First benchwork

Well, it's time put my self to work in the home layout and to stop making excuses. 

I still have to finish my N scale showcase layout (you can see more here), but that can be finished later.

So, as I mentioned before, I have a spare room, a storage room, where I am building the thing. It will be New England in 1980 (this is year because it my birth year) so I am going to try and pay attention to the rolling stock stencils. That time and place because, after some research and inspiration on other layouts, but the AGR in particular,  I like the look of some of the fallen flags on that time and place. I won't follow any prototype, just taking ideas and inspiration from other layouts I've seen.

The room is roughly 5 x 2,20 meters, and I can't take all the walls, because... it's a storage room. 

 Last weekend I started to build some of the bench work. It's an around the walls shelf with 35 cms with a small center peninsula. I think that some places the layout will be a bit larger and in other places smaller. 

The idea is to have a short line with two or three rail costumers and one or two trains per op sessions, and a reeeeeally small yard. I think I can manage this.

This is the shelf I am talking about, but never mind the track. That was just to get a mainline size (almost 12m).

This was the work of the last weekend:

Track is PECO code 83 because it is easier to get here, in Portugal. It's a bit heavy for short lines I know, but I have to work with what I have...

This leads me to a question... should I have some cork roadbed, or should the track go directly on the bench work.

I think that I'm going without roadbed, so that I can have some track buried in the mud.... 

Our Jedi master Joe Fugate once wrote that he sees a lot of layouts that get started, but won't get finished. I hope that this layout won't be another example.

May the for... track be with us!

Cheers.

Good Start

Looks like a good start.  Keep us posted!

Joe

Thanks!

Thanks.

I'll try to concentrate the building diary on this thread.

Cheers!

Things are going...

Slowly, but going...

I started to do some fiddling with track. OK, OK, I know that it is a rather known track alignemnt, but hey.. it works! 

Looking to the left: 

Looking to the right:
 

That small shelf on that far end is a folding shelf, so that I can get  acess to that Ikea cabinet, where I keep my modeling stuff.

That's kind of a small "staging track". With almost 120cm of track, I can get the train from and into this shelf, so that trains can come and go somewhere at each session.

This first "shelf", I intend to have a feed mill and a lumber shed. The track next to the drill could be a pulpwood yard (still trying to figure it out).

This is that track plan so far...

 

Any thoughts are more that welcome!

 

May the Track be with you.

Yeah I like that.. Looks great so far. Put in a couple of corner triangles as a safety measure. What are you using to run things with?

Jack

Sorry, didn't understand

Hi.

Jack, I didn't understand your question, sorry.

Suggestions and modifications for your layout

Hello Luis,

Since you asked for thoughts about your design, I took that offer and have come up with the following:

Since you wanted to be able to operate 2 trains, I separated the activities into 2 zones.  Zone 1 would be the yard, lumber /team track siding, feed mill siding, log loading and the interchange. Zone 2 would be the cement plant and the proposed OSB manufacturing plant at the end of the line. You could run either train or both by yourself or with friends. The round circles represent fir and pine trees that help define the zones of activity.

If you would like, I can share with you how I'd operate this railroad in another posting.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran Akron, OH

That's it!

Hi Tim. Thank you so much for the suggestion! That extra track on the yard makes it all different! I really enjoy how that changes all that side of the layout.

The only problem aI have at the moment, is that I can't build the peninsula. On paper it looks right, but the room becames too filled, and the aisles are too narrow. We are talking about 40/50 cms... and thants not enough. 

So the wife suggested to stretch the benckwork to all 4m on that wall.

Spent some time on Scarm, trying to figure how can I take that Industry on that shelf...

Tim...again, thank you for your help. One last question.. How can this layout be operated? I really don't know a thing about operating a layout in a realistic way, and your help would be precious!!

Best wishes.

Suggestions and modifications for your layout, Plan B

Luis,

I understand about tight spots and aisles. In this latest version, I brought some "helpers" to show clearance points. I modified the peninsula space a little to try and keep the OSB plant design somewhat intact. 

The open space to the right of the log unloading spot could simply be piles of logs waiting to be processed. I would not try to squeeze the plant into the space. A representative amount of the buildings should suffice. We are after the rail activity, after all.

If this modification meets your approval, then we can talk about operations. The yard switcher is at the interchange / staging with today's traffic.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

That's it!

Hi Tim.

It seems to me that you have mind reading capabilities...

This is more than approved! I think that this way I can have a lot of fun, with few turnouts. Thanks!

About the scenery, I'll try to have a "Mike Confalone" approach, like he as done with his St. Regis Paper mill: We don't need the full building, just parts of it, so that we can justify the rail traffic.

Your help has been great! I still need to finish the benchwork for this, but now I have a purpose.

Won't be able to work on the layout on the next days: I have to get my small N Scale show case layout (more on that here:  https://forum.mrhmag.com/post/scenery-work-is-fun-12203227) to attend a show on the 29th May. And I also have to get things prepared to to my son's birthday party.. he is going to be 2 years old, also on the 29th May...

I am curious how can this be operated! Waiting to see that train moving, Tim...

Thanks! 
 

Changing customers?

Luis,

I was thinking that the lumber shed might be changed to a propane dealership, if you are interested. Lumber could be unloaded at the team track, if necessary. Having team track spots opens up many possible loads / customers.

Also, have you thought about a name for your railroad? On a similar note, I was thinking the OSB plant could be called "Nor-wood OSB, St. Luis division".

Before I share how I would operate the layout, I want to go over the "business" information that drives the movement of cars and products. Please be patient since I'm returning from vacation this weekend.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran Akron, OH (via Custer, South Dakota)

That's Ok!

Hi Tim.

I have been thinking about the name, and I would like to get my son's name into the layout's name in some way. Two years ago I started a switching layout that was called the "DuarteVille & Indiana Railroad". That layout had to be sold be cause I made a house move...

So, having his name there would be terrific.

The industries / costumers must have somthing to do with the names that exist on my familiy: For instace, I already have a name for the Cemet Costumer: "Kathia Cements". Cátia is my wife's name.

The name you suggested is great for me! 

About the costumers, do you think having the propane dealer would give more operational interest? What kind of cars will be necessary?

Please remember that I am trying to build the layout in the 80's - my birth year was 1980 and my wife's birth year was 1982).

Tim, take your time. Your help has been great. With your help, I think that I'm going to have a great layout so that my friends can share it with me! 

Best wishes!

Naming Locations

Luis,

I would NEVER associate a loud and dusty industry with my wife! (grin)

How about naming the railroad "The Cátia Branch"? You could name the town area Duarte.

The suggestion about the propane dealer was based on 2 thoughts. 1) I've seen lots of New England based modules with propane dealers and 2) it would be easy for beginners to know where the BIG tank car goes. Most people I know that model propane dealers have 2 cars. One being delivered and one being picked up.

If you really like the lumber shed where it was, you could change the pulpwood location to the propane dealer. Keep it a safer distance from town!

The logs could all be brought in on the staging track and changing the pulpwood siding to another customer would allow for different type of car on your railroad!

One last thought for this message. If you like building scenery, a small stream between the staging area and the yard could add a nice bridge scene to that area.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

Great!

Tim,

That's great! Let's turn the pulpwood area into the propane dealer! 

The bridge between this and the yard was already in my mind, because I think that I need those kind of "tricks" to make things apart and separate the scenes.

I thought on naming the cement dealer with my wife's name, because she is the foundation of our family and I owe a lot to her.

But naming the entire railroad to "Cátia Branchline" with the down having the name of the kid, that's great.

So, "The Cátia Branch" will be. 

About the propane dealer and removing a costumer: Would the pulpwood cars be loaded / unloaded on "the rest of the world"?

Tim, once again, thank you so much for all your help, and I am sorry if this taking too much time! 

I am really a newbie when it comes to planning a railroad with operations in mind.

Supporting your business customers

Luis,

This is where we change from model trains to model railroad. We now have identified most of the customers for your branch and need to service them. Let's start at the propane supply and work around the layout:

Propane supply - receives full propane cars / ships empty car - 1 tank car spot - gets new tank car every other session.

Feed mill - receives full covered hoppers (grain and suppliments for feed), box cars (empty bags for feed), and tank cars (molasses for feed) / ships full box cars (bagged feed) - make 1 spot on this siding for each type of car. Covered hoppers and box cars every other session and a tank car every 3rd session.

Team track - receives almost any car type based on customer. For your location, I'd think about a mechanical refrigerator car (groceries - in / empty out) and tank cars (fuel oir in / empty out). The railroad contracts with the local fuel oil dealership to keep the engines supplied with diesel fuel. This can be varied and expanded upon.

Lumber shed - receives flat cars (bundled sheet wood in / empty out) and box cars ( dimensional lumber and hardware in / empty out) I think that the flat cars would be 1 new every 3 sessions and boxcars 1 new every other session.

Cement plant - receives empty covered hoppers / ships loaded covered hoppers. 2-3 cars on siding. Swap out cars every session.

OSB Plant - Log siding - 3 cars - receives full log cars / ships empty log cars. Cars switched every session.

OSB Plant - Shipped product - receives empty flat cars / ships full flat cars. 2 (maybe 3) cars on siding. Cars switched every session.

OSB Plant - Manufacturing chemicals - receives tank cars full / ships empty. Receives Box car full / ships empty. 2 tank car spots and 1 box car spot. Tank cars switched every session. Box car switched every other session.

Looks like a busy little line. Might need a slightly larger staging track! < big grin>

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

Tim, this is great! Thanks

Tim, this is great! Thanks once again.

So, I think that now I need to think about my fleet of cars. I already have some hoppers, and some box cars. I also have on order some cement cars from Intermountain.

I need flat, propane and tank cars.

(I will try to have the same type of cars, but in the Portuguese colors.)

How do I know if the model I am purchasing is correct? I mean, who makes the correct cars for those costumers?

About the staging... well, I don't have the space for more, so I have to stick with this. 

How would this layout be operated?

Tim, once again, thank you so much for all the help you are giving me.

Cars for customers

Luis, all the types of cars you are looking for are produced by Atlas. The propane car is a 33,000 gallon ACF tank car. The one propane car I like is lettered "Suburban Propane".

The log cars would be bulkhead flats ( or gondolas) and the cars the OBS is loaded onto would be either newer ( nice and clean, good construction) bulkhead flats or centerbeam flats. The factory wouldn't use the empty log cars to load nice bundles of fresh OSB.

The tank car for fuel oil (team track) would likely be a 10,000 gallon tank. A UTLX  or SHPX lettered black tank car would be "typical". All of these cars are available on eBay.

Not having all the cars doesn't mean you can't start operating. It would mean you'd have to "use your imagination" a little while until the "correct" cars have arrived on your layout.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

Increasing Staging - Sector Plate

Luis,

Have you thought about using a sector plate to allow for more staging?

Please take a look at this concept ( if you don't know about sector plates) here:   http://themodelrailwayshow.com/cn1950s/?cat=15

I don't know if this is something that might interest you as a future project, however, I thought it was worth the mention.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

Operating "The Cátia Branch"

Luis,

I've thought about several ways of operating your railroad and have rejected them (at this time) due to complexity.

The thread on "How to Operate"  http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/node/26639has several great ways of developing your operations plans. The easiest to start with is simply looking at some of your industries (The OSB plant, for example) and take the same number and type of cars there. Switch out the ones on site and place the new ones on the same sidings, then return to the yard. 

Blocking your train (organizing the cars so you move them efficiently) is best done in the yard. Keep the cars for each siding at the plant together for ease of switching.

I run to the passing siding, cut off the engine from the train, "pull" all of the cars from the plant, back down the passing siding next to your inbound cars, couple the engine on the rear of the inbounds, and proceed to place all the cars. Just doing this activity at a reasonable slow speed, sounding the horn, etc. should take you about 20-45 minutes depending on the number of cars. Adding the cement plant will add a little more complexity and time.

Operation ( to me ) is like eating a nice meal. Everything is in it's place and it's time to enjoy it!

Respectfully,

Tim Moran Akron, OH
 

Hi Tim. Sorry for the delayed

Hi Tim.

Sorry for the delayed answer, but I am on vacations. I 'll answer back as soon as possible.

I have been reading a lot of your ideas on operating the layout and taking notes. I will place my doubt as soon as I get get back to a PC. Writing on an iPhone 4s screen is not easy.,

Take care.

Enjoy your vacation time

Luis,

Thank you for the note about being on vacation. Enjoy that time and we'll reconnect when you're done.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

A tank car reference site

Luis,

A friend shared this site with me regarding appropriate tank cars for your era.

http://www.utlx.com/bdd_tank.html

They suggested that diesel fuel would be shipped in 23,500 gallon tank cars in 1980's.

Respectfully,

Tim Moran Akron, OH

Tank Car Hazardous Material (HAZMAT) placarding

Luis,

Here is some more reference material when you decide to really detail your cars.

http://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/2015/09/hazmat-placards.html

Respectfully,

Tim Moran

Hi Tim. Thanks for the tips

Hi Tim.

Thanks for the tips about the cars.

I am concentrating my efforts on having the track laid (at lest part of it) and start to have some fun with the ops!

So, now that I am back from vacations, about the operations, you recommend having the yard as the focal point of the layout, and all the trains should be arriving/departing from there?

I am imagining that one train should leave the yard with loaded cars with the stuff needed to do the OSB boards, and return to the yard with empties.... but then where are those empties going? To staging? 

Should a train go from staging go to through the costumers spotting/picking up cars?

Something like this? This is really where I need help... 

Thank you once again. Your help has been precious.