Windy and the End Around

The guardians angels assigned to us put in some overtime but did a great job, Hurricane Sandy passed overhead but was downgraded to a tropical storm by the time of its visit. Those Jersey swamp pines did a great job of slowly it down. The Jersey shore got brutalized but we did well. Most of the time the winds "merely" gusted to about 50 mph. So far we missed most of the rain (less than 5 inches after predicting 5-10"). The storm picked up speed instead of lingering. We still have power (only flickered 1-2 times). The 4 state area "only" has about 1,000,000 customers without power (prediction: possibly 10,000,000). Our backyard retention pond got full but didn't overflow. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!

Spent the time constructing one of the ends needed to join the Westville/Brooklawn and Woodbury modules. Offset the Woodbury modules by 4 feet lengthwise (over 2 modules, a 12' span) so it doesn't look as much like a big loop. Since I despise open 180 degree curves I will put both sides of the end into sloping cuts (we don't have mountains in southern New Jersey - nowhere to hide). The Woodbury side one is legitimate with a highway bridge over the tracks. The other side will enable me to use at least a couple of my 3,000 left over puffball trees!

The center duck-under will be an unsupported 30 inch span of 3/4", 6" wide plywood. Since I raised the tracks to 54-55" (better sightlines) I can swing under it (does rub the sweatshirt hood). If I get more brittle I'll slide under in a chair. I don't think it will sag but if it does, I have enough room to attach a top vertical 1"x2" to give it L girder strength.

I am wrestling, big time, with whether to close the other end now to get trains running by Christmas or going right into phase 3 and curving both ends back up the other wall (Walnut Lane arch bridge, 30th street station, and yard).  If I close it now, I'll have to add 3 temporary 4 track staging yards to be able to run the PRSL schedule. Decisions, decisions! Always more decisions!

The Woodbury modules are ready for ballasting and scenery (all but the Deepwater branch have been wired & tested!).

Next, I will detach (all the 6' modules bolt together) the new end unit and move it to the garage for painting when the humidity drops. Go away (ex-hurricane) Sandy.

 

Oh No! It's a Big Loop.

I understand the financial and space issues, but small loop layouts usually do not hold my interest. When you do one, the structure modeling has to be first class to draw your eyes away from the loop. Folks like Dave Vollmer (http://thevollmerfamily.com/Pennsy/) can pull that off but I doubt very much I could do a good job with my skill set. And you need things like mountains or tall buildings to break up the scenes and hide the loop.

Personally, I would have to bend the tracks and use a lot of tunnels to make the grandkids guess where the trains would appear next. I was fortunate, the track plan I used on my old 4'x8' was very flexible and even allowed significant operations.

To my horror, when I moved the 2 Woodbury modules from the garage to the loft and contemplated adding two temporary end loops to get things running, I will have a flatlands big loop at the end of the Phase 2 construction. 16'x6' but still a big loop with no mountains to hide tracks.

[Phase 3, if it ever gets done, will have both window ends going left to where the desk structure will either be removed or have holes running through it for: 1) the Walnut Lane high arch bridge over the Schuylkill River; 2) Philadelphia's 30th street station (with fake station tracks and the bridge high line transfer tracks); and 3) a yard with a hidden turn-back. (That's a packed 17'+!)]

I believe for the short term I can pull this off with 3 staging yards and still run a challenging operating session running all the scheduled PRSL trains. The morning and evening 6 commuter trains will be covered by 3 regular heavyweight passenger trains and RDCs doing double duty. (The loop will actually come in handy.)

Enough staging and I should be able to run the 6-7 scheduled freight turns that ran through Westville and Woodbury each day. (At least that's the plan!).

 

 

 

 

I Miss It

Well the 4'x8' layout has departed New Jersey and is now getting accustomed to its new home in Alabama. Tim drove 18 hours each way to pick it up and take it home. My boys and I got it moved from the attic to the garage for pick-up (and boy is L-Girder construction (1"x4"s) and plywood (3/4") heavy).  Getting it up and over the loft stair railings and tilted for the trip down the stairs was quite a chore.

The next morning I did my usual ritual of going up to the loft computer, turning it on, and then turning around to switch on the trains to run while I was on the computer. But they were gone! What a strange feeling. Tim sent me some photos. Another strange feeling! I didn't recognize the engines (and just wait 'till he sends me pictures with his SP Daylights - I'll need some tranquilizers).

So temporarily I do not have running trains for the first time in 14 years (unless you count back and forth for 14').

At least the 2 Woodbury modules have been moved up to the loft to join the Westville and Brooklawn modules. I'll have to Jerry-rig some end loops to see some action while I finish the Woodbury modules.