East Norwood, OH in Z Scale

[Jesse6669]

A plant like that is highly unlikely to burn waste paper, you can bale it up and sell it; lots of the 50’ regular height boxcars you see leaving box plants are filled with waste paper. That’s likely the smokestack for some old boiler (maybe in operation or not still) which would have made steam for the corrugator or whatever else they may be doing. Source: I worked for PCA for a few years right out of college and, while we didn’t have a corrugator at my little sheet plant, we still got all the safety stuff surrounding boilers sent to us on the company wide email alerts, and we baled up our waste paper from cutting the sheets into boxes/displays and put it on trailers to ship out.

I didn't mean the paper I meant the dust--notice the pipes from the cyclone dust collector towards that stack.  And it looks pretty new.  Either way, it'll be on the model!

[Jesse6669]

Cork is down. This is 1/16 cork from a big sheet, just cut into strips except for the turnouts, which were done by putting a turnout on the cork and cutting around them.

Next step will be pre-wiring some of the track with soldered feeders and laying it.  I'm planning on starting with the Midland Sub. section that has the cork.  I purchased PCB ties to use at the joints of the modules, so when the layout is dis-assembled the parts can be easily separated, re-connected, and to ensure electrical continuity over the gap. 

So.. I need to think about how to set up blocks--At the very least I will isolate the Midland Sub from the I&O lead and McCullough so switching can take place independently.   I may have a train parked on the Midland Sub while doing switching as well.  Not sure if I really need to isolate the B&O Main 1 from 2.   And I'll probably isolate the Engine House tracks from the yard and lead so there can be hostling done while switching in the yard takes place.  So three main blocks.   

Signalling (CPLs on the Midland) will all be manual--rotary or slide switch for indication, not based on occupancy or any fancy electronics. 

[nickelplate759]

Is your backdrop painted Masonite?  It looks nice and even.

[Jesse6669]

Is your backdrop painted Masonite?  It looks nice and even.

It's 1/8" plywood backboard that came with the modules from T-Trak by Denniston.  It was primered with plain white Kilz then mini-roller of this matte "french blue".  It really is a nice "hazy blue".   Eventually I'm going to have cut-out photo backdrops on it but this is a good stepping stone.

[Jesse6669]

I recently spent several days back in Cincinnati and got a bunch of prototype photos in East Norwood for reference or possible use in the backdrop.  Here are some:   

McCullough locomotive shop.. lots of new (ex CSX & BNSF) GEs, and the sand tower.  Not sure I'll include the sand tower or not--wouldn't be accurate for the 90's-20's but it would add interest. 
 

The view looking west on Highland Ave.  The white building is (was) the Perry & Derrick Paint Company and will be included behind the yard lead curve against the backdrop.  I would like to fit in a siding.. maybe.
   

Weir Frog Co (now Cohen Metals) but I'll be keeping in Weir Frog.. note the detail of the company name added in the facade.      

     

A tree tunnel between GK tower/Zumbiel Packaging.  It's surprisingly wooded here.   

[Scottl]

It is always great to see the prototype, lots of inspiration.  The Weir Frog building is fantastic, perfect 3D print project.

[Jesse6669]

Blocks and wiring..   

I'm to the point where track can be laid, and I need to determine how to wire up the layout since gaps/insulated joiners need to placed, and feeders installed.  So.. I've decided to go old school with DC common-rail block system, and I've identified 4 blocks:  Locomotive Shop, Yard and Lead, Midland 1, and Midland 2.  I'll have two controllers which will allow 2 operators.  I'm just keeping it simple using an Atlas Selector switch for the 4 blocks/2 cabs.   

I would like to add some signalling (a couple B&O CPLs and a dwarf protecting the junction of the yard lead with the Midland Sub) but I think it'll just be a manual system controlled by a "dispatcher" as needed.   

[Jesse6669]

While waiting on a few items for the wiring and track laying, I decided to create a mock up of the control panel based on the old East Norwood CTC model board in GK Tower.  This was inspired by @Cory Rothlisberger and the Leo interlocking board. 

The prototype board shows the crossing to the GM and plant and PRR line into Norwood and much more.   Most of this was gone or re-arranged by the 90's and isn't modeled, not to mention that I've taken license with track arrangement in my track plan--for example, moving the crossover west of GK.  In real life, that crossover at switch 25 is now the east end of double track.  This board also doesn't extend as far west as the old GM sidings, but mine will. 

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]    

In my adaptation, occupancy lights will indicate power to the blocks. I have included the blocks for the I&O/CR/PC/PRR that cover the yard and lead, plus the locomotive shop area.  The signals will be manually controlled for appearance only--"dispatcher controlled".  In the mock up, for example, the signal is lined to move west from the I&O onto the Midland WB main; the lead/yard and engine facility both have power.  I'm using an Atlas Selector to control power to each block with a circuit to the occupancy light on the panel, and to assign the cabs/controller.    I'll probably just use some styrene or homosote for the panel and paint/stencil/and decal it.   The signals pictured will be 3D printed most likely.

[Jesse6669]

Track has been laid.  It's about time, eh?    I started with the Midland Sub tracks 1 and 2 (each of which will be its own electrical block).  Power leads are being installed on rail joiners, and all joints but the insulated ones are being soldered.   The curve near GK tower (in the distance just out of focus) seems a bit too tight--but they won't be used for any running--just to stage photos-- so it really doesn't matter.   A side note: last year I purchased a Pace AccuDrive Production Soldering Station and finally broke it in.  I have to say this unit is excellent--it heats up almost instantly and has precise temperature control.  It's a huge improvement over the cheap pencil soldering iron I had been using and well worth the money. 

Here's the layout looking east on the Midland Sub, at about the same location as in the prototype pic (from Wesley Ave).  The crossover and the GM siding are added by selective compression into this area.  In the distance of the prototype photo you can see the McCullough Lead curling off to the left and the B&O CPLs near where GK used to stand.  The big empty lot on the left is where Zumbiel Packaging used to stand.   

   

   

[Jesse6669]

Progress update on McCullough Yard section: 

The yard throat and track to the locomotive shops are in.  The shop tracks are isolated as its own block so hostling can be done separate from yard work/switching.  Notice the pristine, organized workspace!
 


Here's a closer look at the ladder for the locomotive shops:

 

This is now forcing the engine house into construction--or at least the construction of the foundation.  I previously acquired two Z scale engine houses in anticipation of this: An Archistories two-stall building made of laser cut cardstock, and an HTT etched brass one-stall.  The prototype currently has an original three-stall building, with a one-stall add-on that was done in the early 2020s: 



For my layout, I'm just going to model a two-stall engine house;  Back in the 80s-90s the smaller building was all they had.  A two-stall represents that just fine for my layout and saves a bit of space.  So, I'm using the Archistories, but I might substitute the roof and vents from the HTT model.  In order to get the track to properly fit into the engine house, I printed a copy of the foundation from the Archistories kit and test fit the track. 



Here's a view showing the footprint for the engine house with test tracks. 



Then I got to thinking I'd really like some inspection pits under those tracks--which is included in the HTT kit.  But this won't fit with the Archistories model, so I designed and printed a foundation/inspection pit for the Arch kit.  This pic shows the first test print (only half in order to fit on the printer).

 

I also spent some time testing printing some CPL signals for the layout, that's covered in this thread: https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=59691.0.