Ever since watching some YouTube videos of street-running/switching on Chicago's Goose Island (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqjDYhACKx0), a track plan idea has been rolling around in my head. I don't know that I'm actually going to build this, but I wanted to 'get it down on paper' while it kept nagging me. Then again, there's not much reason NOT to build it if it continues to grow on me. It's very much freelance/'inspired by,' not 'modeled after,' thus the name change. I was originally thinking of doing this in HO, thus one more pun in play on "HOnker," I just happened to sketch it in N because I'm in a space-saving mood and I think my first HO stint might be more transition-era. In reality, it seems the UP/Chicago Terminal Railroad serves a lumber yard on the island about once a week. Looking at Google Maps/Earth, after the line crosses the North Branch Canal (just off the Chicago River), there's a run-around on Cherry Ave. The line then bends south-southeast. There's a facing point spur on the east side of the line to the lumber yard. A little further on, there's a trailing point spur also on the east side not currently in use. The line then bends southeast and continues a bit further before disappearing into the pavement. There's some hint it once curved southward again, cutting the corner of a building now used for boat storage, but never seemed to leave the island. My version is laid out to fit in a corner, moves the passing siding off the island (so the curve is taken up by the river, not switching/coupling areas), and relocates the trailing spur west of the line and closer to the lumber yard for space conservation. I was thinking this could stand in for the Goose Island (Honkers Isle/Ale) Brewing Company - not actually ON Goose Island, let alone served by rail, but offering lots of traffic potential. The 'north' end (the leg after the bend) would be an interchange with the 0-5-0 switcher allowing for possible connection to a larger layout down the line. For fun, I also threw in another spur on the mainland portion near the river - scrapper, newspaper or phone book publisher, ??? Here's what I came up with: In playing with it in XtrkCad, I like the potential. Spurs and sidings seem generous enough, I even put on some LONG centerbeams and was switching with a GP40 instead of a small switcher. Things might be a little tight on the lead, but if needed, that could be extended. The layout is not sized to any real-world limitations as, again, it's just a brainstorm. Let me know what you think. Flaws? Missed potential? Is that spur in the middle of the siding run unrealistic? Quick edit: Turnouts are #5, the bend is 16" radius. BTW, here's a cool article about the recent conversion of the Cherry Avenue Bridge to a revolutionary dual-use rail/pedestrian bridge: http://gridchicago.com/2011/can-you...le-crossing-the-cherry-avenue-bikeped-bridge/ Hmm, . . . now that I think about it, I think I saw some centerbeam flatcars for sale in the Swap Meet.
Ok, so I've been playing with this virtual layout by generation Ops/switchlists in JMRI and then running those trains in XtrkCad. The more I play, the more I LIKE this simple little layout. It's brought up an operational question, though. In the real world, is it OK to have a switcher both pushing and pulling a car at the same time, or are there rules against that? It's mostly a time/move saving 'cheat,' so isn't strictly necessary, but I'd still like to know (Didn't know if I should bump this thread or ask elsewhere). BTW, I'm running that 'mainland' spur as a scrap yard. *nod*
There might be rules today about pulling and shoving at the same time. In the past I have seen it done many times. There would be a switchman riding the shoved car, passing hand signals or using a radio.
You may want to consider using a left hand turnout by the river just as you exit the curve/bridge. This will put the run-around on the side closer to the "front" of the L (assuming an inside corner layout rather than an outside corner) and will let the "main" run straight down the lower leg. This will eliminate an S-curve to entering the run-around. Some people do not like long straight track running parallel with the front/back of the layout and they will run their straight track at a diagonal (in this case, toward the right corner at the bottom). This will give you more space to curve away from the main to the front by the river and from the main toward the back of the shelf at the bottom...so both sides of the main have rail service. If you are modeling a street, then you will need room for car lanes, parking, sidewalks and store fronts...and this may reduce the usable length of sidings; however, if you are modeling an alley, you could have more sidings very close to the main. Moving your siding turnout closer to the lower run-around turnout, will lengthen your siding and depending on your personal preference for complex trackage, you could even arrange additional turnouts to the run-around, main, or siding. In an alley, in order to get a better angle to curve between buildings, it is possible to put a turnout on the main and actually have it cross the run-around track to angle between buildings. I suppose this could be done on a street, too, but if the main track is shared with a trolley, there may be pressure to minimize how many bumpy turnouts interrupt the smooth ride on the trolley's main track
As far as is concerned for CSX, ipersonally knw a conductor who has done it. Theengineer may kill you because hes blind as a bat on both ends, but as long as theconductor gives him good counts and the like, its legal. Sent from my LG-LS970 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the input Dave and Morgan. In playing with trains in XtrkCad, I found that siding a little short anyway, so I'm not averse to tweaks. In that vein, I also laid it out as a linear table and moved the siding to the island side as in the prototype, though the sidings themselves are not prototype at all, so it's not like that really matters. Anyway, here's the straight version - the lead at the end is not a spur, just models where the existing line runs out at the end of the island. It needs to be slightly longer than shown here if I want to be able to shove a full set of cars into the 'brewery' at once - otherwise I'd need to shuffle. Of course, I COULD just ditch that spur and spot at the end, but where's the fun in that? Again, this will probably never leave the digital realm, but I do still have fun shunting cars in the program and using it to learn JMRI Ops.
I like it, and you know what, the second plan could EASILY be adjusted into a FREEMO standard, while still being a ood standalone design. go a little wider on the benchwork, and if you wanted to go longer make it two 2/4dominos as opposed to a 2x6, which would give you room for that lead to swing the rest fo the way around either into a strait run or angle for something else or... You know, if you wanted to. It does look like a fun setup.
