0perations on the Kings Port Division

[Charlie B]

I was able to open it twice. It is a PDF file, let me know if I have to I can email it. I just had to save it because it had some Kiski JUnction train symbols too.
Charlie

[Ralph]

After the cars have been dropped off a pair of GP38-2s couple onto the set outs and form a train. This is the Kings Port Turn that will serve local industries both in Kings Port and West Mill. It's direction of travel allows it to follow the "siding" and reach West Mill without using the hidden track behind West Mill. This way the two trains parked in staging remain where they are while this train switches Booms Ready Mix, the team track, KOSCO, Gern, and the scrap yard.




Team Track


Booms Ready Mix


Booms Ready Mix


KOSCO (Kings Port Oil Supply Co.)


KOSCO (Kings Port Oil Supply Co.)


Pushing tankers and covered hoppers into GERN





Scrap Yard






Removeable Scrap Load


Running with caboose only after setting out all cars. I could arrange some picksups to bring back to Kings Port.

[jwb]

Ralph, I really like the pile of scrap in the fourth photo above. Can you give us more info on how you did it?

[Ralph]

Thanks! I carved a block of foam into a hill shape, covered it with spackle and then painted it a dark brown color. Then I randomly spray painted a sheet of aluminum foil several colors to suggest the colors of autombiles run through the scrap yard's car shredder, and cut the foil into small pieces. I sprayed the foam hill with adhesive and applied foil pieces to cover it. After that I sprayed it with red brown primer to represent rust.

Ralph

[Charlie B]

Ralph, you have a layout that just looks natural. everything fits and fits well, and the detailing is great. When you make changes it just makes things different. It's hard to improve on this layout. I have missed so many little things because they are where they belong. I hope I can accomplish half as much.
Charlie

[Ralph]

Thank you Charlie! The layout has been under construction since we moved into our home in 1993. It underwent a revision about nine years ago or so when we needed electrical work done in our ceiling and I had to dismantle a section of the railroad to accommodate the electrician. After he left I removed an annoying duckunder and the current track plan was born. I tended to work faast with scenary and structures but have been going back to improve things. Its been a gradual process. My thread in the Blog section (which I haven't posted in for a while despite continued changes) describes changes I've made and has some photos of how things used to be. I am trying to be more patient, thoughtful, and careful in my improvements. I'm pleased with some of my more recent efforts.

Focusing on operations is a new part of this aim to improve the layout. I'm trying to take full advantage of the layout as it is and figure a good ops scheme. Most modelers do this the other way around, of course, design the layout for operations and THEN build it!

Its been very rewarding to work on all my recent improvments and I look forward to seeing what else I can tweak. Photos of the layout are my best motivation. They give me a good objective view and lead me to think.."I can do that better".

By the way, the info you sent me about train symbols will definitely make operations more interesting and fun!

Thanks!
Ralph

[shortliner]

Ralph - a possible complicatimg factor for your railroad operations

[Ralph]

I've never seen that before! The dice were certainly against the Penn Central sometimes. The winter of 1970 was particularly bad and caused a lot of problems on the system. I'm not sure I'm ready to add weather complications to my layout but its a fun idea. Think of the possibilities...flooding that forces re-routing, excessive heat that causes rail expansion and derailments, tornados that tip over box cars!

[cn nutbar]

Hello Ralph---very well thought out --- some realistic operations to compliment the excellent scenery

[Ralph]

Thank you!

Speaking of operations....while the Kings Port Turn is switching local industries another operator could man the KP&W run to Empire Grain. It emerges from a hidden spur behind the West Mill Commuter Station.






Covered hoppers are placed under loading awnings...box cars are set out in front of loading doors. The power is uncoupled and temporarily parks on the Float yard lead.

As an alternative, the locos can emerge from the tunnel running light, pick up cars farther down the complex at the two spurs under the larger loading bay, and pull them off layout onto the hidden spur.

[Ralph]

The last work to be done is the "Steel Job" which is simply a loco picking up various cars at Kings Port Steel and pulling them to Williams Yard (i.e. pulling them as far as the tracks I call the entrance to Williams Yard since the yard itself is not actually on the layout.)


This Bachmann Spectrum GP35 runs surprisingly smoothly at slow speeds over the complex track at Kings Port Steel.

Work begins by pulling a string of loaded covered steel coil gons. I've always like these peculiar "clam shell" cars which I understand were used internally at Bethlehem steel. I'm not sure they actually got on the road. I like them, however, so on my road they do travel a bit.




Here is an open one with a load inside. I made these coils out of paper, based on an article in Model Railroader.


Empty scrap metal gons are also pulled.


Scrap gons are unloaded here...

[Tyson Rayles]

Wow, that's a lot of shots of a really great layout Ralph!

[jwb]

Like everyone else, I could look at those photos for hours. Excellent job! If you're looking for more operating scope at the steel mill, you could always have a train of bottle cars separated by gons going offstage as well.

[Ralph]

Thanks guys! This is becoming my favorite thread about my layout.

As Charlie mentioned earlier it would be great to have a commuter run or other passenger service to make things more complicated. I could pull out this RDC at any time (of course, I'll set up a schedule!) to make things more interesting!
There are two stations; West Mill and Kings Port...

[AF350]

Ralph,
Have been a fan of your KP&W trains ever scence joining the forum, now after seeing them in their natural habitat the layout is as good as any I have ever seen. Lots of great scenery. May be one day The BFT will be more than a few locos that ran on the club layout a few times. Your layout is a great insperation to modeling. Well done.