04-22-2011, 04:42 PM
Hello everyone,
Some of you may have seen my thread for my 2x8 Lansdowne Avenue ISL. Recently, I decided to scrap that idea and have changed my focus to a more rural setting here in northern Ontario. I’ve also changed the layout size to 30” x 6’. This is for several reasons.
One reason is because we will almost certainly be moving into an apartment soon. This was one of the reasons I had downsized to a 2x8 for my previous layout, but after finding out that I’ll have to share my room with the layout if we move, I’ve had to downsize again. Since most of the apartment rooms we’ve seen so far are fairly small, I’ll have to be able to store the layout when not in use so the room isn’t crowded. I’ll probably stand it on it’s end in a corner, which should be easier with a 6’ layout instead of an 8’ one. The extra width will help make up for lost length and allow me to have a full loop (via a removable cassette on the end). I’d go 3’ wide but I don’t have enough foam left.
Another reason is because I’ve realised that urban southern Ontario scenery isn’t for me. The only reason I decided on it was because there is very little industry here in northern Ontario, let alone rail served ones, and the only ones served by rail are too large for my space. However, recently I remembered some photos I had seen of the Ontario Northland’s interesting operations in Moosonee, and after finding again I figured it would be perfect for me. Northern Ontario scenery and interesting operations all in one place!
So enough with the talk, here’s the new plan.
![[Image: ONR.jpg]](http://i724.photobucket.com/albums/ww241/CanadianShortliner/ONR.jpg)
As I said, the plan is based on the ONR tracks in Moosonee, however I won’t be modeling them exactly and instead will be freelancing, including renaming the town (haven’t decided on the name yet). One thing I won’t be modeling are the passenger operations due to lack of space and cost considerations. I also eliminated some spurs and moved others them around. Overall though it’s pretty similar to the prototype.
My focus will be solely on the freight operations, which I feel are pretty unique, at least for Ontario. Since Moosonee has no road connection to the rest of the world, everything from food to fuel to private vehicles, and even prefab buildings, must be brought in be train. In addition, Moosonee is also the main connection to the world for many other isolated communities along the James Bay coast, with all of their supplies being shipped to Moosonee as well and then sent to their destinations via ice road in the winter or barge in the summer. Although I won’t be modeling the town as Moosonee, it will still function the same way.
INDUSTRIES:
1)Team Track and Freight House
This is where all supplies for use in or export from the town go. Common commodities will include food products, building supplies, scrap metal, aggregates, and other miscellaneous items.
2) Ramp Track
This will handle private vehicles and TOFC traffic, as well as the occasional container and prefab building. This will be fairly busy in the winter, when the winter road opens the other isolated communities up to truck traffic from the town.
3) Barge Dock
This is where all supplies destined for other communities go in the summer when swamp and muskeg render the winter road unusable. It handles the same items as the team tracks and ramp track and occasionally some oddball and oversized loads.
4) New North Fuels
This is where all fuels for the town and surrounding communities is unloaded. It has two unloading spots, one for diesel and one for gas (not sure if this is realistic, but it will make things more interesting).
The layout will be operated similarly to the previous one, with cars being exchanged and sorted in the yard and then switched to their destination. Some operational challenges include having only two sure spots at New North Fuels, oversized loads for the barge dock, having to move center beams to the other side of the team track dock for unloading, and having warehouse, covered, and open air loading spaces at the team track.
Also, for pictures of the ONR in Moosonee that inspired me, visit <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://paullantz.smugmug.com/Trains/Trains/770944_wNf3b#1252914271_7pbKCBB">http://paullantz.smugmug.com/Trains/Tra ... 71_7pbKCBB</a><!-- m -->. You’ll see pictures of all the industries I’ll be modeling and some of the operations that go on there.
Anyways, that’s all for now. I’ll try to start rebuilding the bench work this weekend, but for now my main priority is to sort out some unneeded items I want to sell so I can get some money for scenery and get further than just the track stage. I’ll be starting a thread in the upper berth to find out how much I should ask and where a good place to list them would be as soon as everything
Some of you may have seen my thread for my 2x8 Lansdowne Avenue ISL. Recently, I decided to scrap that idea and have changed my focus to a more rural setting here in northern Ontario. I’ve also changed the layout size to 30” x 6’. This is for several reasons.
One reason is because we will almost certainly be moving into an apartment soon. This was one of the reasons I had downsized to a 2x8 for my previous layout, but after finding out that I’ll have to share my room with the layout if we move, I’ve had to downsize again. Since most of the apartment rooms we’ve seen so far are fairly small, I’ll have to be able to store the layout when not in use so the room isn’t crowded. I’ll probably stand it on it’s end in a corner, which should be easier with a 6’ layout instead of an 8’ one. The extra width will help make up for lost length and allow me to have a full loop (via a removable cassette on the end). I’d go 3’ wide but I don’t have enough foam left.
Another reason is because I’ve realised that urban southern Ontario scenery isn’t for me. The only reason I decided on it was because there is very little industry here in northern Ontario, let alone rail served ones, and the only ones served by rail are too large for my space. However, recently I remembered some photos I had seen of the Ontario Northland’s interesting operations in Moosonee, and after finding again I figured it would be perfect for me. Northern Ontario scenery and interesting operations all in one place!
So enough with the talk, here’s the new plan.
As I said, the plan is based on the ONR tracks in Moosonee, however I won’t be modeling them exactly and instead will be freelancing, including renaming the town (haven’t decided on the name yet). One thing I won’t be modeling are the passenger operations due to lack of space and cost considerations. I also eliminated some spurs and moved others them around. Overall though it’s pretty similar to the prototype.
My focus will be solely on the freight operations, which I feel are pretty unique, at least for Ontario. Since Moosonee has no road connection to the rest of the world, everything from food to fuel to private vehicles, and even prefab buildings, must be brought in be train. In addition, Moosonee is also the main connection to the world for many other isolated communities along the James Bay coast, with all of their supplies being shipped to Moosonee as well and then sent to their destinations via ice road in the winter or barge in the summer. Although I won’t be modeling the town as Moosonee, it will still function the same way.
INDUSTRIES:
1)Team Track and Freight House
This is where all supplies for use in or export from the town go. Common commodities will include food products, building supplies, scrap metal, aggregates, and other miscellaneous items.
2) Ramp Track
This will handle private vehicles and TOFC traffic, as well as the occasional container and prefab building. This will be fairly busy in the winter, when the winter road opens the other isolated communities up to truck traffic from the town.
3) Barge Dock
This is where all supplies destined for other communities go in the summer when swamp and muskeg render the winter road unusable. It handles the same items as the team tracks and ramp track and occasionally some oddball and oversized loads.
4) New North Fuels
This is where all fuels for the town and surrounding communities is unloaded. It has two unloading spots, one for diesel and one for gas (not sure if this is realistic, but it will make things more interesting).
The layout will be operated similarly to the previous one, with cars being exchanged and sorted in the yard and then switched to their destination. Some operational challenges include having only two sure spots at New North Fuels, oversized loads for the barge dock, having to move center beams to the other side of the team track dock for unloading, and having warehouse, covered, and open air loading spaces at the team track.
Also, for pictures of the ONR in Moosonee that inspired me, visit <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://paullantz.smugmug.com/Trains/Trains/770944_wNf3b#1252914271_7pbKCBB">http://paullantz.smugmug.com/Trains/Tra ... 71_7pbKCBB</a><!-- m -->. You’ll see pictures of all the industries I’ll be modeling and some of the operations that go on there.
Anyways, that’s all for now. I’ll try to start rebuilding the bench work this weekend, but for now my main priority is to sort out some unneeded items I want to sell so I can get some money for scenery and get further than just the track stage. I’ll be starting a thread in the upper berth to find out how much I should ask and where a good place to list them would be as soon as everything
.
