Seaboard Central 2.0

[Dave V]

Damn, Dave, that cam out fantastically!

[davefoxx]

Thanks so much, guys.  I really appreciate the feedback.

DFF

[sizemore]

Hey! ...Sizemore likes it. Sizemore likes it!


The S.

[DKS]

Damn, Dave, that cam out fantastically!

+1!

[seusscaboose]

Well
On the plus side, I know who to call for pointers when I do my roads (finally)

[glakedylan]

looking super and very realistic, Dave
what a fine job!
thanks for sharing...

kindest regards
Gary

[Philip H]

Clearly if DFF can do DKS justice like that then 1) the rest of us have to up our game and 2) DKS retains scenery god status for another week.

[davefoxx]

I've been playing with AnyRail, and I've got enough of the basics down that I was able to come up with this:



The rectangular area incorporating Aberdeen and Southern Pines is the original layout.  I plan to add a second HCD (Hamlet and Raeford) and take a 18" x 36" bite out of it, so that it can fit around the end and side of the original HCD to allow the extension of existing tracks.  Keep in mind that Raeford is two inches above Hamlet, so the tracks are not crossing at grade in Raeford.

Please keep in mind that I have not nailed the original door layout plan with 100% accuracy, as I haven't been home to take actual measurements off of the layout.  But, I must be close, because the grade up Bethesda Hill ended up almost exactly at the figure I calculated when I built the A&R line up the hill and met curves seem to fit at the radius I recall.  One problem with AnyRail is that I can't trim the #5 turnouts in the plan like I can with the actual pieces.  That can affect the plan significantly..

The yard in Hamlet and the trackage in Raeford are not the final versions.  I'd like longer yard tracks in Hamlet, and I've put zero thought into the operations in Raeford, except that I know I want an interchange with the Laurinburg & Southern and a runaround to send trains back to Aberdeen.  That puts four railroads on the layout!

Thoughts?
DFF

[conrailthomas519]

Its ALIVE and Growing! very interesting DFF

[Scottl]

I like it a lot, but I am not so fond of that hidden turnout. 

[davefoxx]

I like it a lot, but I am not so fond of that hidden turnout.

That turnout won't be concealed, because (1) like you, I think that's asking for trouble, and (2) my turnouts are operated manually.  I think whatever the final iteration of Raeford is, the tracks on top will cross on small bridges with SBD trackage in a cut.

Thanks,
Dave

[Scottl]

Perfect.  I had the impression that Raeford would be raised and cover the lower tracks, but bridges would work fine.

I would curve the blue track at Raeford more so it makes an easier transition to your next expansion 

[dmidkiff]

Exciting Dave!

Are you planning on the yard at Hamlet to be similar to your Virginia Central door where it acted as staging, behind a viewblock?

I would think about mirroring the track in Raeford.  Putting an industry on the spur there 2" above the Seaboard main sounds a little iffy.  Plus, how would any vehicles get into that space if necessary?  From other pictures, it looks like you have access to every side of the layout and future expansion, plus it is not very high off the ground, so I think you could get away with a spur towards the center of the door.  You could also have the spur parallel the siding and come to the edge of the door if reach becomes a concern.  If the Laurinburg & Southern interchange comes off the right side of Raeford (looking down on your plan) then you could expand a third time like Scott says with another railroad!

Doug

[davefoxx]

Exciting Dave!

Are you planning on the yard at Hamlet to be similar to your Virginia Central door where it acted as staging, behind a viewblock

Yes and no.  I would like for it to be a behind the scenes type of yard, i.e., staging, but, unfortunately, this will be the first thing that you will see entering the train room.  Poor planning on my part caused this.  Had I planned ahead, I might have built the original plan as a mirror image.  But, I can't change that now.

I would think about mirroring the track in Raeford.  Putting an industry on the spur there 2" above the Seaboard main sounds a little iffy.  Plus, how would any vehicles get into that space if necessary?  From other pictures, it looks like you have access to every side of the layout and future expansion, plus it is not very high off the ground, so I think you could get away with a spur towards the center of the door.  You could also have the spur parallel the siding and come to the edge of the door if reach becomes a concern.  If the Laurinburg & Southern interchange comes off the right side of Raeford (looking down on your plan) then you could expand a third time like Scott says with another railroad!

All good ideas, but don't be surprised if I completely revise it when I lay out the actual track pieces on the layout.  I've rebuilt sections of the original HCD section multiple times.  I've lost count on the number of times I've relaid the enginehouse tracks in Aberdeen and the trackage through Southern Pines.  However, the expense was minimal (the track was reused), and I'm very happy with the current track plan on the existing layout.

I probably won't worry about expansion off of the bottom of the plan, because there currently is a hot water heater (it's only three years old) to the right of the bottom of the plan and the entry door to the left of the bottom of the plan.  That said, if somehow space turns up, it would be really easy to modify the the A&R main in Raeford and the L&S interchange of this plan accordingly.

Thanks!
DFF

[packers#1]

I'm not sure what kind of industry(ies) you're planning for Raeford but you could make it another pulpwood loading point. That way you would have pulpwood coming in both from the SBD mainline and then the A&R, which could be combined in the yard for a larger cut of pulpwood for a mainline train.