Modular railroading in Plymouth

[torikoos]

Yesterday I attended our monthly NMRA-BR division meet in Plymouth, all very pleasant.

 

During our meets, we set up a modular layout , based on the specs of RS Tower and NMRA-BR.   Depending on availability the layout varies a bit each month, but yesterday the layout was made up out of:

Mike Ruby's  11th Avenue module

Our club's Lipson Junction crossing module

Peter Lloyd-Jones'  Lloyd Yard.

Pete Saunders' Rocklin

and a storage yard called 'Western Yard' (which is one half the of the storage from our old oval shaped layout 'Anson' ).

 

Yesterday I operated a train headed by two SP GP9's, originating from Western Yard, with approx 9 cars.  It ran via the crossing to 11th Avenue, dropped off 4 cars, and picked up 4 others, then back via Lipson Junction towards Lloyd yard, set out 3 cars, pick up 3, onwards then via the Junction and cross over to Rocklin, also here 4 cars were set out, and 4 picked up, and finally back to Western Yard. 

We operate with prototypical speeds, and under dispatcher control, so clearance had to be requested in order to travel to the next destination.  This results in the above sequence taking approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes.  

 

Here is a very short video made of some traffic at Lipson Junction. The turnouts and signals here are under dispatcher control with the aid of JMRI running on a laptop and connected to the DCC system.  (you can see the dispatcher Peter LJ in the background behind his desk, somewhat hidden by the depot building).

 

 

 

[bxmoore]

Here's a couple of pictures from yesterday's meet:

Koos and the train at 11th Avenue.  The geeps have stopped at the end of the arrival track, the caboose has been put onto the departure track by Mike Ruby's switcher, and the cars are being sorted.

Side view.

 

Brian