Those SL-SF Industry Schematics from 40+ years ago, recently posted here for the entire system, are made-to-order LDEs. Why improvise a town on your layout when the real ones were so neat? I'm slowly going through them to find the gems. There are many like Bolivar, Weaubleau, Clinton, Harrisonville, Cherryvale, Oswego, Carl Junction (Karl Brand discovered it years ago), Carthage, Cuba, Rolla, Pacific, Valley Park, Lebanon, Hope, Idabel, etc. All those local shippers have probably disappeared or shifted to the truckers in the past four decades. What are your favorites?
Goodness, it's tough for me to narrow them down to even a few. Thanks to the late 70s schematics and Karl's father's notes of Olathe, I'm finding that it as a stand-alone element will provide some satisfactory operational enjoyment for the time being. Frankly, the other locations between Olathe and Rosedale (Lenexa and Merriam come to mind) would make great stand-alone switching layouts, with a little bit o' staging on each end. I'm still partial to the River Division. While I've not seen any track schematics, Hayti, MO in the steam era would make a great LDE. Branchline crossing the main, small yard, modelgenic passenger depot, small engine facilities and local shippers to boot. The first four you listed, Doug - Bolivar, Weaubleau, Clinton and Harrisonville - are part of the reason why I'm strongly leaning toward modeling the Clinton Sub. I've already started a separate binder of materials to go along with my Northern Division-KC Terminal binder and River Division binders. Best Regards,
I just sketched out a four-walls-and-center-peninsula track plan in HO for my 14X20' room to include east staging (Newburg), Bundy/Ft. Wood wye, Dixon Hill bluffs, Dixon, Crocker (or Richland), Lebanon, Kurn, and West Staging - a working staging yard representing Springfield and the five other routes out of it. There are many design issues to resolve. The three largest: 1. elevations to allow multi decking in two areas, 2. how to fit the Lebanon wye and still have a 3' aisle, and 3. where to put Newburg - it will have to be below either Kurn or Springfield. I'm leaning toward putting it under Kurn since Springfield will have a full-time operator. It will be tight, so I dare not gain much more weight (girth). I'll probably need to find a place for a reverse loop so I can re stage Number 9 & 10. More to follow if anyone cares.
Here's one "aye" vote for caring. Very much looking forward to seeing any sketches and hearing more, Doug. Seems the height between decks is always the $64 Question. Any initial thoughts in that area? Sounds like putting Newburg anywhere but below Springfield is desirable. The late 1990s club layout to which belonged had two major yards with return loops stacked. It was less than desirable. Best Regards,
You really should leave at least a foot between levels, In staging, anything less is trouble if you ever have to reach in and rescue a derailed piece of equipment. Out on the line, you need that much separation to have room for scenery and so you can see your train without resorting to contortions. GS
That also depends a bit on the width of the shelves involved. If the upper shelf can be narrower than the lower one, the separation between levels can also be reduced. Paul
Favorite towns based upon industry schematics...... I am partial to Harrisonville, since I grew up there. Even though it was the BN era in the 80's, I was fortunate to experience it when the Leaky Roof spur was still in place and active. Cuba, after the yard was installed to support the Lead Line, always struck me as a nicely compact and strategically planned track arrangement. Most recently I have been facsinated with the Ft Smith area, especially the southern area where Norge was located. Doug, looking forward to hearing more as your plan develops.
I'm presently doing the math for that wye in Lebanon, which has to protrude into an already-too-narrow aisle. I'm trying to make the town on the other side of the aisle (Crocker or Richland) fit into a concave (kidney-shaped) piece of benchwork to allow the wye. This layout cost is estimated at $20,000, so that, and my life expectancy, will determine if it ever gets built. The idea of having west staging represent Springfield is exciting. I would have enough width for eight parallel yard tracks - 3 A/D (one doubling as an engine escape track) and five classification. If the five class tracks represent 1. Springfield local, 2. Northern Division, 3. Western Division, 4. SW/Central Division, and 5. Southern Division I can have cars held there until time to flip the waybills to make up EB trains for the next session. Be patient, fans, because track planning is iterative, and I iterate slowly. Most of the ideas appear during sleepless nights. Am I unique about late-night layout design ideas? Thanks for the encouraging words. Level separations of 14" work well. 56" and 42" are fairly common on operational layouts here in E. Tennessee. Doug
I agree with GStout and PBender. I drew a cross section of the aisles and placed stick people and drew a line of sight line on the lower deck to visualize the amount of separation would be required between decks. Sometimes you have to say, Good Enough! John
I'm going to need fairly accurate footprints of all those Lebanon industry structures to adequately lay out that intricate track plan. I've built exactly zero of them to date ;-)
Doug, Should my son and I make it to Bennett Springs for a fishing trip/campout this summer, I'll drop a line and see if I can offer any field work if no one else gets to it first. Last summer we ended up in town on at least two occasions for provisions and for a trip to urgent care. Much of the multi-deck talk has me also wondering what a reasonable maximum of operators is for any given amount of layout room square footage. I'm not sure I've ever see anything in that area. I've seen lots of guidance on aisle width. Best Regards,
