Track Plan Progress for the UP Council Bluffs Sub

I continue to make progress on my UP Council Bluffs Sub track plan.  Much of what you see below is my initial ideas that have been somewhat refined from the original pencil and paper scribbles.  I think I have a good mix of industries that will allow for a good mix of rollingstock.  The I-80 bridge that you see on both sections is intended to help hide the seam between benchwork sections, and create a natural divide to give the layout the illusion of greater space and size.  I decided to set it at an angle to break up the straight lines of the 16' table length.  I have drawn in a second highway overpass on the far right of the track plan which represents HWY 92.  I don't know if I will keep this.  My reasoning for this bridge is to help "hide" the end of the layout, but allowing for future layout expansion if desired.

The yard area is still developing, but I intend to add a handful of tracks in a ladder configuration, plus a fueling track and maintenance shed if I have room.  Although the yard design is being inspired by the IAIS yard, it will likely be a Union Pacific yard, with the IAIS having intermodal business only.  This will still allow me to have some IAIS diesel power in the yard if I desire.

The left 8' section is also continuing to develop.  I still have some space towards the front of the table that is unaccounted for.  Some current ideas include a scrap yard, tank farm w/ loading platform, or perhaps swapping the concrete plant with a warehouse for the collection of boxcars that I currently have, which would put the concrete plant on the left front.  The lumber yard space has been reserved but lacks any building detail at this time.

The plan is subject to change, but I am liking what I have so far.  The various sidings seem to flow well, and allow for adequate space for a pair of locomotives and at least a couple of cars.  I placed a run-around track in the middle of the plan for optimal operability.  As part of a larger operation or a continuous loop, the mainline would handle run-through traffic.

Please let me know what you think.

UP Council Bluffs Sub - Track Plan draft v.1

Apparently the end of the world came and went, so I decided to post an initial draft of my new track plan.  There are several details missing still, but the general layout of some track is present, and a few of the major industries.  I am behind the times when it comes to using technology for designing track plans.  To date, everything that I have created has been with pencil and paper.  This time around, instead of trying to learn a new software, I decided to try MS Excel.  Not only was it quick to create a first version, it is cleaner than using pencil and paper.  The curved lines are a bit tricky, but everything else is fairly straight forward.  It's not going to render a 3D view or anything fancy like that, but for my use, it works just fine.

Here is my first version (with some things still missing) of the two 8' sections.  Please let me know what you think.

Atlas & Micro Engineering Code 55 Track Comparison

I have people ask me on occasion about what track I use for my layouts.  I don't recall the exact timing of the release of Atlas code 55, but it was prior to starting my first N scale layout which would have been around 2002.  I have used Atlas code 55 flex track and turnouts exclusively on all 4 completed layouts to date.  The exception is the concrete tie flex track made by Micro Engineering which I used both on the Orin Line and Marias Pass layouts.  Altas released their #10 turnout prior to the construction of the Orin Line, which was a great addition, especially for better looking cross-overs.  Micro Engineering also makes code 55 flex track with wooden ties, however, I have not used it.  I did use a 36" length of ME flex track with bridge ties on the Marias Pass, and was very pleased with the product.

There are differences between the Atlas and ME code 55 track.  While the rail is very similar in shape/profile, the tie spacing and thickness are quite different and must be accounted for when mixing the two different brands together.  The ME flex track also comes in weathered and non-weathered rail.  This is also important.  The Atlas flex track can simply be painted the same color (ties and rail) since it has wooded ties.  The ME flex track on the other hand requires a very steady hand if you wish to paint the rail, but not the concrete colored ties.  For this reason, I like using the weathered rail.

I submitted an article that was published in the Jul/Aug 2009 N Scale Railroading that illustrates the differences between Atlas and ME code 55, and further discussed the ME concrete ties to build a modern looking mainline.

Here you can see the difference in tie thickness between the Altas and ME code 55 flex track.  The difference in rail height must be accounted for when mixing the two brands.  I used a styrene shim under the Atlas flex track to raise the height by about 0.30" to match the ME rail height.  The same shimming is also needed when using an Atlas code 55 turnout next to ME code 55 flex track.

I used ME code 55 with concrete ties on my mainline, while using Altas code 55 turnouts and flex track on a third track/siding on my BNSF Orin Line layout.  The mixing of concrete ties and wooden ties provided a unique modeling opportunity, and suggests that the railroad is in the process of updating their track work over time.  

On the Marias Pass, I used ME code 55 flex track with bridge ties, to span the Flathead River.  On one end, the bridge track connected immediately with ME code 55 with concrete ties.  On the other end, I needed a short section of Atlas code 55 with wooden ties, before entering into a #10 turnout.  One trick I used is that instead of putting railjoiners at the point where the bridge track and concrete track meet, I used the full 36" of bridge flex, and removed the last several inches of bridge ties and replaced them with concrete ties.  This moved the railjoiners down the line several inches and actually into a tunnel where they were hidden.  Less gaps and railjoiners means better, smoother track and operation.

On the other end of the bridge, instead of having railjoiners at the end of the bridge track, and then again at the turnout, I simply used a full length of rail from the bridge tie flex track, removed about 4" of bridge ties, and replaced them with Atlas code 55 wooden ties.  This way, I eliminated one set of railjoiners to make smoother track work.

The N Scale U.P. Council Bluffs Sub is Born!

Benchwork construction has begun on my newest layout.  This time I am designing a shelf/switching layout, inspired by various railroad and industrial activities close to home.  While I don't yet have an official name for the layout, I am calling it the UP Council Bluffs Subdivision, since that is were I am doing a lot of my research and train watching for model railroad ideas.  Who knows, it might just stick.

The layout will be 16' in length, using a twin pair of 8' tables that are 18" wide.  I am using a very similar design to the Marias Pass benchwork, with plywood for the frame and folding legs that collapse into the recess of the benchwork.  The track plan is not yet finished, but wanted to get started with construction anyway.  I'll continue to share more as I make progress.  Here is a short video of the new layout: