Yes, I was able to imagine and conjure up a concept which considered all of these interests! I relegated a few to the parking lot and combined the rest into an imagined railroad running from the Pacific coast through the coastal mountains to an imagined connection with a branch of a major transcontinental railroad.

Grand Junction is the junction between the Arcadia Creek and Woodbury Railway and the Great Northern Railway – Grand River Branch, an imaginary extension of the GN north along the Rocky Mountains. Grand Junction lies on the Grand River bank less than a mile from the Woodbury terminal of the ACW. It serves as an interchange point for ACW and GN shippers, and an icing station for perishable shipments. The GN serves a few more small towns to the north along the river and connects with the GN mainline many miles to the south over the Rocky Mountain Range. The GN Interchange, Woodbury Icing Plant, Grand River Landing and Grand Junction Team Track along with a small station are the only railroad services at Grand Junction. The GN picks up from and sets out cars for destinations along the ACW on the interchange track. The ACW switches all sidings in Grand Junction.

Just up the bluff from Grand Junction lies Woodbury, the eastern terminus of the AC&W railway. Woodbury offers servicing and repair facilities for ACW and GN locomotives and rolling stock. The town’s industries and agriculture generate perishables, foodstuffs, dry goods, building materials, and other freight and supplies for the logging and mining communities and Arcadia Creek to the west. Although smaller industries have located or started in Woodbury, the town does not support any heavy industries. All east- north- and southbound loads destined for offline locations travel through Woodbury for interchange with the GN. Westbound loads from offline shippers are blocked for online locations and island locations accessible via the Elberta Car Ferry.

West of Woodbury along Rush Creek on the eastern slope of the Coast Range of mountains lie forests of fir, spruce, and hardwoods logged by the Wesley Woods Lumber Company. The Cedar Lake Mill processes the harvested trees into lumber for buildings and furniture which is distributed to various online and offline receivers.

Further west, at Sweetwater Pass, a long siding exists to provide support for the logging and mining industries in the mountains and a passing location for opposing freight and passenger trains on the ACW main line. On the west side of Sweetwater Pass rises Arcadia Creek which flows down past abandoned mines to the ocean, providing a significant run for salmon and other game fish.

On the western slope of the Coast Range, in the village of Stevens Park, Midwest Mining runs Alta Mine, a small remnant of the glory days of gold and silver mining around the turn of the century. It produces iron and precious metals ores which must be taken to the Elkton Smelter and other offline smelters and refineries for further processing. The company also runs a quarry which produces small quantities of gravel for cement and other uses, and another quarry for granite for construction. These commodities are distributed to multiple locations on- and offline.

On the Pacific coast lie the towns of Arcadia Creek and Elberta Cove, the western terminus and home communities for the ACW railway. Elberta Cove was the landing point for the first waves of miners searching for gold and silver in the Coast Range. It is now the location of the Elberta Car Ferry service to the chain of islands along the inside passage of the Pacific Coast. King Fisheries runs a large fleet harvesting seafood for distribution all along the ACW and to offline destinations served by the GN. Icing, dock and freight service are provided by the Wesley Dock and Transfer Company. The ACW also serves several small industries and businesses in the community and provides transportation to the mine, quarry, and logging camps for many Arcadia Creek residents. The ACW offices are located in Arcadia Creek and service facilities exist to handle maintenance for ACW, WDT and GN equipment. The small yard is used to marshal and block all eastbound freight including empty cars being returned to their home roads.

Givens and Druthers