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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