01-20-2013, 06:01 PM
No pictures, but a few plans.
Friday night, we rebuilt the northern end of Hedley yard. The small radius Peco setrack turnouts ended up a lot of trouble for many locomotives and freight car. Now, it's a pinwheel ladder made of Peco large radius curved turnouts. Very similar to what was done at Bassin Louise yard a few months ago.
Our operation pattern is evolving so the layout must evolve. Lately, it appeared we enjoyed making short local freight trains and doing switching in industrial districts. Reading the last article by Lance Mindheim was interesting because I observed things that happened on the layout but that I didn't fully understood (number and relation between industries).
The new concept will be focussed on different switching districts: The harbour, Giffard Suburb (light industry), the Limoilou Yard and Villeneuve Suburb. We have 4 DCC cabs, one loosely assigned to each district.
It means we have to redesign completely Hedleyville insdustrial switching district. Instead of focussing on CNR trackage, we decided to inspire ourselves with the QRL&PCo part of Hedley-Junction. The Limoilou part is now rendered as Villeneuve and it's double track electrified mainline. Industries are St. Lawrence Cement plant and Brique Citadelle. (Yes, the industries I just build a few weeks ago on the other part of the layout will move there! Reinhard isn't the only one to change is layout spontaneously!). The actual cement plant is very large, but the trackage is insufficient to make it interesting to operate. The new one will be more prototypical and will have its own industrial switcher. Also, Brique Citadelle will now be rail-served. A few of you will be happy because Legrade Meat Packing is coming back stronger than ever before on the layout. This industry is too much versatile to be neglected anymore. Most Limoilou's industries will now serve as backdrop to the yard, making a nice urban setting. Another change is the yard itself. It stay the same, but is becoming the QRL&PCo property. They had a 4 tracks small freight yard interchanging with the large CNR yard at Hedley. How small yard is very similar to it.
![[Image: Hedleyville_26_zpsa3ef758b.jpg]](http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt111/sailormatlac/Hedley%20Junction/Hedleyville_26_zpsa3ef758b.jpg)
Moving industries leave bare land on the other room. That means the part where I recently added a new highway overpass is now becoming Giffard, a suburb deserved by QRL&PCo. It makes sense because the overpass prototype was Bld Ste-Anne in Giffard. There was a dense industrial core there including Canadian Prefabrication (a woodworking shop), Sico Paints (still there) and J.A. Raymond Sawmill. There will be enough action to make an operator busy there.
![[Image: LAnse-aux-Foulons11_zps5f91144d.jpg]](http://i603.photobucket.com/albums/tt111/sailormatlac/Hedley%20Junction/LAnse-aux-Foulons11_zps5f91144d.jpg)
In a modelling perspective, I find the new changes much more interesting. First of all, they are all industries I've seen when I was a kid and that are rooted deeply in my railway memories. Also, most of them are quite typical of the area and will make the layout easily recognizeable to visitors unfamiliar with trains (It's much more interesting for me to model specific locations dear to me than fiddle with generic scenes). Finally, modelling the QRL&PCo industrial district will put in good use the cars I've built so far for this railway and that were often kept in captive service.
Matt
Friday night, we rebuilt the northern end of Hedley yard. The small radius Peco setrack turnouts ended up a lot of trouble for many locomotives and freight car. Now, it's a pinwheel ladder made of Peco large radius curved turnouts. Very similar to what was done at Bassin Louise yard a few months ago.
Our operation pattern is evolving so the layout must evolve. Lately, it appeared we enjoyed making short local freight trains and doing switching in industrial districts. Reading the last article by Lance Mindheim was interesting because I observed things that happened on the layout but that I didn't fully understood (number and relation between industries).
The new concept will be focussed on different switching districts: The harbour, Giffard Suburb (light industry), the Limoilou Yard and Villeneuve Suburb. We have 4 DCC cabs, one loosely assigned to each district.
It means we have to redesign completely Hedleyville insdustrial switching district. Instead of focussing on CNR trackage, we decided to inspire ourselves with the QRL&PCo part of Hedley-Junction. The Limoilou part is now rendered as Villeneuve and it's double track electrified mainline. Industries are St. Lawrence Cement plant and Brique Citadelle. (Yes, the industries I just build a few weeks ago on the other part of the layout will move there! Reinhard isn't the only one to change is layout spontaneously!). The actual cement plant is very large, but the trackage is insufficient to make it interesting to operate. The new one will be more prototypical and will have its own industrial switcher. Also, Brique Citadelle will now be rail-served. A few of you will be happy because Legrade Meat Packing is coming back stronger than ever before on the layout. This industry is too much versatile to be neglected anymore. Most Limoilou's industries will now serve as backdrop to the yard, making a nice urban setting. Another change is the yard itself. It stay the same, but is becoming the QRL&PCo property. They had a 4 tracks small freight yard interchanging with the large CNR yard at Hedley. How small yard is very similar to it.
Moving industries leave bare land on the other room. That means the part where I recently added a new highway overpass is now becoming Giffard, a suburb deserved by QRL&PCo. It makes sense because the overpass prototype was Bld Ste-Anne in Giffard. There was a dense industrial core there including Canadian Prefabrication (a woodworking shop), Sico Paints (still there) and J.A. Raymond Sawmill. There will be enough action to make an operator busy there.
In a modelling perspective, I find the new changes much more interesting. First of all, they are all industries I've seen when I was a kid and that are rooted deeply in my railway memories. Also, most of them are quite typical of the area and will make the layout easily recognizeable to visitors unfamiliar with trains (It's much more interesting for me to model specific locations dear to me than fiddle with generic scenes). Finally, modelling the QRL&PCo industrial district will put in good use the cars I've built so far for this railway and that were often kept in captive service.
Matt
Proudly modelling Quebec Railway Light & Power Company since 1997.
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/
Hedley-Junction Club Layout: http://www.hedley-junction.blogspot.com/
Erie 149th Street Harlem Station http://www.harlem-station.blogspot.com/