When I woke up today I was excited about two things. The first was expected but no less enjoyable. I was off work. The second was far more unplanned. I had received the September issue of Model Railroader. It’s always nice to get some time to sit down and read an issue. And like any model railroader I appreciate the valuable tips and interesting articles, but nothing prepared me for this.
Imagine my surprise when reading the editorial I notice a reference to the “little-known Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern Railway … on page 48 in this issue.”
The minute I read those words I couldn’t turn those pages fast enough. Sure enough, in the September Issue is a four page article by Steven Otte on the CL&N. As part of their “a railroad you can model” series the article features a background and history of the road, a track plan, and some general ideas on structures, rolling stock, and operations.
The author mentions Narrow Gauge in Ohio as an important source for him. He clearly did his research as the article is clear of major errors, at least as far as I can tell. The only questionable facts is when Otte mentions that the PRR acquired the CL&N as their gateway into Cincinnati, when it reality this purchase was made as a backup gateway in the event of another flood. However, this is a minor nitpick that I’m willing to let slide. It’s a lot more easy to explain with space constraints the way he did it.
He also mentions the replica depot in downtown Lebanon, which I’m still not sure really resembles the original. That is my opinion though as I am not completely sure.
Also included is a large 1-page track plan. For those with access it is availible as a download on the Model Railroder web site, trains.com. I’ll be offering a more in-depth look at this plan tomorrow. It measures 21 feet by 25 feet and is designed to fit in a two and a half car garage (with room for one car). The track plan is obviously compressed, but that is to be expected by any model railroad. The article details the line in 1906, but a number of exceptions are made to allow for operational and scenic interest
After reading the article I immediately fired off an email to Model Railroader complimenting their article. I also asked about their source for a reported one-stall engine house in Lebanon, something I never found any record off.
If you like the CL&N you should definitely pick this issue up (and if you don’t why are you reading this blog?). For those interested the issue also features an article about a nice N scale expansion, a tour of a club layout, some scratchbuilding advice, and all the usual tips and tricks. All in all it was quite a surprise on my nice, quiet Thursday afternoon.
