Some miles of track will be needed for branches to connect newly founded companies. Two miles west of Salbke is a promising spot for the airfield of Magdeburg.
Mile 153
Buckau station, water and coal supply, train depot, engine workshop, turning Y
Mile 155
Magdeburg Central, major station, harbor
The station is at Fischerufer at the banks of the Elbe. It's just below the Alter Markt (The Old Market) right in the heart of Magdeburg. All important places in downtown Magdeburg are just nearby.
Passenger ships to Hamburg and also up to Dresden can depart from a pontoon just in front of the station. Just prior to the station we will pass the Domfelsen in the Elbe. This underwater rock is a major obstacle to shipping. Even if the rock is blasted away we still have to cope with a strong current. In OTL they used chain tugging to get the ships over this point.
Mile 156
Magdeburg Harbor
Harbor
Magdeburg Harbor is also the place where the new shipyard is being built. It's just a mile downriver (north) of Magdeburg Central, between a part of the town called Neustadt, and the Elbe. The banks of Elbe are much wider here than in downtown Magdeburg. While the old harbor is at Magdeburg Central, here there is much more room to grow and to use heavy equipment. The suitable area goes up to the next village.
Mile 158
Rothensee, stopping point
The village of Rothensee is the last stop of the track for now. It is a suitable area for loading livestock and other very bulky freight. Easy available resources of fine sand as well as the possibilities for building houses will make this place viable.
* * *
Further tracks from Magdeburg will most probably go west to Braunschweig, Hannover and, of course, Wietze. Later this will undoubtedly extend further west into the Ruhr area and eventually to Amsterdam. But from Magdeburg to Braunschweig there are no valuable goods or big towns for about 60 miles. We would have to build this track only for Wietze oil or for strategic reasons. In the short term, a track starting in Hettstedt and going along the northern rim of the Harz Mountains to service centers of mining and milling such as Mägdsprung, Thale, Ilsenburg and Goslar, eventually reaching Hannover, would be much more promising.
To go east to Berlin we would have to cross the Elbe and its muddy valley. As Havel is a navigable river all up to Berlin, and Brandenburg is not our best ally anyway, we should think twice about this track.
The Elbe courses north and later northwest from Magdeburg. It's a navigable river all the way down to the North Sea. Some towns like Lauenburg might pose a problem with customs and tariffs. But after having a closer look at one of the new monitors/ironclads, they will listen to reason. With a channel going from Dömitz to Lake Schwerin, we can go almost to Wismar. Ideally, the yard in Magdeburg would be able to build some steam-powered dredges for digging the channel. Shipping on the Elbe could be sped up when we start tugging the barges.
So, building a railroad seems not so important here, at first. But certainly the telegraph line will spread out to west to Wietze and north to Wismar, Hamburg and Bremen. From Hamburg it will be extended to Ritzebüttel (aka Cuxhafen in OTL) on the mouth of the Elbe.
Track 3: The Thurinigian Highway from Gera to Eisenach
Track length 113.5 Miles
Needed rail about 240 Miles.
Trip time (one way): One day
Most of our allied cities like Jena, Weimar and Erfurt are actually towns just north of the Thüringer Wald. They are lined up east to west. So it seems wise to interconnect these towns by railroad, even if the roads between them are improved.
For service reasons, the Jena station should be updated to include a coal supply and a turning Y before starting Track 3.
* * *
Track 3a: East Branch
Mile 0E
Jena Göschwitz
Station, water supply
North of the station the track branches east, crossing the Saale over a new combined rail and road bridge and then gently climbs a side valley. Passing Stadtroda, we reach Hermsdorf at the very end of this valley.
Mile 12.5E
Hermsdorf
Siding
Hermsdorf is a village in a poor area, with only about a dozen houses. The siding here is only for traffic purposes. We go into a little creek valley for the next 10 miles to Gera. Just for the last half mile we turn south into the valley of the Weisse Elster. We stay on the western side to avoid having to construct a bridge.
Mile 23 E
Gera
Siding, water supply and coal supply, turning table
The town of Gera is near the border of Saxony. It's a center of production for wool and linen and associated manufacturing. In the hills around here, sheep farming is very common. Gera has escaped destruction in the TYW rather well. The ruler, Heinrich Posthumus Reuss, did well in the last decades, too. His realm belongs nominally to Bohemia but in practice is rather independent.
A branch line to Eisenberg may be desirable. Near that town are resources of red clay which might be usable for pottery, bricks and roof tiles. It might be that usable resources of iron ore are underneath the sediments. Geologic survey will have to check this.
The Eisenberg branch line would go north from Gera along the valley of Weisse Elster, then turn west after 8 miles into the Rauschebach valley. This valley is dotted with several mills of various kinds. The line reaches Eisenberg after another 4.5 miles.
* * *
Track 3b: West Branch
Mile 0W
Jena Göschwitz
Station, water supply, coal supply, turning table (see below)
About a mile south of Göschwitz and west of the town of Jena, the 3b line will branch from the Capital line, and head west into a side valley. After about 2.5 miles, it will turn southwest for a short while and pass Gross Schwabenhausen. Swinging back to west it enters the valley of the Ilm. Crossing the Ilm shortly thereafter, it goes along the far bank, eventually reaching Weimar.
Mile 13W
Weimar
Siding
In Weimar we go west around the city to the siding north of the town.
Mile 27W
Erfurt
Station, water supply
In Erfurt, we stay south of the town. The Erfurt region is the center of woad production which gives a nice blue dye. With Lothorien Farbenwerke producing aniline colors out of tar we might encounter a bit more resistance to the new times here.
Between Erfurt and the next stop, Gotha, is a small but fertile plain with some prominent hills. On three of them are Castles called "Die drei Gleichen."
Mile 45W
Gotha
Siding, water and coal supply
The economy of Gotha is similar to that of Erfurt. Woad is the cash crop here too, albeit on a bit smaller scale. The station is south of the town, and is reached just after crossing a little creek.
Two miles west from Gotha we leave the valley and climb up a bit to the valley of the Hörsel. We will stay in this valley all the way to Eisenach and Hörsel. But we have to be careful because this little creek is known for flash floods. We stay on its right side (north shore) as there are fewer tributaries to cross there. Just before reaching Eisenach we cross the Hörschel. A possible further siding is at Mechterstedt (Mile 55 W).
Mile 65W
Eisenach
Station
A bit of woad, a bit of copper, a bit of timber. It's a small sleepy town. About 10 miles south east is the town of Ruhla, renowned for its knives.
We stay between the river and the walls of Eisenach and go west for 4 miles. The valley opens up to the Werra river here.
Mile 69.5 W
Hörschel
Siding, water and coal supply, turning Y loading point/small harbor on the Werra
This station is built only to facilitate loading to ships on the Werra river. The neighboring village Wartha (1Mile) might be suited as well. The Hörschel (or Wartha) siding will gi
ve access to the river system of the Weser, which allows waterborne traffic downstream to Bremen and to Kassel. By using the Weser river we are able to go even to Minden, about 35 Miles West of Hannover.
Upriver, Werra goes around the Thüringer Wald and meets Schmalkalden and Meinigen. But it soon becomes too shallow for any shipping. An upgraded ferry or a combined bridge for carriages and railroad here in Hörschel would help all road traffic that goes further west to Kassel and southwest to Fulda and Frankfurt.
* * *
Track 3c: The Suhl Annex
Track length 14 Miles
This is a typical example of a branch line. The only special feature of this track is that it sits on the best way to Suhl, a town important for its gun making business.
Mile 0
Gotha
Siding, water and coal supply
The track branches from the mainline just west of the siding. It turns south and passes some small villages. After four miles, it meets a small creek with a collection of mills. It follows the creek for about a mile, then turns west and climbs a bit for half a mile just to turn south again to get into Ohrdruf.
Mile 10
Ohrdruf
Siding
Ohrdruf is a town with craftsmen, lumberjacks, a bit of sheepfarming and a small smelter.
From Ohrdruf the line goes along the Ohre creek. This creek is lined with over twenty water wheels in mills of various types over the next few miles, as the water supply is good and steady here. One of the mills is the famous Tobiashammer.
Mile 12.5
Luisenhain, el.450m
Stopping point
Lumberjacks and hands for the mills live here. Their beer is well regarded.
Mile 14
Schwarzwald, el.480
Station, water supply
Small village with five lumber mills. Just above is the Käferburg. Our track ends here because the conditions for railroad make it too difficult to continue. To get to Suhl on the other side of the Thüringer Wald with rail we should use a different valley and we still would need a tunnel about two miles long. So, it's not possible now.
But we have a road (the "Leubenstrasse") passing through to Suhl here. It's fairly old and well regarded. It can be refurbished to create a 1634 version of an "Autobahn." Two broad lanes, drainage along both side of the road, reliable bridges over all small creeks, the surface sealed with cobblestones and all maintained regularly. This road of 16 miles should go via Oberhof (elev. 800m), Zella St. Blasi (elev. 500m) to Suhl (elev. 450m). A pickup with a snow plow and spike wheels/snow chains should be able to keep this track open for much longer in winter. The telegraph line will go with the road and "island" stations will be established in Zella and Suhl for acquiring freight for the railroad.
The main track could be extended on the west end to Kassel, the capital of our ally the Markgraf of Hessen-Kassel. We would start in Eisenach and go via Bebra to Kassel. Another idea is to go from Bebra via Bad Hersfeld, Fulda to Frankfurt/Main and Mainz. But politics are not clear here for now. On the Eastern Part the line could go from Gera to Zwickau (Coal), Chemmnitz, Freiberg (Silver), Freital and Dresden. All this track would go though Saxony. We have to wait until the political situation has improved and the Saxons are firmly on our side.
Line No. 4: Franconia Line (from Grantville to Nuernberg)
Track length 75 Miles
The Franconia line will cover our southern connections. Access to Bamberg would give us access to the Main and therefore to all rivers of the Rhine. Bamberg is the traditional port where the road transit to the Danube River starts. Nuernberg sits on this way.
Our biggest challenge will be the crossing of the Thueringer Wald. With the chosen track we will have a average grade of 1.5 % for about 10 miles. To get a train to the other side with its full load, we could use the help of double traction or a bank engine. But I think for most trains that would not be necessary.
As the higher regions get more than a meter of snow for about two to three months of the year, we should consider some snow plows to keep the track open as long as possible.
Mile 0
Grantville Junction
Near the US Steel construction site outside the western rim of ROF Elevation 230m
Mile 2.7
Saalfeld el. 240m
Stopping point on the northern Border of Saalfeld near the bridge.
Line 4 starts just after this stop. It stays south while the line to the Kamsdorf mines branches and turns east. Line 4 proceeds on the left bank of the Saale for about two miles. At Kaulsdorf the track leaves the Saale river and heads south up into the rather small valley of Loquitz creek.
A possible further siding should be at mile 8 at the village Loquitz (elevation 277). Along the Loquitz creek are some water mills and we have the opportunity to build some more.
Mile 17.2
Probstzella el. 340m
Siding
There are slate mines here. This durable and light material is used on roofs and walls in the region. (Probstzella is barely visible in the southeastern corner of the biggest of John Biel's maps.)
Mile 19.7
Lauenstein
Stopping point
This is a small border village between Thuriniga and Fraconia, with a castle brooding on a hill nearby.
Mile 21.5
Ludwigsstadt el. 446
Siding, water and coal supply, meteorological station
Just before Ludwigsstadt, we crossed the highest point in our track; we are in Franconia now. We have access to the path/road of Rennsteig on top of Thüringer Wald.
We have to construct a big bridge (650 feet long, apex 85 feet high) over the Trogenbach valley. A detour is not viable as it would need two very steep climbs. For the bridge I propose a wooden construction, as it could be built fastest. Because of the long building time, the bridge has to be started well in advance of the actual laying of track. The trestle work has to last for only ten years as it will be replaced with a stronger structure once there is enough traffic to justify it.
As we are still high in the mountains, the bridge will be subject to strong winds. The keeper of the nearby station will have to act as a keeper of the bridge, too. When the winds become too strong, or ice is on the bridge, the track has to be closed.
From the bridge, the track continues straight south. A possible further siding is at Mile 29 in Förstenberg.
Mile 35
Rothenkirchen
Stopping point
This little town and its surroundings belong to Bamberg. Notable is the big Rittergut Hasslach (manor Hasslach) nearby which escaped the destruction of the war. It might be an notable customer before long.
Mile 39
Stockheim
Station, water and coal supply
A source of coal! Not only in this valley but just 100 meters away from the track. After Stockheim, the track heads southwest.
Mile 44
Kronach
Stopping point
Just before Hochstadt we cross the Main river. Here, it's still small. We are now in the Main valley and will stay on its left (southern) bank.
Mile 55
Hochstadt el.268m
The best road to Bayreuth starts here. It's in essence up the Main in direction southeast. The Main is going in the general direction west but with many bends. We follow the valley but cut the bends for our track.
Mile 56
Michelau
Stopping point
Mile 58
Lichtenfels el. 271m
Station, water and coal supply
Lichtenfels and Michelau have business of making cane furniture and are starting points for rafting timber down the Main. The area we crossing now is called Fränkischer Jura. The Main comes gradually from direction west to south in the next 20 miles. We will follow the Main until it makes another a sharp bend to west, where the city Bamberg is situated.
The whole area to and around Bamberg is well suited for growing vegetables. A possible furt
her siding is a Mile 69 in Zapfendorf.
Mile 77
Hallstadt
Station, major harbor
Just north of Bamberg, on the confluence of Regnitz and Main, we should build a major service center to exchange freight between ships, trains and carriages. While the Main has a lot of bends, it gives easy access into virtually all western parts of Germany and as well as Alsace and the Netherlands. The river is also well suited for chain tugging.
Establishing a small yard here to build ships either of local resources or out of parts prefabricated in Magdeburg seems to be good idea, too.
Mile 78
Bamberg
Station, water and coal supply, train depot, engine workshop, turning Y
We go further south from here and stay as usual on one side of the river, in this case, the Regnitz. The general direction is straight south. The Regnitz doesn't have many bends but the area is swampy. The whole area around the Regnitz valley up to Nürnberg is rich in places for mills.
Mile 85
Hirschaid
Stopping point
Cane furniture, like that made in Lichtenfeld, is also made here.
Mile 89
Eggolsheim
Siding
Mile 93
Forchheim
Stopping point
Mile 97
Baiersdorf
Station, water and coal supply
The area is renowned for its horseradish. A dire necessity if you consider the price of other spices and the dubious taste of salted meat after a few months.