NKP-ish

[nickelplate759]

My plan is showing trees between the NKP engine facility and the running/staging tracks behind it.  I was just looking at aerial photos from 1951 and 1962
(using https://www.historicaerials.com/viewer )  and realized that in real life this is where the Wabash ran (just south of the NKP yard and engine house) - and there were no trees between the NKP and Wabash there, just a 2-lane road.

The Wabash was double tracked there (likely a passing siding) too - with a row of trees to the south of it.

Thoughts on exposing the tracks rather than hiding them?

[btrain]

The plan here is shaping up nicely. I wouldn’t worry about having a road instead of trees as a view block, since the scene is of a rail yard. If there were a few more sidings for the Wabash and was used as a staging yard, I would probably reconsider using the road.

[nickelplate759]

It turns out that the Ft. Wayne  Union had no rolling stock of its own.  NKP, Wabash, and PRR took turns providing switching service.  NYC was the 4th owner but had no direct connection and didn't provide switching.

So I have an excuse for a Wabash or PRR switcher on the layout!

[nickelplate759]

Looking for feedback here - I'm trying to choose between two different options for the NKP/Wabash crossing and interchange at New Haven.
NKP tracks are shown in white, Wabash in salmon-pink.  The blue turnout is part of staging and a DCC reversing section).
Both options hide a return loop - for practical reasons when I want to just run trains.

Option 1 includes a curved connection between the Wabash & NKP at the junction, so it can have a return loop.  This connection exists today, but was added by Norfolk Southern years after the NKP and Wabash were absorbed.    There's track hidden behind the trees (upper right corner of picture) where a Wabash transfer train can be staged, but no connection to the switch at the Junction.
The interchange track doesn't connect to the white track below it.



Option 2 doesn't have the curved connecting track, and doesn't need it.  Instead, the Wabash connects all the way to New Haven, forming a return loop through the interchange track.  My concern with this option is that the long Wabash track detracts from the NKP-ness of this end of the layout, and also clutters it up visually.   Although I forgot to color it pink, the Wabash track continues through the crossing just as in option 1.



Comments, criticisms, better ideas welcome!

[btrain]

I like option two since it has an active diamond. A lot of model railroads have dummy diamonds and this would add some operational variety along with showing off any Wabash power you may have, heck it would be cool to see the Cannonball clatter across the diamond while a hotshot NKP freight waits to head east.

[nickelplate759]

Hmm - well, the line to Detroit is still a dummy, but if I move the switch it's more workable.

But I'll probably do the Blue Bird, not the Cannonball.  Can fake up a good part of it with Con-Cor Budd domes.



I don't have any Wabash power yet - but I do have some Ann Arbor power (RS1 and FA) in the Wabash scheme.

[nickelplate759]

I like option two since it has an active diamond. A lot of model railroads have dummy diamonds and this would add some operational variety along with showing off any Wabash power you may have, heck it would be cool to see the Cannonball clatter across the diamond while a hotshot NKP freight waits to head east.

Silly me - I said I'd rather do the Blue Bird, but of course that train went to Chicago and didn't run through Ft Wayne.  So Cannonball it is!  Plus an all heavyweight train in blue pulled by a PA would look awfully nice.

[nickelplate759]

Another update on the plan.  This all started, like many layout changes, because we moved, but our new home is still being designed and won't be ready for layout construction for another year.   Space has changed a bit as the design evolved - it's now 9'6" x 12'10".
Here's what the proposed plan looks like now:



Pink is the Wabash part, and a DCC reversing section.
Blue is the Union Belt interchange, and a DCC reversing section.

The engine house is down to 3 stalls, and the yard is down to four tracks - I think I was trying to cram too much in.
Fort Wayne station is the pre-elevation version - an anachronism perhaps, but it works better, as there wasn't room to make the grades work easily.  Plus the old station and elevated crossing-gate tower looks cooler.


This will probably be it for a while, until the actual room gets closer to realization.

[OldEastRR]

Still wondering if the turntable/engine house are within easy reach.

[nickelplate759]

Still wondering if the turntable/engine house are within easy reach.

It's an 18" reach to the center of the turntable, and 19" to the most distant engine house track.
The last staging track is a little far - about 28" - but has no turnouts or other trouble-causing elements at that distance.

I could knock about 1" off of those measurements by shifting the mainline a closer to the classification yard.

[nickelplate759]

Another update.  The planned room size and door location had to change, so I had an opportunity to rethink a few things.
Track is now all level.  Ft. Wayne station area is back to the 1955 raised station, but I've dropped the ground in that area rather than raised the track.  You can now look at this area from the room entrance area (3D view in SCARM helped me visualize this).

I dropped one yard track to make the engine terminal area feel less cramped.  Similarly, I dropped the enginehouse from 5 to 3 tracks - 5 tracks fit, but it would be crowded.
Also in the terminal, I merged the enginehouse bypass track with the diesel service track, just for lack of space.





Turnouts in the version are #5, #7, #10 and curved.

[nickelplate759]

View from doorway

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[btrain]

View from doorway

(Attachment Link)

That’s going to be a signature scene for sure, I can almost smell the Coney Island hot dogs while waiting on that platform.

[nickelplate759]

Here's the future home of the NKP-ish layout.  Still about 6 months from being able to start.
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[nickelplate759]

Time for an update.   Finally in the house, and nearly ready to start.  I need to figure out how to build the benchwork.     I'm looking for suggestions, both for how to support it, and what materials to use.

Lumber is a challenge.  I can't find a yard other than Home Depot and Lowes that will sell to consumers, and their lumber is anything but straight and their cut-to-order abilities are limited.  I don't have a truck to move 4x8 sheets of material myself.

My last layout used 1/2" plywood ripped to 3" and 4" boards by a (real) lumberyard, topped with 2" insulating foam.  That worked great, but I can't do that here; I don't have a table saw nor a place to put one, and no one sells 2" foam here.     Similarly 1x3 and 1x4 pine boards, while OK in theory, are absolute cr*p from Home Depot/Lowes, so that won't work either.  I'm thinking about steel studs for at least part of the frame.

Here's a draft plan - it fills the whole room, which is 116" by 146".


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The benchwork will be fairly high - track level will be 58" off the floor. There are no grades.    I want as few legs as possible - ideally none, but a small number are acceptable.   Benchwork can be attached to any of the four walls.  Braces off the wall are OK except in the red areas, but again I'd like to minimize them.

The areas labeled COMPUTER and WORKBENCH will have a computer desk and workbench respectively underneath the layout. The red boxes in the diagram are meant to show layout frame there, not the desk and workbench.  The bottom of the layout frame should be no lower than 54" off the floor in these locations.

The two areas with green boxes areas can have legs, but I'd like to minimize them.  I've put green circles (sort-of) where legs might go.

The area in blue boxes has me a little puzzled.  Ideally it would have no legs and no braces coming off the walls, but I suspect that won't work. Maybe minimize the braces?