Southern Pacific Switching Layout

[Justinmiller171]

It may be a dumb question, but Do you have a DCC control system?

Galen

No, but I will be getting one by the end of the year, I will be running the engine from a powerpack for now(Most Sound systems should have this ability). I can also run it on my local clubs layout until I get a dcc system( I plan on getting an NCE powercab ).

I have put up most of the benchwork, the rest will have to wait until tomorrow, I would post pics but I can't find my camera at the moment

[Justinmiller171]

FOTOS!!!

I laid some track down just to see how it looked(Please ignore the train-hat and the misc parts underneath the layout )


Here is my kato SP RS-11 going around the curve


Here is another shot of the corner


So now that benchwork is complete the next step is to get the pink foam to put on top of the doors, then I can lay track.

I will also be needing to fix up my roof since there is a sky-light on my room and it leaks around the edges when it rains hard(Like it is right now :? )

[Justinmiller171]

I will be going to the Train-show tomorrow and be getting a sound and dcc equipped engine, as well as an NCE Powercab, The train-show is in the heart of Southern Pacific territory so I shouldent have any trouble finding an Ho-scale engine is SP colors .

[Justinmiller171]

I just got back from the train-show, I got a BLI NW-2 and I ordered an NCE Powercab from a dealer there, It should get here in 3-5 days.

The NW-2 Is Great! I am Currently running it on DC and it still runs great! The sound is superb and the control is smooth.

I may not get much work on the layout for the rest of this month since I spent all of my money on the engine and dcc system.

[FCIN]

The NW-2 Is Great! I am Currently running it on DC and it still runs great! The sound is superb and the control is smooth.

Justin;
The BLI NW-2 (and SW-7) are some of the finest running HO locomotives you're likely to find. I have one of the NW-2's myself and love it. I'm eagerly awaiting the arrival of their L&N SW-1500, due out soon. Love the slow speed running of these models (top scale speed is about 30mph). Will be stripping and painting my NW-2 in the L&N Rebel paint scheme at some point in the future.

Wait until you get your NCE PowerCab and see what you can do with your NW-2! I also have the NCE PowerCab and am really pleased with it!

Have fun!

[Justinmiller171]

I just got a letter in the mail from the distributor that I bought my Powercab from. The letter said my powercab has shipped and it should arrive Tomorrow !
I am can hardly wait

In the meantime I have been trying out different track configurations and sadly the plans I was deciding between both seemed much too track-heavy and left little room for scenery. I have been reading this blog:http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/ I really like how simple his layout is and so I laid out track on the benchwork according to his plan and it looks really nice!

[FCIN]

I have been reading this blog:http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/ I really like how simple his layout is and so I laid out track on the benchwork according to his plan and it looks really nice!

Justin;
Jack's O Scale New Castle Industrial Railroad is a very nice operation. In spite of how simple the track plan appears, it has lots of realistic operating potential. Small rail operations like this can be found all over the country if you know where to look. You certainly have plenty of benchwork available to model a small operation like Jack's.

One that I always found interesting and actually built a temporary shelf layout based upon is the Kendallville Terminal in Kendallville, Indiana. The operation is 1.1 miles in length and pretty much serves just one customer, a Kraft Foods marshmallow plant at the end of the line. Here's a Google link to the start of the KTR at their connection with NS:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s...7&t=k&z=18. Follow their line south and you can see all the trackage on the line. Not suggesting that you should or would even want to model this line, just an example of the type of small rail operations that do exist.

Since I still have not settled on the final track arrangement for my own freelance switching operation (just too darn many interesting industrial spurs out there!), I recently just temporarily glued down track the length of the benchwork (20ft) and put two sidings at one end just to get a feel for how things might work out. Took about 22 minutes to shove two inbound cars down the spur; place them and pull two outbound cars and return to the end of the spur. About as long as it would have actually taken on the prototype.

Point of all this rambling is that a layout doesn't have to be big or have every inch of available space covered with track in order to be fun and interesting to operate. The secret is realistic operations. When you get your NCE PowerCab, you'll enjoy switching even more!

[Justinmiller171]

Thanks for the Info Ed!

I Found a prototype that I like and with some rearrangement and some freelancing It could make a good layout
Here is a view of the are using Bing:http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=qmk2cg4...0652&sty=b

It is the remains of the freight yard that used to serve a railroad that went up to my town, The railroad used to bring wood down from the foothills to the Diamond Match Factory near the Freight Yard (You can still see some of the brick buildings northeast of the Freight Yard) If I can freelance that the Match factory still Exists It could make for a nice industry to serve.

Union Pacific uses the Freight yard mainly for hopper storage and as a team track, If I could make a freelance railroad that serves the Factory I could Have an Interchange track with Southern Pacific (Or Union Pacific During the Modern Era), A car storage and Team track, And the Factory to serve. There are also A few industries nearby that used to be Rail-Served, I could add one of those to increase variety.

This Idea isn't that far fetched since the only reason the Factory is abandoned is because some kids burnt most of the Diamond Match Buildings down back in the 70's, If that wouldn't of happened chances are that the Factory would still be In use. Also Union Pacific Uses a Short-Line to Switch the Yard, So that would make a good prototype to Model.

I have some more pictures of the area Here: http://s844.photobucket.com/albums/ab4/J...0Railroad/

[lajry]

Justin
If those two spots on the bottom are industries to be switched, you need a LH Xover there. As drawn there's no way to get around cars. Also as drawn that's a very switchback that'll get real old real fast to operate.

[Justinmiller171]

Justin
If those two spots on the bottom are industries to be switched, you need a LH Xover there. As drawn there's no way to get around cars. Also as drawn that's a very switchback that'll get real old real fast to operate.

Those spots at the bottom are just background buildings and will not be rail-served. After I built the benchwork I tried laying out the track according to my plan and it was much too Track-heavy for my taste and so I am still open to ideas.

[Justinmiller171]

My Powercab did not arrive yesterday due to weather reasons, Now I have to wait until Monday

I drew up a track-plan for an Ho-scale Version of Jack Hill's New Castle Industrial Railroad http://oscalewcor.blogspot.com/

I haven't added scenery or any labels to the plan because I have not decided on a theme yet.

[FCIN]

Nice deceptively simple track plan, but with plenty of operational potential. Following Jack's operating scheme, you'll probably be surprised at how long it would take to switch a plan like this. It's not unlike the temporary track I put down a week or so ago. I may even adopt something along this theme myself - a remnant of a former line that survived being abandoned in order to serve a handful of industries.

I'd treat the "main line" crossing the way Jack was originally going to do it on his plan - track and crossing removed, but a few old ties still in the ground to clearly show that the two lines once crossed here and an out of service signal still standing guard at the crossing - perhaps even an old interlocking tower too like this:     Of course, you could also treat it as if your short line continues on toward the left and place dummy operating signals protecting the crossing.

You still have room on the right leg of your plan to add a third small industry if desired - a team track that holds a couple of cars is one idea that comes to mind. Good spot for your scratch built unloading dock.

You could temporarily fasten your track to your benchwork and give it a try to see how you like operating it. Even using just a few cars, you may be pleasantly surprised how long it takes you to work a typical session following prototype operations and having to place your cars at the paper plant per instructions of the customer.

[Justinmiller171]

Thanks for the tips Ed!

I already laid out some temporary track just to get a general idea of what the Layout will look like.


I would like to do some switching, however most of my rolling stock still have Horn-Hook couplers!

[FCIN]

I would like to do some switching, however most of my rolling stock still have Horn-Hook couplers!

Well don't let that stop you! You can still uncouple those X2F couplers with a small screw driver or whatever. Manually uncoupling your cars adds to the prototype operational aspect of things. If necessary, grab an old car (or even a caboose) and put a Kadee style coupler on one end and an X2F on the other so you can use that NW-2 to switch with. At least it will give you a feel for how you like or dislike this plan.

[Justinmiller171]

Well don't let that stop you! You can still uncouple those X2F couplers with a small screw driver or whatever. Manually uncoupling your cars adds to the prototype operational aspect of things. If necessary, grab an old car (or even a caboose) and put a Kadee style coupler on one end and an X2F on the other so you can use that NW-2 to switch with. At least it will give you a feel for how you like or dislike this plan.

I was planning on manually uncoupling them anyways, but I didn't know how to switch them with the NW-2, Tommorrow I will try your advice on making a car with both X2F and knuckle couplers.

Thanks for the Help!