AC&Y - Ohio's Road of Service

[SAH]

I did not consider black only because I've kept the light side white to reflect as much light down as possible down to the layout Michel.  The white baffles actually soften the quality of light at track level a bit:  An unexpected result.  You could certainly use black.  I doubt it would make much of a difference, except to soften the light further perhaps.

The bottom of the lighting valence is 68-1/2" AFF.  My eye level is 70", so it works for me.  I don't plan to use the valence as a paste up space for paperwork.  The paper skin on the foam board would get pretty ratty quickly I think.  I've seen a metal band for magnets attached to the valence work successfully.  You bring up a good point about handling paperwork though.  The yard has a stand-up desk  designed for the purpose and I'll have some kind of swing out thingee beneath the yard to.  The Spur 4 switch crew????  Not sure yet.

[LKOrailroad]

Or you could off the deep end...

[coldriver]

The bottom of the lighting valence is 68-1/2" AFF.  My eye level is 70", so it works for me.  I don't plan to use the valence as a paste up space for paperwork.  The paper skin on the foam board would get pretty ratty quickly I think. 

I'm not using the valence for paperwork, I'm using the top of the backdrop to clip paperwork to.  So the tallish crew members have to duck below the valence a bit to get a clear view of the paperwork on the backdrop. 

[SAH]

Ah yes, I understand the problem a lighting valence would cause for tall operators if the paperwork is on the backdrop.  My backdrop can barely hold itself up, let alone paperwork so that's not even a consideration for me.   

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Do you have a guest bedroom?

[SAH]

Why yes we do.  I'll set up a cot under the layout for you.   

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Why yes we do.  I'll set up a cot under the layout for you.   

Good. Once we can people again, I'm there.

[SAH]

When I ran the test train a few weeks ago I quickly discovered there would be a mutiny in the yard upon the first Spur 4 job return.  There was no way to get the train to the receiving track, only to the running track.  Which would require the yard crew to do a double switchback move just to get the cars to where they can start to be classified.  Dumb!  A crossover coming off of the Spur 4 lead, as shown in front of the freight cars, solves that problem.


The xover install got me to thinking about trackwork and N scale track work in particular.  I only had two old ME switches of the correct config available.  When I say old I mean before DCC old.  Modifying them to be "DCC friendly" was not a problem.  The entire Spencer OH module was done with modified ME switches because when it was built (25 years ago) if you wanted code 55 trackwork it was ME or handlay.  No FastTracks back then either.  I'd tried in the past (before FastTracks) to hand lay and the results were TERRIBLE.  The MEs have worked great over the years, through I don't know how moves. 

The original plan when I started Brittain was to hand lay switches using FastTracks jigs.  Before I got going one of the large N scale layouts in central NC came down and I had the opportunity to purchase a bucket full of Atlas C55 switches for something like 10 cents on the dollar.  Even though they were used, not a hard decision.  I'll make lemonade out of lemons right?  Careful cleaning and testing produced about an 80% yield.  Not bad.  As a result, Brittain went together far quicker than I figured it would. 

So far Brittain has worked pretty well but I can't honestly say it has seen a trial by fire kind of test.  By that I mean full yard, inbound and outbound trains to be classified and the yardmaster is someone other than me.  I believe I'll be getting to that point soon.  I hope the Atlas C55 switches hold up as well as the ME switches did at Spencer.

Steve

[LKOrailroad]

I believe your root problem is you have Spur 4 joining the yard east of the west throat. Prototype Spur 4 joined the yard west of the west throat.

[SAH]

True enough.  One of many compromises I made to get the Brittain yard elements I wanted to model into the layout space available. 

[SAH]

I scratched the scenery itch over the last couple of afternoons.  I decided to work the space between Brittain Yard and the blue backdrop.  The content is the same as the prototype (trees, scrub brush and weeds) but the actual embankment rises higher than I had space for.  This will do.

The backdrop behind the engine service area should be an interesting build.  In the early 60's you could still see the houses at the top of the embankment.  I have some ideas involving the use of HABS drawings scaled to fit and pasted on a board between the tree line and the blue backdrop.  I'm intrigued enough by the possibilities that it may be the next project.

[SAH]

The recent cold weather drove me up to the third floor (where it's nice and toasty) to QC check my finished rolling stock and enter each model into a spreadsheet.  The first step toward setting up an operating scheme I suppose.  Today I set out a couple dozen of the freight cars in Brittain, ran a road freight into the yard and put a Mogadore Valley turn together on the MV departure track.  No waybills or switch lists were involved.  I just wanted to get a feel for how the yard performed from a quality standpoint.  A few pieces of rolling stock caused some derailments but the trackwork seems solid.  And so we press on.  I have plenty of freight cars ready to go.  It appears I'd better get busy with AC&Y locomotive and cabooses.

[SAH]

Here's the view from I-76 westbound lanes, if they had been extended that far in 1960.  It's a little too high above the yard actually.  Today you have to peak through the scrub trees to get a peek.  And there are no 40' boxcars in the yard.   

[SAH]

I laid out the car spots for Spur 4 this afternoon.  I was surprised to discover the total came to 57, in all varieties.    It doesn't feel crowded or contrived either, but I'll let the first guest crew weigh in on that account.  The work can be split logically into 4 jobs:  General Tire, A&BB Interchange & smaller customers (Standard Mold, Harwick, etc.) Goodyear Tires and Goodyear Synthetic Rubber.  I'll start with that assumption anyway and see where it goes from there.  First person history I've read says they worked Goodyear 3 times a day during boom times.  There should be enough work to keep a crew entertained for hours.  I think Brittain Yardmaster will be very challenging job.  The next step is to work up some hand made paperwork and execute each job, spotting loads and empties as appropriate, get the cars back to Brittain and forward them on road freights.  I've been thinking about this for awhile.  We'll see what happen.  Is this a great hobby or what!

[LKOrailroad]

Based on your excellent General Tire building I can't wait to see what you do with the Goodyear buildings. Should be quite impressive.

Are you going to incorporate the winding trestle behind GY plant 1? I used to walk that trestle. Scary as hell but that's what young dumb kids do.