Logging railroad on an NTrak module- The East Tawas Lumber Co.

[Lemosteam]

Many years ago on the A Board, I began a thread for an N Trak corner module that my son and I started. We got to the point where the frame, main deck, cork, track and wiring in.

He and I laid out on Luaun a switchback route loosely based on the Cass Scenic Railway, which we had ridden on that summer. I was too intimidated at the time to cookie cutter the plan and install it.

Here is a link to my Google photo album up to that point.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nXQQizjEwV5q4thG7


Cut to 2018 where I began working with a fellow in Port Huron Mi, who has an N Trak layout located in the PH&D Historical Society, located in an original interlocking tower/office just west of the US CN tunnel portal into Canada.

This rekindled our interest in the module, where we added a fourth outer mainline track to match his modules.

I also decided to use turnouts instead of wyes to tighten up the center lines of the switchbacks. I painted over the original route and relaid the track centers and switch outlines. Then I drew the cut lines and sawed away.

This shot shows the mountain layout, the camp and donkey will be at the top. I have no idea what the grades are, but a shay with a max of two log cars are all that will fit on the switchback stubs.


This photo shows the two foot straight section where the interchanges are. The log transfer to sawmill will be placed at the edge of the module and use the NTrak green Line height and transfer to the mountain line. The loco shed will be just behind the two story sawmill. The saw will be on the upper floor with a chute to gons for chip removal. The lumber will transfer to the first floor at mainline level to the fifth inside track, and have a trucking delivery door. The main lines will tunnel under the mountain as will the green line.


This picture shows the opposite end of the module. The second level switchback there will have trestle bents over the first level, due to the topography of the mountain. The mating face of the module will have a solid rock face all the way up to the camp level.


The last picture shows the space under the mountain. I think distance and access to the mains will be tough, and I may have to add some cutouts to reach up for derailments.

[Chris333]

Holy switchback Batman 

You better order extra reverse switches cause they're gonna wear out!

[Lemosteam]

Ha! Speaking of which, all of them will be ME code 55 with atlas flex in between. I still have some strategic support risers to add before I cal lay track, which will be glued down right on the roadbed.

@mmagliaro (you seem to be knowlegeable about ME switches.  Are the ME switches long term reliable? They will all be hand/stick thrown for slow, deliberate operations.

Thinking of using used window screen stapled/glued to the roadbed edges and trimmed away, then using slow rate expanding spray foam for the near vertical cut transitions along the route. What do you think?

[eric220]

Holy switchback Batman 

You better order extra reverse switches cause they're gonna wear out!

How about alternating rail polarity on each leg, and have a tortoise flip the polarity on the switchback as the turnout is thrown?

[Lemosteam]

Guess I should have mentioned that this will be DC on the mountain, so nothing like that will be needed.

What I mean by deliberate, is that my son must pay very close attention to the turnout direction, and run things very slowly.

[Chris333]

Perhaps a MP3 player with this on a loop:
 

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[eric220]

Guess I should have mentioned that this will be DC on the mountain, so nothing like that will be needed.

What I mean by deliberate, is that my son must pay very close attention to the turnout direction, and run things very slowly.

My suggestion was actually geared for a DC operation. It would allow you to go up and down the mountain without changing the direction switch.

[Lemosteam]

@eric220 Ah. Well, electricity strikes again at my stupidity! 

@Chris333 , Lol. believe it or not, I plan to put mini Bluetooth speakers in. One for the sawmill and one at the camp for the donkey. Maybe one for the shay, if I can find a good recording.

[Blazeman]

I recall seeing something similar to this many years back at Timonium.

[Lemosteam]

I recall seeing something similar to this many years back at Timonium.

@Blazeman Really?  Cool.  Did you take any pictures?

[davefoxx]

How about alternating rail polarity on each leg, and have a tortoise flip the polarity on the switchback as the turnout is thrown?

But which turnout would control each leg?  The uphill turnout's Tortoise or the downhill?

DFF

[eric220]

But which turnout would control each leg?  The uphill turnout's Tortoise or the downhill?

DFF

The turnout would flip the polarity of the switchback, from the turnout to the end of track, not the climbing legs. Pull the train to the end of the track, throw the turnout, polarity flips, power the loco up and it backs out. To make the scheme work, the climbing legs between switchbacks would have to have alternating polarity, but each leg would be hard wired. I can make a diagram tomorrow afternoon.

[eric220]

This is what I had in mind. The polarity switches when the turnout throws, reversing the locomotive for you.



But I’m realizing that I’m trying to solve a problem that may not really exist, so I’ll leave it there.

[Lemosteam]

Made a stacked styrofoam finisher for the mountain. After I contour it and taper it to the camp level, I will add magnets to allow it to be removed and then scenic it.

I have decided that this will be an evergreen logging facility because I think that pines will be easier to line along the switchbacks and allow realistic tree heights. I really want the locomotive and cars to be screened by trees and saplings as it traverses the track.


Added supports for each switchback. From last time, each reverse stub is horizontal, and I tried my best to get each reverse track supported in a fairly flat plane between the turnouts.


Sprayed the main lines and mountain line with a rusty color Rustoleum primer and scraped the rails clean. I will hit the rusty ties with Neolube to tone them down ant to match the unpainted switch points better.


Added the mountain line under the mountain. This will interchange with the C55 East Tawas Lumber Co.


@eric220 , thanks for the idea on the reverser, but I find that concept counter-intuitive to the operator's need to reverse the polarity at each turnout as he makes the climb or descent.

[txronharris]

Man, John, that's something else. following this with lots of interest. You've got a great idea and looking forward to seeing your progress.