CSX Hanover Subdivision

[DeltaBravo]

Looking good Adam

[mu26aeh]

For the 5th year, I participated in Mainline Hobby Supply's Open House/Layout Tour event.  More that 115 people visited the layout and it operated almost flawlessly.  I did a lot of my testing ( a whole 30-40 minutes worth) with a 5-6 car train and 4 axle power.  Did run a 30 car train up/down the helix which worked great.  Yet once I turned the 6 axle power loose, they quickly found a handful of track issues.  They were taken car of Saturday night and on Sunday the only issues came from a couple cars picking certain turnouts. 

Probably looking at trying a get together on Oct 12th for those who couldn't get up here this weekend.  Stay tuned....

[mu26aeh]

Important dignitaries are beginning to arrive in advance of the Golden Spike Ceremony. 

[mu26aeh]

Picked up a couple of cleaning cars for a MOW train.  My plan is to have this parked in an interior track of the helix.  It has an Aztec boxcar with brightboy roller and a center line car with wet roller I incorporated into an old gondola.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

And you won't even have to worry about setting the handbrakes!

[mu26aeh]

For the 5th year, I participated in Mainline Hobby Supply's Open House/Layout Tour event.  More that 115 people visited the layout and it operated almost flawlessly.  I did a lot of my testing ( a whole 30-40 minutes worth) with a 5-6 car train and 4 axle power.  Did run a 30 car train up/down the helix which worked great.  Yet once I turned the 6 axle power loose, they quickly found a handful of track issues.  They were taken car of Saturday night and on Sunday the only issues came from a couple cars picking certain turnouts. 

Probably looking at trying a get together on Oct 12th for those who couldn't get up here this weekend.  Stay tuned....

Looking at Oct 12th, having the layout open from 9am-3pm.  If you're nearby to Gettysburg, PA and want to stop by, shoot me a message and I'll send get you the final details. 

[mu26aeh]

Started dropping a couple feeders tonight in the Vulcan yard.  Just a quick video to test wiring

[mu26aeh]

Couple more feeders tonight and the wye for the quarry is working.  Still need to adjust sensitivity of the reverser a hair or 2, and clean up some points on the turnouts so no video evidence.  But Vulcan had best start blasting rock because the rock runner is about to commence.

[mu26aeh]

Building the Golden Spike Special

[mu26aeh]

Got my back to back reversing sections wired up to reconnect Spring Grove and we got a fully functioning layout again.

Now I can JFRTM all over the layout

[mu26aeh]

Since @wm3798 wasn't around, the Chessie System invaded the CSX Hanover Sub Golden Spike ceremony today.  40 car grain train traversed the layout for a good 90 minutes or so, only pausing to clean the wheels once or twice.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

[ Guests cannot view attachments ]

[Ed Kapuscinski]

First, thanks Adam for having us!

Now, more from the open house.

A pair of MP15s in a scene that's a good analog for their near term future at my house.



The Railwire a$$hat Express pulled by Ol Brushstreaks.









And some shots of Spring Grove which Adam has REALLY nailed.

[DeltaBravo]

Thanks Adam,

[mu26aeh]

Since the Mainline event and the TRW gathering, I've done absolutely nothing with the layout.  Picked up a couple things from Timonium but no modeling.  I'm at a MAJOR crossroads.  A year ago at this time, I was looking at my old layout wondering what I could do to improve it.  My obvious solution would be to take over the current 2 car garage, blocking up the current doors and building a garage level with the existing house (we have a rancher).  This would solve 2 problems, 1) more space for the layout 2) stop the occasion garage flooding from 3"/hr rainfall events, as my driveway drains mostly to a drain that comes into a sump pump.  At the time, there was no way this was going to happen.  So I started working on plans on double decking the existing layout.  I sat on plans for a few months until one night I was in a mood to bust stuff, so I moved on them.  Down came the layout, next day went to Lowes and got 2x4s and drywall.  Rest is history.  I now have a double deck, expanded layout, finished ceiling etc etc.  Fast forward to now.  We recently came into some funds that became available to us thru a property transfer and the possibility of doing the garage addition is now a real solution.  It's really causing an issue with the current layout because I'm stuck as to whether go ahead with the addition or not.  If we do the addition, I don't want to do too much work on the layout because, though some of it can just get moved, other sections will get torn up again.  No point in working on new buildings because those will change as well, perhaps not having to compress them as much.  I expect to talk to my dad this weekend to discuss things, he's a general contractor so we can go over path to glory if I chose to build.  So don't expect to see much of anything until we go thru discussions and make the all important decision.