A HO Scale shelf layout based upon the Southern Pacific's Orange Grove Route
In 1993, following a steady decline in traffic, the Southern Pacific was given permission to abandon all but the 1.13 miles between between Exeter and Rocky Hill.
Modeling the Visalia Electric in a bedroom
The Visalia Electric HO model is a perfect prototype for a small HO scale switching layout located in a spare bedroom. During its final years of operation, the railroad operated on an afternoon schedule with just one crew. The crew normally went on duty at around 2:30 p.m. and returned to Exeter around 8:00 p.m. with cars bound for interchange with parent Southern Pacific.
Oranges, grapefruit and lemons accounted for the majority of outbound carloads along with some rock, sand and gravel. As can be seen in the following chart, shipments peaked in April, May and June.
During peak periods of production, citrus shipments accounted for around 500
carloads which works out to be about 40% of the annual total. Using the chart shown above, and the estimated carloads for 1955, it can be assumed that outbound carloads consisted of 4-6 perishables a day along with some rock, sand or gravel. It's difficult to identify the number of inbound carloads; a reasonable assumption based upon the available photographs would be 1-3 carloads a day. Over time the number of carloads steadily dropped until the end of operations in 1993.
The Plan
The layout will be built along two walls of my current office/work room. Adapting the room for the layout involves moving the work desk, cutting down several book cases, removing a file cabinet and a TV stand. HO models that were on display in the work room have been moved to a "new" wall mounted cabinet in the hallway just outside the work room. I did this while Pam was away!
The plan calls for construction in 2 phases starting with the Redbanks modules. It should be noted at this point that the layout is only inspired by the Visalia Electric and not meant to be a accurate representation of the prototype. The team track, fertilizer dealer and depot didn't exist on the prototype. They were added for operating interest.
Phase 2A-1 - The first phase is 14' long and 18" wide segment located along the north wall of the room. made up from two modules. The plan includes run around, 3 packing houses, a fertilizer distributor and team track. There is a drop down on the far left that can be used to open one of the folding closet doors. As shown below, it could easily serve as a "stand alone" shelf layout. There are no grades, turnouts are #6's and the minimum radius is 28".
Phase 2A-2 - The second phase (Lemon Cove) will be built on a 8' long by 12" wide module along the east wall of the room. It includes the Kaweah river bridge, the rock spur, the depot and the Lemon Cove Growers Association packing house.
Operations will center around Redbanks where inbound traffic will be staged on the passing track. The locomotive and caboose will layover on the Rebanks Team Track.
Modeling Locomotives & Rolling Stock
Locomotives 1944-1972
Due to the diminutive size of the Visalia Electric, I decided to build a roster for two different eras. The first being the period 1944 through 1972 and the second being 1973 through the end of operations in in 1989. Here we see General Electric 44-Tonner in Rocky Hill during January of 1945. (Phillip C. Kauke) I would love to know what was in the Missouri Pacific boxcar.
Based upon positive results, the Visalia Electric received two new General Electric 44-ton locomotives in September of 1945; #501 and #502. The #1900 was returned to parent Southern Pacific and the new locomotives were placed in service at Exeter on Septermber 14th and 15th. The #502 shown below with a new PFE reefer on the Visalia Electric in 1954. (E.L. Mettlemen Collection) The Visalia Electric didn't really need two locomotives for most of the year so the #501 was leased and later sold to parent Southern Pacific in December of 1949.
Rapido has released a very nice model of Southern Pacific #1900, #1901 and #1902. Here is a picture of my SP #1900. The model is equipped with DCC, ESU sound and a factory installed current keeper. It has amazing low speed performance for a model this small. At some point I would like to buy another and re-letter it for Visalia Electric
Locomotives 1972-1989
A Southern Pacific General Electric 70-tonner was tried out as a replacement for the #502 in January of 1972. By late February it was replaced with Also S-3 #1025 leased from parent Southern Pacific.
Modeling a S-3 is a bit of a challenge. Atlas did a version years ago that was a nice model, for the time, but not up to current standards. Proto 2000 also did a S-3 which is a nicer model but much more difficult to find and while it was done in the tiger stripe scheme I have not seen one in scarlet & gray. Here is a picture of the lightly weathered Atlas version I purchased on ebay. It needs a new horn, number boards, sunshades, spark arrestor and scale couplers.
The #1197 was replaced by GP-9's that were rotated on and off the Visalia electric until November of 1989 when the Visalia Electric was left without a permanently assigned locomotive. I purchased the Walthers Proto GP-9 #3451 shown below for this service. It is equipped with a factory DCC and ESU sound.
Cabooses
Rolling Stock
Refrigerator cars from Pacific Fruit Express (PFE) were the most common freight cars seen on the Visalia Electric. Prior to the end of ice service in 1972, PFE contracted with Rocky Hill Ice Company for icing. Rock Hill Ice had a ice manufacturing plant and 5-car platform near Exeter. I decided to start my fleet with transitional cars that would have been typical between 1965 and 1972 when PFE discontinued all icing services. I have restricted my purchases to models produced by Intermountain and Red Caboose along with pre-ordering a couple of the upcoming Rapido R-40-27's.
I started out with 2 of these Intermountain R-70-15 reefers manufactured for Southern Pacific in 1965 by Pacific Car & Foundry. While these cars came new with roof walks, they were probably removed some time before 1974. These cars fit that 1965-1972 window perfectly but should probably be equipped with a ACI label.
Visalia Electric Images
As I bring this initial posting to a close, it should be noted that this shelf layout is not a replacement for my existing Sn3 layout https://sn3rgs.blogspot.com/. It is only intended to be a minor diversion during the winter months when the weather restricts the amount I am can spend working on the Sn3 layout which is located in a converted 3-caar garage.
For those of you who are interested in learning more about the Visalia Electric:
"The Visalia Electric Railroad", Phillip C. Kauke, Signature Press, 2003. (No longer in print but readily available on the secondary market.)
Your questions, comments & suggestions are always welcome