Small Rail-Served Stone/Aggregate Industry

[Mike Kieran]

My thoughts on the gravel railroad were to start the day at the engine house, connect onto the train of empty hoppers sitting on the main line and run the train engine first up to the gravel company spur (you can even run laps for added mileage). You would then uncouple from the train, throw the gravel spur switch, couple onto the loaded gravel train, run it out onto the main line, throw the gravel spur switch again, and couple onto the train of empties. You would uncouple the caboose from the empties, pull the train clear of the gravel spur switch, throw the switch, push the empties onto the spur, pull the train of loaded hoppers clear of the spur, couple onto the caboose and shove the train to the pier caboose first.

When you reach the pier, you would push the train onto the spur next to the pier. You would then uncouple the train from the caboose, pull the loaded hoppers back, throw the switch for the pier and shove the train until they couple onto the empties sitting on the pier. You would then pull the entire train back until you clear the switch, throw the switch, shove the empties until they couple onto the caboose, and uncouple the loaded hoppers from the empties. You would pull the loaded hoppers clear of the pier switch, throw the switch, shove the loads onto the pier, uncouple the engine from the train, pull the engine clear of the switch, throw the switch, and start the process all over again.

It should be noted that the gravel pier is enclosed to keep down the dust from the gravel. The Branford Steam Railroad enclosed their pier because local residents were complaining of the dust blowing onto their expensive waterfront homes.

The barges that are loaded hold between 800 and 1200 tons of gravel, depending on the size of the gravel. I've seen up to 12 barges sitting around the harbor at Juniper Point on Google Maps for the Branford Steam Railroad. Look up Tilcon Road, Branford, CT on Google Maps.

The gravel company can consist of anything from Walther's Glacier Gravel Company to Faller Gravel Silos to a front end loader filling up the hopper cars.

I didn't put any runarounds on the layout for several reasons. Railroads try to do without extra track if they can, the lack of a runaround gives the layout a cleaner appearance without attaching a too short runaround, and I like cabooses. Empties are shoved back to the gravel pit caboose first like on the Milford and Bennington RR.

The gravel company could be switched for another industry such as a coal mine or a sand mine, or even a GERN mine.

I also didn't put in an interchange because The railroad just shuttles trains between the gravel pit and the pier.

Any number of engines can be used from 0-4-0Ts to GP-38s, depending on the era you're modelling.

I also wanted to note that the road running through the layout is 3 inches higher than the track. add in that the buildings are adding to the height of the layout and you end up with a scene divider to break the layout into 2 distinct areas.