AC&J on a HCD

[Petty Cash]

I've recently gotten the idea to model the Ashtabula, Carson, & Jefferson on a 36" HCD to give me something to do until I have the resources at hand to build a reasonable representation of the Bessemer's Conneaut and Erie branches. 

The AC&J is a shortline about six miles in length running on Conrail's former Jefferson Industrial Track between Jefferson, OH and Carson, near Ashtabula.  Power is a lone S1 #7371.  The railroad has operated excursion trains too, though I'm not sure if they still are.

The plan draws heavily from the Carolina Central.  There is a three track staging yard in the "back" that represents Carson Yard and the NS interchange.  The "front" of the layout is Jefferson with a passing siding and a few spurs.  The front spur is a feed mill and there is an engine house for the power in the middle of the passing siding, as on the prototype.  In the middle are the spurs for a cardboard box plant, transload facility, and a manufacturing equipment factory.  I don't think the factory is rail served anymore, but I did include it for more operation.  Off to the right of the siding is a storage track for the excursion train and caboose.  Turnouts are all #5's and the minimum radius is 10" in the lower right corner which will make things tight if I actually run the excursion trains.  OH11 is used to disguise the staging entrance on the left.

Right now I intend to paint an Atlas S2 as #107 and use that for my power.  I'm also looking at options for the excursion train, possibly a couple Rapido Boston and Maine Osgood Bradley Lightweights relettered.  Those would make an acceptable stand-in assuming they can negotiate the curves and turnouts, though I am still looking at other options.

[Chris333]

Mapquest says they are only 47 min. away, but somehow I've never been there.

Looking forward to your progress.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I like it!
I've often been tempted to do something similar with the ESPN in eastern PA.

Looking forward to seeing it progress.

[mu26aeh]

I like it!
I've often been tempted to do something similar with the ESPN in eastern PA.

Looking forward to seeing it progress.

Maybe if you punch thru that wall or run a track thru your staircase   

[Petty Cash]

Mapquest says they are only 47 min. away, but somehow I've never been there.

Looking forward to your progress.

It is a nice little drive and would probably be well worth it.  It's hard to say if you'd catch any operation, but there is always CSX and NS in the area.  They also owned #518 which they donated and is now on display in its original Erie paint in Meadville, PA.

I like it!
I've often been tempted to do something similar with the ESPN in eastern PA.

Looking forward to seeing it progress.

I actually came up with the idea while sitting along the ESPN shortly after riding the Strasburg and visiting the Railroad Museum of PA.

The excursion train may end up being some of the new Atlas cars, but they aren't very correct for what the prototype ran.  They would still be okay stand ins though and their length would be an asset on a layout this small.  I'm also concerned about trying to squeeze too much into the space, especially on the left where the scenes are right on top of each other while the prototype has them spaced out further.  I will probably end up removing the OH 167 crossing.

[Curtis Kyger]

Union Pacific had (maybe still has?) a supplier on the AC&J that made the plastic pads used on concrete tie rail seats.  We requested that they seek empty UP boxcars for shipments to our concrete tie suppliers.  Because these were returning cars from out east, we'd see some pretty interesting revenue cars temporarily used to haul UP company material.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I actually came up with the idea while sitting along the ESPN shortly after riding the Strasburg and visiting the Railroad Museum of PA.

Haha! Small world...

I'm also concerned about trying to squeeze too much into the space, especially on the left where the scenes are right on top of each other while the prototype has them spaced out further.  I will probably end up removing the OH 167 crossing.

You know my instinct is to value simplicity over complexity... http://conrail1285.com/tag/apartment-door-layout/

[Petty Cash]

Union Pacific had (maybe still has?) a supplier on the AC&J that made the plastic pads used on concrete tie rail seats.  We requested that they seek empty UP boxcars for shipments to our concrete tie suppliers.  Because these were returning cars from out east, we'd see some pretty interesting revenue cars temporarily used to haul UP company material.

That can make for some varied and an interesting rolling stock roster.  I know they do a lot of work with plastics, but I was under the impression that most of it was resin for an offline customer.  I'll have to see what I can dig up on it.  Thanks for the info!

Haha! Small world...

You know my instinct is to value simplicity over complexity... http://conrail1285.com/tag/apartment-door-layout/

I've been out that way a few times.  The first time I saw the East Penn was when a train rolled by while I was loading mulch out of Oxford.  I've also run a lot of steel plate out of York and some landscape materials out of Hagerstown.  One of the reasons I like the engineering reports forum so much is because I enjoy seeing the places I've visited being modeled like your Windsor St Yard.  I've never seen the yard in person other than passing just North of it on US 30, but I've been to and through York a number of times.  Chris333's Erie layout is another example.  I do a lot around the Youngstown/Warren/Sharon area and live along the former Erie main (now WNYP).  Dave Vollmer's Juniata Division is another one.  I've passed through central PA many times and pretty much always run US 322 on my way toward Harrisburg, York, and the rest of SE PA. 

I can certainly agree with you about simplicity over complexity.  I have a feeling the 167 crossing will be edited out.  Going straight to the woods will probably convey the feeling of the prototype better.

[lajmdlr]

[Petty Cash]

I've revised the plan a little bit and decided to go a little more freelanced with the industries since the track arrangement inside the loop is freelanced.  The feed mill will remain along with the transload, but the other two will be a plastics plant (plastic is a big commodity on the prototype) and a steel coil processing plant (I really like the Atlas coil cars and need some work for them).  I'm not entirely sure yet what I want to do with roads.  I'm considering running another along the back of the layout for some houses and businesses to try to hide the backdrop a bit better since the scenery is mostly flat.  Number 107 is supposed to be in the mail tomorrow and then I'll have to start tearing it down, stripping the paint, and trying to track down some vertical radiator shutters.  I'll also have to track down a good source for the custom decals on it.

I can't see the link for some reason.

[Petty Cash]

I just realized that a lot of time has passed and other than getting a locomotive closer to completion, I haven’t made a whole lot of progress.  As I near breaking ground (or rather cutting lumber) on this project, a new concept came to me that I think would significantly improve the overall layout and help convey the prototype more accurately.  Instead of having a staging yard opposite Jefferson, I’m toying with the idea of making a double deck layout by stacking two doors and connecting them with a helix off the end.  Hopefully I can get a space in the venue (spare room) dedicated and begin construction sometime this year.  Until then, I’ll be playing with track plans and hoping some of my reserved power and rolling stock may show up.

[LIRR]

Less is more.

[ronw1970]

Door will sag..DON'T DOUBLE stack doors...you are defeating the purpose of the HCD theory

[Petty Cash]

Okay, you’ve talked me out of it.

[Chris333]

Yeah a small 6 mile shortline with a helix? There isn't much to the real line so your single HCD should cover just about everything.