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OLD Layout Trackplan - Version 01

Here is the basic information on the trackplan for the layout as of June 2003.  This is definitely not the first trackplan I have come up with, but it is the first one I thought all the way through and seriously considered for construction.  This trackplan has been replaced by a newer version. For the most current trackplan, please select the "Trackplan" link on the left.

Prototype	Western Maryland Railway
Prototype Locations	MD Junction and Chaffee Theme
Main Modeling Interests	Roundhouse and Engine Terminal Design and Operation Chaffee Branch Coal Operations Basic Industrial Switching Freight Operation Occassional Small-time Passenger Operation Scratch Building WM Prototype Structures Scratch BUilding WM Steam Locomotives Model Photography
Era	Late Steam through Early Diesel (Transition Era +/-)
Room Size	11' 9" x 10' 6"
Scale	HO
Ruling Mainline Radius	26"
Ruling Mainline Grade	3% (estimated at this time)
Ruling Chaffee Branch (Shay) Radius	18"
Ruling Chaffee Branch (Shay) Grade	6% (estimated at this time)
Trackwork	Hand-laid Code 70 (TBD) track. Possibly to Proto:87 standards
Sub Roadbed	1/2" Plywood "cookie cutter"
Roadbed	Homabed
Track Design Software	3rd PlanIt by Eldorado Software

Here is the latest version of the trackplan. I've simplified a lot, and tried not to pack so much into such a small space.

With this version of the layout, I have met the goal of having the roundhouse and coal tower (both of which are modeling interests) as well as a radius that will handle most locomotives.

While the coal mine area (loosly based on chaffee) is not as true to the prototype as I would like, I believe it will work well.

Other than the coal mine, and making up consists in the yard, there is very little switching in this layout. While I would like to revisit adding more switching opportunities in this play, I really need to just get down to building something before I lose interest :-)

Level 1 : Roundhouse and Yard - Loosely Based on Maryland Junction

Level 2 : Coal Mine - Loosely Based on Chaffee and Other Similar Sites

Operations (single operator)

Consists, typically empty coal hoppers, are made up in the yard by a switcher.  Once complete, the mainline power leaves the roundhouse and picks up the consist.  This involves a couple of extra moves through the switches than might be optimal.

The train leaves the yard, then disappears into a tunnel leading up to the coal mine level.

Once the train arrives at the coal mine level, it drops the empty coal hoppers on the siding at the SE corner of the plan via a backing move into the siding. Here are the steps

1) Train moves up far enough on the mainline to be able to leave the caboose at point A.

2) With the caboose uncoupled and waiting at point A on the main, the train moves up to point B and does a backing move into the siding to drop off the empty hoppers.  The reason it has to back into the siding, is that there are full hoppers waiting at the other end of the siding

3) The locomotive drops the empties off in the siding, moves forward out of the siding and then picks the caboose back up on the mainline.

4) The locomotive proceeds with the caboose through the loop under the coal mine (this loop is hidden in a mountain) and back around to point A.

5) The locomotive drops the caboose off at point A again, and proceeds to point C

6) At point C, the locomotive backs into the siding, picks up the full hoppers, and then leaves the siding to pick up the caboose via a backing move.

7) The train proceeds into a tunnel and down the helix back into the yard.

8) While the train is moving down towards the yard, the shay locomotive that was at the southern tip of the plan, proceeds into the siding and pushes the empties up the hill to the coal mine. The empties are left at the coal mine on of the tracks.

9) The shay picks up loaded hoppers from the mine on one of the other tracks, and backs slowly down the hill with them.  The shay is always located on the downhill side as per typical prototype practice.

10) The shay pulls the loaded hoppers down into the siding, uncouples and returns to its storage siding.  The loaded hoppers are then ready to be picked up by the next mainline train.

Significant Problems

There are a several problems I have with this version of the trackplan

1) Only one train (if you don't count the shay) is operating at any one point in time.  There are neither sidings nor work enough for two or more trains.

2) In order to pick up or drop off in the siding on the coal mine level, the mainline train must leave the caboose alone on the mainline.  This is not a good idea, and isn't prototype practice.

3) There is no flexibility in pick up/ drop off of empties and loads.  For example, there is no provision to handle the fact that the shay will make more trips than the mainline train because it can handle only three or four hoppers on the mine run, whereas the mainline train is definitely going to expect to have more loaded hoppers than that, and will definitely leave more empties than the shay can take in a single mine run.

4) Most of the mainline run is hidden - in the helix.

5) It is double-decked, and therefore a bit claustrophobic in this small room.  Double-deck layouts, IMHO, work better in larger rooms, or in situations where you can minimize the depth of the upper deck.