Layout development ideas -- from RBTB

The NMRA 2021 RBTB convention is over. A lot of hard work, got to meet some really great model railroaders. And I still have a bunch of videos to watch. I didn't even make it to 25% of the clinics.

From the clinics I did attend, I got a bunch of good ideas.

1. Layout concept -- I remain steadfast in my commitment to the B&OCT. Nope, not switching to narrow gauge, steam in the early 20th century or KCS in the 2020s.

2. Standards --From several clinics - including Joe Fugate's Make it run like a dream -- Very important to establish standards for benchwork, track and rolling stock. 

    Benchwork standard is 1/4" plywood over 1/2"x3" plywood framing. It will be sealed to minimize dimensional adjustment.

    Track standard - Staging -- code 80 Peco flex and Medium insulfrog switches. Visible track -- code 55 Atlas Flex and FastTracks #6. Grades 2%, Minimum radius - 15 inches.

    Rolling stock and locomotives -- Digitrax decoders, Atlas Locomotives (predominantly), eventually get to body mounted couplers. Before running on the layout: All rolling stock to have a basic coat of weathering, metal wheels, resistor on one wheelset, properly weighted, coupler height checked, wheels roll freely. (More to come on this).

    2A. The layout will have NCE DCC and signals. I suspect that my signal needs will be less than I had imagined. 

    2B -- TEST, TEST, TEST -- test everything multiple times, ensure that everything is solid and works properly. It will payoff when operations begin. 

3. Goals and To Do List -- need two sets of goals -- long term and short term. Need to do lists to support the goals. The to do lists are those projects that can be picked up and set down in less than an hour and those that take 90 minutes or more.

4. Layout design -- I'm pretty happy with the layout design. 

    Need to check on the whether I have enough crossovers on mainlines. 

    Need to add a Brighton Park crossing view scene on the helix connecting the upper level and middle level. (This will provide operational interest and give operators a chance to check on train progress while in the helix.) Predominantly, the signals will be set to proceed. But may have a restricted or even stop indication. 

5. Operations 

    The highlight of the layout are the interlocking towers. They are a part of keeping train runs interesting. These might be operated remotely. Let others play.  

    There will be switch jobs and yard jobs. But, there will be a big need for transfer runs. These enter and exit the visual area from many locations. They will pick up and drop off cars at the main yards. They will need to navigate a busy mainline, need to follow signals. 

    Passenger trains will always get the priority and will run to whatever timetable and time system is decided upon. The B&O passenger trains will have to visit servicing facilities -- so it's not just a simple run onto the layout and run off. 

    Communications -- another major emphasis is communications. The tower operators will need to report train passage to other operators, yard masters and the dispatcher. They may be the point of contact for road crews. Eventually there will be some kind of phone system. But, there's more to this -- Yardmasters will expect to report car counts to the dispatcher -- who will be assigning locomotives to over the road freights. the dispatcher will have car counts from inbound transfer runs -- no surprising the yard masters. In fact -- that's a big goal -- as problems arise -- they are properly communicated across the system and a team approach is taken to solving problems. The goal is to minimize surprises. 

6. Documenting the layout -- This blog is one tool that I expect to use to keep ideas and document layout progress. I may try to post videos. I dropped in to a breakout room talking about YouTube videos during the convention. I was encouraged to try making some videos. Ok, here goes -- look for one by the end of the week.  

7. Keep perspective -- No job is outside my capabilities. I have friends who can offer advice and help. This will be the largest layout I have ever attempted to build, but in context of others, it's on the large end of medium. It's very achievable and probably in a shorter time frame than I might think.

8. Take a break -- work on my logging layout. I have an HO logging layout -- in the steam era. That's an opportunity for a diversion. 

A new feature for this blog -- I will close with a goal and an update on a previous goal.

New goal - complete track testing of the Barr Yard Staging by July 26.

Progress check - Barr Yard staging testing: 39 of 140 forwards runs complete, so far. Another 70 reverse runs to complete. The first 39 runs revealed the need to paint clear fingernail polish on the frog of switch 0 to eliminate a short. Switch 3 at the turnback end had one derailment -- cause unknown. 

It's about more than just the models - the backstory can provide benefits

I'm modeling and researching the B&OCT - with a specific interest in the late 1960s and early 1970s (before Chessie). But, I also have a tangential interest in the Penn Central PC - as it will be represented on the layout. I found out an interesting tidbit about the PC's operation on that railroad from a big SP fan.

I was conversing with Bill Decker, of Oregon, a new model railroad friend. I got to know him while organizing the clinics for the NMRA Rails By The Bay conference. 

Anyway, I shared the following picture with him while we were chatting recently. 

PC Geep and SP Caboose -- cross the B&OCT mainline just north of 75th St. tower. Photo by Thomas White.

An interesting photo -- a PC GP with an SP caboose. The time is the late 1960s. And the train is in Chicago --  crossing the Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal RR, just north of 75th St. tower. It's heading for the old Pennsylvania RR 59th Street Yard.

Bill is not only an SP modeler, but also a font of information about the railroad. In a few minutes he had identified the class of caboose, but the likely year of this photo. Because earlier it would not have been in Chicago.

Here's what he said in an email to me:

Definitely not a delivery of a "new" caboose!  SP 1558 is a C-40-4, built in 1961 by Pacific Car and Foundry, a 200 caboose order.  In many ways this class was the definitive SP bay window caboose.  Under 200 were built in three classes in the post-WWII period, but it was this big class that really made the SP a bay window caboose operator.  This is the Athearn caboose--blue box era.  Athearn has done great work since then in the Genesis line for more modern cabooses (what I mostly run right now), but these ware the ones that set the standard.  

Presence on Chicago trackage likely is via a UP pool, likely with CNW, although MILW was possible by this late era (Penn Central, post-1966).

Penn Central 5957 is a GP7, without dynamic brakes and what looks like a steam boiler up front.  Got to be a story there, as well, but my PC resources are scant--other than my own photos from two years spent in central NJ along the main to NYC.

The lesson for me -- I learned something new, learned a lot about Bill and was grateful that we had another reason to make a connection. Thanks for the information Bill and thanks for the photo Tom.

Bill has a blog about his prototype and modeling interests here: https://espeecascades.blogspot.com