Branch line/ISL

[wsor4490uk]

[quote="NSHO"]I won't lie, I was a bit discouraged by some of the replies. /quote]
NSHO
Please don't be discouraged, from what I've seem of the design it looks as if you can have hours of fun shuffling a few cars around
If you want to use boxcars great, use boxcars it's no ones layout but yours, this 10% rubbish has to be put into context
If you had a warehouse or a barkery on your layout it stands a chance that you are going to see more boxcars than coal hoppers.

You can have just as much enjoyment moving a couple of freight cars around a well built layout as you can moving block loads of wagons from one point to another however well built.

I still think you need a CF7 mind you

I'm looking forward to watching this develop

[Brakie]

might not have clarified in my original post, this is a my hobby and I'm in it for fun. I thoroughly enjoy turning my zephyr knob up a few notches and watching a GP40-2, SD40-2 a combination of both tail to tail or heck even 3 in a consist (or I may get crazy and use a Dash 9) to switch out my generic industries. My railroad isn't prototypical nor was it designed to be. It's a more think outside the box and have fun with trains.
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First don't be discourage..

Your idea matches mine except I prefer SW1500s-don't know why seeing I have 15 SW1500s and may make it 16. :o

As far as boxcars..If you notice I use 'em on my ISL because boxcars is still widely used-both NS and CSX handles more boxcars per week then intermodal..

See: <!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.railroadpm.org/Performance%20Reports/NS.aspx">http://www.railroadpm.org/Performance%20Reports/NS.aspx</a><!-- m -->

My Summerset Ry and Slate Creek Rail is based on Progressive Rails AirLake Industrial Park operations except I use lots of boxcars instead of covered hoppers.

My Slate Creek ISL is generic and could be anywhere East of the Mississippi River however,in my HO world its in Toledo, Ohio along the shore of the Maumee River and my Summerset Ry is along the shores of my beloved Lake Erie at Lorain and serves Lakeview Industrial Park which is 100% fictional and is strong on boxcars-80% of the cars handled by SSR and SCR are boxcars because---simply put I like boxcars.

1 layout 2 locations and different industries with look alike industrial buildings like we see every day in industrial parks throughout the land.

The locomotives you plan on using isn't that far fetch..I seen wide cabs on locals as well SD50/60/70s on NS and CSX.

The main thing is its your ISL and you need to design it so it fills your needs.

[Mike Kieran]

Ditto what Chris says. your layout, your rules. Please don't take my input as "this is what you must do." You have a great track plan with a lot of potential.

[Sumpter250]

"NSHO" wrote: I won't lie, I was a bit discouraged by some of the replies.
NSHO, Please don't be discouraged, from what I've seen of the design it looks as if you can have hours of fun shuffling a few cars around.

EXACTLY !!!!!
Model Railroading is meant to be a hobby, not a "new political party", or a new "society", - - - a HOBBY !! and mine
is "Model Making" .
What greater way to enjoy my "hobby", than by "building" "models", of just about everything !
This, is what the hobby of Model Railroading provides ! For ALL of us.
Locomotives, rolling stock,track-work, scenery, buildings, and all the bits, pieces, and appearances of all of it !! That, is why I got into this hobby in the first place, to "Build Models of Everything".
I have a love of the Sea that will never die, so, the principle owner of the railroad I model is a "Shipyard".
Because there are a lot of very tight curves in/around/and through the shipyard, its Industrial line, is 3'gauge.
Because the Shipyard needed parts and materials ( like scrap iron, and scrap steel, and coal ) from "outside", it built and operates a standard gauge line, to bring those materials in to a transshipping point where the Narrow gauge takes over.
Because the shipyard owner just happens to love Steam locomotives, and the Yard has all the required "industrial needs" of the locomotive construction industry, both of the "yard's" lines use steam locomotives of their own design and manufacture.
Fact of the matter is, ALL the needs of the yard's two lines (( bridges, rails, signal towers, buildings )) can be met by the efforts of the various trades within the shipyard.
Is it wrong to have steam locomotives in an era where diesel, or electric { outside third rail, or overhead }, could be used?
The shipyard owner, IS, the CEO of both railroads. If he wants steam, steam will be the order of the day. [[ Hey, even Nuclear powered ships, use the heat of the thermonuclear reaction, to make steam out of distilled sea water, to power the ship's engines ]]
Not only do I get the satisfaction of the "railroading", but I get that vast diversity of "things" to model, AND - - - the enjoyment of learning "What/Where/When/Why/Who", of all that goes into both the Railroad, and the Shipbuilding Industries. PLUS all the details of scenery that surrounds all the rest .
Some day, when the last leaf of the last tree is in place. When the last ship for the Harbor is built and rigged. When all the other track is laid - - -
Some day, when all else is done, I'll need at least TWO ISL's - - -one for the incoming traffic to the SM&CH ( standard gauge ), and one for the transfer from the SM&CH to the SHS&D ( narrow gauge ). And, when that "someday" finally arrives, I will work things out exactly the way I have worked out all the other little details.
By "learning more from my own mistakes, than I would ever learn from another's advice."
______________________________
Oh......... I do consider the "sifting", "straining" , "sorting", and "choosing bits of" another's advice, part of the -- ---
"Sharp Edge of a Learning Curve". And, when giving advice, I fully expect it to be "Sifted, Strained, Sorted, and Chosen" - -
and probably rejected. We all have the right to learn from our own mistakes. (( it's one of the ways we make and keep friends )) And now, back to the "Scheduled Program".

[railroader9731]

Heres food for thought and supports your locos. Call your layout as a short line but in need of road power and leases what power you short line likes/needs. That way you can introduce what ever power or road you want

[Brakie]

We all have the right to learn from our own mistakes.
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True and some of my 60 years of hobby lessons learn the hard way,the mistakes was costly..Those are the types of lessons you'll not soon forget..

On the other hand..

The penny ante type of hobby mistakes well, oopsy! move along no real harm real done.

[NSHO]

I've been doing some tinkering with the layout (drew some inspiration from DGaken's recent posts to his HESR layout, thank you), in particular the originating side or yard/interchange side. This is still a FICTITIOUS railroad aimed at playing with trains and switching cars.

I like the idea of a short line that receives cars from an NS interchange. Since my power is predominately NS, I'll say this short line acquired or leases engines from NS. There are so many other variables involved that I'll just use my imagination as I control my small empire.

Here is an updated layout.

   
Nothing is permanent...yet...I've laid what track I can on the yard side. Need to order a couple #4 LH's to complete.

   
   
   
   

[NSHO]

A few more pictures...
   
   
   
As always, comments and suggestions welcomed. I'll be ordering from MTS soon to complete the track work. Once completed, I'll spend a couple of weeks operating the layout and working out any bugs.

[Mike Kieran]

You're building my fantasy layout.

[ratled]

MOre More Please. I Like what you have going there... especially those left hand turnouts

Looking forward to the business end

ratled

[faraway]

.....Once completed, I'll spend a couple of weeks operating the layout and working out any bugs.

The best known method to proof the track plan suits your requirements

ps. Might be helpful too to have one or two trucks and semi trucks on the layout. They provide a good impression about the remaining space beside the tracks. Something like this http://www.rd-hobby.de/media/images/prod...008001.jpg

[Brakie]

Lovely, simply lovely..

Great looking track plan to boot..

[lajry]

If your plan isn't "cast in concrete" yet w/ glue & ballast, here's a few revisions you might want to consider. Put the run around along the ladder & put the engine house to the left. Both gives you more useable yard tracks.
Moved your industry on left to other side of the spur. That way you don't have to reach over/around it when spotting cars.
To avoid having to handle your rolling stock alot. you might want to think about some kind of portable tray system for your interchange/staging track.

   

[NSHO]

You're building my fantasy layout.

Your designs and layouts have contributed to my thought plan, thank you!

MOre More Please. I Like what you have going there... especially those left hand turnouts
Looking forward to the business end

Thank you. For some reason flipping a RH turnout just doesn't work, thanks Atlas!

ps. Might be helpful too to have one or two trucks and semi trucks on the layout. They provide a good impression about the remaining space beside the tracks. Something like this http://www.rd-hobby.de/media/images/prod...008001.jpg

Completely agree. I envision a service truck or two around the yard, along with a tanker truck. The open industries and ???? will have trucks either being loaded onto or in the waiting to pick up and deliver.

Lovely, simply lovely..
Great looking track plan to boot..

Thank you!

[NSHO]

If your plan isn't "cast in concrete" yet w/ glue & ballast, here's a few revisions you might want to consider. Put the run around along the ladder & put the engine house to the left. Both gives you more useable yard tracks.
Moved your industry on left to other side of the spur. That way you don't have to reach over/around it when spotting cars.

Good thoughts...My thoughts on the small yard. The engine will return to the yard pulling cars. There should/needs to be a way of the engine escaping or being able to run around the cut of cars. The cars can either be left on the primary track or brought down to the first "yard sorting track". Either track, the engine could then decouple and run around the block, couple back on the end and move to appropriate yard track to be sorted for interchange. Or the engine could decouple and another yard switcher could come up from the lower track and move cars into appropriate yard track. I don't see how the engine run around beside the ladder can be utilized. What purpose would it serve?

The short track opposite the engine shed may be used as my engine storage or a program track for dcc.
   
The left industry will be a low building, 4-5" tall (good place for trucks to load/unload, thanks faraway) The switching will take place by the silos on the end. I don't think I can get a good radius off the track to make anything else work.