Indiana Harbor Belt of Texas

[Rossford Yard]

Well, you could say that Wyatt and I got "lit" this weekend.....   We might be striving for the second best Illinois junction N scale layout (behind Daryl K and Rochelle) but we have to be at least tied for first in lighting.  We should have taken a pic from outdoors in the driveway, sort of a "neighbor cam" since all the neighbors are wondering just what is going on in that room, esp. now with the glow lights.

 It makes a huge difference in working in there and of course, the trains will present better.  We are considering adding masonite to lower the valance to hide the lights more.  The covered glass bulbs are better on the eyes than the exposed spirals at least.  On the last IHB, the valance was too low, to cover long florecsent fixtures, but we bumped our heads when leaning in for switching, so we need to be careful.  Hanging lights higher, with the new high ceiling helped.

You can see I am starting to put out structures so we can start aligning the spur tracks.  While not totally proto, because I want to use existing structures I already have, they are generally in the right places, including the Kato bridge standing in as the 139th street bridge south of the junction.

I had laid out an upper branch to a grain elevator in the same location, but it looked too spaghetti bowl, and took out a few industries south of blue island (actually formerly rail served industries, but I am leaving them in for ops)  So, now the grain facility is just served off the yard lead and is at ground level.
Ditto the Ethanol unloading facility.  BI has a former grain elevator on the east end, Gibson has an ethanol plant near the east end, so I included both, but had to move locations to get them in, again in the name of ops.

The buildings on the left and by the window afford some swicthing and hide the CSX staging track.  Gibson also has a branch leading off the west end, so at the window, that track may be used for both.  Some actually look too crowded to my eye.  Most of the IHB line in that area, while urban, doesn't have many structures.  More like large paved areas covered with trailers and the like, so I may take out a few, and add elevated paved lots.  It still appears scenery will be easy on the IHB, but the key will be great photos from Chicago serving as the prototypical backdrop.

But, I am trying to compromise as little as possible.

[Rossford Yard]

More progress this weekend, but no photos.  Switch Machines, bridges, and mainline completion, including the first full loop on many of the mainlines (IHB, CN, CSX)

Maybe more later.

[Specter3]

Didn't happen..... no pics

[Bendtracker1]

Those videos are way Cool!

There is nothing better to see in model form than a busy, track laden junction!

Looking forward to seeing this progress....

[soo]

It did happen,, I was there!! I sees it wiff my own too I's.

  Usually we clean up and take pics,, but not this time..( more wow pictures next time). Like Jeff said,, we were able to run trains on all the mains.. pretty kewl.

  Adios Wyatt

[gringo]

Any updates? I wanna see! I wanna see!

[nscalemike]

Any updates? I wanna see! I wanna see!

I was also just thinking about this layout the other day,  hope its moving along!

[soo]

Well we are back with a progress report.....( teletype sound in the backround).

  Alot has gotten done, control panels, 50+ tortoises being installed. Gibson yard ( we call it " The Mel" ) was laid out and constructed, and a bunch of other stuff.

 Since I am just the worker bee, the Super can respond with better description of what is really happening.

  Picture Time!!!

Here is the proud owner, running the first job in The Mel.


 You can see there are two yards, one for eastbound and one for westbound movements. Each yard has a A/D track or two and the rest are class tracks, or some times they are no-class tracks,,lol.
 
 
 Starting at the wall, two tracks for long trains such as unit coal , stacks and racks. Refered to as the " Long Tracks" on the control panels. The next two are the mains. Then two A/D tracks , then class tracks... you get the idea. The yard by the Aisle only has one A/D track, rest are class tracks. The long track in the middle is the " runner".


 Here is the control panel for the A yard and roundhouse area. Red means no,, Green means go. I used Bi-Polar LED's and DPDT sub-miniture toggles for all the control panels. And there are more control panels to come. All of the control panels were made with carstock and laminated on both sides, then attached to 1/8" masonite.


  Just a cool pic showing some IHB equipment. And the nice flowing yard tracks. LOL

  Well there are more pics,, I just don't know the image restrictions per post.

  See ya Wyatt

[soo]

Well that was quick,,lol.

  The control panels are a pain in the rear. That is why I try to pre-construct them at the workbench,,then install them where they need to go. I first look at the torti's that are installed and see which way they throw. Then while wiring the panel at the work bench, I have a tortoise there for testing purpose, ( trust me,, GREAT IDEA!! ).  So after all said and done, I just have to hook up the two wires for the tortoise and BOOM,,  I am done.

  Picture Time!!!

Sorry about the junk pics,,  thought they were better.


 This the panel for the actual Blue Island Interlocking.


 Here are two temporary panels for the helix and staging area. As you can see, Francisco is for the IAIS and CP coming into the Blue Island Interlocking Area, which is about 4' to your right in the picture.


And ,, wait for it,, wait for it,, you guessed it,, A control panel!!!!


Super bad picture, but you get the idea.

  Adios for now,, more pics coming. Wyatt

[soo]

I thought some action shots would be a cool thing. Away we go!!!

  Picture Time!!!!









  Well that is all folks!!

  Adios, Wyatt

[Rossford Yard]

Big thanks to Soo and Denver Road Doug for getting this back on track with a big work weekend.  Life sort of intervened for a while.  I was able to lay the back half of the yard at the rate of about one track per week.......

Other than finishing the roundhouse tracks and grain facility along the back wall, tracks are done and probably 90% wired now.  I found that Union City Roundhouse at a train show all built for $60 (or about the cost of two of the four kits that make it up) and pounced.  Gibson has four longer stalls near the leads, and I will use a Walthers Modern Roundhouse to simulate that, as the proto has two different architectural styles, too.

Wyatt convinced me to use more tortoise, to avoid a reach over the front yard to switch the back yard.  Still have to reach with the uncoupling pick, hmm.....may  have to add MT ramps.  Might still go manual up front, just not sure how yet.

Anyway, glad to have a lot done.  More as we go....

[JSL]

Man, that is looking sweeeeeeeeeeet!!

[Denver Road Doug]

The photos don't do this layout justice.   That yard is just HUGE and looks fantastic, and the Blue Island Jct scene is awesome.   RY and Soo have done a great job of designing and building it.  (I have had very little to do with it, but thanks for the mention anyways)    They have almost killed each other a few times  but the results are hard to argue.   

[Rossford Yard]

Yes, the yard is big.  Not so big that there wasn't at least five minutes of discussion about using a curved ladder around the far corner to add capacity......sheesh.  Am I the typical model railroader, or what?

No blood was shed.  It's funny though.  In "real life" Wyatt was a homebuilding contractor, and I am an architect so we have those types of "discussons" about the "design process" and how much ought to be on paper (100% in his "contractors like opinion....) and how much needs to be "winged" in the field.  (my architects perspective on the fine details, to get them right for the long term, even at the cost of a few construction delays) 

We each bring perspective, but of course, the end goal is the same - the best layout possible. Wouldn't be possible to build something this big without the help of friends....at least not for me!

[GaryHinshaw]

Wow!  FWIW, it looks huge in the picture too.  This sure puts my track-laying progress to shame.  Looking good!