My first project is the design and construction of the Kandiyohi, MN 26" x 84" Free-Mo module. While I have mulled this idea over for some time now, I feel the best way to begin and complete my first module is to dive in head first. I hope to hone my skills with this module and spend some serious time experimenting and trying different techniques.
DESIGN INTENT
This module design focuses on being the beginning point for a larger modular layout with the ability to function independently until a later date. It is designed to the free-mo double track standard of a 26” width but can easily be reduced to the 24" width. I have a philosophy that less is more when it comes to design, and this layout follows the prototype location as much as possible without adding excess track that would not occur typically. The open farmland of western Minnesota, the quiet sidings with industries beside a busy, double-track mainline are the focus of this track plan.
HISTORY
Kandiyohi was founded in 1869 on the prairies of western Minnesota along the St. Paul and Pacific Railway, predecessor of the Great Northern. Kandiyohi was just another station town amongst many others spread every 5-10 miles across the mainline in Minnesota. What set it apart was that it was almost chosen to be the state capital of Minnesota. Its central location in the state was promising but the Minnesota legislature opted to remain in St. Paul to be close to the population center of the state. The town has always been overshadowed by the city of Willmar, a major division point on the Great Northern just five miles west of Kandiyohi. The population of Kandiyohi has remained under 500 souls for most of its existence and had all of the hallmarks of a small
Midwestern town; a grain elevator, a trackside park, a standard GN wood depot, and an oil and gas business. The town remained a largely independent and successful farming community until the 1950‘s. U.S. Highway 12 diverted local farm products and
business to other towns on the mainline. The town’s depot was moved after the Burlington Northern merger to Willmar, MN to become part of the local historical society. Businesses closed or left. The elevator now sits unoccupied. Despite these changes, Kandiyohi has survived and even grown as a bedroom community for WIllmar.
TRAFFIC & EQUIPMENT
The shelf module focuses on the year of 1954. The Great Northern received its first road switchers during this time, namely the SD-9. SD-9's were typically used on branch lines for the local trains servicing elevators and other industries at this time or in multiple unit configurations for heavier scheduled freights or extras. Out of Willmar, they were most often used on the St. Cloud line. This track plan is designed for a SD-9 servicing the industries in Kandiyohi.
Equipment on the GN in Kandiyohi during this time was not typical. Steam was still king on the Willmar Division while many other divisions had already dieselized. S-2 Northerns, P-2 Mountains, and O-8 Heavy Mikados, the largest Mikados ever built hauled most freights between Willmar and Minneapolis. GN passenger trains including the Empire Builder, Western Star, and Fast Mail all traversed the mainline through Kandiyohi. Agricultural products were the backbone of the Great Northern during this time on the eastern lines. Kandiyohi saw many trains loaded with wheat, corn, sugar beets, dairy goods, and livestock from Minnesota and the Dakotas, along with produce from the Pacific Northwest. With mainline traffic though, almost any rail car could be spotted passing through.
TRACK PLAN & OPERATION
In 1954, Kandiyohi was on the double track mainline through Minnesota, and was the testing ground for one of the first Centralized Traffic Control "CTC" sections on the Great Northern. Installation began in 1953 between Minneapolis and Willmar. The result was a dramatic increase in traffic capacity and the diminishing need for double track. Soon, the eastbound track was removed in the late 50’s and early 1960’s and became single track CTC along the entire line. Double track remains to this day on both ends of the Willmar yard 2 miles west of Kandiyohi. In the layout track plan, the tracks and town have been compressed but follow the prototype track plans at the time with two exceptions. The direction of the petroleum spur track is reversed due to spatial constraints and the eastbound-westbound crossover was moved a mile west to occur in town on the layout.
Operation revolves around setting out and picking up 40’ boxcars loaded with grain at the elevator along with tank cars on the petroleum spur. LCL and agricultural implement shipments were also dropped off on the petroleum spur occasionally. From my research, the local train servicing the Minneapolis to Willmar line ran daily through Kandiyohi, alternating direction every other day. The challenge of this layout deals with minimizing switching moves on the mainline as well as time. Spatial constraints also limit the number of possible movements. These both work to make this layout an interesting and simple switching problem. Most importantly, this town can be added to almost any layout in the future and if built to the Free-Mo standard of 26” wide, it would work in that capacity as well.
MOVING FORWARD
While I anticipate that this project will take a while to get right, I'm in no rush. I look forward to the research, the trial and error, and the small victories along the way. Someday I may have the space to do a much larger layout, but right now I want to get the most out of detailing and creating this small module.
