Introduction

Welcome to gm_commonwealth_1890!
This map is set 30 years from the setting of the previous map https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2072552993 in the 1890s (January 1, 1890 – December 31, 1899) a period of American history where railroads were nearing their peak and were deeply ingrained in the economy and culture of the nation. The name commonwealth is derived from the Commonwealth of Virginia which is where this map takes place.

This map offers:

• 13 miles of mainline running
• 4 points of interchange
• 3 more miles of branch lines, industrial trackage, and spurs.
• Over 25 industries

I hope to help make operating enthusiasts’ and trainbuilders’ lives easier by providing this guide on what kind of operations are available by describing the towns, industries and what kind of industry chains are available for you.

Towns of Commonwealth

This section will be dedicated to providing a brief overview of each town/city and what basic industries are in the area. This will be done in order of mileposts starting from the east most section of the map (bottom) and working our way west (top).

Port Hampton

Port Hampton is the eastern terminus of the Port Hampton and Western Railway as well as the interchange point with an unnamed Class I railroad. It features the titular inland river port and the largest yard on the entire map capable of handling 400 cars (don’t do this).
Port Hampton has:

• A large yard
• Roundhouse
• Locomotive workshop facilities
• Coaling and watering facilities
• Interchange junction with working interlocking tower
• Victorian style passenger station
  Industries
• Port warehouse for general goods
• Coaling dock for offloading coal
• Ice-house with reefer loading platform
• Dairy Creamery
• Tools factory

 

Tavern Hill Junction

Tavern Hill Junction is the next stop on the PH&W. It is also an interchange with another small local railroad and is still very much a sleepy farming community.
Tavern Hill has:

• Small interchange facilities and a wye
• Small passenger station
• Crossover track
  Industries
• Grain Elevator and General Store
• Tannery
• Interchange traffic

 

Mecklenberg

Mecklenberg suffered greatly in the en.wikipedia.org – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War but the thirty years have covered most of the wounds. The town has undergone a transformation with railroad development driving most of these changes.
Mecklenberg has:

• A small four track yard
• Coaling and watering facilities
• Small passenger station with interlocking tower
• Scenic dual road/rail bridge crossing the MacKivler River
  Industries
• Sawmill with dedicated yard
• Freight station
• Tobacco Co-op Warehouse
• Cattle yard for pick up

 

Merrimac Valley

Merrimac Valley is renowned for its natural resources and reviled for its rough terrain. The most change any inhabitants who remember the last 30 years have seen is increased traffic from trains leaving with lumber and coal.
Merrimac Valley has:

• A short passing siding
• Passenger station
• A wye
• Two branch lines (coal and logging)
• 2ft gauge railroad network
  Industries
• A coal mine with 40 car capacity
• A 3/4 mile long logging branch line with switchback

 

Bloomery Lake

Affectionately known as “Bill Murray Lake” by the locals, this town has adapted to the times and thrived. Once a sleepy agriculture town with two iron furnaces or “bloomeries”, it is now a sleepy agricultural town with a larger iron works facility and an old grain mill which is becoming rapidly obsolete.
Bloomery Lake has:

• A unique diverging passing siding with two routes
• Passenger station
• Lake and river
• Turning facilities (a wye of sorts)
  Industries
• Ironworks
• Grain mill
• General store

 

Moyers

The site of a bloody battle as the Union advanced on Appomattox Junction in 1865, this town wasn’t officially founded until after the war. Much of what was the battlefield has since been excavated in construction and quarry operations. At its core though, remains the strong agriculture base for most residents.
Moyers has:

• Quarter mile tunnel
• C o r n
• Small remnants of a battle
• Whistle stop passenger shelter
  Industries
  
• Limestone quarry
• Grain elevator and general store

 

Ashboro

Ashboro was and remains a cattle town with expanded slaughterhouse facilities. Local residents are used to the smell but the same can’t be said for visitors who make an extended stopover in this growing town.
Ashboro has:

• Five track yard
• Passenger station
• Engine facility
• Small turntable
• Branchline to town of Cagney
  Industries
• Slaughterhouse
• General freight drop off

 

Cagney

The only town on the map not situated by the mainline, Cagney is the third interchange point with the Blue Mountain and Southern Railroad. The PH&W built the connection in the late 1870s to access the rich fruit orchards that up to that point had been shipped north or moved slowly by wagon.
Cagney has:

• Three track interchange sidings
• Wye
• Small passenger station
  Industries
• Apple orchards (Apple trucks ops?)
• Interchange traffic

 

Appomattox Junction

Appomattox Junction was the site of the terrible and bloody www.battlefields.org – https://www.battlefields.org/learn/civil-war/battles/petersburg that helped bring about the end of the war. Today, it is an industrial hub, the western terminus of the Port Hampton and Western and the interchange point with the Norfolk and Western Railway. There is little evidence of the epic siege and of the conflict except with scattered bullet holes in a handful of houses as well as one surviving crater. Much of the battlefield has since been covered up by the factories and railroad track which now sprawl across the town. Its as if the local residents did not want any reminders of the war which cost many lives.
Appomattox Junction has:

• A large yard
• Roundhouse with engine facilities
• Coaling and water facilities
• Large interchange track with full loop
• Street running
• Paved roads (a novelty!)
• Passenger station
• Junction to off map staging
  Industries
• Brewery
• Brickyard
• Cattle yard pick up
• Fruit packing and Products
• Paper mill
• Power station
• Shoe and leather factory
• Cigar factory
• Furniture factory
• Bakery
• General freight
• Interchange traffic

 

Overview of Industries

This section will give a basic profile on each industry on the map.

Apple Orchard

The apple orchard is located in Cagney.
Inputs

• Boxes (boxcars)

Outputs

• Apples (boxcars,reefers)

 

Bakery

The bakery is located in Appomattox Junction in the Industrial section.
Inputs
These can be brought in on boxcars,reefers, or hoppers

• Wheat
• Corn
• Fruit products

Outputs
All products will likely leave in boxcars or reefers.

• Bread
• Baked goods

 

Brewery

The brewery is located in Appomattox Junction
Inputs
Everything can be brought in boxcars or reefers.

• Hops
• Barley
• Malt
• Sugar
• Coal

Outputs
All products will leave in reefers or boxcars.

• Beer

 

Brickyard

The brickyard is located in Appomattox Junction next to Berkshire Brewery.
Inputs

• Coal (gondolas preferred)
• Sand

Outputs
All products will likely leave in hopper or gondolas (gondolas are preferred)

• Bricks (boxcars were preferred)

 

Cattle

There are cattle yards located in Appomattox Junction and Mecklenberg.
Outputs
All products will likely leave in cattle cars

• Cattle

 

Cigar Factory

The cigar factory is located in Appomattox Junction between the Shoe Factory and Furniture Factory.
Inputs

• Tobacco (boxcars)

Outputs

• Cigars (boxcars)

 

Coal Mine

The coal mine is located in Merrimac Valley on a short branch line.
Inputs

• Labor (passenger cars)
• Machine tools (boxcar, flatcars)

Outputs
All products will likely leave in hopper or gondolas

• Coal

 

Coaling Dock

The coaling dock is located in Port Hampton.
Inputs

• Coal

 

Creamery

The creamery is located in Port Hampton at the end of the industrial spur line.
Inputs

• glass bottles (boxcars)

Outputs
All products will likely leave in hopper or gondolas

• Milk products (reefers)

 

Freight stations and General Stores

Freight stations and general stores serving as freight stations are located throughout the map.
Inputs

• Virtually any manufactured good

Outputs

• Be creative.

 

Fruit Packing and Products

The fruit packing and products warehouse is located in Appomattox Junction.
Inputs
These can be brought in on boxcars or reefers.

• Fruit
• Sugar

Outputs
All products will likely leave in boxcars or reefers.

• Jams, Jellies, Fruit Products

 

Furniture Factory

The furniture factory is located in Appomattox Junction next to the cigar factory.
Inputs

• Lumber (flatcars)
• Iron nails (boxcars)

Outputs

• Furniture (boxcars)

 

Grain Silos

There are grain elevators located in Tavern Hill Junction and Moyers.
Outputs
All products will likely leave in boxcars or gondolas

• Wheat
• Corn

 

Grain Mill

The old grain mill is located in Bloomery Lake. It does not see a lot of traffic.
Inputs

• Wheat
• Corn
• Coal

Outputs

• Flour
• Cornmeal

 

Overview of Industries II

Part 2 of the overview of industries.

Ironworks

The ironworks is located in Bloomery.
Inputs

• Coal (hopper, gondola)
• Iron ore(off map interchange via gondola)

Outputs
All products will likely leave in boxcars or flatcars.

• Basic tools
• Iron parts
• Nails

 

Leatherworks (Shoe Factory

The leatherworks and shoe factory is located in Appomattox Junction. It is well marked.
Inputs

• Processed leather (boxcars)
• Machine tools (boxcars)

Outputs

• Leather products (boxcars)
• Shoes (boxcars)
• Leather chaps (yeehaw)

 

Limestone Quarry

The limestone quarry is located in Moyers.
Inputs

• Machine tools (boxcar, flatcars)

Outputs
All products will likely leave in hopper or gondolas (gondolas are preferred)

• Limestone rock/gravel

 

Logging site

The logging site is located in Merrimac Valley up a switchback branch line.
Inputs

• Tools and equipment.(boxcars)

Outputs

• Logs (flatcar)
• Pulpwood (flatcar)

 

Paper Mill

The paper mill is located in Appomattox Junction
Inputs

• Pulpwood (flatcars)
• Coal

Outputs

• Paper

 

Power Station

The power station is located in Appomattox Junction.
Inputs

• Coal (hoppers)

Outputs

• Electricity ZAP!

 

Reefer Loading Platform (Icehouse)

The reefer platform is located next to the Port Hampton warehouse.
Outputs

• Ice cold reefers.

 

Sawmill

The sawmill is located in Mecklenberg and features its own dedicated yard.
Inputs

• Logs (flatcars)

Outputs

• Lumber (flatcars)

 

Slaughterhouse

The slaughterhouse is located in Ashboro.
Inputs

• Cows (cattle cars)
• Machine tools (boxcars)

Outputs

• Processed meat (reefers)
• Raw hides (move em on!) (in gross old boxcars)

 

Tannery

The tannery is located in Tavern Hill Junction.
Inputs

• Raw hides (move em up!) (gross old boxcars)
• Tree bark (bring full logs on flatcars)
• Chemicals (tankers)

Outputs
All products will likely leave in boxcars

• Leather

 

Tobacco

Smoking is bad. Don’t do it. The tobacco warehouse is located in Mecklenberg.
Outputs
All products will likely leave in boxcars

• Tobacco

 

Tool Factory

The tool factory is located in Port Hampton next the Creamery.
Inputs

• Iron
• Lumber
• Coal

Outputs

• Tools

 

Warehouses (Port Hampton)

The large green warehouse that serves as the import/export house for the Port of Hampton.
Inputs

• Virtually any manufactured good that would be sent out on ship.

Outputs

• Virtually any manufactured good that would be offloaded from a ship.

 

Basics of Operating on Commonwealth

This section will go over basic principles that should be adhered to when operating on gm_commonwealth_1890.

Orientation

The Port Hampton and Western (the canonical railroad of the map) runs from east to west. Because of the fun gmod map limits the map has to be layered on top of its self to fit the 13 miles of track. When operating a train for full immersion try using these terms.

Port Hampton – > Appomattox is Westbound (Up)

Appomattox -> Port Hampton is Eastbound (Down)

Signals

gm_commonwealth_1890 has a full operating signal system for the entire mainline run. Since the map is set in 1890, the signals used are semaphores. Here are the basics for semaphores.

Green means proceed

Yellow means proceed with caution

Red means stop

Red over Green means a diverging path is open

Red over Yellow means a diverging path is open with caution

As you play on the map you will learn the paths pretty easily as time goes on. Please follow signals.

Dispatch boards

Commonwealth features dispatch boards for Port Hampton, Mecklenberg, Merrimac Valley, Bloomery Lake, Ashboro, and Appomattox Junction. It is recommended to not touch this unless you are an official operator or yard master.

Train Order Signals

Train order signals are found at smaller stations next to or on the depot house. They are identified by their rounded end on the semaphore flag and are operated by a switchstand located near the mast. They are used to stop trains to give engineers updated orders. While not necessarily needed on the map, it can be incorporated for roleplay purposes.
Train order signals are located in:

• Tavern Hill Junction
• Bloomery Lake
• Ashboro
• Cagney

 

Industry Chains

This section is under construction still.
Industry chains are basic instructions for a single operating session to incorporate industries together.

Example: Coal

1. Coal mine – > Power Station
2. Coal mine – > Coal Dock
3. Coal mine – > Various industries (for power generation)

Example 2: Leather chain

1. Cattle yard – > Slaughterhouse
2. Slaughterhouse – > Tannery
3. Tannery – > Shoe and Leatherworks
4. Shoe and Leatherworks – > General freight stations/Warehouses.

This is all about Garry’s Mod – Operating on gmcommonwealth; I hope you enjoy reading the Guide! If you feel like we should add more information or we forget/mistake, please let us know via commenting below, and thanks! See you soon!