CSX (L&N) Knoxville Division

[landnrailroader]

Colleagues,

I've been cleaning up a route done by Dudley Evans and it should be ready to release
in a couple more months. I need to detail out the line from Savoy to Gatliff, KY and
the area around the Corbin yard. My rendition of the Corbin yard has all the various
yards and most other facilities but not all the tracks which would number in the
hundreds.

This will be the first version and a future one will add the Southern (NS) line from
Vasper to Jellico as well as some other SR lines in the area. In this first version
there is only one coal mine and it appears to still be active, or at least it was in the
last Google Earth revision. So here is a empty train headed back to Gatliff which is
at the end of a 15 mile or so branch from Savoy (Williamsburg), KY.

J. H. Sullivan
(landnrailroader)gatliff_empties.jpg

[chilla]

Looking forward to the route will there be any activities?

[landnrailroader]

No, I am not very good at creating activities and when I have done it in the past, I gets lots of questions
about what equipment I used etc., so I usually just leave the paths in the appropriate folder and delete
the rest. The completed route does have TCS on the main line with a number of control points, also
5 or 6 defect detectors, while the Gatliff line is dark territory, and does not not have any sidings, though I
have added a node about mid way to reduce the likelihood of "broken couplers". There is a wye near the
end of the line and one branch goes to Gatliff, and the other to Packard. This latter branch (about 1.5 miles)
was abandoned in 1947 and the wye removed, but it is still easily traced on Google Earth. The mine at
Gatliff appears to still be active, at least in Oct. 2018. Clearances allow single stacks and trailers on the
main line.

Jerry

[Rick-MONON]

Jerry

Did you ever do the L&N Louisville to Nashville yet?

[landnrailroader]

Jerry

Did you ever do the L&N Louisville to Nashville yet?

Rick,

No, I haven't done it yet, it is probably next on the list and will fall in the category, shall we say,
of completed, but could be detailed more/better if someone wants to take a whack at it. It will
only have X-Tracks, NewRoads, and M-tracks as add-ons which will be the standard for all of
my routes. I may in parallel, work on detailing out the Virginian. It still has a issue that makes
it ORTS only, but most routes these days are that way, or likely will be. For that matter, the
Knoxville division could be detailed out more. I also have all the track in for the EK Div. except
for the Lexington & Eastern, and the Kentucky & Ohio which will be there for historic purposes
with appropriate signage.

Jerry

[landnrailroader]

Colleagues,

The still active (2018) branch from Savoy to Gatliff & Packard was built around 1900
as the Pine Mountain West RR, a wholly owned construction subsidiary of the L&N.
Originally there was a mine at Packard and another at Gatliff. Packard played out in
the 1940s and that branch was abandoned in 1947. There is no physical mine now
at Gatliff either, but coal is brought in by truck from several strip operations, some
as far as 20 miles away and the coal is then processed at Gatliff and unit trains came
from there a few times a week, at least until 2018. So here is a test train that is
continuing to the mine with some empties. I do note a rather tipsy driveway to
one of the trailers in the right-hand image which has to be fixed.

The river seen in one image is the Cumberland which figures a lot in L&N history
and to a less extent in NS(Southern) history as well. The Cumberland rises in
southeastern Kentucky, near Harlan, and the Cumberland Valley Div. (Sub.) then
follows it for 50 or so miles before deviating northwest to Corbin. The river then
is joined by this branch about 12 miles east of Savoy (Williamsburg) and then it
proceeds further southwest passing over Cumberland Falls. Many miles later it is
crossed twice by the L&N at Nashville, and once more at Clarksville, TN. (This
latter line is now a R.J.Corman operation.

J. H. Sullivan

[landnrailroader]

My KD Subdivision (CSX, or Division - L&N) should be released by years end. I have almost all
spawners in place, and as a last touch, I will record command voice for the 5 Defect Detectors.
In doing that I will record one phrase as for example, Defect Detector, Mile XXX, No Defects,
repeat, No Defects, OUT. The 2nd one will be the same except that I will add CSX on the
front end. The L&N had defect detectors by the late 1960s on this line but I doubt that voice
was added until much later. The files will have simpler names, but the files for CSX--- will have
CSX in the name, so that to simulate the modern era, but before the newer style signals, one
will only have to rename 5 existing files to something else, and the 5 CSX files to whatever
the existing, "as delivered" files are named and edit the SMS files.

I am currently preparing the specification as I complete the route, so look for something in
the library around Jan. 1st.

J. H. Sullivan

[conductorchris]

I always look forward to your work, Jerry. The L&N is out of my territory some, but I am vicariously learning about it and appreciating it through your efforts.
Christopher

[landnrailroader]

I expect to upload the route to T-S on Dec. 23 or 24. Currently I have sent the zip file that
will be uploaded to the other individual that started this route so be sure that someone else
can download, unzip, and install the route. It will have one zip file of about 350mbt. which
is a "wrapper". The contents of the wrapper is the zip file of the route, zip file of Mtracks,
the .diz file, and some instructions.

J. H. Sullivan

[landnrailroader]

I expect to upload the route later today, so it should appear in the library in a few
days. Three issues have been noted, only one of which is the fault of the route
i.e. ME.

A few minor bugs have been found that should not affect use of the
route.

1. If you open the route in RE, there are two shapes that are in the
.ref file but not found in the route. Just okay these and move on
as they will appear in a later version. That is the only issue that
is related to the route itself.

2. If you open an activity and get a message about a missing .ace
file it will most likely be "Mtrackfrogs.ace". Although this .ace
file will wind up in the Global Textures when you install Mtracks,
a copy must also exist in the route textures directory. It is
there in the zip of the route and I have unzipped the item that
will be uploaded soon three times and not had an issue, but my
independent checker had it in his zip copy, so it is most likely
an occurrence of corruption. This .ace file appears many times
in the route.

3. The same checker had an issue with crashing to desktop when
he zoomed in or out in activity editor. I too have not seen this
and he says it has happened with other routes, so I assume it
is related to his particular install and/or settings. I will cross post
this in the specifications forum.

J. H. Sullivan
(aka landnrailroader)