The West Virginia Central HCD

[PiperguyUMD]

Hello All!

I've been lurking on this page for a while now.  I finally have space for a layout and have been bitten by the HCD bug.  Like many of us, I struggle to complete projects, I have countless ongoing jobs on my workbench as I type!  So the idea is that with a modest sized HCD I would actually be able to finish it in a reasonable amount of time.  The layout is intended to depict many generic scenes on the Western Maryland in West Virginia during the early 1950's.  I been inspired by Dave Foxx's Seaboard Central and have used it as the basis for my plan. 



Heres what I hope to accomplish.

1) My primary interest are building, detailing, and painting locomotives and rolling stock.  3D printed WM H9's, a hammerhead RS3, K2 pacific, and a Potomac - if I can ever get it finished - will roam free on this layout!  I want a realistic setting with a nice balance of track to scenery to display these models.  Though it will be a round-round, I hope that mimicking the Seaboard Central's ridge and use of elevation will help break the layout up into seemingly isolated scenes.

2) I want model a realistic coal mine scene.  In addition to the H9s, I have been 3D printing WM's U channel hoppers.  This will be at the end of the branch line at the top right corner.  Is this the best track layout for a 1950's coal mine?  How would a steam powered mine shifter work a stub end mine with no turning facilities or run-around track?

3) I want to model a modest helper station facility similar to this scene at Thomas.  The plan is that this will go on the three stub end tracks at the bottom right.  Given the space I have what would be a realistic plan for the 2 stall engine house, coaling tower, stand pipe, etc..?



Any feedback is greatly appreciated.  I hope to get started sometime next month once the track plan is finalized.

[pdx1955]

A couple thoughts...

Your plan might be better served if the runaround in your yard was attached to the main line instead at the bottom left corner. This way you could use it as a passing siding as well. Right now the runaround will only serve a single locomotive.

A mine job on your current plan would have the engine at the rear pushing cars up (with a likely crewman riding the first car). While I could see than for short movements, long shoves for "miles" would not be desirable. I would add a runaround track on the mine branch in the straight section. This would allow a place for the engine to cut off, leaving the empties on the siding, run to the tipple and pull out the loads then coupled on to the back of the empties and placing them on the appropriate tracks before running downhill with the loads.

For your engine terminal, I would see if you could put some space between the 2-track engine house and the yard ladder so the water/coal/sand facilities could be placed without having to do a lot of switchback moves. The enginehouse probably should go on the bottom two tracks as they are the longest. The top 3rd track could for shop storage/wrecker as shown in the photo.

I know what you mean about projects...one of mine is converting one of your DRS4-4-1500 shells into a AS-616...

Peter

[MichaelWinicki]

Agree with Peter, a run-a-around track on the mine-run would be a good thing.

[crrcoal]

Very prototypical even to this day for long mine run shoves. All you need is a caboose or shoving platform depending on the era. CSX and NS still use a caboose on these moves down in coal country for that reason.

[PiperguyUMD]

In my first drafts I included passing sidings on both sides of the layout but  I'm not sure I would have much need for them. I didn't think that I could get them long enough to be functional. At most I could put a 2 car passenger train in the hole while a freight passes. I eventually decided to elemenate the one on the far side of the layout. When I did this I realized that the one in the yard was redundant.  I eventually decided to add the run around track because I thought it could be useful.

Good luck with the Baldwin, I'd love to see some pics when you get done!  One of these days I hope to get over to the NCTM so I can get some demonsions off if their NS AS616!

[OldEastRR]

How steep a grade are you shooting for on the branch? If you don't extend the tipple tracks over the main you wouldn't have to get them up to 1.75" clearance. You could  also move the branch closer to the main on the left to give you more length, and have it curve almost all the way back to the main in front before swinging to the mine for even more length. You'd wind up with an exaggerated "S". Might be able to squeeze in a truck dump spur along the way. Since this will be a layout showcasing locos and ops, you can use most of the space for track and mountain scenery, with little to no town/industry structures.

[mu26aeh]

I would also suggest a runaround/passing siding on the mine branch.  Make it long enough to pull your loaded hoppers out, park them, then push your empties in behind them.

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[davefoxx]

@PiperguyUMD,

I'm flattered that my version of the Seaboard Central has inspired you.  I can vouch that the grade to the mine and the ridge down the center of the layout will work.  I do think a passing siding on both sides of the layout will give your ops more flexibility, especially since you want to run multiple locomotives on the layout.  Curved turnouts will lengthen a passing siding on the top of your plan.

Regarding the mine, it is absolutely prototypical to shove empty hoppers several miles to a mine.  Unfortunately, @mu26aeh's idea of a passing siding on the branch won't work well, unless you plan for something to hold the cars on the grade while you switch cars.  I think it will feel more rural to forego that passing siding.  Just shove empties up the hill (keeping the locomotive(s) on the downhill side of the cut of cars to prevent runaways- this is prototypical on steep grades, too) and pull the loaded cars down the hill.  Use the yard as a coal marshaling yard.  This will be fun to operate; I enjoy mountain railroading and coal ops.  Oh, and don't forget the occasional boxcar of supplies to the mine.

Post pics . . . often, please!

DFF

[PiperguyUMD]

How steep a grade are you shooting for on the branch? If you don't extend the tipple tracks over the main you wouldn't have to get them up to 1.75" clearance. You could  also move the branch closer to the main on the left to give you more length, and have it curve almost all the way back to the main in front before swinging to the mine for even more length. You'd wind up with an exaggerated "S". Might be able to squeeze in a truck dump spur along the way. Since this will be a layout showcasing locos and ops, you can use most of the space for track and mountain scenery, with little to no town/industry structures.

The grade is pretty step, I have the mine at 2" so I have plenty of room to put the main line underneath it in a tunnel.  I like the idea of the long S turn. I am planing on putting a river between the main and the branch line at the top of the layout. It would cross under the main just to te right of top center, the follow the main to the left, and exit the layout in the middle of the left side.  I do want to put a row of buildings just above the yard. I think I can base this side of the layout losely on Thomas WV.

[mu26aeh]

@PiperguyUMD,

I'm flattered that my version of the Seaboard Central has inspired you.  I can vouch that the grade to the mine and the ridge down the center of the layout will work.  I do think a passing siding on both sides of the layout will give your ops more flexibility, especially since you want to run multiple locomotives on the layout.  Curved turnouts will lengthen a passing siding on the top of your plan.

Regarding the mine, it is absolutely prototypical to shove empty hoppers several miles to a mine.  Unfortunately, @mu26aeh's idea of a passing siding on the branch won't work well, unless you plan for something to hold the cars on the grade while you switch cars.  I think it will feel more rural to forego that passing siding.  Just shove empties up the hill (keeping the locomotive(s) on the downhill side of the cut of cars to prevent runaways- this is prototypical on steep grades, too) and pull the loaded cars down the hill.  Use the yard as a coal marshaling yard.  This will be fun to operate; I enjoy mountain railroading and coal ops.  Oh, and don't forget the occasional boxcar of supplies to the mine.

Post pics . . . often, please!

DFF

Oops, didn't think about grade.

[PiperguyUMD]

Finally had a chance to mill over some ideas. 



I've changed the configuration of the mine slightly - no more curved turnouts, and I added a siding for a covered hopper full of ammonium nitrate. I'm pretty happy with this.  The mine run will be a shove job as I think adding the run around track would make that side of the layout appear crowded. 

I've also dabbled with some ideas in the yard.  I still have the two tracks for the engine house at the bottom right, but I've added the siding just above them to service a coaling tower and ash dump on the house tracks.  I like how this idea is developing, but not sure this is the final iteration.

The modifications above do some interesting things to the yard.  I'm not even going to try to put passing sidings on the layout.  I do think I'll need a run around track somewhere down there, again, not sure that I like where it is now.

As always, thoughts welcome!

[Lemosteam]

@PiperguyUMD , I thought having the mainline pass through the yard ladder would be awkward so I sketched this up for a cleaner transition through the area.  Assuming you are using Atlas code 55 it would introduce a curved turnout on the right:

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The other thing I thought of, which came in very handy on my very first layout was a crossover from the main to the mine siding (don't know if that's and elevation issue), but it would allow you to spot cars on the main or work on the main to get the cars into the yard, while through trains pass slowly.  I always thought it was cool to be able to work in the yard while my trains passed on the main.

[auburnrails]

In that last post, why not have the main tie directly into the beginning of the branch - at the top left corner of the red oval - rather than having it tie into the yard at all on that end?  It would seem to keep the main more pure and avoid that S through the crossover.  Just a thought - maybe there's another reason to do it that way? 

Looks like it'll be fun to run. 

-Dave

[OldEastRR]

In that last post, why not have the main tie directly into the beginning of the branch - at the top left corner of the red oval - rather than having it tie into the yard at all on that end?  It would seem to keep the main more pure and avoid that S through the crossover.  Just a thought - maybe there's another reason to do it that way? 

Looks like it'll be fun to run. 

-Dave

Depends on where he wants to start the grade up the branch, and shortening the branch as suggested will increase the grade.

[Lemosteam]

Not by much- the siding to the right likely is not on a grade.