L&N Industrial Rail Spur

[FCIN]

So,here's a very rough draft for what I have planned my head..
The layout is 12" x 7' and is N Scale.

Larry;
Appreciate you taking the time to do this. I'm not that great with drawing up plans either. Been using the demo version of AnyRail, mainly because it includes correct templates for Peco turnouts and Atlas track. But sometimes the plan in your head actually works much better than spending hours learning and working with a CAD program.

I have found that there is no substitute for actually test fitting the track and temporarily pinning down sections of flex track. Just gives me a better feel for how things will or won't fit together. I tend to get frustrated when I can't get a CAD program to match the image in my head.

Your plan is very interesting and pretty darn big for N scale. You must be in to my modeling era too as I see several of those colorful short line IPD box cars in the photo. I sure do miss those days! I probably have Kodachrome slides of every one of those that ever hit the rails.

We would avoid shoving cars as much as possible because one of us would need to protect the shove by hanging on the side of the end car and flag crossings. Picture doing that in the rain,sleet,snow,summer's heat and freezing cold weather.

Oh goodness, I couldn't tell you how many times I've hung on the side of a box car until my arms ached in that kind of weather! When I worked for the F&C and we switched Old Granddad Distillery, we had to shove our train about 3/4 miles down their spur to the gate every night! Fortunately, most of the time we had a coal hopper or covered hopper that we could ride giving a little shelter from the weather.

Ed,I forgot to mention I plan on having at least one crossing that gets blocked during switching moves.

I too, plan on having one or two road crossings to block while switching on whatever my layout ends being. Always enjoyed doing that whenever possible on the "real" thing.

Ed, loved the commentary....

Well thanks Gary! I figured I was boring everyone silly. I get to remembering stuff and tend to just run on and on at times. More often than not, I don't get my thoughts down correctly in written words and the brain tends to run a heck of a lot faster than the fingers! Got to admit that I really miss those days "workin' on the railroad". But at least we can run our own railroads and get out and watch or photograph what's going on with the prototypes.

[Gary S]

Ed, since the majority of us haven't ever worked on a real railroad, I find it highly interesting and educational to hear from guys like you and Brakie. Anytime you have comments on the operations of the real railroads, please give them!

[Brakie]

Ed wrote:I have found that there is no substitute for actually test fitting the track and temporarily pinning down sections of flex track. Just gives me a better feel for how things will or won't fit together. I tend to get frustrated when I can't get a CAD program to match the image in my head.
--------------------------------
Absolutely! I figure I will change things a tad once I start laying track...A 12" x 7' is a lot of N Scale real estate.
-------------------------------
Ed wrote:You must be in to my modeling era too as I see several of those colorful short line IPD box cars in the photo. I sure do miss those days! I probably have Kodachrome slides of every one of those that ever hit the rails.
------------------------------

When I switch primary scales from HO to N I swore I wouldn't indulge in collecting short line IPD boxcars like I did in HO.

However,I just can't seem to pass by those colorful boxcars that I recall so well..So,my C&HV is sit in '78/79.

And yes that's why all my industries (except the power plant and Landstar) uses boxcars.

[FCIN]

However,I just can't seem to pass by those colorful boxcars that I recall so well..

Know that feeling all too well. I really need more "common" freight cars - L&N, C&O, Sou, etc. from the late 70's to early 80's but whenever I see an IPD short line box that I like - well, out comes the wallet! As for the "common" stuff - airbrush and decals will take care of that.
Right now I'm on a quest to find one of the Athearn/Roundhouse East Camden & Highland (EACH) 50 foot box cars. They brought them out at least a year ago and I can't locate one any where. Used to see both the 50' and 60' versions of those pretty frequently.

[train_guy]

IMHO I would go with track plan #2,and add another track to the staging tracks.Reason being is because if you have empty's already staged at all your industries,they will need a place to go(staging)to be shipped outbound,and another track(staging) for inbound(loaded).I think it will add more switching oppurtunities for ya

Don Shriner

[Brakie]

Ed,Those East Camden & Highland boxcars are hard to find..I walked through 4 buildings full of vendors at the Berea train show and didn't see one..I'll like to add one to my HO collection.

[MountainMan]

If I may, I would like to add a single comment - can you angle those overpasses just a little bit to eliminate the "right angle" look?

[Brakie]

If I may, I would like to add a single comment - can you angle those overpasses just a little bit to eliminate the "right angle" look?

Interesting thought..

I been thinking of a overpass for my layout-a Interstate type- but,that remains to be seen.

[FCIN]

IMHO I would go with track plan #2,and add another track to the staging tracks.Reason being is because if you have empty's already staged at all your industries,they will need a place to go(staging)to be shipped outbound,and another track(staging) for inbound(loaded).I think it will add more switching oppurtunities for ya
Don Shriner

Don;
Plan is that the inbound train would be staged - enter the layout and switch the industries as required, then go back to staging with the outbound cars. All the outbound cars would then be removed from staging and a new inbound batch staged for the next operating session. I don't like for the same cars to always be on the layout or in every operating session. I have enough equipment that a car would not reappear on the layout after going "off-line" until about 5 or 6 operating sessions later (figuring an average of 4 or 5 cars inbound each session). But adding a second staging track could allow for having say a first shift and third shift crew switch the layout each session.

...can you angle those overpasses just a little bit to eliminate the "right angle" look?

If I include the highway overpass, which I probably will, I will angle it some. Same with road crossings, if it looks right and fits with the track/industry foot print.

Rix Products has a kit for two different style two lane highway overpasses that are 150 scale feet in length and the 18 inch layout width is roughly 130 scale feet, so shouldn't be much of a problem. My track plan designs are pretty rough and I just use them as a starting point. Once I start testing turnout locations and track locations, things tend to change for one reason or another.

I been thinking of a overpass for my layout-a Interstate type ...

Larry;
Have considered the Interstate/4 lane type overpass myself, but that would take up a lot of width compared to a two lane overpass. Still, it could be one way to fill in some of the space if I go with all the turnouts as facing point. One thing I want to avoid as much as possible, is having the first industrial spur on the "main" layout be very close to a bare (no scenery) staging area or staging cassette. Best example of what I'm talking about would be Lance Mindheim's East Rail layout: http://www.lancemindheim.com/track_plan.htm
On that layout, when you're switching the Colmar Storage warehouse, the train is actually on a bare staging cassette most of the time. Not that there is anything wrong with that, just that it would spoil the overall effect for me, if the engine and most of the train were not on the scenic part of the layout. Removable or permanent, I'd have it wide enough to allow putting at least minimal scenery on it so it would "feel" like part of the overall layout, if you understand what I'm trying to convey.

As for the EACH box cars. I've searched the Internet, train shows and every hobby shop I run across to no avail. Maybe one day, when I least expect it, I'll find one. Can no longer get the Herald King decal sets, so painting one myself is pretty much out of the question at this point.

[Brakie]

Ed,Here's 2 cars you may want to add to your "hunt list".The light blue Aberdeen & Rockfish 50' boxcar and the Fonda Johnstown and Gloversville 50 boxcar.

Both was produce by Bev-Bev using Athearn ACF(Railbox) 50' boxcars.

[FCIN]

Ed,Here's 2 cars you may want to add to your "hunt list".The light blue Aberdeen & Rockfish 50' boxcar and the Fonda Johnstown and Gloversville 50 boxcar.

Both was produce by Bev-Bev using Athearn ACF(Railbox) 50' boxcars.

Larry;
I checked the Bev-Bel web site (Now Mainline Model Miniatures) http://www.bev-bel.com/ and they list both of those cars in HO. No photos available. In N scale they list an Aberdeen & Rockfish 50 foot box in a gray/black scheme only. Got to admit I never saw one in that paint back in the day, but saw plenty of the blue/yellow cars. Might have to see about that.

[FCIN]

Thought it was time to revitalize this thread, since my current ISL is a freelance L&N industrial spur and I have temporarily laid the current version of the proposed track plan and have been operating it quite frequently. Of course being able to operate the layout has a one big drawback - nothing else gets done! Well, actually more would get done, but with my current heart issues and pending surgery, operating and testing out the plan is sure better than doing nothing at all! It has also allowed me to see where some things on my plan needed to be changed/adjusted. Something I highly recommend that anyone do before making things permanent.

This is the track plan as it is currently laid out and being operated:     Currently, I'm just using the existing 20ft long bench work, but I do plan on adding an additional 6ft long staging track on the left side of the plan to provide a bit longer run for the train before it enters the working part of the layout. That will just have to wait for now and as it is, I can operate the plan just fine simply by staging the train on the left end of the plan. Must say that I'm enjoying being able to switch the industries on the layout and a typical operating session takes on average 45 minutes to an hour, depending on what is to be placed/pulled from the industries, and that's without doing any more than operating at prototypical speeds, waiting a second or two between each move and noting the time that cars were placed/pulled on the switch list.

Although purely freelance, there are several locations where I worked on the prototype L&N that this industrial spur could be located. Industries as shown on the plan, with number of car spots indicated thus (n); consist of Lowes Lumber, Midwest Distribution, Durkee Foods, Superior Meats and Bloomer Chocolates. All of which are based on actual industries from around the country and which support my freight car fleet. Although all the industries are based on prototypes, I picked names for most of them that would be more appropriate/familiar for my area, the one exception being Bloomer Chocolates and it will get another name at some point so as not to be pinpointed to a specific location.

Can't say that this will positively be the final track arrangement, but it is working out very well. There is of course no need for a runaround track on the plan and a couple of plans I've drawn up that would include a runaround, just never look or feel right to me. That's not to say that before I start final construction, I might not have a brain storm and come up with a different plan! But at some point you have to stop planning and start constructing!

[FCIN]

Although a couple of these photos have been posted on another thread of mine, thought it would be a good idea to re-post them to show the structure mockups that I put together for the current track plan. They are all made from 3/16in foam board that I picked up for a dollar a sheet at a local craft store. They really help to get a feel for how things fit together and work out on the current plan.

This view is looking toward the south end of the layout (all spurs/branch lines on the L&N were considered southward timetable direction off the main line). On the right is Bloomer Chocolates. Superior Meats and Durkee Foods on the left. The school bus is sitting where a street will cross the spur.     In this view, we're looking over the top of Bloomer Chocolates at Superior Meats and Durkee Foods.     In this view we're looking northward past Bloomer Chocolates at Durkee Foods and Superior Meats. The cardboard tubes are stand in's for the cocoa bean storage silos. Structure in the distance will be a non-rail served building with an abandoned track in front of it. (Coffee cup stains on the foam added for dramatic effect).     Another view looking northward on the spur. Bloomer Chocolates on the left, Durkee Foods/Superior Meats on the right. The section of what looks like double track at the extreme end of this photo is not on the current plan, but was simply a test I was doing at the time of the photo, where I was staging two trains. Didn't like that at all, but may be used on the staging extension.     Finally a view of the south end of the spur showing the Lowes Lumber track on the right and Midwest Distribution warehouse on the left. L&N 5030, an MP15dc in the Family Lines paint scheme, has just finished spotting a car at Lowes and is getting ready to work Midwest. Although not shown in this photograph, we always operate the spur with a caboose on the end of the train and a four man crew (circa 1980). The small structure at Lowes was just placed there to fill in the area, but in my plan, most of the track will be in a concrete pad, surrounded by a chain link fence. The Co-Op feed truck is sitting where another street will cross the spur.     That's it for now. Hopefully within the next couple of months, I can start some actual construction on the layout. I'd sure like to get something more permanent done, as would the wife who is constantly on my case about working on the layout!

[Brakie]

Ed,I'm jealous.I wish I was that far along with my Slate Creek ISL..The final hold up was changing from C80 track to C55 track which looks far better and closer to scale..

Your layout plan shaped up quite nicely.

I forgot to mention..Looks like there is a lot of switching to be done..

[faraway]

Although a couple of these photos ...

That looks good. I can "smell" all the switching going on
What did you use for the mockups? It look like a thick material, no styrene or card stock. The walls with a realistic thickness look very good even they are mockups only. May be it is an option for the final structures too?