Derby Junction

Prototype…

Derby is a tiny town where the original Illinois Southern Rwy and the MR&BT crossed. Once merged, the M-I maintained a 2-track yard at this important location. The Junction served as an interchange point between the predominantly east-west Ste. Genevieve subdivision and the predominately north-south Bonne Terre (BT) subdivision serving the Old Lead Belt.

Layout adaptation…

The layout has a run-around and a 2-track yard which serves as the southern terminus of point-to-point operations. The final destination for local freights is actually 8 miles off-layout in Bismarck, where the M-I interchanges with the MoPac’s DeSoto sub.

In operating the M-I, crews board their staged train at Derby Jct. and proceed with switching the interchange traffic.

Interchange traffic at Derby Jct. includes lime products destined for the Old Lead Belt on the BT sub and coal from Illinois. The Valley Dolomite Company in Desloge, Missouri, ships product to Illinois steel plants for firing blast furnaces. Interchange traffic also includes gondolas of chat from the St. Joseph Lead Co. in Bonne Terre. It’s mainly used in concrete aggregate, roadstone, railroad ballast and fluxing. Derby Jct also serves as the interchange point on the layout for MoPac interchange traffic.

Operators may notice the tan “mountain” on the background – that is a 30-story tall pile of chat located miles away!

The sleepy end of the layout, Derby Jct. Crews board Train #892 here and begin switching the 2 track yard. The Yardman Tavern is a styrene scratchbuilt piece by Bill Yancy. I got it when he changed layout eras. It fits this scene perfectly and gives crews a place to grab breakfast before starting their shift. When I received the model from Bill, it was labelled with northern beers – I had to change those signs to ones more appropriate for the midwest.
Track schematic for Derby Jct.