[DL] Campaign Idea -- Suggestions?

["Eric Franklin" <game.thyme@verizon.net>]

I'm sending this to both the Deadlands and the Hell on Earth lists because
it fits both ... and I'm not sure of the overlap between the two.  If you
get it twice, I'm sorry.

I've decided to run Deadlands again. It's been quite a while since I've done
so, and I'm gonna try to run my Prarie Crossing Campaign again -- with
twists.  None of my current group were part of the original game, and none
of 'em have heard about it, either, so I can run the exact same game.
Bwahaha.

But I thought, since I'll be getting HOE soon (UPS Delivery Date is the
13th), I'd try to tie it in after the game gets rolling, and thought I'd
post the basic concept here and ask for suggestions, hints and tips.

The basic game is that of the colonization of the Weird West.  The party are
members of a Wagon Train heading West to establish a new town -- yes, there
are train lines out west that they could use, but it's difficult and
expensive to transport all of your belongin's by train.  And where they're
setting up shop, there aren't any rail lines.  Yet.  I realize that this
moves Wagon Trains well past their natural era, but ... well ... I'm evil
that way, sometimes.

I'm familiar-ish with Washington State History (It was a required course in
Jr. High 10 years ago), and so I'm gonna have them settle on the East
Side -- it's fertile land, hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and the
majority of local Indian Tribes are reasonably friendly unless you push 'em.
In RL Washington State, the major crops on the East Side are Wheat and
Apples, but there are a few other crops, as well.

The first challenge facing the party is getting to the future townsite.
Having played "the Oregon Trail" _WAY_ too much, I have a few ideas for
things to throw at the party that don't involve the Supernatural.
Additionally, I'm gonna throw a few miscelaneous "odd" encounters their way
enroute.  I restricted Character Generation -- Only one Arcane Background
for the entire party, no Indians or whites "gone Native".  Most of 'em chose
(wisely) to start with the "tinhorn" disadvantage.  All of the PC's had
trade skills -- one was a Blacksmith, one was a Farmer, etc., etc.

Once there, they need to establish the town -- it'll start as a group of
farms near to one another, which will lead to a need for a General Store,
etc., etc. [I modified some of the Pendragon Rules for childbearing, etc. to
help the town grow]

Obviously, it took some time.

Obstacles:
Harsh Winters / Hot Summers
Bandits / Desperados
Proximity to Canada -- British-Controlled Canada is not a good neighbor to
have when you're a small town

By the end of the first game, it was a thriving farming town -- thriving
enough that the railroads were running a line through town so that some of
the town's food could be exported and other goods brought in.  One PC was
mayor, one PC was Sheriff.  Most of the rest were farmers in good standing
with the Community.  And yes, this took quite a lot of time.

Here's the twist I wanna throw this time:

Once they've got the town established, I want to either
1)  Yank the PC's into the HOE future of the town -- by this time, it'll
probably be an industrial nightmare -- because some of the HOE Locals need
their help (because of some prophecy or oracle or something about "They must
Finish What They Began" or some nonsense like that)
or
2)  Throw some HOE characters back in time to try to "help" so that the town
"turns out better than it did last time" [Whether they're actually helping
or trying to manipulate the future so that their faction gets a bigger slice
of the pie is up in the air at this point]

Additionally, I'd like to have some Ghost Rock found nearby -- well in the
future of the Weird West, so that the PC's won't find it (It'll probably be
found in the 1920's or so ... ), but enough so that by the Wasted West Era,
it'll be a "Boom Town" of sorts.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions for either the Weird West _or_
the Wasted West portion of this Campaign?

Eric