A First Union SD40-2 sits in the yard as a stack train rolls by. The locomotive is an Athearn unit, with added details and weathering. The stack train features Walthers NSC 53' well cars with Athearn 53' containers. Both feature Sergent couplers, which don't use trip pins.

This shot shows the new gravel driveway I added to the lot. The M.O.W. truck is on it. The work crews now have a much easier time getting in and out of the lot!

This shot of downtown shows Market Street before the street markings were added.
This is the 'after' shot of Market Street. We now have a crosswalk and stop lines, as well as a centerline. (Yes, it should be a double-line. Call it 'cost-cutting'!)

These are two locomotives painted in the early AP&W scheme. They are both Kato SD40's. 3174 has a Cannon& Company high-hood. At the time I did these units, I envisioned a fleet of high-hooded locomotives, but didn't have the skills -or the patience- to do the modifications. While I did convert some engines, this was the only one that made it to the painting stage. Of course now, some 15 years later, the model manufacturers are doing high-hoods left and right! The sceme shown is the original one I came up with, and represents the late 80's era, after the 1986 merger.

The AP&W was "created" in 1986 by the merger of several railroads; the Appalachian; the Memphis, Chattenooga and Knoxville; the Central Carolina; the Allegheny Central; the Frisco; and the Detroit, Toledo and Ironton. Other "predecessor" roads include: the Interstate RR; the Durham & Southern; the Tennessee, Alabama & Gadsden; the Chicago & Eastern Illinois; the Chicago Great Western; the Monon; the Virginian; and the Chicago & Alton. The "system" also includes former Tennessee Central, Rock Island and Erie Lackawanna lines as well.

The primary traffic for the system is intermodal, with it's 'Golden Triangle' of Chicago-Atlanta-Jacksonville (Fl), Chicago-New York, and New York-Jacksonville, Fl. main lines. In the 90's, the AP&W spent a lot of money upgrading these lines, as well as purchasing a large number of new locomotives and intermodal equipment to support this traffic; today this investment is paying off with faster schedules and increased traffic. The AP&W also moves alot of coal, grain, chemicals, and auto traffic- although this is currently in decline due to the economy. In fact, the reason I selected 2007 as my end date is due to the reduced auto-related traffic, including the closure of the Ford truck plant in Norfolk- I purchased several Athearn Auto-Max's and Atlas Thrall Bi-levels to handle this traffic.