The Grantville Gazette - Volume 7 Part 33

Line No. 1a: Grantville Local Mile 0 Grantville Junction near the USE Steel construction site outside the western rim of ROF

Mile 1.3 (annex) Grantville Annex at the coal mine. Branched off the mail line at Mile 3.5

Mile 3.9 Grantville Central in downtown Grantville

Mile 4.6 Grantville Station at the power station near the eastern rim of ROF.

As the existing line runs through the Grantville area, it seems worthwhile to use it for transportation of people, too. We need only some light rail cars and a small engine. Stations will be very simple, consisting only of a platform and some kind of shelter. The station track will consist of a siding for crossing trains or switching directions. An additional stop could be built near the North Central High School on mile 1.0. It would only be a walk of about 1/4 mile uphill.

Line No. 1b: Kamsdorf Mines Track length: 6 MilesThe branch to the mines at Kamsdorf is the next logical step. We have to start at Grantville Junction, heading south along the western bank of the Saale to the northern part of Saalfeld. We could either cross the Saale via the Island in Saalfeld (with two bridges) or just north in one longer bridge. The latter bridge needs to be 65 feet long and should be usable for trains, carriages and persons. After that we go west along Weira creek to Gorndorf and Unterwellenborn / Kamsdorf. Constructing these tracks would allow us to use the railroad to feed US Steel with almost all needed bulk resources. Additionally we would be able to link up Saalfeld and Kamsdorf to our public transport system.

Initially we should be able to service these tracks and US Steel with only 2-3 small engines.

The planned stations for Line No. 1b are as follows:

Mile 0 Grantville Junction near the US Steel construction site outside the western rim of ROF

Mile 2.7 Saalfeld on the northern Border of Saalfeld near the bridge

Mile 6.1 Kamsdorf Near the mines and quarries. Another village nearby is Unterwellenborn.

Line No. 2: The Capitol Line from Grantville to Magdeburg Track length: 156 Miles This line will be the backbone of the new CPE as it connects its two centers. While building the track we should attract additional transports as much as possible. Therefore, we will connect all towns on our way if they accept the offer.

Line No. 2a Grantville to Halle "The Lifeline"

This line will be started at first as the bar topped wooden rail line to Halle. These pickup drawn cars are only suitable as stopgap measure. When demand surges up for the growing industries in Grantville this setup will not be able to cope. The line has to be converted to a real rail track as resources permit. The bar topped rails and rolling stock should be sold as horse drawn rail line to some secondary projects elsewhere.

Mile 0 Grantville Junction major station, with water and coal supply, train depot, engine workshop, turning Y.

This is the railroad HQ.

From GV we head north on the western Bank of Saale to Rudolstadt. Just before Rudolstadt the track turns east, following the Saale, turning north further downriver. Notable places along the way are Burg Leuchtenberg, belonging to the Wettin family, and the town of Kahla with nearby resources of Kaolinite (white clay).

Mile 2.9 Rudolstadt stopping point The track will pa.s.s between the town wall and the river Saale. A station and additional track to provide access to the lumber mills is will be built. Rudolstadt should be part of Grantville's public transport system. Possible further sidings are Uhlstadt (mile 10) and Kahla (mile 17.5).

Mile 27.8 Jena Goschwitz station, water supply The station will be built a bit north of the actual town, bypa.s.sing it on its western borders. On the journey to Jena we follow the Saale closely . Sometimes the valley is rather narrow.

Mile 40.75 Bad Kosen Town with salt deposits and some industry. Possible further sidings are Camburg (mile 39) and Saaleck (mile 49).

Mile 56 Naumburg station, siding water and coal supply, harbor Here we are on the wrong side of the river. Naumburg is on the confluence of Saale and Unstrut. The Saale makes a turn from north to east while the Unstrut comes from the west. A bridge over Unstrut has to be built. The station should be just behind the confluence on the actual "north sh.o.r.e." It will be about 1-2 Miles to Naumburg. Here is the first point where reloading goods would start to make sense economically. So we should use the little harbor here. A new ferry over Saale to Naumburg city is also a good idea. As the valley widens, we stay hard on its left side.

Mile 63.5 Weissenfels About 10-15 Mile east from here are lignite resources. After it has been studied by the Geologic survey, the railroad company may wish to build a branch line and to buy a share of the mine. Ensuring a second source of coal is important.

Mile 74.75 Leuna On our way to Merseburg we pa.s.s by a little village named Leuna. In OTL this was the site of big ticket chemical industry. As geographic and logistic factors are the same now and then, this promises the village a great future. A branch line to the big resources of Lignite in this valley should be considered.

Mile 76 Merseburg siding, water supply Merseburg is known for producing and exporting a good beer. Good news for the ThurinigianGarden chain and all those thirsty fellows. The valley is becoming wider and also a swamp in some areas.

We stay hard on the western side of the valley and the track will cut all those bends the Saale river does, but we will have to reinforce some ground before laying the track.

Mile 78.5 Schkopau (Buna) Here it's the same as with Leuna. Artificial rubber was invented here in OTL.

Mile 88.25 Halle Salineinsel major station, siding, water and coal supply, harbor, turning Y The station in Halle is outside the town on the western bank of the Saale. The Salineinsel is an island with wells of brine. On the opposite side is the center of Halle. A bit south of the town in Ammendorf are small resources of coal, but bigger ones of lignite. Bigger resources of coal are in Wettin on the right (eastern) bank of the Saale about 12 miles to the north of Halle. Establishing some coal mines here would be very convenient because we don't have to carry our own coal. If a mine is being established it should be connected with the existing line. But for that we have to build a bridge over Saale or rely on transport with carriages.

Line No. 2b: Halle to Magdeburg The Copper Track We now have two track-laying alternatives. The direct way to Magdeburg is shorter only 53 miles but must cross the Saale twice, once in Halle and again in Bernburg. The other route, which is 67 miles long, could be called the copper track because it makes a detour to the mining area west of Halle while going around a bend in the Saale. It is the preferred path because it give us access to an important industrial area, and allows us to avoid building two bridges and laying our line over a lot of muddy ground at the price of just 14 extra miles of track.

Mile 88.25 Halle Salineinsel major station, siding, water and coal supply, harbor, turning Y From Halle we have to find a gently sloped way out of the Saale valley. The height difference to the countryside in the west is about 85 to 100 feet. With a sharp bend just before the village of Krollwitz, we change direction from north to west and venture into a small valley. Here a considerable amount of groundwork will be necessary to allow for a track with a moderate grade.

Mile 90.5 Teutschenthal Here are resources of Halite (rock salt, NaCl) and a bit of Sylvin (KCl). The place feeds its products into Halle. We might able to expedite that.

Leaving Teutschenthal, we pa.s.s alongside the Susser See (Sweet lake) on our way to Eisleben.

Possible further sidings are Teutschenthal and Roblingen (mile 101).

Mile 108 Eisleben siding, water supply From here it's only about 40 Miles west to the manganite mines of Illfeld.

Mile 112 Helbra

Mile 114 Kloster Mansfeld Mile 119 Hettstedt siding, water and coal supply From Helbra to Hettstedt, in about 7 miles we cross an area of intensive mining and processing of copper. Two fifths of this area belongs to Magdeburg, the rest is owned by the Wettins. The copper ore is being transported to the various smelters in the area. If there are branch lines to the major mines and smelters we should station one engine here to carry copper from the mines to Line 2b.

The towns and mines have been devastated by plundering armies and neglect but are trying to rebuild. One major limiting factor of growth before the war was the lack of wood to feed the furnaces.

Some lignite might be welcome here.

Another problem here is the processing of copper into goods. It is being sent into the Harz mountains, where a lot of water driven rolling mills , such as the ones near Harzgerode and Magdesprung, are in operation. These could be replaced with steam powered rolling mills and hammer works. In fact, in OTL the first steam engine in Germany was erected here in 1783-85. The Hettstedter Maschinenwerkstatte (Hettstedt maschine workshop) played a prominent role in copying the Watts steam engine.

From Hettstedt, we head south again. For about 15 miles there are no notable towns except Aschersleben about 7 miles away from the track. A possible further siding is at Mile 126 near Gross Quenstedt.

Mile 134 Sta.s.sfurt siding, water and coal supply Sta.s.sfurt is a place of great interest. This city seems to be one of the best places to start a chemical industry. The main reason are the valuable resources of Halite (NaCl), Sylvin (KCl), Gypsum (CaSO4), Bitter Salt (MgSO4), Glaubersalt (Na2SO4) and lignite only two miles away. Because of this abundance of resources, in OTL a serious industry started here and some discoveries regarding the soda were made in Sta.s.sfurt.

If the decision is made to establish an industry here again, we could gain early access to a river transportation link by building a bar-topped rail line to the Saale at Bernburg. The line would be about 7.5 miles, and would run over flat terrain. The cars should be drawn by horses. Bernburg has also big resources of limestone and therefore could become a center of lime and cement production. A branch line of two miles from Sta.s.sfurt going northwest to the lignite mines of Loderburg may be desirable too.

For the next 17 miles we go north. There is nothing important around here-except for the most fertile soil in Germany. Wheat, corn, oil seeds and sugar beets grow here very well. Imagine, Sodawerke Sta.s.sfurt could even offer some additional fertilizer in some years. But for now farming is still depressed here because of the devastation brought by Tilly and others.

A possible further siding is at Mile 126. It's about 2 Miles west from a village named Biere.

Mile 151 Salbke siding A little village that will get an big upturn, because land for housing can be obtained cheaply. Work is nearby in Buckau and access into Magdeburg will be easy because a tramline through Magdeburg will be established on our rail track.

The area between the villages Buckau and Salbke in the west and the river Elbe in the east should be used as place for establishing industry. The area is about two miles square. The banks of the Elbe are suitable for getting sand for construction works. Near Buckau, a small harbor or even yard might be possible.

Some miles of track will be needed for branches to connect newly founded companies. Two miles west of Salbke is a promising spot for the airfield of Magdeburg.

Mile 153 Buckau station, water and coal supply, train depot, engine workshop, turning Y

Mile 155 Magdeburg Central major station, harbor The station is at Fischerufer at the banks of the Elbe. It's just below the Alter Markt (The Old Market) right in the heart of Magdeburg. All important places in downtown Magdeburg are just nearby.

Pa.s.senger ships to Hamburg and also up to Dresden can depart from a pontoon just in front of the station. Just prior to the station we will pa.s.s the Domfelsen in the Elbe. This underwater rock is a major obstacle to shipping. Even if the rock is blasted away we still have to cope with a strong current. In OTL they used chain tugging to get the ships over this point.

Mile 156 Magdeburg Harbor harbor Magdeburg Harbor is also the place where the new shipyard is being built. It's just a mile downriver (north) of Magdeburg Central, between a part of the town called Neustadt, and the Elbe. The banks of Elbe are much wider here than in downtown Magdeburg. While the old harbor is at Magdeburg Central, here there is much more room to grow and to use heavy equipment. The suitable area goes up to the next village.

Mile 158 Rothensee stopping point The village of Rothensee is the last stop of the track for now. It is a suitable area for loading livestock and other very bulky freight. Easy available resources of fine sand as well as the possibilities for building houses will make this place viable.

Further tracks from Magdeburg will most probably go west to Braunschweig, Hannover and, of course, Wietze. Later this will undoubtedly extend further west into the Ruhr area and eventually to Amsterdam. But from Magdeburg to Braunschweig there are no valuable goods or big towns for about 60 miles. We would have to build this track only for Wietze oil or for strategic reasons. In the short term,a track starting in Hettstedt and going along the northern rim of the Harz Mountains to service centers of mining and milling such as Magdsprung, Thale, Ilsenburg and Goslar, eventually reaching Hannover, would be much more promising.

To go east to Berlin we would have to cross the Elbe and its muddy valley. As Havel is a navigable river all up to Berlin, and Brandenburg is not our best ally anyway, we should think twice about this track.

The Elbe courses north and later northwest from Magdeburg. It's a navigable river all the way down to the North Sea. Some towns like Lauenburg might pose a problem with customs and tariffs. But after having a closer look at one of the new monitors/ironclads, they will listen to reason. With a channel going from Domitz to Lake Schwerin, we can go almost to Wismar. Ideally, the yard in Magdeburg would be able to build some steam-powered dredges for digging the channel. Shipping on the Elbe could be sped up when we start tugging the barges.

So, building a railroad seems not so important here, at first. But certainly the telegraph line will spread out to west to Wietze and north to Wismar, Hamburg and Bremen. From Hamburg it will be extended to Ritzeb.u.t.tel (aka Cuxhafen in OTL) on the mouth of the Elbe.

Track 3: The Thurinigian Highway from Gera to Eisenach Track length 113.5 Miles Needed rail about 240 Miles.

Trip time (one way): One day

Most of our allied cities like Jena, Weimar and Erfurt are actually towns just north of the Thuringer Wald. They are lined up east to west. So it seems wise to interconnect these towns by railroad, even if the roads between them are improved.

For service reasons, the Jena station should be updated to include a coal supply and a turning Y before starting Track 3.

Track 3a: East Branch

Mile 0E Jena Goschwitz station, water supply North of the station the track branches east, crossing the Saale over a new combined rail and road bridge and then gently climbs a side valley. Pa.s.sing Stadtroda, we reach Hermsdorf at the very end of this valley.

Mile 12.5E Hermsdorf siding Hermsdorf is a village in a poor area, with only about a dozen houses. The siding here is only for traffic purposes. We go into a little creek valley for the next 10 miles to Gera. Just for the last half mile we turn south into the valley of the Weisse Elster. We stay on the western side to avoid having to construct a bridge.

Mile 23 E Gera siding, water supply and coal supply, turning table The town of Gera is near the border of Saxony. It's a center of production for wool and linen and a.s.sociated manufacturing. In the hills around here, sheep farming is very common. Gera has escaped destruction in the TYW rather well. The ruler, Heinrich Posthumus Reuss, did well in the last decades, too. His realm belongs nominally to Bohemia but in practice is rather independent.

A branch line to Eisenberg may be desirable. Near that town are resources of red clay which might be usable for pottery, bricks and roof tiles. It might be that usable resources of iron ore are underneath the sediments. Geologic survey will have to check this.

The Eisenberg branch line would go north from Gera along the valley of Weisse Elster, then turn west after 8 miles into the Rauschebach valley. This valley is dotted with several mills of various kinds. The line reaches Eisenberg after another 4.5 miles.

Track 3b: West Branch

Mile 0W Jena Goschwitz station, water supply, coal supply, turning table (see below) About a mile south of Goschwitz and west of the town of Jena, the 3b line will branch from the Capital line, and head west into a side valley. After about 2.5 miles, it will turn southwest for a short while and pa.s.s Gross Schwabenhausen. Swinging back to west it enters the valley of the Ilm. Crossing the Ilm shortly thereafter, it goes along the far bank, eventually reaching Weimar.