Another fun hypothetical: Amtrak based layout

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ok gang, here's another in my series of "it's as rewarding to talk about it as it is to do it" hypotheticals.

If you were going to put together an N scale layout based on Amtrak operations, what would you build?

I think real practical answers are much better than complete theoretical ones (ie, how would you afford enough Amfleets and custom build AEM7s to do Sunnyside Yard or DC Union Station), but feel free to talk about whatever you want.

[parkrrrr]

Just get whatever rolling stock you need to make up the Capitol Limited, park it on a siding on your NS-themed freight layout, and leave it there. Forever. Voila, Amtrak operations in 2014.

[nuno81291]

Passenger trains/amtrak (me being a youngin) is at the forefront of my interest with trains. I incorporated a thru station in my layout design to handle fictional amtrak trains in the vein of the Downeaster or Vermonter.

I however would like to model a larger terminal station... say South Station BOS maybe around the Acela transition (pack it full with f40phs, acela kits, hhp8 regionals etc) and model the small Southampton st yard/maintenance facility. This would let me: 1. model trains going through inspection/washing/layover/being built up and taken apart to be brought into BOS from southhampton st. I would then model the destinations as being off scene staging. obviously you could strictly model the schedules of existing trains, or go freelance.

Another idea is to have a 2 way staging yard feed a thru station(like Ian's Amoskeag Northern)...granted you lose out on the opportunity of having all the support facilities, but could be more reasonable than my previous thought.

I think the big limiting factor with any heavy duty passenger ops (that could keep interest in the long term) is simply space. If I had the space (and money to fill said space) I would focus primarily on passenger ops with freight being more of a nuisance/some online industries.

My local club keeps my need to see long trains go long distances, but the opportunity for passenger ops are limited as it is a fairly freight-centric layout.

just my 2 cents

[packers#1]

If I were to build an all-Amtrak layout, I wouldn't really model any stations or anything. I'd just pick a really pretty line that Amtrak runs on in the Northern West/Northwest and build that, because for me, a layout like that is more about watching trains and building scenery than operations

[Ngineer]

I'm currently trying to convert an RS-3 from Atlas (N-Scale) into a black Amtrak RS-3. I have already acquired a few MoW-items like the Amtrak gondola and caboose from Atlas.

Problem is that there are no decals for an Amtrak RS-3 on the market.      I just need white numbers (between 100 and 144, large and small) and white Amtrak lettering as well as an odd looking F.

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1116224

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=161037

http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=268754

Oh, I haven't been able to figure out why Amtrak had the middle windows in the front and the rear plated over. To me, it makes no sense, as it worsens visibility.

The problem with early Amtrak ist A) to figure out what trains had what kind of equipment (aka Rainbow era) and B) the lack of these models in N-Scale (Kato, please make the NCL and a real Empire Builder).

Javier

[davefoxx]

Auto Train!  P30CHs, Heritage Fleet, Amfleet, and lots of auto carriers.

DFF

[Rich_S]

Ed, Since you didn't specify a time period I'd pick 1971 to 1973. The line would be a section of the Panhandle between Pittsburgh, PA and Columbus, OH. I think I'd focus on the Weirton to Mingo Jct. section of the Panhandle. If I recall correctly, Amtrak was still running 6 passenger trains daily between Pittsburgh and Columbus. The fun part is, with early Amtrak you'd have a mixed bag of PRR, PC and Amtrak covered wagons along with a rag tag fleet of everybody's passenger equipment. Move the time period another year and everything would be painted in the Broken Arrow paint scheme, one of my favorite Amtrak schemes. 

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Oh, I haven't been able to figure out why Amtrak had the middle windows in the front and the rear plated over. To me, it makes no sense, as it worsens visibility.

It does, a bit, but those windows were so high that they probably were more for light than visibility. They got plated over to cut maintenance costs. The glass windows would need replacement, but the metal plates didn't.

You'll find lots of similar treatments from that era. I think it also had to do with a change in glazing requirements. I think the FRA mandated new glass, and that proved to be a good reason to do the plate overs.

[wcfn100]

North Star - Minneapolis/St. Paul to Duluth/Superior



Doesn't get much better than stepping off at a train museum that also has a model train layout, and then spending the weekend on the north shore watching the boats come in.  If you were lucky you could see the DM&IR backing 100 car trains onto the docks.

It was a real shame when they discontinued it.

This train is why I was bummed Kato did the Amfleet IIs.  This train was all Amfleet I's except for a baggage and a sleeper that went to Chicago.  I got three of the Bachmann cars but meh.  I guess they did test the Superliners on it, but it must not have work out.

Jason

[bbussey]

I don't know that I would.  My current plan, when switching to Conrail era, is simply to run the passenger consists that ran on the Northeast Corridor between Bridgeport and New London in 1980.  Currently, I have one complete consist secured of four Amfleet cars and three Heritage cars.  I will need to boost that, along with finishing a reasonable representation of the OCS.  And obviously no reasonable option for AEM7s is an issue.  But the New Haven era consists (which are about 50% done) take priority for me, so this is a back-burner issue for the foreseeable future.

[Denver Road Doug]

I would model something that I semi-attempted to model at one point, but the Amtrak part was a very far off distant priority for that iteration.



Dallas Union Station would likely never be on anyone's radar as a big time Amtrak facility to model.  Biggest problem selling Dallas for a layout "focused on Amtrak" is only two trains per day.  BUT, around the turn of the century it had some decent operations during the time that the Express boxcars and roadrailers were en vogue.   Add to that DART light rail, plus the Trinity Railway Express commuter line, (with both Bombardier/F59 sets and the venerable RDC's) plus UP, BNSF, and DGNO freight trains, and you have a nice mix.   And it wouldn't take much imagination to reinstate the Dallas to Houston connector that ran in the 80's and 90's, and/or bring the Heartland Fyler over from Fort Worth. (which, indeed Amtrak does for Texas-OU weekend to accomodate the Oklahoma fans travelling in from OKC to see their Sooners take on the Longhorns in the Cotton Bowl)   Then there would be some good traffic (freight and passenger alike) being funneled though some fairly tight quarters and that would make for an interesting layout.   

I've always thought it would be the ultimate "all the world is a stage" type layout.   You could have the DUS station scene, with the UP/TRE/DGNO/DART lines rolling out into staging on the northwest/west (left) side and the UP/DGNO/DART leaving on the southeast (right) side.   You would have the Dallas skyline as your backdrop (and even model a block or two perhaps), plus the infamous Dealy plaza which resides immediately to the north of the station.   The station itself is not Grand Central or Chicago Union, but it's no Amshack either.   The photo above is actually looking south, from the TRE Line.  The doublestack is following the path of Amtrak from due west toward Fort Worth on the right to a right hand curve into the station and eventually curving back to the southeast.   In my mind, the front of the layout is on the opposite side of the stack train so that the Dallas skyline would be behind.  (it's off the left in this picture)

It could even be done fairly convincingly on an HCD with an offset backdrop hiding a few staging tracks on one side  to allow for a few trains to be queued up at a time.   I admit I'm not super familiar with the Express boxcar and roadrailer operations, but that would be the key "killer fun" part of the layout.   I think the DGNO actually did the work, so it would probably be one a set of power waiting for Amtrak's arrival and do the work while dodging freights and TRE arrivals and departures.  (the light rail would just be window dressing, although an automated loop could really add to the action...and having some cat in the mix would be a cool contrast)

I think just about every piece of Amtrak equipment that's rolled through DUS since at least the late 80's has been produced in N-Scale, except for the Express boxcars.   So other than possible a custom DGNO locomotive it should be fairly easy to model any era that would also include the DART and TRE.  (also well represented in N, albeit the F59PH--sans "i"--is a custom build.)   DART LRE's might need to be "representative" or a pretty serious bit of kitbashing/scratchbuilding would be necessary.  The little Kato yellow Portram cars would really be a good stand-in for a small pike. http://www.katousa.com/N/JSE/pics/14-801-6.jpg

Here's an overhead of the area.  If you can see the natural "kidney" that is present. (the far left side of the kidney is actually industrial trackage, but you get the idea)   I think I would lay out a very compressed version of that kidney as the front side of an HCD-size setup, then have a 4 or 5 track staging yard on the back side.   The entire Amtrak/UP run would be doubletrack so if you just wanted to run a couple of trains it would be very possible and not detract from the look...from a track perspective that is.   Trains running roundy roundy....can't help ya on that.   

[Dave V]

I dunno...  The Keystone Corridor is my comfort zone, but operations-wise it's kinda boring (unless you want to add the Strasburg connection at Lehman Place Jct).  A combo of Keystone Corridor plus Columbia Branch with Harrisburg yard could--OTOH--fill a basement and a full crew.

The upside?  Hawt action under catenary.

The downside?  Hawt action under catenary.

You could make dummy cat using green Berkshire EZ-line, but you wouldn't get the cat "arch" and you also would still have to make all the cat poles.

[ArtinCA]

Chicago, from 1971 on. Short distance, long distance, east coast, west coast, gulf coast. Only things not there, electrics. But lot's of other goodies..

Lance Mindheim has been building an Amtrak layout for awhile for a customer. NEC based as well.

[jpec]

You didn't put size constraints on I'd go WAS Union Station but in the mid-70's...Amtrak was a dog's breakfast,  Southern still ran the Crescent and PC still switched the Union Market area and Chessie still operated Eckington Yard...it'd make a hell of a basement layout.Penn Station Baltimore would be cool too. You might be able to do the D.C. thing with each area on HCD's like modules on steroids.

Jeff

[Philip H]

I'd do a revival of the ACL station in Mobile, AL (it's a big multi-story stucco building) as one end then run to New Orleans where I'd make sure the Union Station didn't get plowed under the Superdome.