6b.png

Post your own shots here. Ramble on with backstories like I did if you'd like.

[pnrailway]

These shots are taken on the fictitious Wallkill Valley Sub of the L&HR railroad set in the year 1952. The supposition is that a joint venture between the Lehigh Cement Company and the Reading Railroad bought the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company who was part owner of the L&HR and owner of the L&NE railroads in 1948. The two railroads were merged in 1950 after the joint Lehigh Cement/Reading bought half of the interests of the other four railroads that were also owners of the L&HR. The Reading also bought the Wallkill Valley Railroad in 1950 from the NYC and combined that with the enlarged L&HR to become its Wallkill Valley Sub.

[rrfan96]

Over COER/UP trackage rights, a set of MSVR "Super Toasters" lead a COER stack train.
http://i1312.photobucket.com/albums/t536/nkproad777/MSTS%20screenshots/COERStackTrain1_zps188e16c1.png

NY&LC Berk 5022 leads a massive troop train after making a stop for a crew change.
http://i1312.photobucket.com/albums/t536/nkproad777/MSTS%20screenshots/NYampLCBerkatstation_zps8c2283c7.png

http://i1312.photobucket.com/albums/t536/nkproad777/MSTS%20screenshots/NYampLCBerkwithtrooptrain3_zps50a1470a.png

[Guilford309]

With the purchase of American Rail & Industry, the MSVR has sent an OCS style train to check out the two major lines, of Western Maine Rail Company. Day 1 consisted of a trip over the Mountain Division, with the daylight steam locomotive leading. Today, we catch the same train, with a Maine Central #618, 2-8-2 locomotive leading the consist over the Second Division, which is former Boston & Maine trackage from Concord, NH to White River Jct VT.

http://i.imgur.com/5SKK0Wj.jpg


The other rail lines that MSVR now owns from the AR&I purchase, include, The Jay & Farmington Railway; Kentville & Eastern Railroad; La Salle Rockford & Central Railway; Pensacola Port Railroad; and the Springfield Railway Company.

[LongviewRailfan]

CPW P955, an OCS with the restored 3415 sits in Berkely awaiting departure.

http://www.hostthenpost.com/uploads/5529128793223ba82cbdf41c098e3b71.png

[Mipman25]

I absolutely adore 3415's smokebox door, Nash. That doesn't seem like the one Allen included with the 3324.

[Jonatan]

Not to spoil your fun, but Allen Norton has issued a complete repaint and modification ban on his models. You should go check his readme again.

This goes for anyone using his models...

[SVRy_Steve]

From the archives of the Green Creek & Defiance Lumber Co.

The GC&D is an independent short line, 100% owned by the Northern Pacific. Business is booming on this 1922 day and we see a heavy freight bound for Lakeview in this early photo. Two leased NP class F-1's are at the head of the train, crossing the Defiance river.



Steve

[vermont204]

Oh boy, I could write a novel about the Lake Champlain & Susquehanna, but this time I'll share one of my smaller operations: The Mineral Point & Northern.

Welcome to northern Michigan and the land of iron ore! The MP&N has a similar setup to the LS&I. Ore from the mountains needs to be transported down to the shores of the lake. Along the way, there are some really nasty grades, both up and down. The line starts in Mineral Point, MI and ends on the shores of Lake Superior.

We transport mainly ore, but sometimes other goods as well for the towns along the line, and their subsequent industries. Logging and lumber products make up the bulk of the twice-weekly general freight run. Ore trains run in 50 car sections, three times per day. Morning, afternoon, and evening shifts.

As for motive power, we've got a pair of SD38-2s that exclusively stay on the ore trains. We've also got one SD7 and four SD9s. We've also got an Ex CN GP9 that is used as a parts unit. We also have plans to acquire some SW engines for yards and general freight.

Here's the two SD38-2s on the point of a loaded ore train.

http://hostthenpost.com/uploads/0091e5be998699bf791a1742dc9297db.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/c06481e09807696483e3646a6928f0eb.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/54ed32e7852b81de5a3521d5c9625859.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/3fedb207721e93afeedd4ccf4c53a905.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/94857cab2a62bb98306294a0e1e535fb.png

[vermont204]

More shots! An SD9 and SD7 on the southern part of the line, hauling the Wednesday general freight. The other freight runs on Saturday.

http://hostthenpost.com/uploads/e17339d0ded2b503088d5ac0c819c8a5.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/7c8dce184cdbdd35e9ce8694563ae2e9.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/a7b2048173c7a665f442db9add4b5b7c.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/22d677ab5effbb5ae77cd6ed2df02a48.pnghttp://hostthenpost.com/uploads/763f5bd1cc723cd747bc0d259e296c2a.png