Construction Update #11 - More Locomotive, A Company Town & Upper Level Staging

Roster Additions

Five locomotives were added to the fleet over the last week or so. C&O #8774 is a Atlas Master Series B30-7.  It got the standard upgrades to include a Tsunami2 sound decoder, a TCS Keep Alive, Kadee #58 scale couplers and some moderate weathering.  CSX #7224 is a Atlas Master Series U-30C that got the same treatment but it has yet to be weathered.

Chessie #4340 and CSX #3103 are Both late run Atlas Master Series locomotives  Both got the standard upgrades; Tsunami2 sound decoders, TCS Keep Alives, and Kadee #58 Couplers.  #4340 got light weathering and #3103 has yet to be weathered.  Both locomotive we set up for and got 21 pin Tsunami2 decoders; a first for me.  The keep alive leads were soldered directly to the Atlas mother boards per instructions provided by Soundtraxx.  Soldering the keep alives to the mother board turned out to be much easier than I originally thought.  The GP40-2 also got upgraded with "Natural Light" LED's from Evans Design.  The Evans Design LED's come in several sizes ranging from tiny to small and are pre-wired with resistors/rectifiers for use with 7-19 volts.  I protected the leads where they attach to the LED with clear fingernail polish.  The tiny leads are lacquer coated and should be handled with care.  

The fifth locomotive added to the fleet was another Atlas Master Series U-30C.  Chessie #3305 got the standard upgrades and is another locomotive waiting to be weathered.

For those of you who are interested, here is a copy of the photograph sent to me by Josh Levine at Soundtraxx.  I suspect, but have not verified, these solder points will work on any 21 pin motherboard regardless of who manufactured the model or the decoder.

 

 

 

Grundy - A company town

As I have mentioned in previous updates, the Union Mining Company tipple and company town of Grundy are planned for the area directly above the helix.  I finally got back to Lowe's for a couple of sheets of plywood so I decided to start working on this area even though I was short a turnout.   I used part of a sheet for the upper level return loop and the rest at Grundy.  The upper section of the helix will wind around the left side Grundy and duck into a tunnel above the c-clamp on the left hand side.

The tipple will be located at the end of a box canyon with the company town located on a hillside to the right.  That/s the Coalmont Branch on wall and extending to the right above the door in the background.  The branch will terminate in the corner to the right of the door.

All the track work and electrical installed.  Currently, I planning on two locals working this area.  The first will originate here at Grundy, collect loads from the local tipples and load outs, and run down the hill to Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.  On the way back it will work Grundy and continue up the Coalmont Branch.  The second local will work the same locations only in reverse.  It will originate in Coalmont, work its way down the hill to Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green and return to and terminate in Grundy.  The Union Mining Company tipple will ship about 8-12 cars a day.  The house track holding the power for the Mountain Local.  The spur is equipped with an on-off switch to kill the power.

The Upper Level Staging Yard

 

The upper level staging yard is situated just beyond the summit at Crockett. The upper level staging consists of a large reverse loop with 4 long double ended staging tracks.  The train shown in the photo is on the westbound main.  The eastbound main is on the far side of the tracks.  The tracks here will run down a shallow valley before slipping behind a low ridge line and into staging.  The train is located at the current end of track.

Peco code 83 track and #8 turnouts are being used for the upper staging tracks.  The eastbound main and staging yard throat are up against the wall.  The west bound main is in the right foreground.

Here's what the throat looks like from the underside

Here's another view of the upper level staging yard throat.  The yard will extend to the left, across the top of the garage door and into the dispatchers office.  The lower level stub end staging yard will be on the lower level.  These tracks will hold about 25 cars, three locomotives, and a caboose.

Here's a photo of the dispatchers office.  The bench work for the lower level staging yard is on the left.  The upper level staging and reverse loop will run along the perimeter of the room about 80" above the floor.  This room is about 6' x 8', just large enough for the reverse loop's turn back curve.

And finally, here's a photo of  my spray booth.  It's been sitting on the floor, out of use, for the last 19 years.  It is equipped with lights and a explosion proof fan that vents to the outside.

Layout Tour

Significant progress has been made over the past 3 months so I thought I would use a post for a layout tour.  The main line is fully functional from the entrance to the lower staging yard to the entrance of the upper staging yard and reverse loop. 

The western end of line is in Madisonville. Kentucky (staging)   The Madisonville staging yard will be along the west wall of the room.  At the east end of the yard, the mainline will make a 90 degree right turn and head down then north wall.  Smith Grove, KY and West Bowling Green occupy the north wall.  The General Motors Bowling Green assembly plant is located in Smith Grove.  The plant is supported by a small yard  (GEMCO) and yard office.  The Smith Grove Local originates here daily except Sundays.

(1)  Power for the Smith Grove Local is tied up at the GEMCO yard office.  That's the GM plant in the background.  GM makes Corvettes at the Bowling Green assembly plant.  As I understand, the finished Corvettes are trucked to a loading point outside of Kentucky before being shipped by rail or truck to dealers. 

(2) We're going to follow the MC1 (Madisonville Chattanooga Expediter) around the layout.  The MC1 originates in Bedford Park, IL (CSX) and it consists primarily of auto parts, empty Tropicana reefers on their way back to Florida, and TOFC.  Eventually there will be a hotel, gas station, and a couple of fast food resturants here in the background.  For now... Use your imagination.  The WP box car will be set out in the GEMCO yard (left foreground),

(3) Further down the north wall is Hills Pet Nutrition in West Bowling Green.  Hills Pet Nutrition is one of Bowling Green's largest employers.  The acutal Hills looks nothing like the model.  Hills receives grain products and corn syrup by rail, and ships out pet food.  MC1 is about to swing to the right and enter Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.

(4)  MC1 is passing through Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.  Located on the east wall of the room, the yard is about 26 feet long. MC1 doesn't normally stom at PM.  Additional yard tracks will eventually occupy the space in the left foreground.  I have plenty of flex but finding Micro Engineering Code 70 #6 turnouts has been difficult.

(5)  Southern Kentucky Feed & Grain is at the east end of the yard along with the MBG&C engine facility.  Most of my locomotives are Atlas and all my locomotives are equipped with Soundtraxx Tsunami2 sound decoders and TCS KA1 or KA2 current keepers.  Hot frogs and stalls are a thing of the past with current keepers.   Just about all my turnouts have drops to install frog juicers but with current keepers in the locomotives I have come to the conclusion that hot frogs are a waste of time and money.

(6)  Today's MC1 has a ex SCL extended vision caboose on the bottom end.  I should probably change the number for CSX but I don't get to excited about those kind of details.  Those pig flats are destined for Jacksonville, Florida.

(7)  Another curve to the right, this time 180 degrees, brings MC1 down the center peninsula and over Romanza Creek (Previously No Name Creek).  The peninsula is about 22' long so it nice long run of single track.

(8) Once across Romanza Creek, the track swing around the end of the penisula and enters Westmoreland.  Westmoreland is the site of the CEMEX redi-mix plant, Amerigas, a team track and the base of a 2.2% grade (helix) to the upper level.

(9)  The helix was a cause for concern when I was planning the layout.  The plan required that it be in the narrowest part of the room which meant that a wider radius on the helix meant a narrower aisle somewhere else.  I ended up with a 30" radius on about a 2.25% grade.  As it turned out, the radius hasn't been a problem.  I have run 30 car trains, including 89' flats, up the helix with all the power on the front end or with helpers cut in ahead of the caboose without a problem.  I do wish I had cut the roadbed a little wider.  Side clearances are tight for long cars. 

(10) Grundy is at the top of the helix.  The grade levels out here to facilitate the switching of several load-outs (coal).  Eventually a large tipple and company town will be located withing the loop directly behind the Tropicana reefers.  Here at West Grundy there will be a control point and as a result one of the less than a dozen powered turnouts on the layout.  If you have read my previous posts, you already know that I plan to use the Atlas "plug and play" Signal System.

(11) Grundy is a coal mining town.  The Grayson McClure loadout is in the foreground and the spur above the locomotives leads to Dunleary Coal.  This area is directly above Westmoreland on the lower level. 

(12)  East of Grundy, MC1 is back on the 2.25% ruling grade.  The manifest sitting at Crockett (summit) is at the end of double track, sitting on the westbound main, waiting for MC1.  Romanza Creek and bridge are directly below this scene.

(13)  MC1 is approaching the loop around to the summit.  The two hoppers seen above the locomotives are sitting at the Claywell Mining loadout on the Coalmont Branch.  The branch crosses over the mainline and into a tunnel {staging} representing the rest of the branch.  Currently the branch is a single track but I have been thinking about adding a second one.  Theoretically, there are three customers on the branch; two lumber companies and the Spillman Mining Company.

(14) MC1 has just crossed the west switch at Crockett on the eastbound main. Lighting is a problem on the upper level that I haven't quite figured out.  At this point, MC1 is about 20 inches from the ceiling and the florescent lights are creating hot spots.

(15) And finally, MC1 reaches the summit at Crockett.   MC1 is already on the reverse loop that will include the main track and 4 staging tracks.  At Crockett, there is a crossover between the east and west mains to facilitate the dropping off of helpers, a house track, and the junction with the Coalmont Branch.  A small depot and tool/speeder shed will be located in the flat area in the left foreground.  There will be another shed and telephone booth down at the cross over. 

(16)  MC1 has cleared the west switch at Grundy and the 8000 is creeping down the westbound main in anticipation of a clear signal at West Grundy.  This train is NS28, a Chattanooga to Preston Miller Yard (Bowling Green) manifest with traffic off the Norfolk Southern.

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