Amoskeag Northern - Conrail Portland (PRO&C) Line Engineering Thread

[Ian MacMillan]

I'll second the enjoyment of your progress.  Always enjoy your work.  Are you putting a valance over 'the blob'?  Also, is your backdrop just attached by the 1x's around the outside edge, and have your had any expansion or contraction issues with it?  The last time I tried hardboard attached to the framed house wall it expanded and buckled on me.  Maybe setting it out from the wall on the 1x frames helps prevent this?

Thanks

Thanks. Yes the valance will go over the blob an will follow all the contours of the edge of the layout.

This is the first time I have used the 1x2's behind the backdrop as on all my other layouts it was just screwed to the wall. However with that I ran into the joints not being on a stud or whatever so they ended up not being smooth. With the 1x2's I can run vertical pieces at the joints and screw into that. I then tape and sand. I have never had any issues with it buckling on the old layouts. On this one it is drywall screwed every 12" or so, so we will see how it works out.

[Ian MacMillan]

Ok here is the very rough track plan. But LONG overdue.



Blue is Conrail
Red is New Hampshire Northcoast
Green is Brown Paper mill trackage

Layout is viewed "backwards" from your typical model railroad. Facing the layout, Left is East and Right is West. The reason why I did this is I wanted to put the Ossipee Mountain Range as the backdrop of the railroad.

The CR mainline is all former double track, with track 2 ripped out, for scenic hotness. The mainline is not as linear as it shows in the trackplan and will have some curves. Passing sidings are a minimum of 8'. NHN trackage is all former B&M Conway Branch branchline trackage. 70lb rail, crappy ties, etc. Gravel trains would come off the NHN trackage and head west.

You can see the old B&M Conway Branch in the trees on this Gmaps photo of the West Ossipee section of Ossipee (Mount Whittier Station on the B&M). The second photo shows how the alignment works into the trackplan. The CR mainline will continue west, over the Bearcamp River on a double, reduced to single tracked truss bridge a la the 4th photo.




With track alignment.





The mill trackage, is based off of the trackage for Hill Yard on the BMR/SLR at Cascade Mill. The trackage looks like it wont fit on paper, but its all very tight radius (nothing larger than an SW-1) and just messing around with track pieces it appears to all fit. I used a 1990's track map for it, but I may trim some of it down to what is on the 1997 track map.

Cascade


Cascade track alignment


On the west end of the layout I am up in the air as to what I would put on this end. Most of the industry in this area is forestry products, but I am getting the feeling that I don't want to over do the "forestry stuff." The west end of the passing siding I am planning on having within the South Tamworth section of Tamworth which has a small village downtown area. I plan on putting a small "hole" to hold helpers, as well as a team track, nothing biggie. Its to the east of it, as it comes out of the curve that I am up in the air as to what to put in. Propane dealer (common up here), lumber yard, etc.

South Tamworth


With track alignment

[packers#1]

I remember the corn syrup industry on MR's Williams Bay layout was based on an industry along the B&A line; that might fit along with a propane dealer and keep the light industry feel; might not fit in with your theme though; overall I'm digging the nice open mainline with the switching centers

[Ian MacMillan]

Yeah the dealer in that article was in Westboro, MA at the old autorack facility on the B&A. I dunno about that type of industry though as when did corn syrup become really popular via rail? I know it is very popular now but how so in 1996?

After some time this morning I thought of these two common industries in the area:
- Scrap Metal ie Schnitzer Steel, North Country Metal Recyclers - Gons outbound galore.
- Metal fabricators ie Presby Steel, formerly Isaacson Steel - They receive metal and ship out fabrications.

[packers#1]

I dunno what the article said, as my magazines are at home in a storage tub (gotta love college); the two industries you have listed sound like they'd be more fun to model though

[peteski]

Yeah the dealer in that article was in Westboro, MA at the old autorack facility on the B&A. I dunno about that type of industry though as when did corn syrup become really popular via rail? I know it is very popular now but how so in 1996?

I'm pretty sure I remember seeing many corn syrup cars in the 1990s spotted in the B&M Guilford yard in Somerville (or is that Cambridge)?  By the Lechmere station. Those cars were visible as I would drive by on McGrath Highway, or when I sometimes used the parking lot there, between the McGrath Highway and the tracks.  BTW, I just drove by there on Friday and the old Genoa meat packers building has been razed. That was a really cool looking building. 

[Ian MacMillan]

Quick overview of the entire layout. 5.4 miles in 80 feet.

I'm pretty sure I remember seeing many corn syrup cars in the 1990s spotted in the B&M Guilford yard in Somerville (or is that Cambridge)?  By the Lechmere station. Those cars were visible as I would drive by on McGrath Highway, or when I sometimes used the parking lot there, between the McGrath Highway and the tracks.  BTW, I just drove by there on Friday and the old Genoa meat packers building has been razed. That was a really cool looking building. 

This is good to know. But I'm still kind of iffy on this industry as the demand for it in this part of the state I'm thinking would be almost nil. Its still plausible though.

[packers#1]

This is good to know. But I'm still kind of iffy on this industry as the demand for it in this part of the state I'm thinking would be almost nil. Its still plausible though.

That was my immediate thought when I suggested the idea; perhaps it could be a possible team track item, as I imagine a company could utilize its own hose to transfer corn syrup from the tank car to a truck for a local leg; it could add a bit of variety and leave room for the more area-appropriate industries you have already mentioned.

[Ian MacMillan]

Could be an option as there is plans for a team track there already. One of our customers on NEGS had a similar operation with calcium chloride where they transfered it from tank cars into tank trucks at our team track in Concord.

[C855B]

Could be an option as there is plans for a team track there already. One of our customers on NEGS had a similar operation with calcium chloride where they transfered it from tank cars into tank trucks at our team track in Concord.

This was behind the Fairfield Inn, right?

[Ian MacMillan]

This was behind the Fairfield Inn, right?

Yes.

[C855B]

Thought so. I saw it being switched on one of my (two) business trips there. Current Google sat view shows three tank cars there.

[Ian MacMillan]

This is the customer:

http://www.allstatesasphalt.com/

All States Asphalt
Boscawen, NH

They truck it to their facility and then they sell it as their De-Ice-It product to highway departments as snow melt and dust control
http://www.allstatesasphalt.com/products_deiceit.html
http://www.allstatesasphalt.com/services_dust_camg.html

[peteski]

Speaking of Boscawen, is the guy who used to print all those nice B&M decals still in business there?

[Ian MacMillan]

Concord Car Shops? If so, no he isn't. Stopped doing decals and custom painting a while back.