This time in On30. (/me listens as the mouse clicks spirit everyone away to other topics)

As many of you know…I have an On30 4x8 layout that is based on the original Gorre & Daphetid. Its finally in a permanent home, and I’m expanding the line. In one direction I have a pretty good idea where the main will lie and how it will operate. The other direction though…the “Daphetid Branch” of the layout I’m having difficulty with. The Original Site of Gorre I have came up with the name “Midway”.

Midway is being expanded since I have room avalible to eliminate some close clearance issues, and I would like to locate an TT and Engine house here. The Question at hand:

“Do I want to locate THE MINE at Midway, and treat the branchline as just that, a branchline with a bucolic little switching area at the end of line, OR do I want to treat Midway as a marshalling yard, with THE MINE at the end of the branch, with a change of motive power occurring at Midway, as well as locating Engine facilities and some light industires at Midway (Of course a team track, and Company store, mebbe a barrel factory that ships casks to a distillery somewhere along the line)”

Discuss!

It’s hard to visualize…

Yea… do you have a bigger drawing of the main bit of your layout?

Midway? JAPS!!!

nah, Midway …aircraft carrier…

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/midway/midway02.jpg)

OK…heres the diagram of the 4x8…

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/bart_salmons/_forumfiles/gd1.gif)

Gorre/Midway is at the lower left…the “Daphetid Branch” leaves Upper left. The staging line isn’t shown, but its below the branchline leaving the 4x8 lower right…

Dave Healy said:
Midway? JAPS!!!

We won that skirmish, remember?

Ken Brunt said:
nah, Midway ............aircraft carrier...................

CV-41, from memory, finished just too late to take part in the Pacific war.

Dave Healy said:

Ken Brunt said:
nah, Midway …aircraft carrier…

CV-41, from memory, finished just too late to take part in the Pacific war.

Good memory!

(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/midway/midway03.jpg)

Keel was layed in '43 as a battleship but changed to carrier shorty thereafter. Saw action in other wars though. (Sorry Bart for the hijack…;))

Bart, If it were me I’d treat the Daphetid branch as an extension of the mainline and operate it as part of a point to point operation. You’d still have the oval of course to traverse as many times as you wish but operationally terminate trains at both Gorre and at Daphetid.

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/bart_salmons/_forumfiles/gd1.gif)

A turntable would have to be available at both ends of the line unless geared engines were used or perhaps as was done on the prototype for shorter runs, a pilot (cowcatcher) was on the back of the tender allowing for normal ops backwards and forwards. There would have to be a runaround track located at Daphetid as well as Gorre of course. Engine facilites need be placed only at one end or the other (fuel, engine house, etc.) but both ends should have a water tank and maybe a small depot. Ops would be out and back with presumably an outside connection at one end of the line and the main commodity hauled originating at the other end with supplies and general freight brought in. I’d keep the overall concept humble and not get too grandiose. You can model a much more complete and believable railroad in your space than you can a large railroad. Anyway that’s my take…you asked for it!

Actually Richard…thats exactly the sort of input I was looking for…and pretty much cements what I think I want to do…The Daphetid branch will go up to a lumber products town on the upper level…more on that later…while Gorre will host an engine terminal, and yard with the mine going inside the loop on the 4x8. Thus giving me an engine change point…I have no problem backing a rod loco down the mountain to Gorre to be turned for the rest of its run…Possibly a mainline run is made from Gorre into staginging back…then loads for the Daphetid branch are switched out and taken on by a different loco…Or the train lays over long enough at Gorre to turn and service…then makes its run to staging…and back…sorta like the EBT Mail Trains did…

An interesting operational variation would be to run the road engine right on up the track to Daphetid by adding a helper at Gorre. The helper could either push or be on the front end. After arrival at Daphetid the helper would cut off and drift light back down the hill and then perhaps switch out the cars dropped off at Gorre and assemble outbound cars for pickup on the next train out while the road engine was doing its switching at Daphetid. Did I explain that clearly or is it “clear as mud”? hehe!

I’ve always liked the idea of helper service and double headers. It seems to me your branch would be a perfect opportunity for this interesting feature.

“Midway” sounds like the name of a Division or “Helper District”. I agree with Richard, that it would be the logical location of a turntable and engine facilities. Lumber and mine trackage may have ended up permanent, but many times were just temproary tracks until the “products” ran out. You could also use a rod engine on the lesser incline and us the geared engines as you get up to the tough parts. The “Little River Lumber Company” did this type of service with restricting rod engines to lesser grades.

After a lot of thought and discussion…I’ve decided my upper tier will be a lumber town named ‘Waldstat’ (any of the German savvy folks get the joke?) The Mill won’t get modeled but be represented by lumber stacks and a loading dock. The idea is that the line from Waldstat down the mountain to midway was originally a lumber company railroad, then during the depression the company came under new ownership and divested itself of the common carrier line, retaining only its industrial trackage. The line is now operated out of Midway, and ships finished flooring, props, pulpwood, and barrel staves. Also gives purpose for the small yard at Midway to do more than just tore hoppers. Incidentally, with its repurposing Im thinking Midway no longer fits…Decisions, decisions…

Bart Salmons said:
After a lot of thought and discussion....I've decided my upper tier will be a lumber town named 'Waldstat' (any of the German savvy folks get the joke?) .......................

Sure Bart, sure. ;) :)

Now it’s only a matter of which letter you left out, is it “Waldstatt” or “Waldstadt”? “Waldstadt” would be more of a joke.

Yeah well…it was an internet translator I was using…Go figger…how bout ‘Aussenwelt’ for the staging storage area?

All of the above are pretty funny, but I especially like Aussenwelt. The staging area is out-of view, right?

Aussenwelt could also bee the outdoor railroad

Would that be pronounced “Ass in felt”? Seems kind of strange to me, but it’s your humor.

You need the translation. Then it makes perfect sense

Aussenwelt = External World (HJ feel free to correct)

Jon Radder said:
You need the translation. Then it makes perfect sense :D

Aussenwelt = External World (HJ feel free to correct)

So the “external world” is an ass wrapped in felt? I can agree with that.