Change has come to the loop. Originally it was to be modeled after the town of Stryker, with the NYCHS Lines West depot and Farmer's Exchange Mill being the dominant parts of the scene. But after viewing the loop at Altoona, and another show in Columbus this past January, it just didn't seem logical to have what is a broad tangent scene be compressed into a curve with no back drop. I could have added a back drop, but that would have hindered the main goal of these modules, which is to make them as compact as possible for transport.
I did put myself in kind of an awkward spot for planning with attempting to find a way to make the double track split into the loop look natural, and a 3D mock-up would of saved me in time and materials before ambition got the best of me. One evening I was thumbing through a Morning Sun NYC book and came across a chapter about the railroad's interlockings. Much to my delight I came across Swan Creek tower in Toledo. It's where the Chicago line splits and goes west with a double track main going up to Detroit. It also forms the eastern entrance to Air Line yard.
https://northamericaninterlockings.com/images/swancreekOHgeletzke3.JPG?517
SwanCreekTowerToledoOH12-26-64 by
The Official Railohio, on Flickr
Perfect! This would check all the boxes for me that I was stumbling with originally. The tower stayed in the same relative paint scheme in the two time periods I'm modeling in the early 1950s and 1979. Plus the yard tracks would serve as a good visual block from the other side of the loop, provide a source of traffic during Free-mon events with transfer runs, along with compact staging at home.
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I added a three to two module at the bottom to help with continuous double track running for trains taking the outer loop. Unlike the Stryker plan, a siding was added to the inner loop to help with capacity at shows, which will also function as an arrival/departure track for the two track yard.
The foam that had formed the inner part of the loop was knocked out and replaced with the same grade of 1/2" sanded plywood used for the mainline sub roadbed. Cork and track has been laid down this week, with PC board ties soldered to the rails at the ends. All that's needed is wiring and the addition of a NCE AR10 auto reverser for the outer main loop. I've been debating about using sanded grout once the track is painted for the yard. If anyone has used this technique before, I'm open for suggestions for techniques and suppliers.
One thing I wanted to add is that throughout my Free-Mo experience, coming up with a design for good legs and pockets has been a bit frustrating for me. I'm no master carpenter, or fabricator, and wanted something lighter and easier to store than what I've used before. On my Bellevue layout, I used a Modutrak design which is very good, but that's not helpful in connecting with other modules of varying widths with no pockets. I have put 1/2" x 3" legs secured to a plywood plate, that slips into the bench work braces on my earlier Lake Shore Central, but that proved to be too bulky in transport.
On the Facebook group, I came across
@Mark W of Free-moNebraska design, which is easy to accomplish with basic tools. He uses schedule 80 3/4" PVC pipe to form the body of the pocket, with 1/2" electrical conduit as the legs. The adjustable feet (
https://www.mcmaster.com/product/23015T66) are added to the legs and peened into place with a 3/8" nut.
A word of warning, be sure that you use Charlotte pipe for the pocket, as I ordered another brand and the inner diameter was too small to accept the conduit.
I have used a large 3/8" bolt to secure the legs in the pocket, which is way over kill, and further ones will be constructed with more manageable thumb screws.
The thing that really helps is the straps, and these Pro Connex Rigid's (
https://www.menards.com/main/electrical/conduit-conduit-fittings-raceways/conduit-fittings-supports/sigma-proconnex-trade-rigid-1-hole-strap/1802m/p-1444430900618-c-9538.htm)
really do a good job on clamping to the end plates and I haven't had one jostle loose in handling.
