Let the layout begin.....

[wcfn100]

As I posted in the SNFF thread, I have been waiting on a large scale track plan for Waterloo, IA to finally begin the contruction process.

Well it's here.

The overall:



The area I'll be doing first starts at the river and goes east through Highland yard with a lot of fat trimmed in between (including the IC yard overpass  >).

This is composed of to main sections - LDE's as it were.

The depots.



And Highland yard.



I've already drawn dozens of plans, but never had all the information until now.  I have to loose one of the blocks by the depot and may add in an old spur that was removed for some added operation, but otherwise plan to follow the chart. I need any module to fit in my car which gives me ~63" with which to work.  Right now the toughest decision is the width.  I could either have it open on the backside w/o a backdrop and without actual buildings for the foreground stuff, or extend it to include some building flats in back and full structures in front.  It's the difference between a 30" wide module or an 18" one where the depots are.

We'll see.

Jason

[tom mann]

Looks like this will fit into a shelf layout nicely.

[wcfn100]

Looks like this will fit into a shelf layout nicely.

If only i could find long enough walls without doors or windows. 

Actually, the plan is to make a portable layout, so think of the two LDE's back to back with end loops - for now. Obviously the yard is much longer than the depot area, so the first addition would be the river crossing on one side and a yard insert on the other.


Jason

[wcfn100]

So the good new is if I compress the street dimensions by 15%, I don't have to annex anything even with 5' modules.  So that makes the blocks 19" with 5" streets.



I had thought I'd always want the optional siding, but I'm not so sure now. I could probably arrange for better picture locations if I just leave if as some foreground scenery.  I could just put the track in for operations with no buildings.  A lot of the empty space north of the depot was leased as parking lot space so that should be easy to do.  I like the siding to the right of the depot for setting out and odd equipment like snow plows or business cars.  I assume that the second track by the freight depot was once the third track (there were three at one time), but with the middle track removed, it can be used as a team track.

The weird offset of the main by the engine house is prototypical and shows in almost every photo (once you know it's there).  The two orange buildings are the only industries besides leased space in the freight house and team track activity unless I do the additional siding .  The small structure in the lower left is just a small shed that was a lumber company at one time.  The one to the right should be (98% sure) Waterloo Wood Bearing which made doors.  The optional spur could have just two generic brick building type industries as ownership of those addresses changed hands a bunch of times from what I can tell.

Finally, the small spec on the left side that I forgot to mark is the tower which guarded the IC passenger main to it's depot downtown. In my era, the IC downtown depot was no longer used and the passenger trains stayed outside of town and used a newer steel box type depot, but the tower was still used for train orders.  I'll still be using it however as an excuse to get some IC flexi-vans if they ever come along or maybe a "Land 'O Corn" train from KATO .  The road that's there doesn't actually cross the main, it dead ends.

(It's amazing what you learn after ten+ years of research without wasting precious time building a layout ;D)

Jason

[ChrisNH]

This looks like a really cool prototype..

Do you have any pics you can post of the area?

Chris

[wcfn100]

This looks like a really cool prototype..

Do you have any pics you can post of the area?

Chris

The only ones I can post are of the Freight House since that's still standing and the small lumber shed which was standing many years ago on my fist trip.  There ere a couple E-Bay scans that I can try and find.  I'm working on getting some 70's era photos from a individual from Waterloo.  The best resource right now is the book that got me interested - Iowa in the Merger decade by  Phillip Hastings.  I had gone to the California State RR museum which has his collection to look for any other photos.  I found a few that didn't make the book, but they want an arm, a leg, and an appendage to be named later to get any reproductions.


Jason

[wcfn100]

To get a sense of what's going on.

The depot:



Tower 'A' guarding the IC crossing:



The freight house now:



This slide has been duplicated so many times it's hard to find one with decent coloring.  You can see the cars spotted on the IC interchange.



And a shot looking back which shows the red signals to protect the crossing and also the high switch stands that the CGW used.



Lookoing at that last shot, I just noticed the tall pole next to the tower.  I wonder if that was a lightning rod... I'll have to ask.


Jason

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Looks kinda like a radio antenna, which would explain the toe spikes on the sides.

[Frank Amato]

With the Deere tractor factory up there, you'll need a few flat car loads loaded up with Athearn models...

  Frank

[Allentown Hump]

You would never guess that there was a diamond there...

http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspx?v=2&FORM=LMLTCP&cp=r2gctz794z24&style=b&lvl=1&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000&phx=0&phy=0&phscl=1&scene=28688254&encType=1

Nice little plan there though!

[ChrisNH]

Thats a great looking freight house, love the cut stone!

Chris

[wcfn100]

With the Deere tractor factory up there, you'll need a few flat car loads loaded up with Athearn models...

  Frank

Yeah, I had posted this in a thread recently.





The bottom pic is an articulated set (two cars permanently together) the the CGW had in the 60's.  To be accurate, I need a couple 60' flats for the SOO and ATSF as both had a small group of numbers assigned to Deere's (that the proper reference  ).  But even then there are two problems.  First, Athearn doesn't/won't make the 4020 tractor in N (please send them a request) and second, with everybody wanting flatcars heavy enought to run empty, I can't really load mine.  I would need one loco for just the articulated set of GHQ flats. 


Jason

[wcfn100]

The discussion comes up from time to time about Sanborn Fire insurance.  I always caution about using them as gospel.  Here's the maps for the same area which is supposed to be updated for 1962 (two years later than the map above).




You can clearly see the siding I've been mentioning.  But there are a lot of left over remnants from earlier years.


Jason

[wcfn100]

Ok. Ed wins.  It's a radio tower.  The same e-mail informed me that the protection signals for the crossing were red on top and yellow on the bottom.

It's nice when your contact is the guy who's actually in the pictures.   

Jason

[Chris333]

Looks like a bunch of brick structures and a lot of kitbashing.