Conrail Joe

Looks great! I'm really into ops. Do you have a track plan you could post up? How many people do you have on your operating crew?

Wow, Very impressive!!! Thanks for sharing!

I've been using it for a year or two now! It's a great app/program, and feels wrong now when I don't use it!

What part of the P & W are you thinking of modeling? I live in RI, and VERY familiar with the P&W operations, I model it as well. here is a link to a nice area, end of a branch line I model. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/129312-my-shelf-layout-journal/

Up to 7 car spots total. but 7 cars on the layout looks very crowded. The staging cassette can hold an engine and two cars. I have a "Bullpen" (cardboard box) of cars to swap in and out right under the staging cassette. Only my HFCS cars are current, so I will need to slowly update my cars. I painted the track today. I used rustoleum cammo brown. Up next is painting the ties using a method from Mike Confalone. Diluted acrylic wash with greys and browns.

Yep, 17 minutes! Exactly what I wanted! Now it’s time to make it look like the real thing.

Thanks Wendell! All set up for my first op session. the gold color lock is for the switch stand. The other two locks for the de-rails. On the staging Cassatt I have the handwritten switch list, The keys for the locks, and a tool to clean the track if necessary Today’s operations include : 2 HFCS tank cars for JUB. (just us bakery) This is the typical monthly shipment they get by rail. Covered hopper with flower is a two month supply. I have one tank car to pick up from JUB, and nothing happening at NFPS today. Using the train crew app on my phone, I’m thinking this should take 15 minutes. http://traincrew.conrail1285.com/index.html

Solder Saturday!!! Trains are running!!

OK that’s enough of that. The track is being glued down. I attached the paperwork station as well.

I decided to follow through with the tip in lances book. To cut and remove a few ties every few inches and spread out the ties making it look more like industrial trackage. That was painful! I hope it pays off in the long run. I don’t have it glued down yet just making sure I’m happy with the arrangement first. I’ll probably let it sit a day or two, and stare at it quite a bit before I glue it down.

Staging cassette attached

Here’s the painted fascia

Put the upper valence on, took a few pics. Painted it all black, but forgot to take pics! Track goes down tomorrow!

Let there be light!!!!! Let there be light!!!!!

Here’s a picture test fitting the placement of the paperwork station, the uncoupler tool holder, and the NCE power cab jack. The second picture is the 2’ staging cassette being clamped to death while the carpenter glue dries. Tomorrow this led strip lights will be installed, and the top valence will be attached. I’m hoping to get the track glued down, but I have a long honey do list!

Here is the rapid progress!! I’m constructing it shadow box style like my previous layout. The surface the track will be on is a 1”x10”x8’ finished pine. I ripped 2” off of the width for it to fit the desired 8” width. This was overkill, but it provided me with the strength I needed so I didn’t have to buy 3/4” plywood for rigidity on the back drop like my previous layout.

Here’s the aerial view, and track plan. The layout is 96” x 8”. Season: SUMMER!!!!! No more snow! Scale: HO Track: Atlas code 83 flextrack Turnout: Peco code 83 #6 DCC: NCE

So I decided to just build something simple. Following a blog post from Mr. Mindheim, I’m making a single turnout “instant on” layout. The aim is to have a simple protypical op session at the drop of a hat with a 15-20 minute work time. https://lancemindheim.com/2013/08/instant-on-layouts/ My prototype is the Providence & Worcester, in Providence, just north of Northrop yard. It is a simple, rarely used industrial spur. With a bit of realistic imagination, (real businesses on this spur) a company that sits on the south side of the tracks, Northeast food Systems ( Venda Ravioli) expanded and moved across the tracks to the large white building. The expansion and move will be supported by the P&W with rail shipments of flour, Vegetable oil, and packaging supplies. Jumping on the heels of expansion, the small providence bakery “Just Us” moved into NFS’s old building to be able to receive monthly shipments of HFCS, and flour.

I understand my friend!!

Hello Mal!! Anything new to report?!!

Here’s a A few pictures of the dispatchers panels on my friends layouts. The first one is my friend don’s P&W layout with 12 operators. The layout has two dispatchers in East end and a West End. The second one is my friend Mark’s BNSF Montana Division. The third one is my friend Tony‘s Western Maryland coal hauler, which will be in Model Railroader magazine early next year. Saving the best for last, LOL it’s a picture of me Dispatchimg on Tony’s layout!

Hey everyone, it’s been a while! Nothing really new and exciting, I have really gotten into dispatching at the weekly op sessions. I’ve planted myself back in reality as far as the layout goes. Like my wife says when it comes to me, she has to try to follow the bouncing ball. If you’ve noticed how much I bounce back-and-forth, then you know what she means! Thankfully I haven’t done anything to the layout. To be completely honest when I added the snow texture, it has done something to the track. Because I have dead spots everywhere. Either that or the light grit sand paper that I use to clean the rail heads, made small holes and and it’s not letting the electricity flow to the wheels. Does that make sense? I use alcohol to clean the rail heads as well. Every piece of track has its own power connection. I finally broke down and made a purchase that I should’ve made a long time ago. I bought two of Lance Mindheim’s books, how to build a switching way out and how to design a small switching layout. Excellent Books!! I’m contemplating rebuilding my current layout, but this time the scenery will be summer. My track plan is a proven winner For me, and deserves another shot!

Looks awesome! Thanks for sharing with us!

Looks great so far! Can't wait to see the rest!

Had a great 2 hour switching job on the layout today!