GEC's Layout Progress

[Green_Elite_Cab]

Well, I can't sleep, so i'll post some pictures. They aren't necessarily new, but they kinda show where I'm at.

First off, still need to get that catenary up. It took ALL DAY to build that one span. I'm still searching for tools to make it easier.



I've added extra tracks to help the layout operate a little better. One of the primary issues i face is that the base layout, which is known as the "Callahan Central", never really matched the kind of layout I wanted. It featured an "SW" and a GP18, and maybe a few 40' cars. I only made things worse by adding more industrial tracks when i first built the layout. While i only run slight larger trains like GP40-2s and 50' cars, the length adds up, and so the yard is almost beyond capacity, and i've had to dig up increasingly smaller locomotives to run the industrial park (I now replaced my 44 tonner with a trackmobile).

Luckily, i've managed to make enough changes to the way it all operates that i can pull off some what of an operating session. The trains still eventually end up stretching across the layout and around to the other side, but with the passing tracks i've added, it makes things alot easier to run, in either direction, without interupting the work of other trains.



One solution I had was to replace some of the old industries There used to be an oil loading platform where this loading dock is, but it didn't really fit well where it was. This way, i can have about 5 boxcars parked by American Hardware Supply at full capacity, and i don't necessarily have to remove all the boxcars at once. While this essentialy limits me to box cars and hoppers (at the plastic pellet transfer), I could always through a flat car in. Who knows?



My 44 tonner works, but it is a tight fit between it and two 50' cars. The trackmobile works much better. These are scenes from when i still had oil on my layout





A lot of the action goes on at the front, by the yard. This is a pre-passing track photo, but the job is relatively the same. The passing tracks would allow this locomotive to switch the interchange without having to go all the way around the layout to use the original run around. They also allow the locomotive to sort cars in the yard without fouling the main.



You can see here how the Locomotives can pull around the train so that it can push it out on to the interchange (which is just left of the camera). In the past, this would not be possible, atleast not easily.



In an effort to downsize, i've also stopped running some of my larger push-pull NJ transit trains, and switched over to Electric Multiple Units. I do have some Arrow III EMUs that need to be built, but for now, these Pennsylvania RR Silverliner IIs work fine. Its still relatively common to find a pair of these old EMUs (although in SEPTA rather than Pennsy) running about PA, and my layout is generically eastern enough for that to fly.



I'm hoping to try and get everything so that it can function while i plan my new layout, which will be able to handle the larger trains i'd like.

Thats the state of the layout for now, more pictures of the AC6000CW, Trackmobile, J1, and some other scenery items i've been working on soon.