http://fulks.net/ 2026-04-22T10:35:03+00:00 http://fulks.net/ http://fulks.net/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=wiki:dokuwiki.svg text/html 2025-05-24T18:59:06+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=afterthewaryears&rev=1748113146&do=diff After the War Years The last half of the 1940s were slim times for the MT&A, falling back to its agricultural base primarily. Limited light industry did appear in Shelbyville and Fayetteville that provided traffic for the MT&A. Also, the MT&A encouraged local men getting out of the Army to take advantage of their GI Bill to start businesses. The MT&A realized that the land of North Alabama and South-Central Tennessee was good. This land was prime real estate, with investment, for agricultur… text/html 2025-05-24T19:04:34+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=anewtypeofbusiness&rev=1748113474&do=diff A New Type of Business In the 2020s, Toyota and Mazda built a manufacturing plant for automobiles near Greenbrier, AL. This plant happened to be between the MT&A and the Norfolk-Southern Railroads. Both roads would benefit from the traffic produced by the plant. Toyota built two small yards to support the traffic to and from the plant. One of the yards was directly off the MT&A line, while the other yard connected to the Southern track about ½ mile from the MT&A and Southern junction at Bel… text/html 2025-05-24T19:03:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=combinedtransportation&rev=1748113436&do=diff Combined Transportation The other thing that happened in the late 1960s was the opening of the Huntsville International Airport, the MT&A’s extension to Redstone Arsenal ran near the new airport. The airport was located at the Port of Huntsville, as it had a rail line and an airport, soon the International Intermodal Center and the Jetplex Industrial Park grew. The Intermodal Center was a large traffic draw for the MT&A line with container trains coming from or going to the north making their… text/html 2025-05-24T18:53:31+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=madisoncrossroads&rev=1748112811&do=diff Madison Crossroads Madison Crossroads is now called Toney, AL. However, the legacy remains in that there is Madison Crossroads Elementary, named for the original community. The depot from the railroad also remains. Depot at Madison Crossroads This picture was taken on April 17, 2021, over 90 years after the last train actually ran through Madison Crossroads. This is likely the last railroad building remaining along the MT&A route. text/html 2026-01-28T15:49:19+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=start&rev=1769615359&do=diff Introduction In model railroading, there are usually two types of models, prototypical or freelance. Prototypical models are based upon a real railroad, and they attempt to capture some moment in time on that railroad. Freelance railroads are typically based upon some imaginary railroad and try to capture something in the mind of the modeler and/or the viewer. There is on occasion a third type of model, some call this type proto-lance, combining prototypical and freelance aspects. This is how I… text/html 2025-05-24T18:55:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=theimaginedmta&rev=1748112912&do=diff The MT&A Continues In my imaginistory of the Middle Tennessee & Alabama (MT&A), we displace the truth of the sale of the line to the NC&StL in 1897, as well as the abandonment of the line in 1929. This allows the line to continue to exist as a stand-alone short line and operate into modern times. We allow for the sale of the DC&NO to the MT&A (as I prefer the name Middle Tennessee & Alabama, as that is the states in which I have lived my entire life), however the MT&A, in our imaginistory, was … text/html 2025-05-24T18:56:53+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=theleanyears&rev=1748113013&do=diff The Lean Years The MT&A managed to survive the 1920s and the great depression by the agricultural products of North Alabama, primarily cotton, but grain and livestock were also important. The extended line to Belle Mina, and ability to deliver products to Decatur made the line a viable shipping solution. Cotton was king in the south during this period and being able to grow and sell the cotton was life or death to southern, agricultural people. The MT&A served the farmers by providing help w… text/html 2025-05-24T18:56:12+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=themiddleyears&rev=1748112972&do=diff The Middle Years In the mid-1890s, the MT&A managed to draw new customers which helped it to survive and avoid the attempts by the NC&StL to buy it out. These customers were the Jeff Gin, a cotton gin that would make use of the team track at Clark (Clarkdale), the Akers grain elevator, and the Jeff Feed Mill (later to become the Harvest Feed Mill). These new businesses and the traffic that they generated allowed the MT&A to continue to operate and to grow a little. text/html 2026-01-28T17:22:17+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=theoperations&rev=1769620937&do=diff The Operations of the MT&A Model Railroad Factors that play into the operations: Operators This section will define the typical operation positions of the MT&A railroad. Dispatcher A dispatcher, at a minimum will be required to operate the MT&A. The dispatcher will provide permission for trains to move on the railroad. This position may be combined with the switch operator or the Yard master. text/html 2026-01-27T18:13:30+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=therealmta&rev=1769537610&do=diff The Real MT&A The Middle Tennessee and Alabama Railway (MT&A) was a real railroad that existed in some form from 1887 until 1929. The railroad had ups and downs during its short existence. The MT&A was originally chartered as the Decatur, Chesapeake, and New Orleans (DC&NO) Railway in 1887. While this sounds like a grand idea and a very big idea in 1887, it really only required that a rail line be built from Gallatin, TN to Aberdeen, MS, which would have likely been 250 to 300 miles of track, d… text/html 2025-05-24T19:00:26+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=theredstoneyears&rev=1748113226&do=diff The Redstone Years A German man would soon arrive in Huntsville and resume his trade at the new Redstone Arsenal, his name was Werner von Braun and he built rockets. Since the MT&A already had access to Huntsville Arsenal, which became a part of the new Redstone Arsenal, they were able to bring in traffic as Redstone Arsenal’s infrastructure was under construction and generate traffic as the Army started to design and build missiles and rockets at Redstone Arsenal. An eastern extension of the… text/html 2025-05-24T18:49:56+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=theroute&rev=1748112596&do=diff The Route of the MT&A The line left Fayetteville from a small rail yard where a wye was used to turn trains. The line roughly followed what is now US Hwy 64 to Old Elkton Pike and then to Old Railroad Bed Road. The line basically followed the Elk River from Fayetteville, crossing the river at Sumners Bend, to Cold Water, TN. At Cold Water, the line turned south toward Taft. text/html 2026-01-28T21:01:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=thespecifications&rev=1769634081&do=diff The Specifications Factors that play into this specification: * Operational reliability * Ability for guests to operate the layout without deep understanding of the layout, railroad operations, or the technology * Cost * Ability to sustain transport text/html 2025-05-24T18:58:38+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=thewaryears&rev=1748113118&do=diff The War Years When the war broke out, meaning World War II, and Huntsville Arsenal opened to produce munitions for the war effort, the MT&A was able to do two things. First, it was able to quickly build an additional line through western Madison, AL crossing the Southern line, and to the Huntsville Arsenal complex. This branch followed what is today, County Line Road, James Record Road, and Martin Road. Second, it was able to restart limited passenger service, even as a commuter line, bringi… text/html 2025-05-24T19:03:21+00:00 Anonymous (anonymous@undisclosed.example.com) http://fulks.net/doku.php?id=theyearsofinnovation&rev=1748113401&do=diff The Years of Innovation The MT&A was an early entry into the business of railfan and tourist railroad rides. The MT&A had retained a steam locomotive, a Baldwin 2-8-0. They rebuilt the consolidation locomotive and by the mid-1970s, the MT&A was operating as a heritage railroad as well as an operating freight railroad. The MT&A was offering railfan and tourist rides behind that steam locomotive, while still offering freight service with diesel-electric locomotives on the same line. They were…