Atlanta or Bust!

The truck is loaded, the trains are packed, everything is ready to roll. On to Atlanta!

Fury passes a battery of USCT training in artillery. The gun is an Alkem Scale Models kit. The figures
are 40mm from various suppliers.

It fits, just barely.  The passenger seat will have miscellaneous cargo.

Fury will be making its debut as a fully operational battery powered loco.

Stanton BPS and battery sit on top of the motor in the tender. 

A styrene cover for the wood pile

Ship building on the Tennessee River

This is part of the amazing story of how the US Army Quartermaster Corps built ships and kept the Army supplied during the siege of Chattanooga. From the US Army Quartermaster Website.

THE LITTLE STEAMBOAT THAT OPENED THE "CRACKER LINE." The Story of the USS Chattanooga, a "home-made" steamboat built by the Quartermaster Department in October 1863 to carry supplies to General Grant's starving army at Chattanooga, Tennessee.  As told by Assistant Quartermaster William Le Duc, who "commanded"the Chattanooga. By William G. Le Duc, Brevet Brigadier-General and Assistant Quartermaster, U.S.V. In answer to the urgent demand of Rosecrans for reinforcements, the Eleventh Corps (Howard's) and the Twelfth Corps (Slocum's) were sent from the east to his assistance under command of General Hooker. Marching orders were received on the 22d of September, and the movement was commenced from the east side of the Rappahannock on the 24th; at Alexandria the troops and artillery and officers' horses were put on cars, and on the 27th started for Nashville. On the 24 of October the advance reached Bridgeport, and on the 3d Hooker established headquarters at Stevenson, and Howard the headquarters of the Eleventh Corps at Bridgeport, then the limit of railroad travel, eight miles east of Stevenson. Another view of USS Chattanooga from theWisconsin U. Archive. Their caption reads "1863 at Bridgeport, Alabama by Edwards and Turner, two soldiers under General Joe Hooker FINAL DISPOSITION: Abandoned, 1868 OWNERS: Built for US-QMD; Cracker Line-U.S. Navy; sold to private owners with interests  in the  Evansville-Clarksville trade, May 12, 1866 OFFICERS & CREW: Captain Henry Scott (master, 1867); C. T. Rudd (clerk, 1867) RIVERS: Mississippi River  First home port, Louisville, Kentucky. During the Civil War, she helped to bring supplies to starving Union soldiers at Chattanooga. Later became the flagship of the Cracker Line. Off the lists in 1868" Photo of USS Chattanooga from National Archives.  This must be a later view as the ship has more railings and trim. The short reach of 26 miles of railroad, or 28 miles of road that ran nearly alongside the railroad, was now all that was necessary for the security of the important position at Chattanooga. But Rosecrans must first secure possession of the route, and then rebuild the long truss-bridge across the Tennessee River, and the trestle, one-quarter of a mile long and 113 feet high, at Whiteside, or Running Water, which would take longer than his stock of provisions and forage would last. To supply an army of 40,000 or 50,000 men, having several thousand animals, in Chattanooga, by wagons, over country roads 28 miles long, in winter, would be a most difficult, but not an impossible task. Rosecrans determined to build some small, flat bottomed steamers, that could navigate the river from Bridgeport, and transport supplies to Kelley's Ferry or William's Island (either within easy reach from Chattanooga), which would enable him to supply his army with comfort until the railroad could be repaired. The enemy held Lookout Mountain, commanding both river and railroad above William's Island. This position was then deemed impregnable. The Confederates also had an outpost on Raccoon Mountain, commanding the river completely and also overlooking a road that skirted the river-bank on the north side for a short distance, thus making the long detour over Waldron's Ridge necessary to communication between Stevenson, Bridgeport, and Chattanooga. The river, where it passes through the Raccoon Range, is very rapid and narrow; the place is known as the Suck, and in navigating up stream the aid of windlass and shore-lines is necessary. Kelley's Landing, below the Suck, is the debouchment of a low pass through Raccoon Mountain, from Lookout Valley, and is within eight or ten miles of Chattanooga. At Bridgeport I found Captain Edwards, Assistant Quartermaster, from Detroit, preparing to build a steamboat to navigate the river, by mounting an engine, boiler, and stern-wheel on a flat bottomed scow, to be used in carrying and towing up supplies until the completion of the railroad. I quote from my Diary: Oct. 5, 1863.-General Hooker was over yesterday . . . and examined the little scow. He appreciated the probable importance of the boat, and ordered me to take it in hand personally and see that work was crowded on it as fast as possible. . . . We also looked over the grade of the Jasper Branch Railroad, which is above high-water mark, and must be used if supplies are sent on the north side of the river. He directed me to send him a report in writing, and a copy for General Rosecrans, of my observations and suggestions, and to go ahead and do what I could without waiting for written orders. I turned my attention to the boat. Captain Edwards has employed a shipbuilder from Lake Erie-Turner, an excellent mechanic, who has built lake vessels and steamers, but who is not so familiar with the construction of flat bottomed, light-draught river steamers. He has a number of ship and other carpenters engaged, with some detailed men from our own troops, making an efficient force. Men who can be serviceable as rough carpenters are abundant; not so with calkers, who will soon be needed, I hope. The frame of the boat is set on blocks, and is only five or six feet above the present water of the river. This mountain stream must be subject to sudden floods, which may make trouble with the boat. Oct.16.- . . . I found Turner, the master mechanic, in trouble with the hull of the little boat. The planking was nearly all on, and he was getting ready to calk and pitch her bottom when I went to Stevenson. The water had risen so rapidly that it was within sixteen or eighteen inches of her bottom planks when I returned, and Turner was loading her decks with pig-iron that the rebels had left near the bridge-head. He thought he would thus keep the hull down on the blocking, and after the waters went down would then go on and finish. "But," I said, "Turner, if the planking gets wet, you cannot calk and pitch until it dries." "That's true; and it would take two weeks, and may be four, to dry her after she was submerged, and who knows how high it may rise and when it will abate!" "Then, Turner, what's the use of weighing it down with pig-iron. Rosecrans's army depends on this little boat: he must have supplies before two weeks, or quit Chattanooga. Can't you cross-timber your blocks, and raise the hull faster than the water rises?" "No; I've thought of that, and believe it would be useless to try it. Captain Edwards and I concluded the only thing we could do was to weigh it down with pig-iron, and try to hold it, but if the water rises very high it will be swept away, pig-iron and all..... . I went rapidly over to Edwards's tent . . . and found him in his bunk, overcome by constant work, anxiety, and despair. . . In answer to my question if nothing better could be done than weigh the hull down with pig-iron he said, "No; I've done all I can. I don't know what the water wants to rise for here. It never rose this way where I was brought up, and they're expecting this boat to be done inside of two weeks, or they will have to fall back!" I turned from his tent, and stood perplexed, staring vacantly toward the pontoon-bridge. I saw a number of extra pontoons tied to the shore - flat bottomed boats, 10 to 12 feet wide and 30 feet long, the sides 18 inches high.  I counted them, and then started double-quick for the boatyard, halloing to Turner, "Throw off that iron, quick! Detail me three carpenters: one to bore with a two-and-half or three-inch anger, and two to make plugs to fill the holes. Send some laborers into all the camps to bring every bucket, and find some careful men who are not afraid to go under the boat and knock out blocks as fast as I bring them down a pontoon." Turner, who had been standing silent and amazed at my excitement and rapid orders, exclaimed, with a sudden burst of conviction, "That's it! That's it! That'll do! Hurrah! We'll save her yet. Come here with me under the boat, and help knock out a row of blocks." And he jumped into the water up to his arm-pits, leaving me to execute my own orders. The pontoons were dropped down the river, the holes were bored in the end allowing them partly to fill, and they were then pulled under the boat as fast as the blocks were out. The holes were then plugged. and the water was dipped until they began to lift up on the bottom of the hull, and when all were under that were necessary, then rapid work was resumed with the buckets, till by 2 o'clock in the morning she was safely riding on the top of the rising waters. They are now calking and pitching her as rapidly as possible, and fixing beams for wheel and engines; as many men are at work as can get around on her to do anything. Afternoon 16th.- General Howard rode out with me to examine the bridge work on Jasper road, let out to some citizens living inside our lines. They are dull to comprehend, slow to execute, and need constant direction and supervision. Showed General Howard the unfinished railroad grade to Jasper, and my estimate of the time in which it can be made passable for (rail) cars if we can get the iron (rails), and if not, of the time in which we can use it for wagons. On October 19th, under General Rosecrans's orders to General Hooker, I was charged with the work on this road. 20th.- Commenced work on the Jasper branch.\ 22d.- General Grant and Quartermaster General Meigs arrived on their way to the front with Hooker and staff. I accompanied them as far as Jasper. During the ride I gave Grant what information I had of the country, the streams, roads, the work being done and required to be done on the Jasper branch, also on the steamboat. He saw the impossibility of supplying by the dirt road, and approved the building of the Jasper branch, and extending it if practicable to Kelley's; also appreciated the importance of the little steamboat, which will be ready for launching tomorrow or Saturday. General Meigs . . . approved of the Jasper branch scheme and gave me a message ordering the iron forwarded at once. 23d.- Steamboat ready to launch tomorrow. Railroad work progressing. 24th.- Steamer launched safely. 26th.-Work on boat progressing favorably; as many men are at work on her as can be employed. Extract from a letter dated Nov. 1st, 1863: I had urged forward the construction of the little steamer day and night, and started her with only a skeleton of a pilot house, without waiting for a boiler-deck, which was put on afterward as she was being loaded. Her cabin is now being covered with canvas. On the 29th she made her first trip, with two barges, 34,000 rations, to Rankin's Ferry, and returned. I loaded two more barges during the night, and started at 4 o'clock A. M. on the 30th for Kelley's Ferry, forty-five miles distant by river. The day was very stormy, with unfavorable head-winds. We made slow progress against the wind and the rapid current of this tortuous mountain stream. A hog-chain broke, and we floated down the stream while repairing it with help of block and tackle. I ordered the engineer to give only steam enough to overcome the current and keep crawling up, fearful of breaking some steam-pipe connection, or of starting a leak in the limber half-braced boat. Had another break, and again floated helplessly down while repairing; straightened up once more, and moved on again-barely moved up in some places where the current was unusually strong; and so we kept on, trembling and hoping, under the responsibility of landing safely this important cargo of rations. Night fell upon us--the darkest night possible--with a driving rain, in which, like a blind person, the little boat was feeling her way up an unknown river. Captain Edwards brought, as captain, a man named Davis, from Detroit, who used to be a mate on a Lake Erie vessel; but, as he was ignorant of river boats or navigation, could not steer, and knew nothing of wheel-house bells or signals, I could not trust him on this important first trip. The only soldier I could find who claimed any knowledge of the business of a river pilot was a man named Williams, who had steered on a steam-ferry running between Cincinnati and Covington. Him I put into the wheel-house, and as I had once owned a fourth interest in a steamboat, and fooled away considerable money and time with her, I had learned enough of the wheel to know which way to turn it, and of the bell-pulls to signal Stop, Back, and Go ahead. I went with Williams into the wheel-house, and put Davis on the bows, to keep a lookout. As the night grew dark, and finally black, Davis declared he could see nothing, and came back wringing his hands and saying we would "surely be wrecked if we did not land and tie up." "There's a light ahead now, Davis, on the north shore." "Yes, and another on the south, I think." "One or both must be rebels' campfires." We tried to keep the middle of the river, which is less than musket shot across in any part. After a long struggle against wind and tide we got abreast of the first campfire, and saw the sentry pacing back and forward before it, and hailed: "Halloo! there. What troops are those!", Back came the answer in unmistakable Southern patois: "Ninth Tennessee. Run your old tea kittle ashore here, and give us some hot whisky." The answer was not comforting. I knew of no Tennessee regiment in the Union service except one, or part of one, commanded by Colonel Stokes, and where that was I did not know. So we put the boat over to the other shore as fast as possible, and to gain time I called out: "Who's in command?" "Old Stokes, you bet." "Never mind, Williams, keep her in the middle. We're all right.- How far to Kelley's Ferry?" "Rite over thar whar you see that fire. They 're sittin' up for ye, I reckon." "Steady, Williams. Keep around the bend and steer for the light." And in due time we tied the steamboat and barges safely to shore, with 40,000 rations and 39,000 pounds of forage, within five miles of General Hooker's men, who had half a breakfast ration left in haversacks; and within eight or ten miles of Chattanooga, where four cakes of hard bread and a quarter pound of pork made a three days' ration. In Chattanooga there were but four boxes of hard bread left in the commissary warehouses on the morning of the 30th [October]. About midnight I started an orderly to report to General Hooker the safe arrival of the rations. The orderly returned about sunrise, and reported that the news went through the camps faster than his horse, and the soldiers were jubilant, and cheering "The Cracker line open. Full rations, boys! Three cheers for the Cracker line," as if we had won another victory; and we had. Extracted from:  Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, Vol. III 1884-1888

Instructions for Operators

The following is an instruction sheet I prepared for operators of our portable layout. If you plan to operate, reading this ahead of time may be useful. 

Instructions for Operators on McCook’s Landing Model Railroad

1.       General
1.1.         Please read this complete document so you understand yours and the other players’ roles.
1.2.         If you notice a problem, please bring it to our attention. If you derail a car, please re-rail it carefully.  If you are unsure about something, please ask.
1.3.         The rails on the layout are dead. There is no power on the rails.  The engines use battery power. There are no electrical blocks, reverse sections or gaps to consider. The engine cassette in the fiddle yard can also be used as a charging track. We will take care of that for you in between sessions.
1.4.         Have fun.
2.            Conductor
2.1.         You are in charge of the train. You will instruct the engineer and brakeman on what to do.  Your task is to arrive at McCook’s Landing and deliver the cars you are pulling to the appropriate spots. Then you must prepare the outbound train by pulling cars and assembling the train. Before you leave make sure the locomotive is serviced at the engine terminal.
2.2.         Movements on the layout are controlled by early 19^th century Time Table and Train Order rules, which are simplified versions of the currently used rules. You will find some train orders and a schedule for the trains in the packet you receive. The train orders will provide any special instructions. You should consult the schedule to understand any meets with other trains or other events you must consider.
2.3.         In the packet you will receive a replica copy of the USMRR Conductors Report.  Please fill out the top with the names of the operators on the train. This form will act as your switch list. It will tell you how many cars are in your train (probably 4) and where they should be spotted. It will also list cars that you must pick up. You should verify that the cars you are pulling are correctly listed on your sheet. Make any corrections as needed.
2.4.         Any cars not listed on the papers but found at the terminal must remain in place though they can be shuffled around if necessary as long as they end up where they started.
2.5.         As you work you may mark up the switch list and add notes. When you are done, please turn in the switch list for our records.
2.6.         Do not use the extended link on the cow catcher for switching. Make all your switch moves from the rear of the tender.
2.7.         Your train should display proper signals. In daylight, white flags for a single scheduled train or red flags if an extra is following. At light, signal lights will be used instead of flags.

3.            Engineer  
3.1.         You are in charge of the locomotive. You will control the throttle, bell, head light whistle and engine servicing. Please familiarize yourself with the throttle and the special functions.
3.2.         You do not have to run with the headlight on in daylight, but you may if you wish.
3.3.         Ring the bell when passing or near the depot.
3.4.         The engine decoders have momentum programmed in, so be aware of that when starting and stopping.
3.5.         The brakeman will signal you when to move during switching with hand or verbal signals
3.6.         Use the appropriate whistle signals when moving the engine.
1 Short - Apply brakes2 Short – Release brakes3 Short – Backing train4 Short – Call in flagman (McCook’s Landing is in terminal limits, so you need not flag your train.)5 Short – Wood up1 Long – Danger.
3.7.         To service the engine you must park by the wood rick and water tank to replenish water and fuel. Use the sound effect function to simulate the water filling operation. You do not need to move the hose or lever on the tower. Wood loading is simulated by a 2 minute wait by the wood rick. You do not have to actually load the wood.
3.8.         Do not exceed 5 miles per hour when crossing the bridge. Do not use excessive speed when switching.
3.9.         You will turn the engine when necessary on the turntable. It is manually operated and aligned.  We will handle turning the engine on the fiddle yard cassette.
3.10.      Please turn off the throttle and return it to us when you are done.
3.11.      If the engine stops running during operation, it could be a dead battery. Please let us know if that happens and do not continue to operate. We have a spare engine in case this happens.
4.            Brakeman
4.1.         You will couple and un-couple cars, set the switches, and operate the brakes in accordance with instructions from the conductor. You will guide the engineer during these moves with hand or verbal signals.
4.2.         The cars use link-and-pin couplers. We use magnetic pins and laser-cut paper links.  They will take two hands to operate. You will be given a brake staff to use. It has a rare earth magnet on one end to grab the pin and a taper on the other to help manipulate the link.  Use the magnet end to pull and place the pins.  If you are careful the magnet will only grab one pin when you go to pull the pin on adjacent cars. If you accidently pull two pins, replace the one you did not wish to pull.
4.3.         It may be necessary to use your fingers to set the links. That is OK. Just make sure they don’t get crushed when coupling the cars.
4.4.         Place the unused pins and links in the plastic bag we provide. Try not to lose them, but we do have extras.
4.5.         You will throw the switches using scale sized switch stands. Do not force them. They should operate smoothly and lock in place. Visually inspect each switch to insure it is properly set.
4.6.         Some of the cars have working brakes. Make sure these are all released. We will not use the working brakes in these operation sessions.
4.7.         Please make sure you return the brake staff when you are done. We do not have many extras.

Information Plaque and Train Bulletin

Over the past few days I finished engraving the information plaque and train bulletin for the layout.

The information plaque describes the purpose of the layout and sets the historical background. The map shows where our we located our fictional landing.

The train bulletin shows the actual schedule we will follow. The schedule is written with a chalk marker so it is easy to change if we need to. We can also use it as a sign-up board as we will record the operators names in the remarks box.






Here is a copy of the text on the information plaque.

The great question of the campaign was one of supplies.

General W. T. Sherman

This is a fictional, but historically based, model railroad layout set in the summer of 1864 in northern Alabama on the Tennessee River. The layout demonstrates in scale model form how the Union's overwhelming logistic capacity contributed to victory. It shows how the Union Army Quartermaster Corps built or repaired railways, ship yards, saw mills and depots in occupied territory to support the Union advance into the southern states.

At the time that we model Union General Sherman’s Army was fighting outside of Atlanta, while Union General A.J. Smith was operating near Tupelo, MS. The main Confederate Army, now under the command of General Hood, opposed Sherman in Georgia, while General S.D. Lee had a smaller army in Mississippi. 

The landing was near the small town of Brendelton (fictional) on a peninsula off a tributary of the Tennessee River, surrounded by marshy land with dense forests on north and west. a narrow strip of land along the creek to the north-east provides ground access. The town had one main industry, a combined sawmill and shipyard that specialized in "puddle" jumper steamboats to navigate the shallow rivers of the upper Tennessee. The town began to build a railroad toward Athens, Alabama to connect with the Nashville and Decatur RR.  During the railroad-building boom in the 1850s, the stockholders had the line graded and built some abutments for bridges but did not finish the project before the war started.

Because of its remote and hard to reach location, the town was relatively unscathed by the war. However, some of the local riverfront farms were burned by Union water-based troops in revenge for guerrilla fire from area in 1863. Due to its geography, it is an easy location to defend and an ideal location for a supply depot.

In late spring 1864, the Union Army moved into the area. The United States Military Railroad quickly laid a branch line to Brendelton on the planned right-of-way. They built a standard Howe truss bridge over Biscuit Run and trestles over some of the swamp ground. They also rebuilt a sawmill to use in constructing boats and barges for use on the upper Tennessee River. This was one of several shipyards the Union Army built along the upper Tennessee River. The shallow water between Muscle Shoals and Florence made steamboat navigation from the lower river impossible most of the year, thus necessitating the shipyards so far forward.

They named the facility McCook's Landing after Brigadier General Robert Latimer McCook (December 28, 1827 - August 6, 1862), who was killed in this area a few years earlier while battling guerrillas. The facility is strongly fortified and garrisoned with about 1,500 soldiers, about half from newly raised regiments of African-American volunteers. 

Bernard Kempinski

About this layout

Scale                O scale (1:48^th)

Bench work     One-by framing with quarter inch plywood and 2 inch foam composite surface layer.

Track               Standard Gauge (5 ft) hand laid on laser cut wood ties, 4 spikes per tie

Roadbed          One-eighth inch aspen plywood

Rail                  Code 100

Lighting           LED Ribbon, blue tint

Sky board        One-eighth inch hardboard hand painted with some art work cutouts

Locomotives    SMR Trains with Stanton Cab Battery DCC power

Rolling Stock   Scratch built with NWSL wheel sets

Figures             Various sources and scales from 28mm to 1/43^rd scale

Acknowledgments: 

Sponsors:  Alkem Scale Models, Scenic Express, & Train Troll

Layout helpers:  Brian Brendel, Joel Salmons, Jeff Peck, Christian Peck, J.B. Weilepp, J.D. Drye, Andy Small, Paul Dolkos, Michael Spoor, Marty McGuirk, Mark Franke, Dave Emery, Jake Brendel, Brian Kammerer, Eric Cox. 

Violet Kempinski gets special recognition for the drapes and bunting.

Deepest appreciation to Alicia Worthington and Gabriella Petrick

Special thanks to Co-Builder and Co-owner Gerry Fitzgerald

Photos disappearing

I don't know why but photos on past posts are disappearing from this blog. If anyone knows what might be happening, please let me know.