The Mill Loop

[Tad_T]

Something that I forgot to mention when talking about Custom Loads.

Never mess with the default E and L loads.




Add your Custom Empty and your Custom Loads but leave the default E and L alone.



The system uses the default E and L loads in the background even though you don't see it unless you look for it.

[Tad_T]

I built and wired a small test loop.



9 3/4” radius curves. It’s on a 2’x3’ piece of 1” foam.



It has some scrap wood that I squared up on the table saw glued along the bottom edges as feet and reinforcement.

I used some 3M Christmas light clips for the wiring. There are a couple of extra so that the lead can be pulled back in and stowed as shown.

[Tad_T]

I built a new mockup out of foam core for the New Mill, Paper Mill # 2 to test a hopefully better footprint.



I measured the footprint from the map to get the proportions and then scaled for the space I had available.

The real mill was a ~465 ft long. My mockup is 275 N scale ft.

Then I grafted a warehouse onto the left/West side of the mill footprint.



The mockup is built to the full size of the footprint. When I get ready to model it, it would have more curlicues.






The engines are sitting on the East Chemical Track.






I've already figured out a couple of tweaks I need to make.

[Tad_T]

I am still documenting my progress and I have continued working on implementing my operations for the Mill Loop. I'll post some progress shots of where I am at and if anyone wants to talk about it, just ask.

I am at the point of setting up my outgoing shipments which made me consider my proposed yard and staging in the operational context of, "Can it support my conceptual scheme?"

Which lead to, "What exactly is my conceptual scheme?" I have it in my head, but no where is it written down other than scribbles here and there.

If this first module of the Mill Loop is truly the first module of the All Day & Night, then I need to build the operations with that in mind. In other words, how does this module fit in operationally with the overall operational scheme?

I started working on writing all of that out to help myself focus on designing the Mill Loop's operations as part of the All Day & Night's operations.

I'm still working on writing that.  It's like writing a term paper.

[Tad_T]

For your review and critique, if you so desire.

TLDR: Tad's full of $#!+.

The All Day & Night Railway Company

The All Day & Night Railway Company is my attempt at modeling the operations and transportation system of the Ashley, Drew & Northern Railway Company in N scale with primary emphasis on the timeframe of 1978-1991.

Operations are modeled using JMRI Operations Pro.

With the exception of the Missouri Pacific mainline on the right/East side of the map and which is not modeled, all of the rail lines depicted here are dark territory, there are no signals. All switches/turnouts were manually operated. All trains were locals that operated with a caboose and full crews. Each local was a turn that operated out and back.

Each train was issued a Clearance Card if a clerk/operator was on duty. This is true for all of the railroads depicted on the map. That train, for that railroad, would be the only train on its track.

Trains operating on the All Day & Night will be governed by an adapted version, “under development,” of the Ashley, Drew & Northern Railway Company, “Rules of the Operating and Maintenance Departments,” effective, Sunday, May 3, 1959. The “Yellow Book.” It was the latest Rule Book issued by the AD&N.

The All Day & Night is a DCC layout with control being provided by an MRC Advance^2 system. Wireless, wired, and WiFi throttles are available. An MRC WiFi module is available if guests would like to connect their own compatible throttle.



Historical Background.

The headquarters of the AD&N was located in Crossett, Arkansas, shown at the lower left/Southwest corner of the above map. The mainline of the AD&N ran North through Fountain Hill to Monticello, a distance of 41 miles. Monticello is pronounced “Mon ta sell oh” in Arkansas.

When FRA Track Standards were instituted in 1972, AD&N’s tracks were rated at FRA Class 3 for speeds of 40 miles per hour for freight and 45 mile per hour for passenger trains.  As a margin of safety, AD&N set its speed limit at 35 miles per hour.

The AD&N interchanged with the Missouri Pacific at Monticello. At Crossett the AD&N  interchanged with the Rock Island, the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri, and also with the Missouri Pacific.

An additional interchange with the Rock Island was at Whitlow Junction, AD&N MP 5, where the Rock Island tracks crossed the AD&N mainline. In 1975 damage to the Rock Island tracks between Whitlow Jct and Crossett led to the Rock negotiating trackage rights over the AD&N from Whitlow Jct to Crossett. The Rock Island tracks were abandoned and never repaired.

The Missouri Pacific and the Rock Island interchanged through the AD&N at Crossett.

The A&LM interchanged directly with both the MoPac and the Rock Island at Crossett,

The AD&N was handling an average of 50,000 carloads of freight a year during the time being modeled. During this time, the Georgia-Pacific facility at Crossett, Arkansas was the largest single forest products complex in the United States.

Before the shutdown of the Rock Island, the AD&N’s traffic distribution was about 40 percent to the Rock Island, 40 percent to the Missouri Pacific, and 20 percent to the A&LM.

Railroads.

Home Road.

The Ashley, Drew & Northern Railway Company is the Home Road of the All Day & Night.

Ashley, Drew & Northern Timetable No. 3, effective 12:01 A.M., Thursday, July 15, 1982 will govern AD&N trains operating on the All Day & Night.

Connecting Roads.

Missouri Pacific.

A convention on my part is that I will refer to the Missouri Pacific in my paperwork and documentation as the MoPac and not as the MP.  This is done to avoid any confusion between MP 445, a milepost, and MP 783, a train.

Missouri Pacific operations in this area were part of the Louisiana Division of the Southern District.  McGehee, pronounced “Ma Gee” in Arkansas, was the Division Point between the  Pine Bluff Subdivision and the Monroe Subdivision of the Louisiana Division. From MeGehee the Pine Bluff Subdivision ran north to Little Rock and the Monroe Subdivision ran south to Alexandria, La.

The tracks running westward (Timetable South) from Dermott through Monticello to Warren were the Warren Subdivision, 38.79 miles.

The tracks running westward (Timetable South) from Montrose through Hamburg to Crossett were the Hamburg Subdivision, 30.94 miles.

The latest Missouri Pacific Employee Timetable that I have that shows scheduled locals in this area is Southern District Timetable No. 3, Effective 1201 a.m. Sunday, March 21, 1965.  Locals in this area were ran as Extra’s in subsequent Timetables. MoPac ETT No. 3 will govern Missouri Pacific trains operating on the All Day and Night. This is a deliberate anachronism on my part. I wanted to use the scheduled trains and the train numbers from an actual Missouri Pacific ETT in my operations.

Second Class Trains MoPac 783 (Dermott to Warren) and MoPac 784 (Warren to Dermott) were scheduled Daily except Sunday on the Warren Sub, Maximum Speed 35 miles per hour.

Second Class Trains MoPac 785 (Montrose to Crossett) and MoPac 786 (Crossett to Montrose) were scheduled Daily except Sunday on the Hamburg Sub, Maximum Speed 30 miles per hour.

Rock Island.

During the time being modeled, Rock Island operations in this area were part of the Southern Division of the Rock Island.  In 1977 the Rock formed a subsidiary unit that was known as the “Little Rock” to regain lost customers and test new strategies.  In its time of operation this unit was successful in turning a profit and regaining business. The Georgia-Pacific mills at Crossett were important to the “Little Rock” and the Rock Island with an annual average of 20,000 carloads of freight being handled.

Rock Island Employee Time Table No. 1, effective 12:01 AM. Central Standard Time Sunday, March 18, 1979, will govern Rock Island trains operating on the All Day & Night.

The Rock Island tracks, Subdivision 38B, in Crossett ran northwest (Timetable North) to Tinsman, a distance of 43.1 miles. When EET No. 1 was issued there was ongoing maintenance on Sub 38B with trains required to operate at restricted speed from 7:30 A.M. to 5 P.M. During other hours the maximum speed was 10 miles per hour.

Second Class Trains Rock 778 (Crossett to Tinsman) and Rock 779 (Tinsman to Crossett) were scheduled Daily except Sunday on Sub 38B.

At Tinsman, Sub 38B connected to the Rock Island mainline which ran North towards Little Rock and South towards Eunice, La. The portion of Rock Island track in this area was Subdivision 38 with its North end at Haskell and South end at El Dorado, pronounced “El Da Ray Da” in Arkansas, a distance of 100.6 miles.

Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri.

The Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri was a 52 mile shortline that ran north from Monroe, La. through Bastrop, La. to Crossett. In Bastrop, International Paper had a large paper mill where the A&LM provided switching services. The A&LM interchanged with the Missouri Pacific in Bastrop, also. At it’s Southern end in Monroe, La. the A&LM interchanged with the MoPac and the Illinois Central Gulf.

I have never been successful in locating an A&LM Employee Timetable or Rule Book. I do have several Train Order sets for the A&LM showing their trains running as Extra’s to Crossett and Return. The A&LM ran Daily except Sunday to Crossett.

In 1991 the Arkansas & Louisiana  Missouri  was purchased by Georgia-Pacific Shortline Railroads and subsequently became the Arkansas Louisiana & Mississippi.

Alternate Timeline of the All Day & Night.

Here is where we depart with reality. And I guess this makes me into a “proto-freelancer” or whatever is the proper term.

Rock Island.

1. The Rock Island strike did not happen and kill the goose.

2. The maintenance was completed on Sub 38B and maximum speed was adjusted to 30 miles per hour to match the rest of Subdivision 38.

3. The Rock Island tracks between Whitlow Jct and Crossett were repaired and the Rock Island did not require trackage rights over the AD&N.

Missouri Pacific.

1. The Missouri Pacific never became part of the Union Pacific.
 
2. The Missouri Pacific did not abandon the Hamburg Sub and the Warren Sub.

Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri.

During its expansion in 1972, the Illinois Central Gulf bought the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri as it did other shortlines in the region, such as the Louisiana Midland, which was headquartered in Jena, La.

Illinois Central Gulf.

The Illinois Central Gulf purchased the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri to gain access to the traffic of the expanding Georgia-Pacific forest products complex at Crossett and the International Paper mill at Bastrop La. The ICG invested in improvements to the line and strove to gain an equal share of the traffic from Crossett. The ICG also competed with the MoPac for traffic from the International Paper mill in Bastrop, La.

The A&LM mainline became the Bastrop District of the Illinois Central Gulf. The South end of the Bastrop District was in Monroe, La. The Bastrop District ran North through Bastrop, La, to Crossett, a distance of 52.142 miles.

The Illinois Central operations in this area were part of the Southern Division of the ICG. ICG Southern Division Employee Timetable No. 2, with the addition of the Bastrop District, will govern ICG trains operating on the All Day & Night.

Second Class trains ICG 281 (Crossett to Monroe) and ICG 282 (Monroe to Crossett) were scheduled Daily except Sunday on the  Bastrop District.

In Monroe La., the Bastrop District connects with the Shreveport District. The Shreveport District runs West from the Freight Yard, just west of Vicksburg, Miss., to Shreveport, La., a distance of 171.2 miles. The Shreveport District is the Louisiana portion of the “Meridian Speedway.”

On the Layout.

The Georgia Pacific mill complex at Crossett and the AD&N mainline from Crossett to Monticello will be modeled on the All Day & Night layout.

Dermott (MoPac), Warren (MoPac), Montrose (MoPac), Tinsman (Rock Island), and Monroe, La. (ICG) will be modeled as staging locations.

[Tad_T]

If you made it this far, what else would you like to know?

[Philip H]

When will you and @Bendtracker1 sign an interchange agreement since he’s got your RI/ICG connections all buttoned up?

[Bendtracker1]

When will you and @Bendtracker1 sign an interchange agreement since he’s got your RI/ICG connections all buttoned up?

     

[Tad_T]

When will you and @Bendtracker1 sign an interchange agreement since he’s got your RI/ICG connections all buttoned up?

I don't think Allen @Bendtracker1 models Tinsman on his layout. If he did, he would have a steady stream of AD&N cars. Maybe I should send him an interchange car or two. 

I do have an IC GP that I got from Allen that will run on the All Day & Night when I get that far.

[Tad_T]

Car Service Rules on the All Day & Night.

I stated above that the primary emphasis was on modeling the period 1978 through 1991. That is correct as far as modeling the equipment of the Ashley, Drew & Northern.

Operationally, I have chosen to freeze the railroad regulatory environment on the All Day & Night to October 1979. I own a copy of the October 1979 Official Railway Equipment Register (ORER). This ORER is significant to my modeling.

1. On January 8, 1980 the Missouri Pacific was purchased by the Union Pacific.

2. On March 31, 1980 the Rock Island fell.

3. On October 14, 1980 the Staggers Rail Act became effective.

Car Service Rules - October 1981

I also own a copy of the October 1981 ORER.  On page 1456 in this volume is this instruction:

“Unless loading is restricted by an order or directive of the Transportation Division of the  Association of American Railroads, foreign general purpose freight cars may be loaded without regard to route or destination.”

The operational significance of this rule is that everyone essentially became RailBox. That gives one a lot of operational freedom if you want to model post 1980.

Car Service Rules - October 1979

All of the information below is what railroads were supposed to consider when loading any foreign car in October 1979.

On page 1357 of the October 1979 ORER are these instructions:

Definitions:

Home Road = Road owning the car.

Foreign Car = A car on a road to which it does not belong.

Junction = A point where two carriers interchange freight.


“Unless loading is restricted by an order of the Interstate Commerce Commission or by a directive of the Dar Service Division of the Association of American Railroads, foreign general purpose freight cars should be loaded as follows:”

A. Foreign Cars at a Junction with the Home Road

    1. Loaded at that junction to or via the home road.

    2. Loaded at that junction as authorized by car owner.

B. Foreign Cars at other than a junction with the Home Road and within a Home Region

    1. Loaded to, via or to a junction with the home road.
   
    2. Loaded to a destination closer to the home road.

C. Foreign Cars at other than a Junction with the Home Road in other than a Home Region

    1. Loaded to, via or to a junction with the home road.

    2. Loaded to a destination closer to the home road.

    3. Loaded to a Home Region.


Considerations for modeling operations.

Rule A:  Operationally this makes a huge difference. The AD&N has junctions with three connecting foreign roads. This means that on the All Day & Night when a car from a connecting road is loaded, it is supposed to go back to that road. That is why they brought it to us empty.

MoPac cars -> MoPac.

Rock cars -> Rock.

ICG cars -> ICG.

Another thing that the rule brings up has to do with the Incentive Per Diem (IPD) box cars of the day. This didn’t really apply to them. Load them and ship them. Unless there were instructions to the contrary.

It is rare to see an article about IPD boxcars that doesn’t have a picture of an Ashley, Drew & Northern boxcar in it.  AD&N boxcars were not IPD boxcars. All of those green, white doored boxcars had instructions on them that they were to be returned to Crossett, Arkansas. That doesn’t mean AD&N cars didn’t get hijacked or loaded in the direction of Crossett when they came home.


Rule B:  The AD&N’s Home Region is Region 9. All of our connecting roads have Region 9 as one of their Home Regions. Big railroads can have more than one. All other foreign cars would need to have their Home Region checked prior to loading.

If the foreign car belongs to a railroad having a Home Region of 9, the foreign car needs to be routed via one of our connecting roads that connects with the railroad owning the car, if possible, or headed that way.

Each foreign car not belonging to the AD&N or one of the connecting roads will need to have its routing considered as it is added to the All Day & Night.


Rule C:  This will be a consideration in routing cars belonging to railroads that have a Home Region other than Region 9. Foreign cars belonging to railroads that have a Home Region other than Region 9, will have their routing considered on a case by case basis as they are added to the All Day & Night.

Implementing the Car Service Rules in effect in October of 1979 will definitely make operations on the All Day & Night more complex than if operations were modeled after October 1980.

I think it will be cooler though. 

If I missed or misinterpreted something or if something is unclear, point it out.

[OldEastRR]

You're certainly going the distance on the ops planning and equipment roster -- are you designing and building the layout in sections that can be added to or be inserted into a final large version? Obviously modular is a consideration but sectional parts -- that are separate but need to be assembled in a set way and not interchangeable like modules -- can be done. As in, one piece has a set of mill buildings and track from one end of the site, and the piece fitted to that has other structures at the other end of the site, but track and buildings from the center of the area are omitted. But you have the option of building that middle section someday if you want to expand, then inserting it between the other two so the tracks match up at the edges. So eventually you have an almost complete model of that part of the complex.
This concept can be used anywhere you have to condense the railroad for whatever reason. Carefully planning how such future additions can be slipped into place seamlessly is a good way to keep all the work already done on the layout if you decide to go bigger or have to move.

[Tad_T]

Okay, first of all. Going bigger is going to happen if I can live long enough.

The Mill Loop is the precursor to the All Day & Night.

I own land. Land that needs to be cleared.

I own a bulldozer.

I own a full shop kit that needs to be assembled and erected.

I work for me. I don't really have anyone else that I have to answer to.

Except for my wife and all of the stuff that she comes up with that she thinks that I need to be doing. 

And then there is stuff that really needs to be done. Like crawling around under the house and finding and fixing a water leak this last week. And building a redneck engineered French drain to carry water away from the foundation of the house. And everything else that comes up with remodeling a new old house.

If I can live a few more years and keep my dozer running, I will be able to erect my shop.  When I erect my shop, no one but me has any say about my shop. In my shop there will be dedicated space for the All Day and Night. The Mill Loop will become the heart of the AD&N.

You're certainly going the distance on the ops planning and equipment roster -- are you designing and building the layout in sections that can be added to or be inserted into a final large version?

Yes, sir.

The layout that I am currently working on is the first module of the Mill Loop.  And it is actually also the first module of the All Day & Night. Think Joe Fugate's TOMA concept. The Mill Loop will be the central peninsula of the All Day & Night.  The Mill Loop will also eventually include the Chemical Plant, the Stud Mill, the Plywood Mill, the New Yard, and the Front Yard before it is completed.

The right/East side of the current design will be modified when the next module with the Chemical Plant is added so that it is more prototypical and can better support operations. Everything to the right/East of the Bag Plant is a place holder.

I am all about operations. I want the the Mill Loop and eventually the All Day & Night to be as operationally similar to the prototypical operations of the AD&N as best as I understand and can simulate.

The operations of the Mill Loop need to be built to support the All Day & Night. That was why I wrote out all that stuff.  When I write something out it usually helps me clarify what I am thinking. I wrote out the operational concept of the All Day & Night so that I can keep oriented on where I am headed operationally.

I have three versions of the All Day & Night where I have designed a layout and then simulated the operations in Operations Pro.  I figured out how to make them work and have balanced traffic. I made a lot of mistakes and figured out a lot of stuff.

The most important thing that I figured out about operations is that the shipments that are generated drive the whole deal.  Without loads to ship there is no reason for a railroad. The Mill Loop was the whole reason that the AD&N existed.

As I was working through Ops Pro doing the setup for the Mill Loop, it occurred to me that it would be less than smart to set up some hokey stuff to just make this layout run. I would just have to fix it as I expand.

I think that it would be better to build the operations for the Mill Loop to be able to be seamlessly integrated into the larger whole of the All Day and Night. I know how to do that when I have simulated it in Ops Pro. I want to do it physically as well, on the layout.

My intent here is to make the Mill Loop work operationally using Operations Pro in such a way that as the Mill Loop is expanded the operations do not have to be reworked later to be able to be integrated into the All Day & Night.

I think that I know how to do that. I have accomplished it virtually within Operations Pro. I want to translate what I think I have learned into conducting physical operations on the layout using Operations Pro.

Since I have decided that the Mill Loop is the first step in accomplishing the All Day & Night, I don't have any questions in where I am heading or what I am trying to accomplish. This is the start of the layout that I have always wanted to build.

I am going to build out the Mill Loop from the left/West end until I have the peninsula built. By then, hopefully the Mill Loop will be within the space dedicated to the All Day & Night and can be integrated into the whole.

[Tad_T]

I recently migrated my current track plan for the Mill Loop to AnyRail.



In AnyRail the color that I selected displays as beige on my computer. When I saved the screenshot, it shows as yellow.

AnyRail was pretty easy to learn the basics. I had to insert a coupe of extra small pieces that aren't really there to make it connect. I don't know how to increase the "wiggle room" on connections in AnyRail.

The specific reason that I purchased AnyRail is that you are supposed to be able to import your AnyRail track plan into Panel Pro and turn it into a Panel without having to learn all of the ins & outs of a bunch of stuff that I am not interested in or going to use. Like signals, detection, & such.

There is a process and you have to run some scripts.

I want to be able to have a live Dispatcher Screen. I'm going to have to figure all of that out.

[Tad_T]

I have this pile of what is called "railroad rock" around here because it is the type of rock used for ballast on most of the rails lines in this region.




I'm not a geologist but I'm going to say this is a pretty close match to the ballast used on the AD&N. I played on those tracks and threw quite a few of those rocks.

I had to build a French drain.




After shoveling three loads into and out of my Defender I had this.



I went to the dollar store and bought a colander, a screen, and a bowl. I figured that was best.

I wound up with this much



of this.



I need to get a # 40 and a # 45 screening sieve and see what I come out with.

I wouldn't even attempt to explain what I was doing to anyone who wasn't a model railroader.

[Tad_T]

Maybe this will visually show what I am trying to do.

I am trying to model this portion of the Crossett GP Mills selectively compressed onto a 3 foot wide peninsula.




Right now, I am here.









As I get closer to completing this module, I plan add another section/module onto the right with the Chemical Plant and complete the western loop.






And then add the Stud Mill and Plywood Mill to complete the Mill Loop Peninsula.