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CSX Big Flat Subdivision Dream and design
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Regular poster 296 posts mu26aeh Regular poster 296 posts
mu26aeh

I have lived in the Gettysburg, PA area all my life, so my modeling preferences follow as so.  Growing up, we lived about 300 yards from the Chessie System (former Western Maryland Dutch Line).  I had a large rock, about the size of a small sedan, I would race to when I heard a train approach.  Traffic along the line is numerous boxcars and covered hoppers with a few tankers and centerbeam cars thrown in as well.  The line also has 3 interchanges, one at Highfield (Maryland Midland), Gettysburg (Gettysburg Railroad), and a third at Porters Siding (YorkRail).

My model railroad is loosely based on the area.  I have a branch line with a large paper mill (PH Gladfelter is a major customer for YorkRail in Spring Grove) that I have 2 Gettysburg engines to power this line.


The CSX mainline features a yard, ADM grain elevator, New River Mine, printing companies, a lumber distributor, and a flour mill.  I had a member of Trainboard help out with the layout design, but have a few issues with things now that benchwork is built and 90 % of track is laid.  Good thing is not is permanent and I can change things rather easily.

Problem I am having is the plan calls for a 2+% grade on an S-curve leaving the yard, which sometimes the trains have a problem pulling.  Also, I'm thinking the yard is too big for the size layout I have.  Perhaps some of the layout design guru's can help out with some ideas, or redesign.  I have included a picture of the rough measurements I am working with.  I have lost contact with the gentleman that originally drew up this plan from Trainboard, have not seen him post anything in a while, nor have I gotten any replies from emails sent.



The area by the geothermal heat pump, to above the workbench, I have marked as a spot for future staging, as seen in the layout plan
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Bill Brillinger Moderator 4,904 posts
Bill Brillinger

2%? More Power!

The obvious solution is to add more power on that train!

Is the grade in question at the top of the yard in the drawing or around the bottom on the right?

Bill Brillinger

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, Admin for the RailPro User Group, and owner of Precision Design Co.
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mu26aeh Regular poster 296 posts
mu26aeh

The grade in question is

The grade in question is around the bottom of the yard, making the sweeping left turn upgrade.  I have included a closer up view.  Some of track has been changed.  In picture, it shows coal mine on a branch at 2.5 %, and mainline at 1.5 %, but that had to be increased to get track over the lower mainline.

http://s118.photobucket.com/user/mu26aeh/media/Trainroom-CSXGP38-Coalmine-01_zps99f43c06.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0

Also, the ADM grain elevator was moved to the top left where the dual main comes from the divider
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Bill Brillinger Moderator 4,904 posts
Bill Brillinger

Eliminate one of the crossings

If you can live without the mainline crossing itself so many times, you can lengthen that grade significantly.

(Alternate path in red)

misc%202.JPG 

This would also allow you to move the mine further up and away from the yard.

Bill Brillinger

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, Admin for the RailPro User Group, and owner of Precision Design Co.
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Bill Brillinger Moderator 4,904 posts
Bill Brillinger

2 possible re-arrangements

Here are 2 re-arrangements for the mine and main to consider.

misc%203.JPG 

 

or

 

misc%204.JPG 

 

 

Bill Brillinger

Modeling the BNML in HO Scale, Admin for the RailPro User Group, and owner of Precision Design Co.
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mu26aeh Regular poster 296 posts
mu26aeh

Thanks for the suggestions,

Thanks for the suggestions, that's more help in a couple days then I've gotten on railwire in over a month.  To the basement !
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mu26aeh Regular poster 296 posts
mu26aeh

Progress made, but it's in

Progress made, but it's in the wrong direction.  After looking at suggestions and thinking how things worked before, I ended up tearing up more then half the layout.  Basically tore out from the 3 track exit of yard throat at bottom all the way around to upper right hand side of layout diagram.  Back to the drawing board !  And after that, probably tear up the other part (part or whole) to meet up with new designs in the redone part.
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mu26aeh Regular poster 296 posts
mu26aeh

Trains are back up and

Trains are back up and running on the sub.  I've cut the grade from the mainline, and have taken the second suggestion and run with it for now.  The coal mine area will run from a switch to form a branch line, with a 2-2.5% grade.
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