Design Complete

New Layout Design Complete.

With the construction about to begin, I have been doing a heap of work on the design.

I have tried a number of ideas with the staging and have come up with the following design.

Staging:

The plan is that trains will set up ready to leave staging heading either North or South.
As a given train progresses out of staging and onto the layout, it will eventually end up in staging again on the opposite end of the layout.
Once the train has re entered staging it will stay there until it is turned and prepared to depart again with a new train number. (The turning of a train via the reversing loop will primarily be done by me and not the engineers).

The idea being that, if a train heads North and enters North Staging (aka Rouses Point) then the only way back onto the layout is in the reverse direction and will enter the layout from the North with a South bound train number. The same goes for Trains that enter staging to the south (aka Mechanicville). The only way back onto the layout is to head North with a North bound train number.

As you can see from the plan there is a staging bypass track. This will mainly only be used during non operating sessions where I want to set a train going and leave it run around the layout.

In terms of the reverse loop at the end of staging, I will again use the PSXAR-SC auto reverser that will allow a train to enter the loop, and when the train reaches the end of the block just before the turnout, the PSXAR-SC will auto reverse the polarity and throw the turnout to enable the train to continue with out the need for an engineer to throw the turnout.

Main Deck:
I have not changed the main deck much since the last update as I am happy with it. I have made a few tweaks here and there and adjusted some deck heights to allow more space between levels.

Testing the layout:
I recently came across some software called Train Player.
This allows me to import the plan as it stands from Anyrail V5 into Train player.
I can then set up a train with the car types I want to use and a few loco's and basically operate the layout as it will work in the shed. This software is great.! I could set up a 2 loco, 20 x 50ft box cars and a caboose and run it around the entire layout including in and out of staging.
I am able to see if my standard train length is able to fit into the sidings and also run the train at a given scale speed and see how long it takes to run the entire layout.

During my testing, I ran a 20 car train at 72km/h (scale speed) around the layout from staging to staging. It took about 10 real minutes to run the entire length. This is a great way to test and see how things will work.

Anyway, the timber is due to arrive in the next week or so and then it will be time to get stuck into the construction.
Come back from time to time and watch how we progress..

I am going to set an ambitious target of the staging and main line it self to be completed by Christmas. So lets see how we go.

Thanks again..

Let the building begin

Let the building begin. (well the pre planning bit anyway)

After the demolition of the old D&H 2nd Sub, I have now cleaned up the room, and stored the timber from the old layout.

Once the room was given the once over with a broom and the temporary carpet was lifted up and also stored, it was time to map out where the new layout will go and get a feel for the space and the width of the isles etc.

I used some masking tape on the concrete floor and mapped out the isles and the dividing wall that runs along the peninsula's.

There are still a few things in the rool that line the wall due to lack of other places to put them.

Then I placed the retained staging in it place to see how things fit..

While things will be a little tight, I'm sure things will work out well..

Until next time..

Demolition Complete

Demolition of the D&H 2nd Sub is now complete.

In readiness for the new layout, the old layout needed to be demolished.
This week has seen the completion of the demolition work.

The D&H 2nd Sub is now a fallen flag.
The layout design was started back in early 2008 and took a few years to complete before it was placed in storage while we built our new home and the new shed.

It came out of storage in 2013 and the signalling work was completed in time for the 2013 N Australian N scale convention here in Melbourne. The layout was well received and I received many nice comments about the work I had done.

But alas, time moves on and the new 7.5m x 6m shed is calling to be filled with a new layout. Therefore the old D&H 2nd Sub had to go.

I completed the removal of all the electrical components last week.
Here are a few progress pictures.

Then it came time to start reclaiming the Atlas Code 55 track.

Her is the first piece of track being lifted.

Work continued at a fever pace and before long 4 modules had been completely demolished and all track recovered.
Then finally the main yard on the 5th module was started.

Then before long the final piece of track was removed.

Then the final module, like its 4 sisters was reduced to a pile of timber.

All that is left is the old staging yard that will be reused on the new layout as it is, all be it longer.

Now all the wire, track and parts are in the piles ready to be cleaned up and reused.

 

Good bye to the D&H 2nd Sub.. I learnt a few good lessons in the last 5 or so years that will be put to good use on the new layout.

Stay tuned for the next update on the progress of the new layout.

Time for a new lease on life and a new name

Whats in a name?

With the commencement of the demolition of the old D&H it was time to also bring this blog up to date with the new name for the railroad.

The old layout was based around Oneonta, therefore is was on the 2nd sub of the D&H.

The new layout will be based around Whitehall in the north of New York State.
Whitehall is the dividing point between the 3rd and 4th subdivisions of the D&H, however I like the Champlain division the most and the layout will feature key scenes from the 4th Sub on Lake Champlain.

Therefore the new layout will be called. D&H 4th Sub Champlain Division.

And it was so..

The blog has been updated and away we go.!

New Layout Design:
In terms of layout plan, here is the current plan.

I'm getting closer and closer to locking it in..

This is the main level with industry names.

This is the staging level.

 

 

As you can see things are well progressed..

Now for Atlas to start making N scale Code 55 turnouts and flex track!..

I have enough to build the main line and all the staging (I think) with the use of some ME code 55 in the staging sections also.

Time will tell.

 

Stay tuned..



Demoltion time

Time to pull up stumps!.

Well, the time finally came this week when it was time to say good bye to Oneonta and the old D&H.

With the new plans well and truly on their way, it was time to start to disassemble the old layout.

First the signals were removed, the last train was packed up and then it was time to get stuck in.

Per the picture, there is a heap of wring and electronics under the layout so what better place to start.

I have not finished it yet, but the first 2 modules are all but devoid of electronics and wiring.

I will do the other 3 and then it will be time to get the sharp knife out and pull up the track for later use.

I will keep the blog updated with a few pics along the way of the old one..

Hopefully, before long the new layout will be under way.

Revisions and more revisions

Revision time!.

Since my last post I have been pondering over this plan for a week or so now and after a few suggestions from friends and also from "The Rail Wire" forum, I made a few changes to get the isle widths wider than I had them.

I made a slight revision to the staging and am now happy with the way Whitehall is looking also.

I now have a branch line to Corinth and reversed the town names so they fit in better.

Here are the revised versions..

Here is the main deck.

And here is the staging level.

The dispatchers desk has been included.
Also the height from the floor to the main level is 1400mm. In some places it reduces to 1320mm and staging is at 1100mm.

In most cases the isle widths is around the 800mm or more mark.

Now to find someone with a A0 plotter to print it 1:1 for me..

Anyone?

Moving out of Oneonta and heading for Whitehall.

Time for a change of location!.

After my last post and a great deal of thought and discussion with Rod, Ron, and Greg, and after receiving a new D&H book called "Delaware & Hudson Bridge Line Freight 1960 - 1983 Volume 1 the North end"..
I decided that the Champlain division was calling and some of the scenery possibilities that the location afforded me was too good to pass on. (besides, Ron has always suggested that the North end of the D&H was the place to be due to lake Champlain!)..

After reading through the new book by Dominic Bourgeois, and finding so many possibilities I decided it was time..

So once the existing layout is dismantled, I will say good by to the Penn Division and hello to the Champlain and Saratoga Divisions.!

Now I have a location and many industries, I reviewed my floor plan with Rod Warren and we decided that a shed measuring 7.6m x 5.8m was big enough to handle 3 peninsula's rather than 2.

So I set to work using AnyRail to replan the shed and the peninsula's and the track plan.

I stuck with the given of NO Duckunder and it worked.

I also stuck with the given of plenty of space between the main deck and staging and have managed to achieve 300mm at the main staging yard point while maintaining a grade of no more than 2%.
The min radius is a much better 443mm (16 inches) compared to the much tighter current layout.

My other givens are already listed in earlier posts such as train length, full CTC etc etc.

Here is a draft of the main deck (things may change slightly in towns but the main floor plan is now about right)

Here is the draft of the staging level.

Im not completely happy with the track plan in Whitehall so will keep working on that.

Please post any comments or suggestions.