L&N Industrial Rail Spur

[FCIN]

Hey, hey, Ed - Glad to hear you came through the "chop-job" conversion okay and have had some extra detailing parts added - There is nothing like doing up an older model - but just remember that the exra detailing makes you that bit more fragile, and in need of careful handling! Take care of yourself! Nice job made on the caboose too! :geek:

That's good! Yep, I've already realized that I need to let the glue set up a while longer on the new detail parts before I handle things! Sure does feel strange though and can't get it out of my mind that I'm now battery operated! Trying to figure out what I need to steer clear of because of this thing in my chest. I go to heat up something in the microwave now and set the buttons, press start and take cover!

Wonder if my NCE Powercab will cause me to back into the wall when I press reverse or if I'll make funny noises when I press the horn or bell button?

Ed,Glad everything went smooth for you.

Larry, I don't know that I'd say it went smooth, but at least I'm home now. That helps! Is there some law that I'm not aware of that says you are not allowed to get any rest in the hospital? Every time I managed to get to sleep, here'd come a little gal wanting to take blood, do an EKG or wake me up and ask me if I was sleeping! But I must say they were a great bunch at that hospital, and the doctor is one great guy!

Doctor has promised me that in a month or two I'll feel 10 years younger, so we shall see. Right now, I feel 10 years older then I did last week and that ain't no fun!

Well, I feel a nap coming on, so will check back on here later today and see what fascinating things you guys are up to and get some more inspiration!

[Southern Tuxedo]

Hi Ed,

I’m glad to hear that you are out of the hospital and on the road to recovery. Hopefully it will be a very short trip and you can get back to the layout quickly. The caboose looks awesome and it will sure make a great addition to your ISL.

Mark

[steinjr]

Great to hear you are out of hospital again!

Smile,
Stein

[cnw1961]

Ed, good to see you are back home and already thinking about trains again. Hope you’ll recover quickly … can’t wait to see you stop planning your layout and start building that thing .

[Steamtrains]

Ed...Take care of yourself....

Don't do anythig more strenuous than rerail cars, and turn the throttle knob....

Good luck to you...

[Justinmiller171]

Wonder if my NCE Powercab will cause me to back into the wall when I press reverse or if I'll make funny noises when I press the horn or bell button?

Just make sure not to press the factory reset button!

I am glad you are up and running again, and I am looking forward to seeing more of the layout!

Are use using Peco code 100 or 83?

[Tyson Rayles]

Glad to hear you are doing well Ed! That caboose is a real beauty.

[faraway]

I was worried when I read about a possible six hours surgery and I am happy to see you back with us.

[FCIN]

Gee whiz - got my own thread turned around - BUT I really appreciate all the nice comments about my "situation". Really a great bunch of people on here!

I sure don't have much energy right now, so when I do try to mess around with the layout some or just run a train, I don't last too long. Started a simple switching session last night and was going to photograph it (video is out until I get the mess cleaned up), but didn't even get finished switching one industry before I felt like I just had to go lay down for a while. But I know things will improve as the days pass. Once again; THANKS for all the kind comments. Means a lot....

Justin;
I'm using Peco and Atlas Code 100 track. Mostly because I had 5 or 6 boxes of Atlas C100 flex track and several Peco C100 turnouts on hand and it does save a little money. Very little difference between code 100 and 83; especially after the track is painted and ballasted. Think I mentioned before, that were I that concerned about the track, then I'd be using code 70. Were I starting from scratch, I'd have no doubt gone with the code 83.

My goal is to just have a "good enough" layout that operates reliably as I'm more into the switching and train operation than anything else. Layout already operates great, even though it's only temporarily pinned to the foam and only has one power feeder attached to the track. Derailments are non-existent and never get a stall in the turnouts or any where else, if that tells you anything. I do use the insul-frog Peco turnouts too.

Reinhard;
I just about made that 6 hour mark Monday! Apparently, when they do this ablation thing, they are constantly testing different areas in your heart - speeding up your heart rate and slowing it down, etc., to try and locate the areas that are causing the irregular heartbeat. But I sure was shocked when they told me I needed to be "DCC equipped" LOL. Doctor said that they did fix the irregular heartbeat thing, and so far that does seem to be "fixed", but they just could not get my heart rate to where it needed to be.

[Russ Bellinis]

Get well soon, Ed. The layout will be waiting for you when you are up to working on it again.

[FCIN]

Get well soon, Ed. The layout will be waiting for you when you are up to working on it again.

Thanks Russ. Not only will the layout be waiting, but so will the mess that surrounds it!

[FCIN]

Switching Session

Y101 the first shift yard crew has to make a run on the City Spur to switch Blommer Chocolates and Clark Distributing. Ordinarily, Y301 the third shift crew does most of the work on the spur, but Blommer is in need of two cars of corn syrup and can't wait, so the crew gathers up the cars currently in the yard and heads out on the spur.

Here's what our switch list looks like (everything lists from the south end):

*** FROM YARD ***
TLDX 3124 LC113 BEANS BLOMMER NO 1
GACX 56410 LC413 SUGAR BLOMMER HOLD
GATX 4494 LT104 HFCS BLOMMER NO 4
ATSF 625332 LA645 BEER CLARK

*** BLOMMER CHOCOLATES ***
CNW 178665 LC113 BEANS BLOMMER NO 2
BN 461931 EC113 MTY PULL
ADMX 53152 EC413 MTY PULL
UTLX 600015 ET104 MTY PULL
ADMX 15818 LT104 HFCS BLOMMER NO 3

*** CLARK DISTRIBUTING ***
MP 793012 ER610 MTY PULL

In Photo01, we've shoved to the end of the spur and dropped our cab. You can see what's on spot on the Blommer track in this view. While Conductor Chitwood is daydreaming, the crew has pulled north of the Bloomer switch and dropped the inbound load of cocoa beans on the lead.     In Photo02, we've dropped our inbound load of cocoa beans and are getting ready to shove in to the Bloomer spur on ADMX 15818 which will be spotted for unloading today.     In Photo03 Conductor Chitwood has talked to the plant foreman and all hoses and conveyors have been pulled from the cars and personnel doors have been blocked off; we couple up and pull everything from the spur.     In Photo04, we've picked up our inbound load of cocoa beans and set it and CNW 178665 clear of the road crossing. We've also set our three outbound empties on our cab and we're dropping GACX 46410 on the lead so that we can get our two loaded tank cars together. Typically, Bloomer will keep two cars of cocoa beans, one car of sugar and one tank of HFCS spotted on their track, but often this will vary. Today, they want two cars of HFCS spotted to unload and will hold the car of sugar until the next switch. Sometimes they may have two cars of sugar on spot and no tank cars.     In Photo05, we've coupled everything up and are ready to spot Blommer's cars on their track.     Continued - next posting...

[FCIN]

Switching Session (Cont'd)...

In Photo06, we've completed spotting our cars for Blommer and are heading back on to the lead to set over GACX 56410 in the hold spot. Look's like Conductor Chitwood has already assumed his daydreaming spot on the end of the cab and will do some paper work while the crew goes to switch Clark Distributing.     In Photo07, we've coupled on to MP 793012 an empty and will set it over on the lead, then spot ATSF 625332 at Clark's door. MP 793012 had a load of Coor's, but ATSF 625332 is full of Miller. Clark is one of our better customers and usually gives everyone on the crew a case of either Coor's or Miller at Christmas.     In Photo08, we've spotted ATSF 625332 at Clark's and are heading back south on the lead to get our outbound train.     In Photo09, we've coupled up our outbound train, made our air test and Conductor Chitwood tells us to "Go Ahead" and we head back toward the main line and to the yard. The third shift yard crew Y301 will switch the City Spur again sometime after midnight tonight and will no doubt have cars for Blommer, the warehouse, the food processor and maybe something for Lowes Lumber. Will be a long night for them.     That's it for now. Once I get this mess cleaned up and am able to do some real construction on the layout; perhaps I'll make a video of switching operations. For now we'll have to settle for just photos. Sorry that some of the photos are a tad blurry, but the I think the camera man may have paid a visit to Clark's before we got started.

[FCIN]

I've been having some second thoughts about the number of individual industries and tracks to include on my ISL, so have come up with yet another slight variation to the plan. Can't say at the moment that I will make this change, but am running it up the flag pole to see if anyone salutes it and what your thoughts might be.

This is the current track plan as laid out and what I've been operating for a while now (see previous Switching Session posts):     And here is the possible revision:     The main change is the elimination of one track and turnout, along with the distribution warehouse, separate food processing and cold storage facilities.

These three separate industries have been combined in to one large food processing/distribution facility - GFS (Gordon Food Service).     GFS has facilities in 9 states and it fits well in to my L&N theme, which actually served several GFS facilities in its 6,000 mile/13 state territory.

Being a larger facility, it's rail intensive and receives an assortment of freight cars. Tank cars of vegetable oil (up to 2 at a time), box cars of food and packaging products (up to 4 at a time) and reefers of frozen meat and/or produce (up to 2 at a time). Since GFS would receive an assortment of box cars at the warehouse section dock, I see no need to also include a separate distribution warehouse. Also an industrial spur of this length (slightly over 1/4 mile long) just seems more likely to serve a couple of large facilities along with a couple of smaller facilities.

I know that many folks prefer switching layouts that are crammed full of turnouts/track and small industries, but I prefer simpler track arrangements with industries that look like they would actually be rail served. I do have two smaller industries still on the plan, both of which are based on prototype facilities and number of car spots.

There should be quite a bit of switching involved at GFS, with cars being placed/pulled/re-spotted as required. My chocolates plant has proved to be quite switching intensive even though on average there are only 4 cars placed there at any one time, because of having to place/pull/re-spot cars as needed.

Not shown on either plan will be a 6 to 8 foot long staging track on the left end, which I have not yet added, but hope to do so once I get some energy.

Your thoughts?

[Justinmiller171]

I like it!
But I think GFS should stand for GERN Food Service

Having a large industry like that will also make it alot more believable if you choose to run it as a short-line.