Model Railroad Hobbyist | April 2015 | #62 LITE AND NARROW column larry smith The New Merkle Connecting Part 2 | A small On30 project layout: gotta haves and layout planning ... IN THE FIRST ARTICLE ON THE NEW MERKLE CONNECTING railroad (mrhpub.com/2015-02-feb/port), I explained how the Cahaba Pumping station had been constructed and the integral part the railroad played in its operation before and after the plant went on line. By 1921, the original boilers were beginning to wear out from heavy usage, making their replacement necessary. Because larger boilers were available at the time, the Cahaba Pumping Station underwent a major upgrade, resulting in a larger boiler house. The boilers, numbers 16 & 17, were built as one unit and were rated at 1000 horsepower. A reserve boiler, Number 18, was also constructed at this time and was rated at an additional 500 horsepower. With the construction of the new boiler house, the method of handling the coal and ash changed. Coal was dumped into a bin, X X RAMBLINGS ON THE NARROW GAUGE MRHMAG.COM • TABLE OF CONTENTS • INDEX