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Black Diamond & Augusta Railroad

Started by poppy2201, October 09, 2012, 09:48:31 PM

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poppy2201

#15
Thanks Mike for your efforts.  Here's what I call version 8 with your suggestions and some added scenery.  If there are any other suggestions, let me know.



Charles J.

glakedylan


FWIW...just my thoughts.

I would expand the width of the mushrooms to 36" just to be able to use a minimum of 17" radius on the 90+ degree curves (and still hide them in a tunnel with good accessibility for maintenance).

the corners of the enlarged mushrooms could be rounded or have 45 degree angles cut into them so as to keep the distance between the two at 24" minimum.

i have had for a couple of Christmas an under the tree oval using Kato super-elevated 16.325 and 15" double radius curves and am disappointed each year with the length of train that restricts me to as for the pulling power around the tight curves. i would really have difficulties with a permanent model railroad with too tight of radius for running trains with 12 cars, yet alone passenger cars.

again, just my thoughts...FWIW

respectfully,
Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
(still overwhelmed with moving in and getting house organized)

poppy2201

I have attached a slightly modified version of BDA 8 that I will call BDA 8.1, which incorporates some minor mods, mostly visual.
1.  Road along staging not really needed.  Removed and added 2 more tracks.
2.  Tried to make passing sidings equal to staging, no need for them to be any longer.
3.  Angled the track by the Depot a couple of degrees so it is not parallel to the wall (visually should be more interesting).
4.  Angled the front truss bridge by about 5 degrees.  This is another visual thing but it also helped smooth out the curves.

I'm pretty happy with the plan at this point unless anyone has any other suggestions.
Charles J.

Mike from CT

I can't leave well enough alone.... :)

One important change - I reversed the crossover to the left of Black Diamond Junction (highlighted in red area).  That one's important, because it allows trains passing on the main to pass without running through the yard.

I left in the connection between the drill track and the passing side for some flexibility, but that short section of green track and turnout connecting it to the passing siding really isn't necessary for operations.

Also, although it may take a bit more track re-aligning than I gave it, I added a second depot on the line.  It's be nice for any passenger service to have more than one stop to make.

One change I didn't make, but you might want to check, is placing the oil tanks between the two tracks.  I'd think both tracks would be on one side of the tanks, possibly with the oil *truck* loading facilities on the other (street) side of the tanks.

That said and done, I think you'll have a layout that'll give you plenty of operating pleasure - and let you share the operations with a friend or two.

I expect pictures of the construction progress.... :)

Mike from CT

It'd help if I actgually attached the attachments....

poppy2201

Quote from: Mike from CT on October 25, 2012, 02:35:30 AM
I can't leave well enough alone.... :)

One important change - I reversed the crossover to the left of Black Diamond Junction (highlighted in red area).  That one's important, because it allows trains passing on the main to pass without running through the yard.

I left in the connection between the drill track and the passing side for some flexibility, but that short section of green track and turnout connecting it to the passing siding really isn't necessary for operations.

Also, although it may take a bit more track re-aligning than I gave it, I added a second depot on the line.  It's be nice for any passenger service to have more than one stop to make.

One change I didn't make, but you might want to check, is placing the oil tanks between the two tracks.  I'd think both tracks would be on one side of the tanks, possibly with the oil *truck* loading facilities on the other (street) side of the tanks.

That said and done, I think you'll have a layout that'll give you plenty of operating pleasure - and let you share the operations with a friend or two.

I expect pictures of the construction progress.... :)

I know how hard it is to leave well enough alone, been there and am still there! :)

As far as reversing the crossover, that makes sense.

In regard to a second depot, I would think you would not want it on the main in case a fast freight was coming through, correct?  I suppose a siding would have to be engineered to accommodate it.

As far as the oil dealer is concerned here is my thought.  In the town I used to live in real estate was at a premium for the short line that ran through town.  There was an oil dealer and they would bring tanker cars onto a siding they had and also there was a spur off the siding.  The cars would be left there and the oil trucks would come to the cars and the oil would be directly off loaded into the trucks and when empty the cars would be picked up.  I think I could have a propane/oil dealer with propane tanks on one track and then the oil tankers could be delivered to the other track and off loaded directly onto waiting trucks.  This way I could have two different types of commodities delivered.  Sound plausible to you?

Again, thanks for your help.

Charles J.

Mike from CT

Locating depot on the main....

As a general rule, passenger service was the highest priority.  When there was a meet scheduled, as general rule, the higher priority train got the main and the lower the siding (there were exceptions - e.g., length of train and who got there first).  But it was usually a scheduling issue.  In which track got the (Passenger) depot, that was usually the main,  although I suspect physical layout of the site also affected the choice.

The oil depot....

I have  a suspicion that somewhere one can find a prototype for anything - and I'm no expert on oil depots  (around here, oil comes up the Connecticut River on barges), but my suspicion is that, if the oil or propane is received by rail, the tanks are between track(s) and the truck loading facility, when possible.  If the fuel company receives both oil and propane (and enough of either to store onsite, rather than just transloading from railcar to truck), there'd be two separate facilities each with its own receiving racks, storage and truck loading facilities.

BTW, for scenicking, you might park a fuel delivery truck truck by the engine servicing track - small facilities refueled their diesels directly from delivery truck. Handy to have a fuel dealer just down the road.... :)

poppy2201

Thanks Mike for all your efforts.  As soon as construction begins I'll start posting pictures.  My next step is to go through storage and inventory my stuff and see what else I need to purchase.
Charles J.

poppy2201

Spent the day pulling all my stuff out of the store room, organizing it and taking an inventory of my track.  Looks like I will be needing about 25 more sticks of flex and and 33 total of #5 turnouts.  With the current shortage of flex and #5 turnouts, it's probably a good thing that I'm not starting this until after the first of the year. ;D
Charles J.

Mike from CT

That's what you get for using Atlas....  There's no shortage of Peco. ::) ;D :)


Signed,
A confirmed Peco user

poppy2201

Quote from: Mike from CT on October 28, 2012, 10:48:36 AM
That's what you get for using Atlas....  There's no shortage of Peco. ::) ;D :)


Signed,
A confirmed Peco user

Alright as you said before and I agreed, can't leave well enough alone.  Spent the better part of the day redoing the plan using Peco code 55.  I wanted to see what the difference in pricing versus what remaining Atlas track I have to buy.  I just have to do some minor adjustments.

The other thing I did was eliminate the caboose and runaround track in the yard.  I don't own any cabeese and don't intend on buying any so I thought that area is not necessary.  Also, I hate switchback's so I eliminated the team track and just have the RIP track.

When I finish with the refinements, I'll post the .any file using Peco track.
Charles J.

Mike from CT

The caboose track is strictly optional, but you really need the runaround/thoroughfare.  Otherwise. there's no way to get the engine off of a train arriving from staging without or getting a car from the A/D or classification tracks to the R.I.P. track without using the main.


I like team tracks because they give me a place to "unload" cars that I have but have no legitimate industry to receive, but it's optional as well.   (The funny thing is that, without a runaround, it's easier to serve the switch-backed team track than the R.I.P track that serves as the switchback.)

poppy2201

SAME PLAN USING PECO CODE 55: kept everything including RIP/Team Track.

Charles J.

poppy2201

Mike, if you see this I forgot to ask an important question.  Since I'm new to Peco, what turnouts do I use if I decide to go with Peco?
Charles J.

Mike from CT

#29
Quote from: poppy2201 on November 07, 2012, 09:41:15 PM
Mike, if you see this I forgot to ask an important question.  Since I'm new to Peco, what turnouts do I use if I decide to go with Peco?

If you mean insulfrog versus electrofrog, you really don't have a choice - the short, medium and long turnouts don't come in anything except electrofrog versions.

If you mean short, medium or long, it's a matter of choice.  With 12" curves, the short ones won't be a limitation and those are the ones you used (mostly) in the design.  I use mostly the mediums in the yards and spurs.

The crossings will need frog juicers/autoreversers if you go with the electro- version ones.

See http://www.wiringfordcc.com/switches_peco.htm for wiring instructions.