Missouri Pacific's Joppa Subdivision in HO scale
My HO scale Joppa Subdivision Layout depicts the Missouri Pacific's trackage through the heart of Southern Illinois coal country in the early 1980's. I grew up in West Frankfort, Illinois, and was very fond of MoPac's "Jenks Blue" paint scheme and their corporate image stayed with me throughout my life. MoPac trains were daily scenery during my childhood and adolescence years while growing up in West Frankfort, as coal trains and daily mine runs out of West Frankfort's yard were the norm.
The Joppa Sub in prototype consisted of the southern end of the former Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad; starting just south of Benton Junction, and extending to the end of the line at Joppa, IL. The varied operations of the early 1980's make this line both a "history, or heritage project", and a great operational layout for myself, due to the variety of industries, interchanges w/other lines, and trackage rights granted to other Class One Railroads on the line (Burlington Northern). The scenery south of Marion is quite dramatic, as two large steel trestles take the line across deep valleys, and the line traverses the heart of the Shawnee National Forest and even some Bald Cypress and Tupelo swamps near Karnak, IL.
My HO version includes the towns of West Frankfort, Johnston City, Marion, Cypress, Chasco, Karnak, and Joppa. It also includes the two interlocking towers of Neilson Jct. and West Vienna Jct. Both towers will be modeled and operational complete with custom train order signals by Integrated Signal Systems. Control of the Layout is accomplished using Digitrax's Chief DCC system with two boosters; interlocking and system signals are controlled by Digitrax; and the layout is controlled by Winlok 2.1 software. The BN trains between Neilson and West Vienna can be controlled manually or via Winlok timetable (automatically), since that portion of the line is slated for automation.
The railroad interchanges freight with the Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad at Marion; and Conrail at Karnak, IL. The CO&E interchanges a variety of freight, and Conrail interchanges coal with the MP...MP hauls it to Joppa for Conrail...and returns the empty cars to them at the same yard daily.
MP trains are powered by four axle units... mainly GP38-2's; and GP15-1's...with a few U23B's and GP38 models thrown in for variety. B N trains are powered by U30C's and SD40-2's; with some C30-7's mixed in . Crab Orchard and Egyptian is powered by a single SW1200 at this time.
Currently, the layout is disassembled in favor of newer, better construction methods. There is no timetable at present to resume operations.