Brandon - ideas for a N Gauge retirement layout

[stivesnick]

6 hours ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

I like the inclusion of an interurban line - nice touch not often included.

 

I’m a bit confused about your comment swapping over loaded and empty reefers - to my mind they’ll look identical?  (I note some of the box cars in the photos have doors open, but I wouldn’t have thought empty reefers would travel like that?  Just wondered, Keith.

 

Hi Keith 

I will try to explain.

 

Fresh produce was a key traffic on many interurban lines, so during harvest season they would have run extra trains to carry the produce in refer cars. To get the goods to market as quickly as possible, the GN has also agreed to run special trains (unlikely but rule 1 applies here). So either it runs a light engine+ caboose to pick up the loads or to make the operation more efficient, it brings a train of empty refer cars for the next load of produce. The two sets of wagons are exchanged at the station, so the GN loco returns with a loaded train. 

 

To make the operation more complex, the use of an electric interurban mean that the interurban locos can not access the GN tracks with their longer spurs. The interurban run-around loop will not be long enough to run around the train. However the GN locos can access the interurban yard so will need to assist with the shunting. 

 

The refer cars are genrally yellow or orange with ice hatches on the roof and will have their doors closed! I need to check if I have enough refer cars to two trains. 

 

Hope that makes more sense.

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

[Keith Addenbrooke]

27 minutes ago, stivesnick said:

 

Hi Keith 

I will try to explain.

 

Fresh produce was a key traffic on many interurban lines, so during harvest season they would have run extra trains to carry the produce in refer cars. To get the goods to market as quickly as possible, the GN has also agreed to run special trains (unlikely but rule 1 applies here). So either it runs a light engine+ caboose to pick up the loads or to make the operation more efficient, it brings a train of empty refer cars for the next load of produce. The two sets of wagons are exchanged at the station, so the GN loco returns with a loaded train. 

 

To make the operation more complex, the use of an electric interurban mean that the interurban locos can not access the GN tracks with their longer spurs. The interurban run-around loop will not be long enough to run around the train. However the GN locos can access the interurban yard so will need to assist with the shunting. 

 

The refer cars are genrally yellow or orange with ice hatches on the roof and will have their doors closed! I need to check if I have enough refer cars to two trains. 

 

Hope that makes more sense.

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

 

Thanks for the explanation - you need two sets of Reefer cars so they can be swapped over / switched as part of the operating sequence.  

 

I was thinking of the sort of operation that arises with (for example) open coal hoppers: one set loaded and one empty for through trains in opposite directions - but I couldn’t work out what would look different with Reefers.

 

Thanks, Keith.

[298]

On 18/01/2024 at 17:19, stivesnick said:

To make the operation more complex, the use of an electric interurban mean that the interurban locos can not access the GN tracks with their longer spurs. The interurban run-around loop will not be long enough to run around the train. However the GN locos can access the interurban yard so will need to assist with the shunting. 

 

The refer cars are genrally yellow or orange with ice hatches on the roof and will have their doors closed! I need to check if I have enough refer cars to two trains. 

 

Hope that makes more sense.

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

 

The distance to the Iceing plant would be another factor, certainly in California you'd need load the iced cars pretty quickly. In later years big shippers would rent an empty mechanical reefer and only load and call for it to be picked up once the market price was agreeable to them. 

 

As for the train being too long for the loop, you have a pole, don't you?

 

https://youtu.be/jRzexSCZ0Ok?si=ddgJ2ImwEcLJZ9Do

Edited January 20 by 298

[stivesnick]

8 hours ago, 298 said:

As for the train being too long for the loop, you have a pole, don't you?

 

Thanks 298, once the yard is wired up, I will give this a try. Could be fun in N and around 12 inch radius curves!

 

I was actually thinking that I would need to split the train up as the train would foul the level crossing. The train would run in as far as the switch to the interchange track, the loco would uncouple and run forward to the end of the loop. The GN loco would run along the interchange track to collect the cars and then also couple up the cars on the other side of the level crossing. 

 

I will try both options.

 

Nick 

[stivesnick]

A bit of an update.

 

I started wiring up the interurban terminus, then started to think again about the best location for the control panel and where to plug in a DC controller. A controller plugged in next to the depot will be difficult to use when shunting cars on the other side of the room. Need to think some more on this one. One option would be to have two controller sockets so I can switcgh between them.

 

Elsewhere I have built the office block for the large factory. I need to sort out some doors where new openings have been created in the modular sections and what detail is needed on the roof. Back in the 1950s there mat not have been too much up there, perhaps a water tank or some ventilation ductwork and fans.

 

I have started to built the next section of layout that goes next to the door. The section is around 1000 x 400mm in size and has a river running down the middle. The main line crosses the river and runs towards the future lift out section across the door. On the other side of the river is the quarry spur which loads river gravel in hopper cars. Although originally drawn out in Anyrail, I drew a full size version to help measure out when the river and the bridge would go.  The track work in the photo is just laid on the board to show the overall effect. The Dutch firm Artitec do some nice ready painted construction vehicles in N so I will treat myself to a few.

 

Progress photos enclosed.

 

Nick 

Edited February 14 by stivesnick
spelling error

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Just curious - which firm is ‘the Dutch firm’ ?  It’s probably obvious, but doesn’t come to mind, sorry.  Keith.

[stivesnick]

1 hour ago, Keith Addenbrooke said:

Just curious - which firm is ‘the Dutch firm’ ?  It’s probably obvious, but doesn’t come to mind, sorry.  Keith.

Hi Kieth 

 

Apologies, should have included the name. It is Artitec. https://www.artitecshop.com/en/

 

Some of their products can be found on the Langley Models stall at exhibitions.

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

[stivesnick]

A bit of an update.

 

The latest kit to be built is a Kibri depot kit that I picked up at the Doncaster Show the other week at a bargain price. The original kit included a platform that has been omitted, and had a mix of brickwork and rendered walls. I have covered the rendered walls with plastic sheet brickwork. Not totally convinced it looks right - it looks a bit on the small side when compared with other buildings. What do others think?  

 

I have also built a control panel based around a laser cut kit. When marking out the track plan with a felt tip pen, the ink ran so it looks a bit messy. The good news is the wiring all works.

 

In a previous post, I mentioned some vehicles from the dutch firm Artitec. These have now arrived and look rather good. The same parcel also included a laser cut card bridge kit and some other bits from Modelbahn Union. Will  be interesting to see how strong the bridge turns out to be. 

 

Progress photos below.

 

Nick  

[stivesnick]

With it raining nearly all day today and no incentive to go out. I have spent the day building the river bridge from Modelbahn Union and trying it out on the layout.

 

The sides and the deck are 3 layers of card and the resulting model appears to be quite strong. The support walls, also made from card with interlocking walls can be cut downto the correct height. The kit also includes bearing supports for the steelwork and these are not yet added to the photos below. 

 

I did think about reducing the length of the bridge, which would be easy to do in card, but decided against this. As a result, I have needed to remove some of the baseboard to fit the bridge in. The issue is made worse by the fact the bridge crosses the river at an angle and the approach tracks are on a curve and I need the track to avoid the backscene!

 

Work in progress photos enclosed - nothing is fixed yet so further adjustments may occur.

 

I need to dig out some photos of similar bridges to see how they fitted in to the landscape. I may need to use some of the leftover brick wall sections as retaining walls either side of the bridge. 

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

 

 

[stivesnick]

The track to the quarry spur by the river bridge has been installed. 

 

A key lesson learnt, is next time build the things in the right order!. I should have laid the track bed for the main line and quarry spur first before I installed the large sections of baseboard seen in the previous two posts. It would have saved a lot of messing around, especially trying to cut the baseboard once it have been glued down. 

 

The main line rises slightly out of the main station towards the quarry spur switch. The main routes continues to rise over the bridge, whislt the track to the spur drops down towards the river. 

 

The final result is that the switch to the quarry spur is much closer to the main station trackwork than expected so may prove difficult to get some proper visual seperation between the two areas. Operationally, the quarry spur will be switched as a shunting move from the main yard with cars being pushed from the yard. I will obviously need to create some figures to hang onto the leading car handrails whilst this movement is being carried out. 

 

Progress photos enclosed. 

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

 

 

 

Edited March 3 by stivesnick
spelling error

[stivesnick]

Some further test running this afternoon ( it was raining!)

 

With the quarry spur in place, I have added a new operating rule to the layout on top of the no run-round moves allowed (see previous post). The switch to the quarry spur is the shunt limit from the main yard which allows room for a loco and 4 cars to run beyond the east switch. 

 

The consist for the eastbound local freight train was: Loco, 2 refers for the SRTC interchange, 1 box car for the builders yard, 3 other cars + caboose.

 

The switch list included: pick up 2 box cars from the interchange, 1 box car from the builders yard plus 2 hoppers from the quarry dropped off by the west bound freight. In addition there were two off spot cars from the SRTC interchange and 2 outbound empty hoppers from the Fertiliser Plant to the off-spot track ready for the next westbound freight. 

 

The train took around 15 minutes to switch and no doubt if I have worried about the speed and allowing time to test brakes and sound horns etc it would have taken much longer. 

 

Marked up photos showing what was involved. I must develop a suitable switch list process for future operations. Creating way-bills for evcery car sounds time consuming so a simple hand written list for each session looks more practical. 

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

[stivesnick]

Some work on the scenery by the river over the last few days.

 

I have a supply of thin polystyrene sheet once used as packaging. I also have some 5mm foam sheeting brought from The Works. The foam sheet has been used to fill in the gaps between the baseboard frame. It creates much less mess than the polystyrene.  

 

The overall effect is that the  ground level rises from 10mm below track level to around 25mm above it. 

 

The flat area at the front will become a farm and associated fields.

 

Progress photos enclosed.

 

Regards 

 

Nick 

Edited March 23 by stivesnick
technical error corrected

[stivesnick]

I have started to assemble some new kits from Walthers including their farm house and barn/silo kits. This has been combined with some buildings from previous layouts to create a farm scene. I may move the buildings closer together to create a larger field behind the farm house for some horses and a small vegtable garden. 

 

The silo kit was a bit disappointing as there was no method of loading cattle feed into the silo. You-tube provided a video of a farmer loading up a silo using an tractor driven auger and pipework. Using bits from the scrap box, I made up my own version. I will also need to add a small extension on the end of the barn for a unloading elevator. 

 

Link to video here: 

 

 

 

I have also put in a raised roadbed and created a ditch that runs adjacent to the road. The next step will be to finish off the basic contours using soaked paper. Also to add some cows and fencing to the shopping list for the York show. 

 

Progress photos enclosed.

 

Nick 

 

 

[stivesnick]

Hi 

 

Scenery work around the farm continues. I have painted the backscene (Homebase Twilight Skies sounded about right). I then covered the basic scenery in soaked paper and added some taster pot emulsion when dry. The photos show that the paper did not stick is some places so I will go over with some diluted PVA to try to stick in down. 

 

The farm buildings have been finished and stuck down, followed by the first application of scatter materials. Over the years I have collected a large range of different scatter materials. For each area, I then create a cocktail of different material mixed up in a sealable bag. If I remember to label each bag then I can go back and touch up any areas later.

 

Having a fixed layout rather than a exhibition layout, I can no longer tip the board up to see what comes off. Once dry I will brush the area to see what is not stuck down and then carry out local repairs. Extra layers of scatter, fences etc  to be added later.

 

For the river, I will put a layer of gravel /rocks on the riverbed followed by some clear resin for the water. Not sure how sealed the riverbed needs to be - any thoughts?  Would it be useful to add a layer of filler over the paper?

 

Progress photos enclosed.

 

Nick 

[stivesnick]

Work has started on the car barn for the interurban line. Using Slaters sheet with doors, windows and roof trusses from York Modelmaking.  The main doors will be scratchbuilt to allow for the non-existent overhead line to pass through. Progress so far is to crate the main walls and the base for the building to sit on around the tracks. There will be side building that contains the workshop and staff mess facilities.

 

The base allows for a walkway around the building. 

 

Progress photos so far. 

 

Nick 

Edited April 14 by stivesnick
technical error corrected

[298]

18 hours ago, stivesnick said:

Work has started on the car barn for the interurban line. Using Slaters sheet with doors, windows and roof trusses from York Modelmaking.  The main doors will be scratchbuilt to allow for the non-existent overhead line to pass through. 

 

You could model a genuine Niles Crane:

 

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/hhh.wa0200.photos.169724p/?co=hh

 

AFAIK the Carbarn in Yakima was never wired, there is a knife switch on the wall and a long piece of cable called a "Stinger" that hooks onto the trolley pole to power cars.

Edited April 15 by 298

[stivesnick]

11 hours ago, 298 said:

 

You could model a genuine Niles Crane:

 

https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/hhh.wa0200.photos.169724p/?co=hh

 

AFAIK the Carbarn in Yakima was never wired, there is a knife switch on the wall and a long piece of cable called a "Stinger" that hooks onto the trolley pole to power cars.

Thanks for this. Photos inside car barns are rare so this is useful. I did think about having an internal crane, but worried how it would work with the overhead wires. I must obvisouly look again at photos to see what actually happened.

 

Nick 

[298]

13 hours ago, stivesnick said:

Thanks for this. Photos inside car barns are rare so this is useful. I did think about having an internal crane, but worried how it would work with the overhead wires. I must obvisouly look again at photos to see what actually happened.

 

Nick 

 

Plenty more if the Carbarn here:

https://www.loc.gov/resource/hhh.wa0200.photos?st=gallery

[stivesnick]

Some more progress with the car barn. The walls have been put together, the side building and the roof trusses have been added.

 

Progress photo enclosed.

 

Regards 

 

Nick