Benson, Arkansas

[broadoak]

I built an exhibition switching layout many years ago called Colonel’s Crossing, it was set in Arkansas and featured a couple of imaginary short lines, the Interstate & Western and the Talbot Valley railroad. They had connections with the Southern Pacific and the Rock Island railroad, two real railways.
The short lines were freight only operations and the main industries served were Bauxite ore, lumber and agriculture.
Unfortunately I have very few photographs of CC but having exhibited it for about six years I retired it. I had built a small L shaped switching layout called Benson and when I moved house I was able to connect Benson and part of CC with a joining section. See plan of layout.



Peter M

[broadoak]

You will note that the upper leg of the layout is more or less the same track plan as my GWR layout called Broadoak. The buildings locos and scenery are different.

The Rock Island Yard switcher #947 is a typical Blue Box Athearn kit.
You get the body in the livery of the road you are modelling. The chassis and five pole motor with two flywheels and all eight wheels driven and picking up current. The hand rails, lights and windows you have to glue yourself. Any other details you can get detail kits for. 20 years ago the basic kit was about £25. The reasonable price was one of the reasons I modelled the American scene.



Peter M

[broadoak]

The photos show an EMD SW1500 yard switcher wearing Missouri Pacific livery which it carried for a short while when the UP took over Missouri Pacific. The loco is seen pushing cars around Benson West yard one morning.
This is another Athearn Blue Box model with a fitted cab interior.

Peter M

[broadoak]

A St Louis South Western, better known as the Cotton Belt GP60 is seen lurking in the yard at Benson. These powerful four axle road switchers were used mainly on high speed piggy back trailer service trains.
This is another Blue Box Athearn with lots of added details.

Peter M

[broadoak]

A couple of pictures of an interesting yard switcher seen trundling about the west yard at Benson.
It is an SP Baldwin S12 with extra lights at both ends to permit switching 24 hours a day in San Francisco.
In reality the locomotive was traded in against more modern motive power.
In my model world though it has been sent to Arkansas to help out a motive power shortage on the SP.
This too is a much modified Athearn blue box model fitted with a Mashima motor.

Peter M

[broadoak]

This is yet another Blue Box a General Electric U33 in Rock Island livery.
I bought the model at an NMRA meet for £9 added a few details and a new slim motor ans she performed perfectly for years. She is seen here rumbling over the grade crossing at Benson.








Peter M

[broadoak]

A blue box Athearn GP9 working in the yard at Benson. She is equipped with a train heating boiler so can be used on the occasional diner train.
The model is another Blue Box Athearn this is an undecorated example that I have painted grey. Cost at the time around £25. This version is a first generation Geep. I have added wire steps, pipes and cut levers on the ends by the KD couplers. The livery is my fictional Interstate & Western.
They were known as Geeps as in general purpose and were built by EMD General Motors.











Peter M

[broadoak]

The AD&N CF7 #1513 working late, backing into the track next to Medusa Cement Company's unloading facility to collect a cut of pulpwood flats. This is a later Athearn model with all the details already fitted but now more expensive.
The CF7's were rebuilt Santa Fe hood units the work was done at their Cleyburn shops. When the SF had finished with them many were bought by short lines like the one in the photo.

Peter M

[broadoak]

This is another Blue Box model that I won in an NMRA raffle in Bath. I fitted
quite a few extra details, grabs, radio aerial, air conditioner, plough, and brake pipes. I didn’t model the Santa Fe but she grew on me so I assumed she was working off horsepower hours on my road.







Peter M

[broadoak]

By way of a change a selection of shots of a model made by Lima. It is an I&W Alco C420 road switcher. The C stood for Century, 4 for the number of wheels on each truck (bogies) 20 was for 2ooohp.
This model version but ran appallingly when I first got it. So I re-motored it with a Mashima can and that transformed it, she now runs very well. I must admit I think they look a very graceful machine.
 










Peter M