Planning thread for new On30

[Tileguy]

Time to start planning my new layout in On30.
I am posting my room and existing benchworkas a Jumping off point.
While i can change the benchwork,it would be nice to be able to use it for several reasons(not the least of which is the amount of work it will save)
I have a shelf above the benchwork which has Lighting installed and is lacking only the Fascia to be complete.
This is also about as much square footage as I can use in a practical sense.I could add a drop leaf to complete a Loop if it were advantageous.
I am still kicking over idea's as to theme etc for this narrow gauge road.
The Quincy and Torch lake copper country road in upper Michigans Keenawaw penninsula is looking like a good prototype to draw idea's from for a freelanced road. Or even used as the prototype to model(although I'm not sure i want to necessarily go that route given the room i have available.more study on the subject is needed )
Heres the room layout and benchwork dimensions for anyone that want 's to take a crack at helping me develop a plan.I know how much some of ya'll like the challenge trackplanning presents.
I'm in the beginning stages here and am open to any and all suggestions and will look at anything anybody wants to submit here.
Heres a site on the Q&TL for a bit of background.
http://www.copperrange.org/qtl.htm

 

[Tileguy]

Lets try that room layout again

 

[Matthyro]

The The Quincy and Torch lake copper country road is all about mining so is that what you intend to plan? Would you consider some logging as well? Track plans could depend on what you want Tileguy

 

[Tileguy]

Robin,
First off, Let me say "thanks" for your interest,your expertise and input in my corner mean alot. That said,

My thought are actually to Proto-Lance Robin.
If I use the Quincy and Torch lake as my RR to emmulate but add some additions,i believe I can come up with something very plausible.
Of course Plausibility helps realism.

Without the ownership of the Quincy Mining company,Funds would have been extremely tight for the Q&TL and they would have had a need to be far more aggressive to stay afloat.The Mining companies ownership IMHO took away the need to be aggressive as a railroad.In fact,its likely the mining company didnt want anything to do with additional freight operations beyond copper mining.
What if however the Railroad was privatly owned and had been chartered Before the Mines existed.
What if Logging and passengers had been the principal means of revenue for this little road and the advent of the mines were just the boon needed by this little regional road.

Do you see where I am going with this?
Using the operations,asthetics etc of the Q&TL i can emmulate the roads character and charm but create an alternate history for its development.
Perhaps it wont even be the Q&TL.
Perhaps it will be the Swan River and Itasca RR
or the Northome and Cass Lake RR
Or maybe even the Mississippi and Wendigo RR.
Whatever its name,it gives me an upper Midwest or Great lakes Narrow gauge rather than a colorado or california narrow gauge RR to take my lessons from.
Does this make sense ??
Now, figuring our how to put it all together. thats the really ricky part. But isnt that part of the fun.

So, dont feel like we cant do logging or that we cant do a bridgeline for a fishing village etc. I dont think i want to feel limited,i just want it to feel like a great lakes NG RR when its all said and done

 

[Matthyro]

The best part of model railroading is we can do whatever we want so I like your thinking tileguy. The thought of a GLNG RR sounds good to me

 

[Tileguy]

http://neurosis.hungry.com/~ben/harbor-springs/hemlock-central.html

That link takes you to a Site on the Harbor Springs RR.
Its an actual 2'6" gaige shortline lumber and passenger line that operated 12.75 miles of track total.8 of this from Harbor springs to carters mills with 4.75 miles of branches.It served logging mills in Emmet county.
It operated a Shay on 16# rail!!!!
Check out this neat little road.

 

[MasonJar]

The benchwork that you have looks like it needs a "point-to-loop" type plan. Have the loop on the upper, wider leg of the U, with the point on the lower. The lower leg could be a harbour scene with a transfer, or maybe it could be a town on the end of a branch line. The upper leg, with the return loop, could be the logging/mining area, or some other industry, maybe even a (bigger) town with multiple industries.

Just some quick thoughts... Hope that helps.

Andrew

 

[Tileguy]

I was thinking similarly Andrew.
One thing I have to keep in mind though is that while On30 runs on HO track, the buildings are still 1:48 scale and take up alot of room.Also, I'm not sure if i can get a good loop with enough radius in that area.I might get a loop ,but would an On30 C-16 do a radius under 20"? Perhaps.
It would be nice to have a Harbor /Logging/lumbering scene, perhaps a couple of mine heads and a Stamp mill.
A simple transfer yard with Narrow gauge and standard gauge tracks.Something I could one day put a standard sized O gauge steamer on just to show a comparison of size differances between the little road and a big class 1 SOO,CNW or DSS&A Locomotive.It could be static even.

Paul offered and is giving some thought to a trackplan also for this new endeavor.
Who better than the dean of On30 himself.
I still want to hear any and all suggestions.I learned long ago 2 heads are twice as good as 1 and 20 are 10 times better than 2

 

[Tileguy]

Lets try This.

Comments Please....

 

[Matthyro]

I like the switchback as this will add nicely to operating. I am presuming that will be quite the grade from the switchback to the logging area. You even have room for a mine if you wish. Does the track that goes to the sawmill extend to an imaginary main line interchange so finished lumber can be shipped?

 

[Tileguy]

Robin, this is as sent by Paul. Ive been looking it over and would like to see a couple of things happen here.

Now, I have an area( if you look at my initial room plan) past the log pond that I can extend the benchwork aroun 4.5 feet.This opens up a couple of options for that area.

I would like an interchange yes.It can be very short but i would like to put a transfer yard in and perhaps have 1 standard mainline O gauge train just to show a comparison of the narrow gauge differance.It can even be a static model .

I think one of the logging area's he has marked could hold a mining head.(perhaps the area near the penninsula)

Also, a Stamp mill. With that switchback there are a couple area's this might be worked in.
If anyone wants to take a stab at helping figure some of this out or making suggestions i'm sure open here

I think the initial premis of this plan is great.A little tweeking for my particular needs and it can become fabulous!!

There is always that question in the back of your mind.
Am I a Model railroader or a Railroad Modeler.
Whats the differance.Heres my opinion.

A Model railroader tries to emmulate a working railroad or transportation system and operate his modeled railway as such.

A Railroad Modeler want to build something that resembles a railroad for the pure pleasure of building and Displaying and cares little for wether the model has the ability to operate as if it were a real railroad.

I have always been a Model railroader but a large scale ina small area lends itself more to being a railroad modeler.
Figuring out how I can satisfy my operating needs and learn to be a better railway modeler liveing with the limitations this situation puts me in is where i am going to need a lot of help

 

[Tileguy]

Heres a bit of scribbling ive done to give an idea where i'm headed.
Comments and suggestions welcome!!
Please, i'm out of my element here!!! Going From N 1950's to Narrow gauge large scale 1900's Logging/mining is like serious culture shock LOL!!!

 

[Tileguy]

Still Working

All of this is rough in of course and needs to be Drawn to exact scale on Graph Paper.Sure wish i was good at 3 dimensional drawing.
I'll probobly have to make a scale mockup 1" to 1 foot to get a feel for this new size. I remember the trouble I had with changing from HO to N. This is going to be even more of a change the other direction

 

[sumpter250]

Just a thought,
where you have the "dockside businesses"....bring the lead out from the upper level, ending in a two track "yard/run-around". The runaround track would be closest to the wall, and the other would have a cable transfer tower, that moved lumber out to an anchored lumber schooner(in the "dockside" area). Kind of a "Doghole" operation.
It looks like you have room, and it would be a very different scene.
I'm at work, and don't have the things I need to draw it . If you like I can draw something up tonight or tomorrow morning.
Pete

 

[Tileguy]

Pete, I'm trying to envision what your saying.
Do you have Microsoft Paint??
You could just grab the photo above and doodle on it to give me an idea.
Unlass you had something more detailed in mind?

It sure sounds interesting!!

I appreciate your help

 

[sumpter250]

Here's what I'm thinking, Cut logs are loaded at the logging area (1), taken by switchback down(2) to saw mill (3).
Cut lumber is loaded on flats at the saw mill, switchback up through "cabin" (4) to tower siding (5). cut lumber is transfered by span wire from flat cars to anchored schooner.

You could have one loco take the log loads down to the mill, and return to the logging area, and a different loco take the cut lumber from the mill up to the tower for transfer.

If I had the room, I'd be building this right now. Of course, you have to understand, I like sailing ships, specially schooners.
Pete

 

[Tileguy]

Its a cool idea for sure.But it means i need to go with a much smaller mill complex than i had in mind. I really want the sawmill complex to be fairly massive, enough to justify a railroad.Also, while I would have liked to add a stamp mill, i had a friend point out that even a small stamp mill was huge.He suggested just bringing ore to the wharf and loading into barges.Now, I do have an area behind the sawmill complex like i said. I am going to extend the wharf to this area I believe.I could get a schooner in there and load like that.It is a cool Idea. the area i have has 5' 3" and then of course another 3' or so of return along the L shaped work bench. This gives me enough room to have a schooner set out a bit.I could have a stockpiled lumber area near the RR yard and the tower and rigging platform.

This isnt going to be an all logging line.It will also deal with a Copper mine.
I do like the idea and will try to incorporate it into the area where my workbench is.It will be the last area to be completed for obvious reasons

 

[sumpter250]

What I drew was only to clarify my comments, and not to any proportions. Bigger, smaller, rearranged, not used?, that's your choice. The lumber ship option was a Pacific Northwest thing, I have no idea if it was used anywhere else....but then, this is On30, and fair game for freelancing.
I am looking forward to seeing your ideas being built, and happy to have another narrow gauge modeler around.
Pete

 

[Tileguy]

I like the Idea!! In fact ,I drew out the workbench area in preliminary form and included it.This isnt likely exact on tracklayout etc but it gives an idea what i would like to do
At the very least it shows the extra area that I have refered to that isnt shown on the main Benchwork.

I'm not even sure I have room to pull off the retun loop.Threw it in there anyways

 

[Tileguy]

News Flash-The C&GP has taken delivery of thier first locomotive.
Manufactured at the shops of Broadway Limited the sweet little 2-8-0 connie will first visit the C&GP shops for herald and numbering. A sneak peak was given to stock holders but no pictures were allowed until she recieves her official Herald
She will carry the number 2801-the first 3 numbers denoting the locomotives wheel arrangement.
Investors were excited and while many words were used to describe her, the general consensus seemed to be "She's a Beauty"
Lester Scrubbs, head engineer for the C&GP made mention that while she'll carry a number,She will also have an official naming ceremony when she come's out of the shop.
Mr Scrubbs refused to comment on the name chosen.