I like the flow

Howdy!

Marty, I really like the way the track flows in your drawing.  The gentle bends throughout would make this a great area to railfan.  A guy could spend a pleasant while switching there.  Looking forward to more!

Can't quite read the top plan

Hi Marty,

I can't quite make out the text on the top draft plan.

Looks interesting to switch. I am thinking about all the traffic going through there.. do you see this as having its own switcher and being its own operating position or does each scheduled train stop and do its thing as appropriate?

A bummer about the support post. Is it possible to wrap the building around the front of the post too, or would that take too much aisel space? I am just thinking you could paint the thing blue or black, have it in the middle of the building, and it might not be quite as noticable.

Regards,

Chris

I guess this drawing doesn't expand

The one on the SNE list, and over at the MRCS forum does expand to a larger size so the labels are easier to read. Not sure if I uploaded it wrong.

As far as operating this goes, I'll work it like the real Montville. Two turns worked from New London each day (except Sunday) from New London to Montville - the first of these was called the Montville Job - it left New London, worked the mills and local traffic at Montville, and then returned to the yard at New London.

In the late morning a through train from Montreal, no. 430, would set out a block of cars at Montville.

In the afternoon, a second turn, this one called the Palmerstown Job, ran from New London to Montville, worked the block of cars set out by 430, and then arranged the cars for delivery down the Palmerstown Branch (which had a number of mills along it's length).

Once the engine got the cars arranged for delivery down the branch it would run light down the branch, pick up the outbound cars, return to Montville and and stash those cars. Then it couple onto the end of the cars to be delivered and shove them down the branch.

This train would then be reassembled and return to New London. In the even there was local work at Norwich, the next town up the line, this same train would run to Norwich before working Montville.

That's pretty much the way I plan to work this town. Should be a nice operating position for two crews per session - in fact it may take one crew most of the session to work the mill itself! Three sessions if Zamzow is involved . . . 

Hope that made sense.

Marty

The support post is a bummer

But I think going to herculean efforts to hide these intrusions sometimes makes them more noticeable, not less. My plan is to simply live with the post for now - I may paint is sky blue but that's about it. Luckily, with digital photography things like this, lighting fixtures, and square corners are no longer an issue for model photography.

Marty

Thanks Dave

I'm toying with a flipped version that puts the mill where the station is shown here - that doesn't solve the support post problem but my make it easier to work the mill proper since the crews will be able to see the doors on the warehouse.

Glad you like it, I'll mark you up for the "Stafford Mills Job" the first time you operate.

Marty

Sounds good.. one other

Sounds good.. one other question.. do you forsee trouble switching the two spurs in the mill? Between the post and the mill building it looks like it would be hard to couple/decouple and read reporting marks.

Chris

Good point

And one of the main reasons I'm looking at flipping this plan to put the mill on the other side of the main line. Of course, doing so will make the reach-in a little excessive in spots . . . nothing is ever easy!

Since the mill building is very low, especially the middle section, and since there will be a wide platform between the mill and the tracks proper, I'm thinking there should be enough room to reach in there and see the cars wihout too much bother.

Not too worried about reading reporting marks - most of the reading should be done when cuts of cars are moved along the mill lead. Bigger concern is getting the crews to spot the cars in the proper place. Maybe some "less than obvious" detail on the roof - a ventilator, stack, or some other roof "detail" centered over each door or even some spilled dunnage on the ground in front of each door would make it easier for the ops to spot the cars properly.

Marty

Sound like a good idea. You

Sound like a good idea. You could also do something trackside so it is apparent looking down into the tracks. Perhaps some coloring on the loading dock to dilineate the spots. As fpor reporting marks, I was thinking more in terms of figuring out which cars need to be moved out rather then in.. but I suppose you would pull the whole cut, sort it, and put it back.

btw- the comment about flipping the mill came in while I was writing the post.. on the post.. or something.. which is why I was posting like I hadnt seen the post.

I have been experimenting with using a dental mirror to read reporting marks on the far side of cars that are obstructed. I am hoping that will solve my problem on a friends layout since I am very particular about verifying every car. I also carry a little flashlight with me.

Leaning back and dreaming a little, I have wondered (being an N guy) if we could use a system like stores use with the little code strip they put inside products. You should be able to put something in a car that reads back a code when you hit it with a little scanner. Barcodes would be too obvious, but there must be something which works internally. I am thinking those little strips you find inside CD cases and such..

Chris

I resemble that remark

I appreciate the generous comment about my operating skills.  Actually, I would think four sessions would be more like it...

If you're having trouble reading Marty's plan ...

If you're having trouble reading Marty's track plan, I went to his Yahoo group and grabbed the larger plan with readable text and stuck it behind the image that he posted.

So now if you click on the model track plan, you will get a larger version with text large enough you can read it.

Crude sketch of a way to hide a post

Forgive the crude sketch on scratch paper, but this is how I would try to obscure a post in that location.  Marty, it looks like you may not have enough aisle space to do a bump out like this.  I realized that after I sketched this, but thought I'd share it anyway in case someone else finds it useful.

Paul

Thoughts on the Mill Plan

Greetings Marty,

We have a paper mill on our club layout that is a coveted turn at our operating sessions. In fact, we try to do two turns per session. With six to eight hour ops sessions, this usually works out.

I like the plan, but spotting on the opposite side of the industry may present some difficulty. Can the industry be narrower and act as a slight viewblock? Moving Mill Tracks 1 & 2 to the aisle side will enable easier spotting. The narrowness of the industry may not be as apparent as it is fairly long. With varied building heights among the industrial melange, operators should be able to see the turnouts on the main. Or, could some of these could move down main to the left of the post for easier access?

Also, is the Mill Inbound track for pulp wood and caustics? If so, I recommend lengthening this track. One visual element that stands out at our mill is when a long string of pulpwood cars is delivered. As these freight cars are of many different designs, they really stand out and catch the eye. Putting them out front enhances the scene.

Thanks for sharing.

Eric

It looks to me like

the benchwork comes up to the back of the post on the left side.  If so then you should be able to peek around the back side of the building for switching purposes.

As to the length of the tracks, it will depend on length of train as much as anything.  My friend Craig Linn and I were just discussing the train length issue over the weekend.  What we decided is that short trains that fit the layout concept and available trackage look much better than long trains that don't belong.

I'm still ready for an operating session, and I'll take the mill job.

This is a non-integrated mill

 Hi Eric, 

Since this is a non-integrated mill, there is no pulpwood inbound - the mill receives market pulp from integrated mills up north. 

I agree the building in front may cause an issue with switching - which is one of the reasons I want to work this out in a full-size mockup. The more I learn about Montville (the prototype) the more I'm considering devoting more of the layout to this scene. That means I'm looking into putting it in a different part of the layout - though this seems to work really well. 

I've been putting together my clinic for the RPM meet in Naperville next week, and have been adding lots of Montville pics - so perhaps one or two will give you a feel for the place --

The depot and freight house (available as an HO kit from Hogdon Scale Models):

What the heck, you have to see the station in color - with a van!:

(above): Train 490 from Chicago-New London *(via Montreal) runs through Montville. 

I've had a heck of time finding pictures of the mill from the 1950s since everyone seemed to take photos of the depot, but never turned around and took a picture of the mill . . . then last year a guy showed up at the CV Historical Society meeting with pictures his dad took  .. .  he said "They're not too pretty" - and he showed the group this!!!: 

What an appropriately grungy mill!

Marty, that's a great picture of the mill - reminds me so much of the Martin Bros lumber mill in Oakland, Oregon where I grew up.  Lots of tarpaper, weathered wood buildings and sooty grunge ... talk about character!

Proto Images are Great Inspiration

Great images Marty! Thanks for sharing. I hope you can find some fire insurance maps to assist in modeling that paper mill.

I agree that more will become apparent when you do a mock up. The most recent parts I've 'designed' at our club layout started as rough sketches and idea memos. I was not enamoured with these sketches until I had tacked down temporary track and turnouts, added some cardboard boxes for structures, and carefully fitted some narrow paper strips for roadways.

Until you actually can work with the real space and can place track and elements into the scene, no plan should be considered final. Even then, I've taken the putty knife to completed sections to modify and alter for a better visual or operational feel.

But nothing happens until you get the benchwork rolling. Good luck!

    Eric