Weekend Update 12/20/15

[C855B]

Here's something from the FHWA I quickly found about crossing warning systems if you're having trouble going to sleep tonight:

  http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/xings/com_roaduser/07010/index.htm

There's a ton of information there. Happy reading!

[nkalanaga]

At least two of the coal docks along the Big Sandy River, on NS, have gates at their entrances, and have for years.  I don't know how much, if any, the coal companies paid for them, but there's a prototype if you want the gates.

Of course, one of the docks routinely parks coal cars across the worker entrance, and leaves them there for hours, which renders the gates redundant at that crossing.  No engines, so they couldn't be moved quickly, and to many cars to move with an end loader.  I've always wondered how an ambulance would get in if needed, as the truck entrance, at the other end of the facility, doesn't seem to connect to the employee road.  The gates stay down, and the lights flash, the whole time they sit there...

[draskouasshat]

The modern prototype layout would be gates and lights protecting(gates don't protect sh!t plain and simple, we just try to warn the stupid...) the main, passing, and mill1 and 2. mill 3 and 4 would just get crossbucks if anything. reason being is the mill tracks are for a privately operated business not on railroad property and would be governed by restricted limits(stop within half the range of vision of men and equipment, trains, or broken rails).

Adam Draskovich

[randgust]

You're probably OK until the top track with the frog in the middle of the crossing.

I won't say its impossible, but it's getting there.   In the snow belt it would pack solid with ice packed down by vehicles and derail things.  They'd do everything possible to move that frog out of the street.   I've seen it in California though.

The main railroad would have approach and island circuits for the mains, and islands only for their sidings, all on one set of gates.

The steel mill might or might not be tied into those gates; may just be crossbuck and flagman protected.   If you want to see messes like that in real life, look around the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, down in the flats, on Google Earth.  3159 Independence Road, Cleveland, OH.  Enjoy.

Also depends on your era.   Looks like you'd keep a crossing watchman busy there, even an elevated gate tower.

[Lemosteam]

[C855B]

My weekend project was finishing touches on the layout room:



There are a couple of floor paint spots to touch-up, and then the other half of the room gets paint and the cove molding. I might start diddling with benchwork framing this week, but probably no serious construction until after the first of the year.

Long in coming - 3-1/2 years.

[Iain]

Holy, crap 

How big a layout are you building?

[C855B]

Heh heh. I knew there were some on here who haven't been following the layout engineering thread. It has become a novel. We've been through a lot.

To answer your question, 40x44, in a building mostly dedicated to it. A Reader's Digest "about" page is here.

[mu26aeh]

I got notice today that my LHS has new MTH HO locomotives for Maryland Midland arriving in stock.  Debating whether I want to get at least one to go with my N scale versions. 

[craigolio1]

My weekend project was finishing touches on the layout room:



There are a couple of floor paint spots to touch-up, and then the other half of the room gets paint and the cove molding. I might start diddling with benchwork framing this week, but probably no serious construction until after the first of the year.

Long in coming - 3-1/2 years.

I am supremely envious of that layout room.  It looks like a rec center!

I made more progress on my BCR fleet.  This one is an ex-Oneida & Western radio controlled, or "RCL", SD40-2.  Factory painted units in this scheme had blue walkways, but repaints, like the RCLs, never had their walkways painted.  They just stayed dirty and got over spray from the repaint.  I tried my best to replicate this on this model.







Craig

[BCOL 747]

Looks good Craig!

What road number will it be?

Chris

[craigolio1]

Thanks Chris.

It'll be 745. She was repainted Sept 87 and so would be fresh and clean in my modelling time period.

Craig

[mmyers]

I had a great day running trains with BANTRAK today.
I got to put my Queen Mary on a full production consist run. No issues whatsoever! Some leased power from @Ed Kapuscinski (since DC on 0 was disabled for some reason) pulled 2 spacer gons, HRH, and a cabin car. I think I tacked on Baconrail 20 on there just to mess with people. Can't be TOO prototypical, you know

Zero stretching is always turned off on BANTRAK's DCC system. It slows down loconet. Analog DC is always available by switching the jumpers on our switchboxes. Ed knows that.

[DeltaBravo]

I made a few fall trees for a T-Trak module I am building,I used Basil seed heads from the garden.

 

[chicken45]

Zero stretching is always turned off on BANTRAK's DCC system. It slows down loconet. Analog DC is always available by switching the jumpers on our switchboxes. Ed knows that.

...not always! I ran a GG1 last year at the show that was same decoder on zero. Granted, that was a year ago. But! It's good to know the reason for sure. Thanks!