Building a
        
        
          FAST
        
        
          LOADER
        
        
          Fast loader - 1
        
        
          
            A
          
        
        
          key industry on
        
        
          the Virginia South
        
        
          Western Railroad is
        
        
          coal. When all coal opera-
        
        
          tions are finished, I will have
        
        
          13 different facilities mod-
        
        
          eled. The most prominent
        
        
          of these facilities is the John
        
        
          Roberts Preparation Plant at
        
        
          Eljobean. This large complex
        
        
          was salvaged from my previ-
        
        
          ous layout for use on the VSW.
        
        
          Some extensive changes were
        
        
          needed to the plant buildings
        
        
          and their orientation in order
        
        
          for them to fit in the new lay-
        
        
          out location. I also wanted to
        
        
          have a larger fast loader at
        
        
          this site. (The L&N used the
        
        
          term fast loader instead of
        
        
          flood loader.)
        
        
          A modern industry
        
        
          for your layout ...
        
        
        
        
        
          
            – John Wilkes
          
        
        
          Photos by the author
        
        
          1. L&N Alco C630 1431
        
        
          with two Alco C628s are
        
        
          ready to begin loading
        
        
          today’s train.
        
        
          
            As seen on the
          
        
        
          
            November edition
          
        
        
          
            of TrainMasters TV
          
        
        
        
        
          MRH-Dec 2014