Articles from RPO V4 N3
Dispatcher’s Desk
by Bob Amsler
You know, sometimes the hardest thing to do is what
is normal, expected, and, routine. However, this is what
we should strive for when we operate our railroads. The
prototype railroads do the same thing day after day and
for most of the railroaders the job can seem the same.
Occasionally something will be amiss or an extra train
will arrive which will throw the yard and mainline crews
into a fit.
The same applies to model railroad operations. What
we should strive to model in our operations is the
normal, the predictable. It is hard enough for us to get
this correct. No matter what it is that you are
modeling, whether it is the mainline or the shortline,
this is what we should see when we operate.
First, you should research the railroad that you are
modeling. If you are freelancing, look to the prototype
that is similar to your model empire. That railroad will
serve as a good indication of what should be happening
on your layout. For instance, I know that the Missouri
Pacific’s oil and chemical traffic expanded
exponentially during World War II, the period that I
model. Due to fear of German submarines sinking the
merchant marine off the American coasts, more and more
of the oil and chemical traffic was moved by rail from
the Texas area north to St. Louis. The Missouri
Pacific ran a number of these trains to the refineries
and manufacturing plants around St. Louis and other
points north and east. Trains also moved toward Texas
and other southern states filled with young recruits for
basic training. Trains full of war equipment moved
across the rails headed for ports and destinations
across the ocean to be used to win the war against the
Axis. This may seem like an enormous amount of traffic
to move along the mains from Texas to St. Louis, but
this is not all that moved on these rails. Even with the
increased war traffic, the MoPac still moved its normal
traffic and passenger trains. Food and clothing still
had to be moved to feed the people on the home front as
well as the soldiers. It was a real challenge for the
MoPac and other railroads to handle this large volume,
yet this was done every day.
Modeling this will be quite a challenge. I hope to
have a helper district controlled by a tower to get
trains over a steep grade on my layout. Getting all of
this traffic over the grade will be quite difficult for
the tower operator and helper crews, not to mention the
other train crews.
A timetable will govern train schedules. However,
extras should be expected. It is normal for a general
freight train to travel between St. Louis and Kansas
City every day. This train would not normally be
scheduled but run as an extra. All of these trains will
provide enough entertainment to keep my train crews busy
when they operate on my layout.
During some of these operating sessions with my
friends I will have an occasional special train or
problem which will make the session even more
interesting. But these things did not happen that often
on the prototype. They happened just enough to keep life
on the railroad memorable. It should be that way on our
layouts too. It is hard enough to follow an operating
schedule perfectly without adding a special train or
operating problem each session.
On the prototype, a train may be delayed when an
engine fails and the other diesels in the lashup are
left to get the train to the yard. They may be able to
do it but it will take some extra time. Likewise, when
the fast clock is marking the time, problems can happen
when there is a short circuit or that grain hopper hits
the ground. This kind of problem can last long enough to
block up the main line for the trains which are behind
or opposing the troublemaker.
When forming an operating schedule, research what the
prototype did and try to emulate it on your layout. This
can be enough fun. Occasionally throw in the special
train or operating problem to keep your crew on their
toes. It is fun to watch others try to cope with the
unexpected. But remember, the unexpected does not happen
everyday--just once in a while.
Until next time, I hope all the signals you see are
red over green.
text and photos by Tom Troughton
For me, the hardest part of this article was making
an effort to sit in front of the blank computer screen
and starting. Venita Lake had been gently nudging me to
write it ever since we met during the layout tours
associated with the 1995 Gateway Division fall meet.
Venita, her husband Richard, Bob Amsler, Steve Rosnick,
Richard Schumacher and myself were riding together
visiting the St. Louis layouts when I mentioned some of
the techniques our club used when it made its new HO
modular layout. She suggested I write it up for
publication in the RPO. Two years later, here it
is.
I belong to the Capital City Model Railroaders, a
group of modelers in Jefferson City that’s been in
existence for more than twenty years. Prior to our
modular efforts, the group was an informal gathering of
individuals who met each Monday night at the home of D.L.
Eichelberger, a long time NMRA member, MCoR Director and
organizer of the group. "Eich" is gone now,
but the group remains.
We decided to construct a modular layout in the late
’70s when module type layouts were just beginning to
hit the scene. Our standards were loosely based on the
"N-Track" theme, but enlarged for HO.
We use two by four foot modules with a three track
main line with 4½" setbacks from each end. Legs
were 2"x2" boards cut from 2"x4"s.
Six-pin Jones Cinch connectors joined the under table
wiring busses and a section of nine inch snap track was
dropped into place between each module.
It was a pretty common arrangement, and the group
displayed the setup at various meets and events around
the Mid-Missouri area. We did, however, have a few
problems. The 2"x2" legs were never straight
and the 9" sections of track never seemed to fit.
They were always too long or too short. Each time we set
up we were cutting new sections of flex track.
Around the mid to late ’80s we retired the modules.
The club’s railroading efforts didn’t stop however.
We continued to meet Monday evenings in Round-Robin
style in each other’s homes and work on the host’s
layout, talk trains or watch railroad videos.
About three years ago, we decided to once again build
a modular layout system. The mistakes of the past were
reviewed and a new set of construction standards
proposed. The new modules would be 30" deep by four
feet long. Rails would run to the end of each module and
be protected by end boards.
Our mainline would consist of two tracks, on
2½" centers with a #6 turnout being the minimum
allowed from the main line. The legs would be 1½"
PVC pipe with 3/8" carriage bolts for height
adjustment in their base.
We ran six #16 multi-colored stranded wires below the
tracks and connected them to 6-pin Cinch Jones
connectors; male connectors on the right side and female
sockets on the left. Four of the wires are used for
train control while the other two are for future use,
possibly phone communications.
We also included a 110 VAC circuit using #14 gauge
flexible wire with a duplex receptacle on the left
underside end and a grounded plug at the right. We
checked each module with a polarity tester to be sure
the wiring was correct.
The basic modules were built from ¾" birch
veneer plywood. We could have used a lesser quality
wood, but the veneer plywood was straighter and easier
to work with. The club met at my workshop for a couple
of evenings in a row where we ripped the plywood sheets
into properly sized components. The PVC pipe was cut to
length, and with the help of drilling jigs, holes were
drilled for mounting them to the modules.
We made 10 inch long leg mounting extensions from the
¾" plywood to serve as swivel points for the PVC
legs. These extensions allow us to set the modules on
the ground without worrying about snagging the wiring on
something. They also make it easier to grab onto the
ends when carrying them to and from the display site.
Quarter inch machine screws, washers, lock-nuts and
wing-nuts secure the legs to the plywood extensions.
Each leg pair is strengthened with a one inch wide piece
of ¾" plywood attached diagonally, adding
stability to the module. The plywood strips were
attached with inch and a half machine screws. The nice
thing about working with PVC pipe is it can easily be
drilled and tapped to accept the bolts.
This hinged leg arrangement makes transporting the
modules much easier than our previous units. We were
always misplacing the legs or wondering how to keep them
with their respective units. The legs never come off
these new modules. We merely loosen the wing-nuts,
remove the bolts and swing the legs into their closed
position. Near a spot where the legs touch in this
folded position, we drilled clearance holes in one leg
and tapped the other to accept one of the machine bolts
removed earlier. That way they’re secured to one
another.
The two diagonal running boards were also drilled
with clearance holes, letting us fasten them together
with one of the wing-nuts and bolts removed from one of
the legs.
To add strength, yet retain a light-weight module, we
ran another piece of plywood lengthwise and attached a
piece of ½" thick by 12" wide Blandex as the
subroadbed. The front and end boards of the module frame
were mitered so the subroadbed could be glued in place.
When the roadbed was added, the track would be above the
local terrain, creating a raised roadbed effect. In
later modules, we replaced the Blandex with ½"
thick by 12" wide Celotex house siding.
Homosote, 4' long and only as wide as the two track
mainline was glued to this subroadbed. To be sure the
Homosote came exactly to the ends of the modules, we
made a random crosscut in it on my bandsaw and slid the
square ends out towards the edges. The gap made by the
bandsaw was filled with Spackle or dry wall compound and
was hidden by ballast and scenery. This allowed us to
sand the Homosote until it was perfectly even with the
ends of each module.
The rear portion of the modules were filled with a
variety of materials. Some of the members used 2"
expanded polystyrene, also known in the construction
trade as "blueboard," available at your lumber
yard. Others used ceiling tile, while a few members
relied on ½" plywood.
Twenty gage, flexible wire feeders from the mainline
wire busses were run to their respective rails, with
every section of flex track receiving a set of feeders.
The wires were soldered and secured to the underside of
the modules with plastic wire holders. The connecting
points were staggered to eliminate any possibility of
electrical shorts. Insulating staples secured the wires
to the module ends for safety.
Several members created sections of track controlled
by on/off switches located on the back lower left end
side of their module. We recently suggested that every
member try to include controlled sections of track with
switches located in the same general area on their
modules so we could stop trains on either of the main
lines on any module. That will give us more control and
eliminate any guess work of the location of the on/off
switches.
Our four corner units incorporate 27½" and
30" radius curves. They’re large enough to
operate Northern type brass locomotives without shorting
out and long passenger cars look great rounding the
outer curve. Also, engines or cars with large
overhanging edges do not rub against one another.
Our current setup consists of 12 member-owned
straight units and four Club-owned corner pieces. We
also built two "bridge" units that are four
feet long and only 1 foot deep. They allow us to fill in
an odd space when-ever we have an uneven number of
normal sized modules. When we have an even number, we
merely add the bridges to create a longer mainline.
Each module is equipped with a painted blue sky and
cloud covered Masonite backboard. It's attached with
screws, "C" clamps or bolts, depending on the
owners choice. Even the bridges have their own
backdrops.
The group recently completed an inner staging yard
system that uses a six foot module with switches and
crossings, allowing us to set up and remove new train
consists outside of public view. It, of course, is
offset by another six foot unit at the other end.
The total cost of a basic 30" x 4' module,
including track, but not the switches or turnouts was
$43. We were able to buy our wire, mounting hardware and
electrical connectors from large distributors who gave
us quantity discounts.
The group is able to move into a show site and be set
up and running in about an hour and a half. Everyone
knows what needs to be done and the display just seems
to fall together. After everything is running correctly,
we hide the clutter that develops under the layout by
wrapping the display with a light tan burlap material.
We attach it into the edge grain of the plywood with
push pins, leaving only the painted front edge of the
modules showing.
We’ve had a lot of fun with the modular display.
New members have been recruited from the viewers and the
display gives all us a chance to visit with the public
and tell them about the hobby. I hope some of the things
we have done can be applied to your modular efforts
because they sure have made our display efforts less
stressful.
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