N Scale ACTRR Modernization Video 1. We will talk about some major changes to the Albuquerque Carnuel & Tijeras Railroad. It will be undergoing a 3 phase modernization plan and this is video number one of this new journey. Mike
This will be fun to watch The bloopers where great !! I have had thoughts of a single line main too...lets see how yours goes before I think any harder
Along with watching all the changes to ACT through the years...its been great watching Gavin growing up through all the years too Mike ^5
Glad to see you seem to have found a way to move forward without losing all that you've built thus far. For the coal mine, you may want to consider including a "paired" industry to create a "loads in-empties out" (and vice-versa) arrangement as promoted by John Armstrong. The coal mine would have (preferably) a two track entrance, which then disappears behind the scenery/backdrop. The hidden tracks would be long enough to hold a pair of entire trains - one loaded, one empty. The other end of the tracks reappear at some other industry, which is a consumer of coal. In operation, a loaded coal train comes out of the mine, runs around a portion of the layout and ends up at the consuming (paired) industry - where it runs over the hidden track to exit (again) from the coal mine. Empty trains do the same, only in reverse. You could get by with only one hidden track if the loaded and empty trains have somewhere else on the layout to meet/pass/wait. Gordon Odegard used this technique on his N scale model of the Clinchfield RR. If you look at the trackplan below, the mine is shown at the end of a branch line at the upper left, the hidden tracks descend on a one-and-a-half loop helix and exit at a power plant shown at the lower left.
Thanks , our paired industry will be in the loop on the other side of the layout and the coal train can exit to the main and go below the layout for storage then back on top to be delivered to the power plant and vice versa. We would also have the option of staying on the branch with a local freight using the outer loops as return loops on the branch only. We have it figured out to do the least amount of surgery to the layout. Thanks , Mike
Well Guys , Gavin got most of the scenery off the farm section and we are ready to put up new Homasote and layout some track. Mike
OK - got the part the coal mine and the power plant, but must have missed the description about how trains would go "below the layout for storage and then back on top to be delivered." Is that your hidden connection between the two industries? If not, how do you avoid sending loaded coal cars back to the mine and empty ones to the power plant? Do you plan to have an actual loader and unloader, or do the cars get re-staged between operating sessions?
Yes the lower level is hidden and as for loaded and empty we really don't care, he and I are pretty good at pretending. LOL Mike
N scaler in training. Mike, I'll have to hire Gavin to come to my layout and finish it for me. Cool idea, I knew something was up Wednesday when you started looking for homasote. Carl
I am sorry Carl , I guess I thought I had told you we were gonna do some work to the layout. I will fill you in next week. Mike
After reading this...I told my wife I was thinking of some changes on ours. I told her it was all your fault Mike... I wont hijack your thread...I will post on mine. Thanks Mike
