Oliver Hill VT - Industrial Switching Layout

[Liam_uk]

Afternoon All,

 

Some of you may remember my attempt to make Oliver Springs V1 a year or so ago. 

However, due to it being an attempt at a double deck loft layout, it wasn't hugely successful due to space restrictions. So one side was taken up on the lower deck for storage whilst the other side remains for storage. I still have the upper deck, however I do a bit and then play more than anything.

 

Anway this leads me onto my current idea.....

I have 2 3ft x 18inch baseboards currently going begging and really fancy building an American outline switching layout. 

so based on Florida Springs by Chris Gilbert, I plan on making something similar, but with on extra spur on the front (mainly because I have an extra 6 inches).

 

So below is the basic trackplan:

 

The top left spur would be a builders merchants with 1 spot, the top right would be a cement works with 2 spots, the bottom spur would have a loading platform on the bottom right for box cars and have 1 or 2 spots and then 1 spot for either tank or hopper car unloading. This would make 3 industries but 6 spots. 

 

My uncle did suggest changing to bottom point for a double slip and adding another industry in front of the fiddleyard as shown below, (however I'm unsure whether its too much track):

 

 

Hoping to run mainly CSX traction on it, however would like to get a few NS locos too.

 

Any help or suggestions welcome......

Edited September 14, 2023 by Liam_uk

[long island jack]

would suggest using a small diamond crossing, instead of switch back spur

 

 

[fulton]

A CSX, or any modern era, end of line terminal would probably not have a run round loop, trains would be propelled in, if a long push then a shoving platform would be used, trackwork would be laid to suit this, I have had a lot of fun with just push and pull moves, sidings can have more than one spot, which adds interest.

[F-UnitMad]

I agree with Ray (Long Island Jack) - avoid kick-back spurs especially off another industry spur. In the OP the cement terminal has to be cleared to switch the kick-back. It might seem like added operating potential on a layout, but in the real world would be seen as a major headache with cost repurcusions too. It would even end up as a headache on a layout too, eventually!!

As per Fulton's post, if a modern terminal is served by a propelling move then all spurs will face the same way, so no run-rounds are needed anyway.

[Liam_uk]

Thank you for all the feedback.

Whilst I get the point of just push pull moves, I think I will stay with the run round. Maybe it could be something "free lance" such as the traction needs to be at the other side of the consist to serve some other customers on the return journey?

 

Would the run round be present if it was a short line instead class one?

 

Taking Long Island Jack's suggestion into account I have come up with something like this:

 

 

obviously its just a rough sketch on Any Rail, but would like to incorporate the cement terminal seeing as I have it already.

[long island jack]

Looks ok, if you change the right hand switch at the end of the run round to left hand, this would give you a unloading pad/team track at the end of the bottom track to unload bulkheads/centre beams from either side, you could use the top left track for tank car loading/unloading

Edited October 30, 2022 by long island jack

[Liam_uk]

Good idea, something like this:

 

 

On a side note, I saw Franklin Falls at Stafford the other month, it was a great layout to sit and watch. I must admit out of all the layouts the smaller HO Switching layouts were by far the best layouts at the show, as well as Catsfield.

[Liam_uk]

Few more bits ordered/received. 

Realised I didnt have any feet for levelling the layout, so ordered those. Once they arrive I will get them fitted and then move the layout from the loft to the conservatory (if management grants planning permission), so that I can start track laying and add the back scene.

 

I now have all the point work and track, I am using code 75 Peco for the layout.

 

This now leaves me with 3 industries. the cement will have 3 spots, the transrail 3 spots and the industry in the corner either 1 or 2 spots. I have been thinking about this industry. It will receive either box cars and tank cars (with corn syrup in them) or it'll receive 2 tank cars for unloading to trucks.  It just depends whether the lead would be too short.

 

My uncle keeps saying to add the second cross over and have an industry in front of the fiddleyard, but Im unsure if its too much track.

 

Ive also got 2 locos for the layout now. Both DCC sound and both cost around £100 mark, which is mental considering the quality of the models, with DCC and sound, lights etc. The GP30 is brand new, never been ran. What new OO gauge would you get for around £100 with sound? TTS? I know NS stopped using high hoods around 2018, but unsure if they were GP30s, I just couldnt resist with how it looked and the price!

 

 

 

 

Unfortunately wont be attending the NMRA convention this weekend as I am driving American locos around a yard in the UK, but will be at Nottingham model railway exhibition with my uncle's N Scale layout, based on the BNSF in the late 1990s.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 2, 2022 by Liam_uk
photos in wrong place

[Liam_uk]

Today I had a bit of time and started adding the cork, to create the ballast shoulder depth.

 

Unfortunately, I ran out and need to order some more to finish the cement lead and fiddleyard.

 

 

its all a bit rough at the moment and I will trim to size or add as required.

 

 

I also put the cement silos against my 10 inch high back scenes on the loft layout to see if it will fit within it:

 

Its an only just but should be ok....

[Liam_uk]

track laying is nearly here. With the delivery of the level feet I added them to the 2 end legs I had already constructed and then made the new centre legs. Due to the layout boards only being 3 foot, I have decided not to hinge them onto the base boards, but they will be detachable and bolted into position. 

 

 

[Liam_uk]

Nothing to much to report.

 

Layout is now in the conservatory after planning permission was granted until the Christmas decorations come out!

 

Ive also completed the legs and now its ready for back scene and the remaining trackbed, which arrived today.

 

Although it look high, it only comes up to my stomach, which will hopefully be ok once the backscenes are up

[Liam_uk]

So, my other half went to the gym tonight, so I thought I'd have another hour or so at the layout.

Firstly, I levelled the layout and tightened the bolts. Then I managed to get backscene lined up to get an idea of how it would look with the cement terminal, it now needs cutting to size and attaching.

 

 

I'm going to make the sides from thicker Ply to support the lighting unit.

 

I then laid the last bit of cork track bed and put the dowels in 

[Liam_uk]

So this weekend I am swapping HO for N scale and helping my uncle at Hucknall Model Railway Exhibition.

Here are a few shots from today's set up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

The chap that came up and spoke to us whilst setting up, sorry I didnt get your name, or have time to talk. I was trying to make sense of my Uncle's train lists for the fiddleyard.

 

Back at Oliver Springs I had a couple of hours on it tonight.

 

Firstly the right hand 2 back scenes are on and secured:

 

 

The end boards are slightly higher, this is to mount the lighting box too.

 

on the left side I then used my 2 highest cars to mark out the scene entrance, drilled out the hole and then filed it to a rectangle:

 

 

 

 

A view onto the scene from the new hole:

 

I then lined up the left hand rear scene. this isn't fixed into place, but thats a job for another day.

 

Lastly I reslised that the left hand cork bed (before the first point) would be too short with the backscene added. So I had to scrap it off, clean up the board and then lay a longer piece and weigh it down.

 

Thats it for today. Hopefully a few more updates over the weekend and we are getting closer to actual track laying!

[Liam_uk]

So firstly I spent the weekend operating Brookfield, managed to get a few photos from a very busy show:

 

 

 

##

 

 

 

[Liam_uk]

Secondly, I've worked on Oliver Springs over the last few days before work. 

Managed to complete the back scene and the track.....

 

Took me a while to do this sequence of switches and make sure everything was aligned:

 

I then tried my Corn Syrup cars in the spur to see the spacing:

 

I then worked my way across the run round:

 

Then finished the spurs:

 

 

 

In the last picture I put the box car there just to see how it looked as a 4th industry, still undecided if that would make it too cramped?

 

Anyway next job will be to wire the scenic section and test. Then I will complete the fiddleyard board. This will only be on 4ftx18 inch board which will have 1 or 2 switches to store cars on.

Edited November 16, 2022 by Liam_uk

[long island jack]

Box car location could be a building which part of the cement plant, shipping bagged cement😉

[Liam_uk]

43 minutes ago, long island jack said:

Box car location could be a building which part of the cement plant, shipping bagged cement😉

 

Thats what I was thinking 🤥

[Liam_uk]

So, I've been busy wiring the power side of the layout. It is all wired for DCC with Autofrogs for the point polarity. 

 

After finishing the wiring I used my BN GP15 and CSX SW1500 to check the trackwork.

 

All went well, apart from when the locos got their front trucks over the Diamond part of the cross over, they would lose power.

On closer inspection the lower rail of the crossing had no power to it, (either side was isolated at the end of the crossing due to the frogs on the points being isolated.

I added an extra dropper for this part of the point work, which solved the issue. I then had to check the all the autofrog connections and found a couple of loose ones, which I tightened back up.

 

Anyway here are a couple of pictures from the test session

 

SW1500 arrives at Oliver Springs

 

 

 

 

 

 

[F-UnitMad]

Looking good 👍

Just one thing which I would do is to bring the cement plant forward along the spur, rather than at the end, so that hoppers can be pushed through beyond the loading shed as they are loaded, as in real life.

 

[Liam_uk]

3 hours ago, F-UnitMad said:

Looking good 👍

Just one thing which I would do is to bring the cement plant forward along the spur, rather than at the end, so that hoppers can be pushed through beyond the loading shed as they are loaded, as in real life.

 

 

Thanks for the comments.

The terminal will be further up the spur than it is there, was hoping to have to have 2 or more car spots past the terminal.

Edited November 19, 2022 by Liam_uk

[Liam_uk]

Not done too much over the weekend.

Much much testing, both by me and the chief tester (my 6 year old son).

As well as the diamond feed issue, also found a frog issue, which was traced to a loose wire.

 

Moved the cement terminal further up the spur whilst testing, it now has 3 spots for loading the 2 bay hoppers

 

 

 

I also made a rough building mock up for the corn syrup loader. This is a roughly taken from one I saw on another layout I saw on youtube. There will be a single storey office behind where the tractor unit is:

 

 

[F-UnitMad]

On 21/11/2022 at 21:59, Liam_uk said:

Moved the cement terminal further up the spur whilst testing, it now has 3 spots for loading the 2 bay hoppers

Looks like you'll still have room for another car spot on that spur, too. 👍 Boxcar for bagged cement, I think was mentioned. 

[Liam_uk]

Nothing too photo worthy to report. More wiring, mainly point motors and point control. Just waiting on some switches (electrical kind, not the track kind) to finish the mimic panel and then the wiring will be done..... for now.

 

I also need to start on the staging/fiddleyard board.

 

The camera doesn't pick it up to well, but I had a go at my first track weathering. Firstly the track was sprayed with a dark brown, then the sleepers were dry brushed with sleeper grim to bring out the grain of the ties. I then ran light rust along the rails to bring out the colour on the sleepers. 

I will try get some more pictures in better light. This is just my test bit. 

 

How the layout currently sits:

 

 

I was contemplating a small change, and instead of the transrail facility being the front track, it would be relocated the back left track. This would then be angled slightly differently, with the track actually going off into the staging area. This would then be hidden by a low relief building, which would provide undercover loading/unloading. I can then have a spot "on scene" with several "off scene", including being able to load/unload centre beam and flat cars.  

The corn syrup would then be relocated to the front track. with 2 car spots at the end for the tank cars, and then a further spot for a box car. This would mean that if all spots are occupied, the box car would need to be moved to gain access to the tanks and then respotted once switching had finished!

 

It is just an idea that was floating around in my head to gain a few more spots, and as quoted F-unit mad an extra spot will be added on the rear for a dry loading dock for a box car for palletised cement.

 

Hopefully my switches will arrive by Tuesday, when I am next off and I can crack on with a few more bits before I can finally start a bit of scenery.

[F-UnitMad]

9 hours ago, Liam_uk said:

instead of the transrail facility being the front track, it would be relocated the back left track. This would then be angled slightly differently, with the track actually going off into the staging area. This would then be hidden by a low relief building, which would provide undercover loading/unloading. I can then have a spot "on scene" with several "off scene", including being able to load/unload centre beam and flat cars.  

An excellent idea!! 👍👍

[Liam_uk]

So before work I had a rejig:

 

The black card represents a road crossing. It wont be a major road with flashing lights and barriers, but just a small crossing for vehicles to access the 2 industries via a dirt road.

 

 

This is the "new" industry. The 2 tank cars will sit at the rear, with pipe detailing next to them, and then where the card is, this will be a loading area. 

The cement terminal will have the 3 spots for the 2 bay hoppers, and a spot for a bar car to be loaded via a ramp when required.

 

 

 

I then removed the droppers from the back left track and repositioned it. I now need to lay a new section of cork, extend the track for the extra length into the backscene

 

Just out of curiosity, I can have 1 car spot outside the loading building, and then several inside the building (only 2 or 3 due to the size of my run round, but this can then create switching opportunities. 

 

This weeks jobs are to redo the rear track, make a new hole, finish the mimic panel when the switches arrive, finish my fiddleyard board.  Unfortunately, Oliver Springs will soon be out of the conservatory for the Christmas period, and back in the loft. Hopefully negotiations can restart with the planning department for a return to the conservatory after the Christmas period, as we wont be using it as a garden room in winter!