Multi-era switching layout - Crestwood Industrial Park

[645diesel]

a few years ago i started the design and construction of an N scale D&H based basement layout.  the layout was more of a scenic adventure than an operations oriented design... watching a train go to and from staging with little to do along the way did not hold my interest.  it's a good thing i did not proceed further with that layout, there was some 80+ year old plumbing happenings which required the layout to be dismantled.  the project was ambitious and helped me focus where my interests were in the hobby.

for more than a few years i have been interested in the Crestwood Industrial Park near Mountain Top, PA.  it's an interesting location that has been served by 4 railroads since the first track was laid in 1966 by the Central Railroad of New Jersey.  When the CNJ pulled out of Pennsylvania in 1972, the Lehigh Valley took over servicing the customers and then in 1976 it became Conrail.  Conrail sold the line to the Reading and Northern in 1996 and since then there has been an expansion of the industrial park which included rail access. 

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this aerial photo is from 4 October 1969 and shows the rail served facilities at the Crestwood Industrial Park.  i find it an intriguing cluster of rail served industries, given it's elevation and seeming remote location.

A: Foster-Wheeler - first to build at Crestwood, manufactured power plant boilers, generators and oil refinery equipment for nearly 30 years until they closed the Mountain Top facility in 1984.  the facility became MK Rail and is now a listed Superfund Site due to TME ground water contamination. trailing point siding.

B: Certain-Teed - fiberglass insulation and ceiling tiles.  covered hoppers of sand and boxcars for paper rolls and finished product shipment.  rail service ended under Conrail in the later 80's, early 90's. facing point siding.

C: American Tobacco/American Cigar - producers of Anthony y Cleopatra, Roitan and La Corona cigars.  low volume customer, a few boxcars per year.  closed in 1984-85 and purchased by Gatorade and facility expanded.  had rail service before and after expansion, siding removed between 2005 and 2008. facing point siding.

D: Harte & Company - manufacturer of polyvinyl film and sheeting.  cover hoppers of raw pvc pellets.  now i2M which makes polyvinyl film and sheeting. trailing point siding.

E: possibly Cornell Iron Works, now PolyOne, supplier of polymers and resins for industry. trailing point siding.

F: Pencil Siding (not labeled) is a trailing point siding where LCL and Eberhard Faber would unload cedar from boxcars from California.

in the Lehigh Valley days, the "Crestwood Comet" came out of Coxton Monday thru Saturday.  there is a 650ft long dual ended siding between where the turnout to what was American Tobacco was and Oak Hill Road which allows for run around moves for switching the two trailing point sidings west of Oak Hill Road.

as an operations oriented layout, Crestwood can be operated as CNJ, LV, Conrail and Reading and Northern.  the rail service was not extended to the new buildings until R&N took ownership after 1996.

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forgive the quality of the drawing, this is a rough idea of what i'm considering for a 6x9 N Scale layout in a spare bedroom, the basement is no longer an option.  the "Crestwood Comet" would come out of staging heading east and then would back into the Crestwood Industrial Park where it would perform the required switching.  the Pencil Siding would be switched, if needed, on the way back to Coxton Yard in Pittson, PA (staging).   i 'm contemplating adding a concealed track behind the industrial park from the "staging" which could create loop so a mainline train could go in circles for those times when railfanning road freights with big Alcos up front is what you really need.

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this 1969 photo shows a CNJ train working the Crestwood Industrial Park with a LV road freight passing on the siding.  to the right of the LV C420 is the Pencil Siding.  all of this is still in place, the trees have just grown making photos like this rather difficult.  notice the drop off of the Crestwood trackage from the CNJ main, it's a bit of a climb.  during the early CR years, all sorts of power could be seen at this location, working the industries or passing thru on the main.  it's a unique slice of railroad.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I need to put you in touch with my friend Ryan who's worked Crestwood with the R&N. I'll send him this way.

[645diesel]

I need to put you in touch with my friend Ryan who's worked Crestwood with the R&N. I'll send him this way.

would that be Ryan T?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

would that be Ryan T?

Nope, Ryan L.

[645diesel]

Nope, Ryan L.

that was my next guess, baaaa

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Almost as many Ryans as Daves!

[645diesel]

update on this project...

i tore out what i had built...after a few times operating it was kinda boring.  copying the prototype is great and all, but it's clear that the CNJ made this a quick and painless job for the Crestwood Comet crew. 

i did make a mistake that i should have realized early on... the bit in red was too short for a GP40 and a 60 foot covered hopper for the modern era rolling stock.  doh.

i'd love to get some track planning help to get more out of the 6x9 space.  i know i could do way more interesting things than just a slab of easy switching.

-645

[conrail98]

update on this project...

i tore out what i had built...after a few times operating it was kinda boring.  copying the prototype is great and all, but it's clear that the CNJ made this a quick and painless job for the Crestwood Comet crew. 

i did make a mistake that i should have realized early on... the bit in red was too short for a GP40 and a 60 foot covered hopper for the modern era rolling stock.  doh.

i'd love to get some track planning help to get more out of the 6x9 space.  i know i could do way more interesting things than just a slab of easy switching.

-645

Any particular constraints in that 6x9 space? Okay with a lift out for some "off-layout" staging/continuous run? I've got a few ideas,

Phil

[645diesel]

Any particular constraints in that 6x9 space? Okay with a lift out for some "off-layout" staging/continuous run? I've got a few ideas,

Phil

zero constraints, lift out is acceptable.  the space is along 2 walls in a 10x12 room.  there is a window AC unit and a radiator under the double windows.

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[Ed Kapuscinski]

Have you read Lance Mindheim's shelf layout operations book?
https://www.amazon.com/How-Operate-Modern-Switching-Layout/dp/1467956996?ie=UTF8&refRID=071Q6SZNF6KVE1GTN4EY

It talks a lot about how to "stretch" a simple track plan.

It's why I created this: https://traincrew.conrail1285.com/

That might help provide some fulfillment with something simple.

[645diesel]

Have you read Lance Mindheim's shelf layout operations book?
https://www.amazon.com/How-Operate-Modern-Switching-Layout/dp/1467956996?ie=UTF8&refRID=071Q6SZNF6KVE1GTN4EY

It talks a lot about how to "stretch" a simple track plan.

It's why I created this: https://traincrew.conrail1285.com/

That might help provide some fulfillment with something simple.

thanks Ed, i'll check these out.

i was playing around with Visio and have no idea how feasible something like this would be...

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[conrail98]

Here is the ZTS from 1984 for this area and kind of what I was thinking for a layout that gets the Industrial Park, Forest Wheeler, and model staging like the rundown Penobscott yard. Switch the industrial from inside the layout and Forest Wheeler from the aisle to the bookcase with a liftout to enter the layout.

I've started doing it up in XTrackCad,

Phil

[645diesel]

It's why I created this: https://traincrew.conrail1285.com/

took a look at this site, what a good idea.  i've operated at layouts where we had to count to 5 after coupling and count to 10 before we could move an assembled train.  this takes it to another level!

[Ed Kapuscinski]

took a look at this site, what a good idea.  i've operated at layouts where we had to count to 5 after coupling and count to 10 before we could move an assembled train.  this takes it to another level!

Thanks! I think it's pretty nifty and was a fun thing to build.

Enjoy.

[garethashenden]

Have you read Lance Mindheim's shelf layout operations book?
https://www.amazon.com/How-Operate-Modern-Switching-Layout/dp/1467956996?ie=UTF8&refRID=071Q6SZNF6KVE1GTN4EY

It talks a lot about how to "stretch" a simple track plan.

It's why I created this: https://traincrew.conrail1285.com/

That might help provide some fulfillment with something simple.

I don't want to derail this thread too much, but does anyone have any idea how much of that book's content is applicable to the late steam era? I'm sure some is, but I don't know if its 25% or 75%.