Ann Arbor RR Mt. Pleasant Branch

[dgaken]

Huron & Eastern HO Track Plan - Revised by dangaken, on Flickr

After about 8 months of work on my shelf HO shelf layout I have made a few revisions to the track plan. After operating the layout for a few months it became apparent that it could be enhanced with a few changes.

On the long leg featuring Wenona Yard I've changed the orientation of the team track. The initial plan had a facing point leading into the team track, that has now been changed to a trailing point to so that all switch points on that leg of the layout are orientated the same direction.

More changes were made to the short leg.

Track work changes:
The points on the end of the runaround track furthest from the yard had be problematic. This was a sharp curve returning to the mainline. I've replaced the single switch with a pair of turnouts to make a crossover that completes the runaround. This also has the benefit of extending the passing siding to the end of the layout. This creates a about 24" of track that can be used as an off-spot or storage for industries on this leg.

Industry changes:
What was going to be a General Motors plant is now MadeRite Foods. Although large (the structure runs for 4-feet along the backdrop) the space was just not large enough to accurately convey an automotive plant. The food plant (loosely based on the BetterMade / MadeRite potato chip plant in Bay City, MI) has the benefit of taking a variety of loads. The far end will feature storage silos for flour unloaded from covered hoppers. Tanks will store vegetable oil from tank cars. The loading doors will receive potatoes from reefers and box cars will unload packaging. Finished products are imagined to leave the far side of the plan via truck.

The two shorter spurs will host a building supply company (lumber loads on flatcars and boxcars of building materials) and the other will be a scrap yard that loads metal into gons.