Hi everyone, I am hoping to recreate the scenes of Union Pacific's Sunset Route in N scale. This is my 3rd try at an N scale layout; my other two were mainly beginner layouts of just trying to get things right with the hobby. The layout is semi free lanced and I am getting close to starting Construction after a couple months of planning. You can access the layout’s blog in my signature.
About the Sunset Route: The UP Sunset Route is the name of my N-scale model railroad based on the current Union Pacific route from New Orleans to Los Angeles. This route called the southern transcon weaves through the deserts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California. The increasing traffic of up to now 60 trains a day made it an almost mandatory decision to begin double tracking of the line. With 62% of the line already double tracked, this fast paced raceway through the deserts will create a quite unique scene to model. First of all is the trains and boy are there a lot of them. Most of them are domestic intermodal bound or originated from the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles that make the journey across hundreds of miles of spectacular scenery and miles of canyons, cactuses and shrubs. The high speed double stacks seem to dot the line that is ever increasing in capicity. Trains such as UP I-KLLAEP-2 which would be a double stacked K-Line train from Los Angeles to Elpaso, Texas would roll through on the sunset route as a constant reminder to many people that a rail line is never to far off. This line maybe one of the most remote of all railroad corridors in the United States with rugged terrain and little of anything for what seems to be hundreds of miles. Little of anything manmade can be found in this desert landscape between the 2 main terminals and the end of both sides. Some Natural highlights though are Shawmut Train spotting Loop, AZ where trains take two separate tracks that form an S-curve.The sunset route was starting to slow down due to the rising traffic levels Union Pacifc decided on the placement of a second track through most of the route, leaving only 32% of the line single tracked. This allowed for an easier flow of trains across the route and lowering transit times by over 2 hours. Though traffic levels dropped to 40 a day when the economy tanked but it is making steady increase in volume.
Looks like you have picked some interesting segments to model. Looking forward to seeing it come to life!
I live along the route, and I am going to model the SP in Casa Grande in the 80's...Most of the line between Tucson and at least Maricopa is still single line, but they are working at double tracking it. If you go to my blog you'll see a few prototype photos taken this year. http://sopacincg.backpackersflorence.com/
>>Track Plan V3.0 West Benson, AZ: A scene that particularly sparked my interest was the double tracked line west of Benson, AZ and near the Interstate 10 overpass. The small town located east Tucson sits on the double tracked line that runs straight through the town before curving around the small sand hill formations west of Benson. This photo that I found on RailPictures.Net really sparked my interest. I changed my area of focus to the part of the line that winds around these large sand and dirt formations. Tucson, AZ: I plan to use the straight section of track as scaled down version of Union Pacific’s yard in Tucson, AZ. In Tucson the union Pacific yard that Is the midway point on the Sunset Route and is located right in the middle of down town. This section will probably begin planning and construction after I finish with Benson, AZ.
By the way, I-KLLAEP-2 isn't a valid UP symbol. UP uses one code for train type (I = intermodal, K= priority intermodal, Z = hotshot intermodal, etc) and two-letter alpha codes for origin and destination, followed by the date of the train. UP also uses pretty specific alpha codes regarding the terminals in LA/Long Beach. LC = LATC LA = East LA yard (Commerce) LB = Long Beach (ICTF and on-dock facilities on the Long Beach side) TS = woo woo woo (in Long Beach on-dock) GS = Global Gateway South (APL on-dock) TI = Terminal Island (primarily Evergreen on-dock) HJ = Hanjin on-dock WB = West Basin (LA side, primarily China Shpping on-dock) Nevermind that El Paso rarely got a dedicated train. Most El Paso traffic out of the basin moved on the ILBEW (Intermodal ICTF to Englewood [Houston], Texas) out of ICTF. I worked at ICTF from 2004 to 2008 so I have a pretty good grasp on what we sent that way on a regular basis.
Name: UP Sunset Route in N scale Scale: N (1:160) Gauge: Standard 4' 8 1/2" Dimensions: 8' by 4' Prototype: Union Pacific Theme: Union Pacific's Sunset route and operations in 2007 Railroad's Purpose: Union Pacific's southern Transcon linking New Orleans to Los Angeles Layout Purpose: To model the operations and locations found on Union Pacific's Sunset Route Era: Spring 2007 Style: Table Based door layout Design: TBD Control: TBD Track: TBD
No I do not, but I can come up with a decent list of intermodal symbols for you... Basic rules: Trains are scheduled. If a train runs on a day it is not schedule (extra train) it is denoted by an X at the end of the Alpha code. For example, if ITIDI wasn't scheduled on Sunday but they run a train, it would run as ITIDIX-07. An extra second train running on a day when it is already scheduled for one departure would be denoted by the section number in front of the whole train symbol. For example, 2ILBDI-06. A scheduled second train in the same day with the same origin and destination would have a 'B' following the alpha codes. For example IMNLB-05 and IMNLBB-05. Emtpy intermodal cars were frequently moved west due to traffic flow. It would not be uncommon for westbound trains destined for ICTF to have empties on the rear. When a dedicated empty train is run, an 'R' is placed after the symbol to denote a "reposition" move. For example, IMNLBR-04 would be a "repo" train. Eastbound Symbols: ZCIAT = Priority intermodal City of Industry to Atlanta (CSX). ZLAMN = High-priority intermodal East LA to Marion (Memphis - NS). UPS train. ILBNS = Intermodal ICTF to Memphis (NS). Would run alternate to or combined with ILBMN. ILBMN = Intermodal ICTF to Marion. Would run alternate to or combined with ILBNS. Train would regularly carry a handful of autoracks on the head pin. ILBEW = Intermodal ICTF to Englewood Yard (Houston). Train would regularly carry a handful of autoracks on the head pin. ILBDI = Intermodal ICTF to Dallas Intermodal Terminal. Train would regularly carry a handful of autoracks on the head pin. ILBNO = Intermodal ICTF to New Orleans. ALBWF/ILBSA = Auto or Intermodal ICTF to San Antonio (Westfield). Train would be half intermodal/half autos. Midway through 2007 the auto business moved elsewhere and the train became ILBSA. IWBDI = Intermodal West Basin to Dallas Intermodal Terminal IHJDI = Intermodal Hanjin to DIT IHJMN = Intermodal Hanjin to Marion ITIDI = Intermodal Terminal Island to DIT ITIMN = Intermodal Terminal Island to Marion IGSMN = Intermodal Global Gateway South to Marion These trains sometimes ran Sunset before turning for Chicago - as opposed to heading through Salt Lake City and the Overland. ILBG2 = Intermodal ICTF to Global Gateway 2. Train would regularly carry a handful of autoracks on the head pin. KTSG2 = Intermodal woo woo woo to Global Gateway 2. IGSG2 = Intermodal Global Gateway South to Global Gateway 2. Westbound Symbols KATCI = Priority Intermodal Atlanta to City of Industry. Also carried Tropicana Juice cars. IMNLA = Intermodal Marion to East LA. IMNLB/IMNLBB = Intermodal Marion to Long Beach (ICTF) IEWLB/IEWLBB = Intermodal Englewood to Long Beach (ICTF) IDILB/IDILBB = Intermodal DIT to Long Beach (ICTF) INOLB = Intermodal New Orleans to Long Beach (ICTF) ISALB = Intermodal San Antonio to Long Beach (ICTF) IDITI = Intermodal DIT to Terminal Island These trains sometimes ran Sunset before turning for Chicago - as opposed to heading through Salt Lake City and the Overland. IG2LB/IG2LBB = Intermodal Global Gateway 2 to Long Beach (ICTF) KG2TS = Intermodal Global Gateway 2 to woo woo woo IG2GS = Intermodal Global Gateway 2 to Global Gateway South These are common westbound empty reposition symbols seen on the Sunset. IMNLBR, IDILBR, IEWLBR, IG2LBR
Got the Kato Uni-Track V11 Super Elevated Double Track set finally! Construction should start before the end of the month. I'm thinking of using the same method HuskerN used in his BNSF Maria Pass layout for the bench work (does anybody know any threads that further explain how to do that?), and then hard-shell for scenery. Only going to work on the area west of Benson, AZ this winter, yard will wait till later.
Well, I am going to start construction on the layout over the weekend! Going to put in the plywood boards and hopefully start putting in some benchwork that the spline will be laid on, also the backdrop needs to be put up.
I finally received my Kato Unitrack V11 set over the past week. With this in I plan to start construction on the layout. For the first part I will only be working on the West Benson, AZ area. I set up a plan for what I want to get over the next couple of weeks as guidelines. The objectives listed on the plan should be completed by late december. I will follow up on many of the projects in more blog posts. Well here's the plan, I hope to sitck to it. >>Construction Plan: Phase 1 Install base boards that will support the bench work and spline roadbed. Install the backdrop in the center of the layout Install the bench work that will hold up the roadbed Cut and form spline to the layout
From personal experience I can say that they way you have laid out your goals and objectives will serve you well. I find I make the best progress when we do our layout parties on TrainBoard and you have to list your objectives. BTW, it is getting to be time for one of those layout parties... Jamie
I too look forward to following your progress, because it appears that you've planned things out quite well so your layout should be quite nice. Njoy it's built rite in:thumbs_up:
Over thanksgiving weekend I set up the base for the benchwork. All though some details need to be worked out the base of the benchwork pretty much complete. I hoped to have the benchwork completed but had 3 projects for school due all this week so I couldn't get alot done. >>Photos Joining two of the four 2 by 4 MDF boards. Mock up of the layout (foam will not be used in the final).
Do you know what the dimensions of the Kato V11 set are in inches? Width and length might make it possible for a change on my HCD layout.
