The drawing of this coal trestle is based on a prototype located on the Norfolk & Western Ry. in Montpelier, Va. Coal from this terminal was loaded onto trucks with a conveyor and delivered to the nearby DuPont estate. Since the terminal was for private, exclusive use, there was no weigh scale or office house. You can use this model for a similar purpose or it can be used to serve nearby industries, such as coal or crushed stone.
The trestle is no longer used and has fallen into disrepair. The track led to it off a spur and up an approximately 3 percent grade. Modeling a steeper grade would save some space on a layout, but it must still remain prototypical. You can also adjust the length of your model to suit your layout needs.
In the December 2012 Model Railroader, Harold Russsell drafted plans for this N&W coal testle. Click on the link to download a PDF of drawings.
