Well I have been spending a lot more time in the garage and have been making some progress. Layout main is actually wired, including the thru track in staging. I still have to wire about half of the town, lay more track in staging and wire the turnouts. Staging will eventually have an 11 track yard and should be able to hold about 18 to 20 trains of varring length. I have 15 turnouts that will use home made switches and 4 that will be powered with Tortiose. The intent was to start on one of the signifigant towns that will hopefully be incorportaed into a lager layout. The benchwork is all modular on 2 x 8 frames. Originally I was going to do a town with staging in back. However, I decided I wanted some mountain grades so redesigned the layout after starting construction. I also plan on putting plently of big bridges on the layout. This one has two larger ones. I have named all the larger rivers and creeks after friends that have been killed in action in Iraq. Kind of my personal tribute to them. Here is a copy of the track plan. Now we will start the tour. First shot is coming out of staging heading west on a 18" radius curve. My plan is to build a snow shed and then a tunnel portal into staging. After coming around the curve the track will cross a bridge. Jury is out on what type. Most likely a trestle. Continuing west down a 1.2 % grade we come to tunnel #5. I am going to redo the tunnel by putting a large rock casting over the tracks and then punching through the casting like a real tunnel is done. After going through the tunnel there is a large fill. Here is the tresle over McGovern creek. It was a kitbash with ME componenents and a Kato truss. I think bridges are great and plan to have 5 different types modeled. After crossing the bridge you immediately punch into tunnel 4.
This shot is along the garage door and it is a 17" radius curve that joins both sections. There are to large cuts. From tunnel 4 and into tunnel 3. I will add another bridge here. Most likely a modern concrete type. After coming out of tunnel 3 you cross over Splinter creek before entering town. The bridge is a Kato truss with two ME 40 girders on either end. The East end of town will have a lumber facilty to the left. There are 3 tracks. One is for loading sawdust into a chip car and the other two are for loading centerbeam. There is a main and passing siding through town. There is also a small 3 track yard for sorting cars. The track on the right is the CO-OP spur. There will be a propane facitily at the end. Here is a shot further into town. It shows the CO-OP spur in the forground. There will be facilites for grain, fertilizer and machinery. The end of the spur will have a propane facility.
This is further west into town. The track at the top right will be a woodchip facility. The track heading the opposite way is the lead into the brewery. You can also see the yard, passing siding and main. The track at the bottom is the CO-OP lead and will serve as a team track for loading lumber products. Here is a shot of the brewery. The outgoing track is in the building while incomming tracks are in front of the complex. Here is a shot of town. There is a team track and a long lead that goes to an apple shipper. The apple spur also serves as a lead for the yard. Here the track curves off into staging. It takes a long 1% climb on the front of the staging yard before looping around into staging. There will most likely be a farm on the right and the spur is for loading logs.
Tony, looking good. The way you have the town layed out just "looks right"--from a prototype perspective--to me. And, I'm loving the bridges.
I like it! The scenery is already giving a good feeling of distance. Please keep these progress reports coming! Boxcab E50
Just a quick update. I decided to extend the passing siding on the west end of town. Originally I wanted to run 10 foot trains. When I did the original track work the main was 10 feet but the clearance requirements on the passing sidding cut about 6 inches off trian length. I removed the track (by the way silcone sealant cuts right up with a razor) and put new roadbed down. The main is about 10'8 with a little over 10' on the siding. The extention also created a longer yard lead that can hold a couple of 4 axle engines. I did loose a potential rr crossing in town. I may add the crossing to the far side of the bridge or just drop it.
Looking good Tony! In this photo I noticed 2 holes on either side of the rails. I'm assuming these are for power feeds? I trick I used on my old HO layout and a XMas N scale layout was to drill the holes DIRECTLY under the rail ends and solder a feeder wire to a rail joiner. I'd make up a batch of 20 or so in advance and just pop 'em in where needed. The wire completely dissapears and you've got power where you need it. Made track laying faster for me. Still resisting the urge for DCC, due to too many "old" engines and the like of the "feel" for a cold hard throttle... Keep the updates coming. :thumbs_up:
Jolly-welcome to Trainboard! I remember seeing your sites on the Web some time back- and IIRC, you were the moderator of a couple of Yahoo groups. Enjoyed reading your comments.
Bob, Holes are for feeder wires but I did not need those two. I have connected them in the past under rail joiners. I had a few break and they were hard to fix. These wires will be pushed into the holes, painted brown and covered with ballast. Makes it hard to see them unless you are looking for them. Plus I think it is quicker to lay track and then drill the holes.
I finally got to the point of scenicing the layout. I have about two areas that are "rough" finished. (Structures are not completely done and more details need to be added). I also did a test operating session. I ran the local "turn" and switched out 21 cars. It took about an hour and 45 minutes (this does not include waiting for action on the main) so it will probably take about 2 hours to switch the town during a normal session. Normal sessions will involve anywhere from 18-24 cars. This is the CO OP spur. There is a grain elevator that will have two large concrete silos added on. To the right is the feed warehouse and then the CO OP store. I will also add a fertilizer storage facility to the left of the elevator. The CO OP takes tank cars and box cars in addition to the normal covered hoppers. This is the towns propane dealer. This is WAL lumber. It has 2 loading tracks and one track that will have a chip gondola loader. The lumber mill is scratch built with Evergreen styrene. I need to add some final details and some more stacks of lumber. I am making wrapped loads using the same method that was in nscale railroading last month. This is the brewery. It is a combination of the superior paper and Red Wing mill. There are two tracks in addition to the loading track in the building.
This is the yard. It consists of two tracks plus a run around. I can switch the entire town with very little interference on the main. The spur in the rear will be a large chip facility. This is the NP laser cut depot painted in BN colors. Amtrak will most likely make a stop here and the BN maintenance crews will operate out of the depot and give me an excuse for many BN vehicles. This is a rough cut of town. Street will continue down and cross the main.
Looking great Tony, I am enjoying your progress. I love the bridges you have put in. Keep the photos coming. Your doing an awesome job. From, Rob
