Input on proposed HO switching layout

[FCIN]

Galen;

Glad you like the plan. I'm in the process right now of seeing how the track components actually fit the benchwork compared to the drawing and it's working out better than expected. I'm using the trial version of AnyRail http://www.anyrail.com/ to lay out the track and it's working out just fine - provided you don't need more than 50 track sections on your plan LOL. I'm not too great with this track planning software - I'm an old-time draftsman and prefer to sketch things out then draw it up to scale, but this IS much faster and all the track components are right on the money.

As for adding the building locations, roads, etc. I had to copy the plan from AnyRail and use Adobe Fireworks to add those details - just enough to get the feel for where things will be located. Didn't attempt anything like trees or terrain (it's all flat anyway). Am going to change the interchange track/elevator track switch to a curved turnout and have shortened the run-around just a tad. Would like to include the track crossing a small stream on a low trestle, but will have to see how that works out.

Regarding traffic balance: Just as with a prototype short line such as this, the number of inbound/outbound cars will vary from day to day (session to session). Some times you might receive 1 car; other times 4 cars (or more). Out bound cars will vary in the same manner. So some sessions you won't switch every industry. Of course a small customer oriented operation like this would operate on an as needed/as requested basis - so you might make two or three runs in the same day, depending on how often the connecting road might set out cars for you or a shipper has a car that needs to be moved pronto! Go switch an industry or two, then head for the shack; get out the cards, pour a cup of coffee and wait for the phone to ring!

I initially plan on using car cards and will draw a random number for in bound cars (1-4) and let the out bound cars move based on the typical railroad Per Diem times: 24 hrs free time to load / 48 hrs free time to unload. I also have the ShipIt! http://www.albionsoftware.com/ computer program that I might use, provided I can get it to work right. I've had a time trying to get it work in the manner I've described - seems to take a lot of playing around with to get it to work just right - or maybe I'm just not holding my mouth right Hope this makes sense to you.

Larry;

When I was railroading for real - my favorite pastime was blocking road crossings. Block it for as long as the law allowed - watch the motorists turn red and cuss under their breath (or out loud at me), then clear the crossing just long enough to let that batch get over the track and then do it all over again. However, I never was too fond of trying to get them to stop in the first place - people will run over you - red flag/fusee be darned!

Ed

[FCIN]

After spending the evening checking out track arrangements and turnout positions on the benchwork, it suddenly dawned on me that I had my two industries on the south end of the line laid out wrong!
So we now have what is the 3rd and hopefully final version of the plan:

   

Here is the actual track arrangement at the south end of the LIRR:

   

The track plan is now a better match for the actual end of the Lapeer Industrial Railroad, although I still have one industry on the wrong side of the track. Of course once I start laying the roadbed and track this week, that could possibly change. We'll see.

The primary changes on this final(??) plan are:
1) Interchange/Elevator switch is now a curved turnout...
2) The station is now on the correct side of the CN/GTW Main - there should actually be two dummy tracks there, but I cut it down to one to save a little space...
3) Changed the position of the team track switch (needed that left hand turnout)...
4) Undetermined Industry "L" now switches from the correct direction but is on the wrong side of the "Main"...
5) Undetermined Industry "M" now matches the siding location shown in the photo above...
6) No more American Shower & Bath - don't think they are rail served any way...

Wish I could find out what in the wide, wide world of sports, industries "L" and "M" are, but a lot of searching on the 'Net has turned up nothing. I guess I'll just make them whatever I want. Industry "M" is going to have plenty of 50 ft IPD box cars visiting it, that's for sure!

I do have the McCormick Rd and Demille Blvd roads too close together so McCormick Rd may just vanish. One road crossing along that section of track should be plenty. Still have plenty of room for scenery, so it's working out well. Can't wait to get started laying the roadbed and track!

Ed

[Brakie]

Ed,I did some research on the Lapeer Industrial Railroad and feel your current design captures the LIRR..I also think you are correct in adding IPD boxcars since the LIRR handles chemicals and grain-that would become IMHO to restrictive and may become boring.I couldn't find a led on those mystery industries either.

I suspect by now you know I fancy switching layouts and short lines...

[FCIN]

Ed,I did some research on the Lapeer Industrial Railroad and feel your current design captures the LIRR

That comment made my day. Capturing the look of the LIRR is what I'm after. Not sure if I'll call my layout the LIRR or not and since I've added tracks/customers and so forth it will probably just be my own imaginary railroad, but the track arrangement at the interchange is what really got me interested in this line. There are several similar operations around the country - Landisville Railroad in Pennsylvania is another interesting line with lots of operating potential, which I have also considered; but the LIRR is just better suited to my tastes.

I couldn't find a led on those mystery industries either.

I tried all sorts of searches: manufacturing, businesses, etc., even searched for things that could be found on Demille Blvd and the other road - Nuttin'!!!! I did find one photo taken on the LIRR that shows their 65 tonner spotting tank cars at "Unknown Industry No. 1", but still no clues as to what it might be. From what little you could see in the photo, building is rather plain looking, but there are a couple of vertical tanks on the track side. Tank cars appeared to be of the chemical variety.

I suspect by now you know I fancy switching layouts and short lines...

I'm in good company then! I've always preferred short lines and/or switching layouts to anything else. I've traveled to, photographed, even mapped out a lot of short lines in the mid-west over the years, looking for that perfect prototype to model. I even checked out the now gone Pioneer & Fayette Railroad with its 1/2 mile of track and one customer in southwest Ohio!

[Londoner]

Ed

The plan gets better all the time. I suggest a propane dealer for industry M. That was my thought for version 2, so the unloading rack would be at the front, similar to Lance Minheim's East Rail. With version 3, I think a fertilizer plant, with the tanks at the back would work better. Both ideas give variety to boxcars and grain hoppers.

What really comes across with your plan is plenty of switching, yet you have space to see the train travel. There are quite a few pictures of the LIRR on different sites and I agree your plan captures the essence of it.

Ken

[FCIN]

Ed
The plan gets better all the time.

Thanks Ken! Look's like this will be the final version.

I suggest a propane dealer for industry M. That was my thought for version 2, so the unloading rack would be at the front, similar to Lance Minheim's East Rail. With version 3, I think a fertilizer plant, with the tanks at the back would work better. Both ideas give variety to boxcars and grain hoppers.

I'm toying with several ideas for what industries "L" and "M" can be. As you see in the aerial photo "M" is a good sized building with a fairly long spur - so it'll be receiving box cars (and I've got plenty!). As for "L" I thought about a propane dealer, bulk oil plant, liquid fertilizer plant, all sorts of things that might use tank cars (of which I only have 3 corn syrup cars at the moment) - but have settled on nothing so far. Have even considered some sort of food processing facility that would receive both tank cars and box cars (ala Lance Mindheim). I'm still trying to find out just exactly what "L" is on the real thing.[/quote]

[steinjr]

I'm still trying to find out just exactly what "L" is on the real thing.

Hmm - seems like industry L might be a glue (or "high strength adhesives") manufacturer:

ITW TACC Polyurethane Center
195 DeMille Road
Lapeer, MI 48446
http://www.itwtacc.com/about/index.cfm

The driving instructions to get there says:

"Take I-69 East to Exit #155.
Turn left at the light at the end of the exit ramp.
After the I-69 interchange, get over to the right lane and turn right on Turrill Road. Turrill Road ends at Clark Street, turn left.
Turn left on Demille Road (you will see Lapeer East High School on the right side)
ITW TACC is on the left after the railroad tracks."

Seems to fit pretty well with the location on your maps.

Smile,
Stein

[FCIN]

Hmm - seems like industry L might be a glue (or "high strength adhesives") manufacturer:

ITW TACC Polyurethane Center
195 DeMille Road
Lapeer, MI 48446
http://www.itwtacc.com/about/index.cfm

Stein;

Look's like you win the cookie! Good going!

That would sure be the place and explains the tank car shipments. They appear to manufacture quite an array of adhesives.

Won't ask how you found that, but I've searched and searched trying to find out what that place is, with no success!

Thanks!

[steinjr]

Won't ask how you found that, but I've searched and searched trying to find out what that place is, with no success!

You didn't ask, but I'll reply anyways :-)

Basically I googled for "Demille Rd", Lapeer, MI (with the quotes and commas - thus mostly getting hits on pages that contained addresses).

I then used http://maps.yahoo.com in Hybrid mode (so I could see road map overlaid terrain pics) to check where on the map the various addresses I found using the google search was located. Yahoo is pretty good at mapping specific street addresses instead of just placing you at the right street.

It quickly became obvious that the "200" shown on your picture was in the right series of addresses - so I concentrated on web pages that referred to the 100- and 200- series of street numbers in Demille Road.

Once I found the street address 195 Demille Rd on a web page (I think it was some kind of evaluation of a foam glue product) and entered that address into <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://maps.yahoo.com">http://maps.yahoo.com</a><!-- m -->, it said ITC Tacc :-)

Stein

[FCIN]

Stein;

Searching for Demille Rd Lapeer, MI is one of the ways I went a huntin' but I guess I just didn't look long enough!

Thanks again for your effort. Did you enjoy the cookie?

[Brakie]

Ed wrote:
Regarding traffic balance: Just as with a prototype short line such as this, the number of inbound/outbound cars will vary from day to day (session to session). Some times you might receive 1 car; other times 4 cars (or more). Out bound cars will vary in the same manner. So some sessions you won't switch every industry. Of course a small customer oriented operation like this would operate on an as needed/as requested basis - so you might make two or three runs in the same day, depending on how often the connecting road might set out cars for you or a shipper has a car that needs to be moved pronto! Go switch an industry or two, then head for the shack; get out the cards, pour a cup of coffee and wait for the phone to ring!
----------------------------------------------------

I must have been featherbedding because I missed your operation plan..

Sounds good and solid and I have used a similar plan on one my past ISLs...The catch being Lake Side Industrial Ry was owned by the industries it served and its sole locomotive was a exUP SW1 with the road name patched out...If I was to do that railroad today I would use either a 44,45 or 70 Tonner..

As far as flagging crossing..I always felt that was one of the most dangerous parts of my job since you never knew what the nut behind the wheel was going to do.

[Londoner]

Ed

Model Railroad Planning 2010 has an article on corn syrup terminals and suggestions for how to model them. Would definitely relate to the tank car and building in your picture. So if you want to use the 3 cars you have, give it some thought.

In essence the plants making corn syrup take up a large space but the terminal destinations are fairly compact. You can either have visible tanks or put them inside Pikestuff like buildings. The article points out that switching can be complicated as though they all look alike there are different grades of corn syrup, so cars may need to be spotted at different points.

Finally corn syrup traffic has been with us since the 1970's so it would fit your time-frame.

Ken

[Russ Bellinis]

I don't know how I missed this thread. Looks like a fun switching layout. I think I'm partial to the GE 45 tonner, if you haven't got a locomotive for it, yet. The side rods on that little beast are really cool! If you are not going dcc, the Bachmann model is very heavy for good tractive effort. Going dcc would reduce it's capacity somewhat because it requires removing the weight to install the decoder. On the other hand if you are going dcc, you might not need a lot of tractive effort with a level layout and probably a train with 5 cars would be a "long train" on your layout.

[FCIN]

I think I'm partial to the GE 45 tonner, if you haven't got a locomotive for it, yet. The side rods on that little beast are really cool!

Exactly! The GE 45/50 ton locomotive is my favorite of all time and I have purchased three of them (two for back up should one of them go shot for some reason. The Bachmann model is an outstanding runner on just plain old DC even without pulse power.

a train with 5 cars would be a "long train" on your layout.

Yes 4 or 5 cars at any one time would be a typical train on this operation.

Going dcc would reduce it's capacity somewhat because it requires removing the weight to install the decoder.

I may have to look again, but I was thinking that the Bachmann models already had the decoders in them? Says something on the end of the box about Channel 30 being the default code for DCC. Sorry, I'm not in to the DCC stuff and not close to the models right now either. So anyone feel free to correct me!

[Brakie]

I think I'm partial to the GE 45 tonner, if you haven't got a locomotive for it, yet. The side rods on that little beast are really cool!

Exactly! The GE 45/50 ton locomotive is my favorite of all time and I have purchased three of them (two for back up should one of them go shot for some reason. The Bachmann model is an outstanding runner on just plain old DC even without pulse power.

a train with 5 cars would be a "long train" on your layout.

Yes 4 or 5 cars at any one time would be a typical train on this operation.

Going dcc would reduce it's capacity somewhat because it requires removing the weight to install the decoder.

I may have to look again, but I was thinking that the Bachmann models already had the decoders in them? Says something on the end of the box about Channel 30 being the default code for DCC. Sorry, I'm not in to the DCC stuff and not close to the models right now either. So anyone feel free to correct me!

Guys,Bachmann's GE 44,45 and 70 Tonners come with "DCC On board" .I understand the decoder is rather basic.