CSX Hanover Subdivision 3.0

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Ooh, like the idea of the aluminum instead of the brass.

[mu26aeh]

Business must be good at Kloeckner Metals,  3 more loads arrived in the yard today.

[mu26aeh]

Road crews were out installing Rt 462 today

[mu26aeh]

Major milestone this week. I wired up and connected throwbars to final couple of turnouts on the York Sub portion of the layout. it's completely operational from Windsor/Poorhouse Yard staging thru Lincoln Yard all the way west to Smiths Siding, the CSX interchange point. Turnouts are also wired south to Emory Grove, while track is laid west to Center St yard in Hanover. This allows all jobs on York Sub to run, as well as the CSX L136 job which goes to Emory Grove. Turnouts still need wired and throwbars from Smiths to Center St

[mu26aeh]

Posted in the WU, but I'll add them here in case they were missed.  Couple of shredded aluminum scrap loads





Ran a test ops session Tuesday with Stephen Johnson (Union Railroad in HO Scale on FB) and @Ed Kapuscinski.  Found a few spots that needed tweaked but overall layout ran great.  Figured right now I can have at least 3 operators busy for a little bit.  I ran the coal train last night while the mill was empty on cars waiting for YorkRail to drop off the inbounds.  2 units and 27 cars were taken in for unloading.  I can simulate the unloading near to how they do on the prototype.  I split the power up, 1 unit backs up into the mill while the 2nd unit grabs loaded 9 cars and shoves them thru the unloader.  It will cut off and go back to grab more loads while the 2nd unit shoves the now empty cars west of the mill to pick up later.  Unit backs up into the mill again and process is repeated til train is empty.  Tack all 3 cuts back together, MU consist back together and head back to Windsor St to tie down.

I caught the train leaving Lincoln Yard.  Looks like @wm3798 might get some shekles coming his way as one of the Laurel Valley cars has somehow made its way into the NS consist

[wm3798]

The boss in Ligonier loves him some per diem!
Lee

[mu26aeh]

Trying something AK Interactive Real Color markers for track painting.  This one is calling Chipping Color.  Before and after photos.  Goes on in one coat, minimal pressure

[mu26aeh]

In the limited time I've had outside of sleeping and work, I've been making sawdust.  Lots of it.  I decided the best way to figure out what I need for benchwork, wall locations, and aisle width, I needed to start at Hagerstown and work my way back east and towards the center of the room where the peninsula will be.  Walls are up and benchwork has been completed from Hagerstown yard thru Security and just to the east where the layout will turn and head thru Smithsburg and the iconic Rt 66/Rt 491 overpass/intersection

West end of Hagerstown yard.  Right now planning on stubbing this end to save on infrastructure and aisle space as practically all switching will take place on the east end of yard on this layout, Hagerstown is the western most point. 



East end of yard, I have the foam/cork from previous version where you see the ghost of the wye and the cab tracks.  The yard office goes next to the other side of the wye, along with Burhans Blvd.  I'm hoping to get both of them modeled.  I have @wm3798 version of Burhans underpass in my boxes under the layout.  Yard office will need to be scratchbuilt



Security will go here.  It is home to Holcim Cement.  It's been under numerous companies in the past, including St Lawerence, LaFarge and Holcim



And last section will come out of Security and curve around to a long stretch along the peninsula in the center of the basement where Smithsburg will be located.  Nothing to switch here, probably a couple streets with houses etc and the Rt 66/491 overpass/intersection to catch trains coming off the mountain (helix).  I'll include a picture from rrpicturearchives.net for that area.



https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=4877103
https://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5773237

[mu26aeh]

Popped the cork in Hagerstown yard

[mu26aeh]

Hagerstown cab/power tracks taking shape.  This was a quick 20 minute mock up, there are 5 tracks prototype, and given some rearranging,  I think I can fit all 5.  Burnham Blvd will be just to the left,  and luckily I have @wm3798 kitbash walls from his original layout.

[wm3798]

That's Burhans...

Grateful to see that detail redeployed.  It's probably pretty rough by now...  It was when I scabbed it together!



Lee

[mu26aeh]

Rearranged and realigned to get all tracks and almost to scale length.  Lots of power storage available

[mu26aeh]

Power tracks and A/D tracks are installed in Hagerstown

[wm3798]

I'll bring up my box of cabooses so you can turn back the clock for some photos.

Lee

[mu26aeh]

I have a few, but not enough to fill it