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  1. 2-8-2

    Come on back to the caboose and get a cup of coffee [or sweet ice tea] - Part VII

    My oh my how I have missed this forum. Maybe it's about time I knocked the dust off of my trains. Ever since the move last year, I've been so busy that I just haven't had time for the finer things in life...like model railroading. Yep. It's definitely time. :)
  2. 2-8-2

    new to the forum

    :welcome1:
  3. 2-8-2

    Rolling Stock Rosters

    Howdy! This topic recently came up in my discussions about coal operations, and I thought I would post it here to get some more input. My road is freelanced, so some of my rolling stock will get my own road name. Is there a general rule of thumb for how much of your roster should contain...
  4. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    Okay, it's now official. I emailed Bachmann, and here was their response: I checked with our Vice President of Product Development, Mr. H. Lee Riley. He recommends minimum 11” radius for this locomotive. Good. I was wanting to run 11" radii on most turns anyway, so this opens up more...
  5. 2-8-2

    Coal Operations

    I currently own 6 hopper cars. N scale stuff can be a bear to find. At one point, I had found a source for undecorated hopper cars, and now I can't seem to remember where I found them. Here's the current roster: 33' Twin Bay Hopper, Arch End, Offset Side NKP 33' Twin Bay Hopper...
  6. 2-8-2

    Coal Operations

    Okay guys, I need this dumbed down for me. I'm a visual person, so I hope the image helps. In red, the loaded coal cars leave the tipple and head for the power plant. The trip back, in blue, should mostly take place along a hidden track and re-emerge back at the tipple. Is this the LI/EO...
  7. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    Thank you for researching that! I have looked everywhere for information about the turn radius of that engine, but my searches have turned up nothing. I pieced together some 11" curves, and I think the Mallet looks fine running on it. That sure goes a long way to solving some problems on the...
  8. 2-8-2

    Coal Operations

    Just so that we're all on the same page, I'm going to post an image of what I'm working with. Perhaps Larry forgot, but the CFO approved double the real estate space for my layout, and now I'm working with a 3x6x9 space, instead of just a 3x6 space. The layout below is John Armstrong's...
  9. 2-8-2

    Hiatus = Over!

    sign1
  10. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    sign1 You have no idea. I've been in the planning stages for nearly 3 years now. This ordeal has evolved from a simple shortline to a Class I competitor, and been renamed 3 times. I've gone from a 3x6 layout to double that size, and not a single track laid. Yeah, I'm making sure all my...
  11. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    I have confirmed through NMRA standards that a locomotive of that size should use 17" - 21 1/2" radius curves. Basically, the bigger the better. 14" is not prohibited, but is not recommended either. In a nutshell, I should play it safe and go with 17" or larger. Which presents a problem...
  12. 2-8-2

    Coal Operations

    It's funny you posted that, Larry...I was just about to suggest the same thing. I took another gander at my A Modeler's Guide to Coal Railroading book, and discovered that very thing. The author suggested a kind of "mini yard" for dropping off coal loads and picking up empties if you didn't...
  13. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    I don't know about the 17" curve for the Mallet. It seems pretty big to me, but I don't think the standard 11" will work. At best, the engine will overhang as will longer passenger cars. Perhaps a custom curve using flextrack will suffice, like 13" or 14". I've asked here on the forums about...
  14. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    I have a few ideas. I like the overall flow of things, this being a dogbone arrangement, and I think it has plenty of operations potential without being too cluttered. Some things I would like to change: 1) A separate yard. This will be located somewhere in the middle, and probably be a...
  15. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    No, this trackplan is a direct scan from The Classic Layout Designs of John Armstrong, and is called "French Broad Valley". It is 18x6x10 feet.
  16. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    I agree, Loren. This layout is currently in HO scale, though the dimensions would size down nicely to fit in my available space. Also note the notched out sections of the layout, which don't need to be there. I have quite a bit of available space to work with yet. Part of the reason this...
  17. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    This has been the biggest frustration for me, designing the trackplan. In the beginning, I had a meager 3x6 space to work with, and finally settled on something I was happy with...the Scenic & Relaxed plan. I even bought everything I needed to build it. But then I was approved for double the...
  18. 2-8-2

    Erie & Southern - N Scale

    Givens and Druthers Erie & Southern Railroad Co. Scale: N Gauge: Standard Prototype: Freelanced. Inspiration includes NKP, B&O. Era: 1953. The end of steam (transition era) Region: Ohio Railroad: Regional. Would be a Class I road during this time period. Space:9x6x3. Corner layout...
  19. 2-8-2

    Coal Operations

    Thanks for all that, Wayne! Yes, by "silos and yards" I meant coal dealers. I want to either have a coal/ice dealer similar to what you have, or a coal silo storage facility. I'm leaning more towards the coal/ice dealer, as I like that type of structure, and it can serve a dual purpose on the...
  20. 2-8-2

    Question on Coal Operations

    Loading at the tipple does still take place. It was more prevalent in years gone by than today, however. Flood loaders will generally be used more often for unit trains (all coal cars) that pretty much go from Point A to Point B, or where terrain prohibits loading at the tipple. Tony Koester...
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