Mike Hagarty's N scale 'Mountain Sub'

This will be a large grain elevator, it can handle 36 grain cars. During an op session, 3 road units, ( AC4400's or SD90's ) will be sent out here to pull both elevators and robotize a 50 car grain train, ( I haven't figured out if I will use a mid train, or try and put a tail end pusher on) they will then bring the loaded grain train back to the yard. If time permits, they may run the train to the staging yard.

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Ignore the unit tank car train on the main line, they are waiting for a better signal!
 
This will be the locomotive storage tracks at the e/e of the staging yard.

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This is the e/e of the staging yard. There are 11 tracks, each are 20-25 feet long. I will have to do something about the light here!
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Here is the w/e of the staging yard.

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This is an unknown industry right now, just room for 2 or 3 cars!

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wow.

I really like the way you have the track and yards laid out. This really shows the advantages of N scale.

I model in Ho and Hon3, and toy with On3; I have always been a shortline- narrow gauge type guy, but in my old age I have been increasingly attracted to big trains.

On this railroad I really like what I see. I have only one piece of ( I hope) constructive criticism, and it relates to the style of benchwork used. I much prefer an open grid benchwork with the roadbed elevated over the grid on a cookie cutter subroadbed, which allows the track to be scenically elevated above the surrounding topography. If your main goal is operation, this isn't a big deal, but this railroad would have the potential of looking much better if the track was elevated from the benchwork an inch or two in most locations, and way up in some places for dramatic interest . I can't help it I model in the mountains. If you model the plains, having cookie cutter roadbed would only offer you a small (but significant) improvement.


However, your yards look really good, the track flows nicely. I will read the rest of this thread and follow it. thanks for sharing!


Bill Nelson
 
I've decided to start the extension to the Mountain Sub, I don't have a track plan posted, so I'll have to explain it.
When a train comes out of the e/e of the staging yard, instead of just going around the alcove and into the main yard, there will be about an extra 60 feet of run, with 2 - 16-18 foot sidings and 1 Spiral Tunnel!
It will all be built on L girder type of bench work so I can have lots of good scenery opportunities.
I'll keep everyone posted.
 
Bill Nelson said:
On this railroad I really like what I see. I have only one piece of ( I hope) constructive criticism, and it relates to the style of benchwork used. I much prefer an open grid benchwork with the roadbed elevated over the grid on a cookie cutter subroadbed, which allows the track to be scenically elevated above the surrounding topography. If your main goal is operation, this isn't a big deal, but this railroad would have the potential of looking much better if the track was elevated from the benchwork an inch or two in most locations, and way up in some places for dramatic interest . I can't help it I model in the mountains. If you model the plains, having cookie cutter roadbed would only offer you a small (but significant) improvement.

Bill Nelson
Click to expand...

I did use the open type of benchwork on my last layout, and I found myself taking out the open grid benchwork to replace it with plywood so I could have more industry and more room for yard tracks. I know what you mean, about the scenery looking better, so on this layout, the 1st part of the layout, is mostly flat, (Foothills Sub ) I'm going to have 2 subdivisions, the second part which I am going to start now will be the Mountain Sub so it will be built on open grid benchwork for better scenery options.
Once I started having operating sessions on the old layout, I realized how much fun operating a layout is, so when I designed this one, I wanted operation 1st, scenery 2nd, I hope I can have a good balance of both! :confused:
 
that makes good sense

That makes a lot of sense, especially starting out, as while cookie cutter roadbed on open grid bench work, when done right, looks much better than track on plywood, it tales way longer to do, especially in the planning stage. If you have a lot of railroad to build, it is nice to get something running faster.

While I have more often than not gone for the scenery first, and operation second, I have run into enough problems that way to make me wish I had at least split the difference.


I cant wait to see your progress, please share when you have some


Bill Nelson
 
Here are a few pictures of the new extension to the Mountain Sub.

This is looking at the new siding just before the spiral tunnel. It will be about 18 feet long.

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Here is the new Spiral Tunnel, it will be single track, it crosses over itself and goes back down the same way, then there will be another siding about 16-18 feet long.

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Here is a shot of the entire peninsula.

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This is where the 2nd siding will tie back into the old track.

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I'm going to start the roadbed today and pick up some more track. I've already used all the track from my old layout, (500 pieces of flex track!) I've ran the 12 gauge bus wires, so if everything goes as planned, I may have trains running on the new section in a week.
 
I'm going to start the roadbed today and pick up some more track. I've already used all the track from my old layout, (500 pieces of flex track!) I've ran the 12 gauge bus wires, so if everything goes as planned, I may have trains running on the new section in a week.[/QUOTE]

Looks very good. You are also building this nice RR quickly too. Keep up the good work!!!
Doc Tom:thumb:
 
The mainline track is all laid, today it will be the sidings. Last night, I did run a couple of test trains up the hill, and had no problems. (That was with no feeders on the entire section) Today, I may install some feeders to give me more power! Here are a few shots of the new track. The siding in the front will be 17 feet long.

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It will take a long train to cross over itself here. A 50 car grain train should do it!

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This siding is 18 feet long. The curves look sharp in the pictures, but they are 36" radius, the spiral tunnel is a 24" radius, but it will be hidden.

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I'll post some pictures of a train going up the hill later today.
 
This extension makes the layout a continuous loop of 250 feet with an 11 track staging yard, 3 sidings, a 17 track main yard and another 2 sidings before you arrive back to staging. There are also 100 cars throught the layout at various industries to switch out. The first operating session will be comming up soon!
 
I just ran a 50 car test grain train up the spiral tunnel and it made it with no issues! There is 1 SD90 on the h/e, 25 cars, and an SD90 in the middle, with another 25 cars. Here are some pictures...

This is where the lower tunnel entrance will be.

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The mid train engine is just going into what will be the lower tunnel entrance.

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The h/e is just comming out of where the upper tunnel entrance will be.

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Here is the h/e going by the t/e of the train. It looks like 42 grain cars and 2 engines will do it.

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A couple of pictures from the other view.

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I can't believe how these Kato SD90's pull!

I figure this spiral tunnel is about a 2.5% grade on a 24" radius curve and 2 of them can pull 50 cars up the hill.
 
This 50 car grain train is about 6 cars too long for the sidings here, if I run this length of trains durring an operating session, everyone else will be waiting in the sidings!
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Very good workmanship

Very nice looking. I notice very well built benchwork and nicely laid track. You got all that done in a very short time!

I also liked the the mid train helper Deezul. Are your locomotives in a consist on DCC??

Doc Tom:mrgreen:
 
Doctor G said:
Very nice looking. I notice very well built benchwork and nicely laid track. You got all that done in a very short time!

I also liked the the mid train helper Deezul. Are your locomotives in a consist on DCC??

Doc Tom:mrgreen:
Click to expand...

Thank you, the mid train locomotive is in a consist with the h/e engine.
I have it set to run just a bit slower than the leader. It seems to work good that way, and I don't have an issue with it pushing the car right in front of the engine off the track.
 
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