Hedley Junction

[sailormatlac]

Thanks, Matt for the information I'll keep it handy when moving to other locations and being able to use it for a balloon track. You certainly appear to be the "ram rod" behind your club working on so many things behind the scenes when other members can't/aren't there and then waiting on agreeable opinions to proceed. You really have a gift for scratch building and yet very realistic track planning and track work evidenced by the gradual curves , easements and really straight tangents.I also like how you managed to include an opportunity for continous operation via the loop to loop for open houses? It's all a joy to witness.

In addition to the fine club layout, I have also been enjoying the progress on your small home layout. The idea of having a small private layout in addition to the club's is a great idea and gives one the feeling of ownership away from the club. Your desire for less is more really makes the case for a branch operation and the inclusion of a runaround track at the end of the branch is more realistic than many of the shove and pull ISLs which are now common on many small layouts. The use of the run around track gives the operator the feeling of "arriving" at the end of the line, switching the industries and then "turning back" to the hidden terminal. Having operated several short lines in the US either as a locomotive engineer/conductor or manager I can verify that more of them use runarounds rather than shove and pull although they do work okay if you have a caboose to handle the safe shove. BTW I see you spotted both a tank car and reefer on the feedmill spur. Is that because there is a bulk oil distributor and a warehouse which ships out potatoes on the spur too? just curious.

Thanks again for the information and have a great Thanksgiving.

Barry

Thanks for the comments Barry!

Yes, I am the "ram rod" behind this project. Other members would have probably never started anything on their own, but I think they really enjoy the ride. They also provide the need pragmatism to keep me on track. Without them, I would have accomplished nothing. Jérôme is also a real life railroader, so his imput is always precious when thinking about track plan and operation.

On model, straight tracks should always be straight. I've seen too many great layouts ruined with zigzaging tracks. In real life, that's OK, but on a model, it doesn't look right. We have always been careful to lay such tracks along a straight edge.

At first, I wasn't that much interested about continuous running, but I must admit it had its benefits. It's particularly true for staging. You build the consist on the mainline they hide it into the closet before the operating session. Also, it works well as a "wye". In real life, Murray Bay subdivision connect to CN Limoilou yard via a wye. Modelling it would have taken too much space.

My small home layout is now in hiatus. I'm actually in the process of refurbishing my office/train room (including walls, ceiling and floor). It is in storage and I removed the turnouts to built Murray Bay sub. However, the roads and ballasted tracks were kept in place. I'll probably rebuilt is as soon as I can to continue my scenery experiment. The track plan is nothing more than what I consider standard on real railroad. I've browsed hundreds of maps and this particular setting with a feedmill is proverbial. HAving the runaround really add a lot of operation opportunity without enlarging the layout. 6 feet long + a small cassette holding one turnout and you are in business! I think shoving cars is more related to swithing chores handled from a nearby yard. Makes no sense in countryside.

You gave more thoughts about the cars at the feedmill spur than I!!! In fact, the feedmill is indeed an heating oil distributor. Many feedmill handle such business and I'll reuse this pattern in Clermont. The reefer was just for fun! But yes, potatoes would make a lot of sense.

Possibilities with such feedmills are almost limitless. They are always handling secondary business like propane, oil, fertilizers, building supplies, farm implement. That's why I decided to add one on Murray Bay. I won't model the building, the will keep the rail traffic.

Matt