Page 19 - March April 2017
P. 19

 ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAMME - CIVIL ENGINEER Keith Webb
 What do I need to do?
Most members with a layout or a varied series of modules may find the Electrical and Civil sections relatively easy to pass. It’s often good to do these two sections together as some of the parts are common. There is also some common ground with Chief Dispatcher section too.
Let’s explore the requirements.
Civil Engineer.
Track Plan:
First you need to make a layout plan to a scale. This does not have to be your layout, or even an existing layout, it can even be your dream layout, but it must include 11 different features. These are as follows: Overall size, scale, track elevations, curve radii, turnout sizes, motive power storage, mainline passing siding, four (4) switching locations, locomotive turning, two (2) mainline train operation (assume at the same time). Finally a Terminal. This could be either a passenger or a locomotive terminal.
Construction:
There is the need to demonstrate the satisfactory operation of a certain length of track-work, which varies on scale of railroad being modeled. This length is inclusive of sidings and spurs, it is not to be interpreted as all main line! However it does need to be ballasted, have correct (to prototype) profile and drainage facilities (that’s what it says!). This does not mean a working sewer system, but culverts and ditches that would be seen on the prototype to take rainwater away from the line.
Included in, or extra to this length, there should be a minimum of 6 different track features from a possibility of 19 or more. Examples are: passing siding, spur, crossover, reversing loop, wye, simple ladder, compound ladder, turntable, transfer table, super elevation, simple overhead wire, compound overhead wire, scale track, cog railway track, coal dump track, ash pit, service pit track, grade elevation, or other.
As part of the above, or purely constructed for evaluation, you also need to scratch build three (3) different track features for merit award evaluation. There are at least 14 different items to choose from for your 3 different. These are: Turnout (point or stub), Crossover, double crossover, single slip switch, double slip switch, crossing, gauntlet track, gauntlet turnout, dual gauge turnout, gauge separation turnout, double junction turnout, three-way turnout, spring switch or operating switch in overhead wire.
We have recently learned something very interesting about this section following a request at the convention to judge some examples presented to us. First of all, the items for judging do not have to be ballasted, painted, detailed, or fully spiked (or spiked at all). This is to ensure that if any changes need to be made to get these 3 items to a
 pass stage, can still be done. In fact, out of the five construction requirements (Construction, Detail, Conformity, Finish & Lettering, Scratch-building), just 3 of these need to be done well (Construction, Conformity & Scratch-building) and this will be sufficient to achieve enough points to pass – a possible 95 where the requirement is 87.5.
A few notes on these requirements:
Construction:
Workmanship: The difficulty or complexity of what the modeller has attempted and how well the model was constructed. (Self-powered locomotive successfully traversing all routes gives a score of 40 or a ‘pass’).
Conformity:
Prototype Practice. How well has the modeller reproduced the prototype? (All applicable NMRA Track standards (S-3) are met using an appropriate track gauge gives a score of 30.)
(Authors note: It is good practice to supply construction notes and pictures of construction methods along with a list of tools used. This will assist greatly in judging and is common to most areas of AP). Scratch-building:
How much did the modeller build from scratch and how difficult was the scratch-building. Commercial frogs not allowed but commercial individual rail (not Flex-track), ties and spikes are. (Scratch built frogs and points give a score of 25).
One myth I will dispel, is that “the use of jigs and tools are not allowed”. This is not the case, and the use of jigs and tools are very much part of ensuring good quality construction. This also includes the use of the very excellent jigs and tools that can be currently found advertised in your popular magazines and on-line.
Turnouts and features that are already part of a layout can be assessed, but this is harder to do unless you have kept notes of your construction method or the list of parts purchased, especially as it is very hard to distinguish a commercial frog from a well-made scratch-built one! We do not want to discourage folk using this attainable award as a toe-dip into the AP program, but we must be fair in all cases.
Finally I strongly suggest you explore all of the forms and articles on in the relevant section of the NMRA website at: http://www.nmra.org/education/achievement-program, which I strongly recommend you read first.
On a more personal note, as I’m finally just starting to rebuild my own layout after moving, I too will be studying this and the Electrical Engineer requirements with a view to completing these sections as I go. I can also take into account the work I have already done on my modules! Watch this space!
    STOP PRESS:
Conner Industries Announce New Products
In a recent trans-Atlantic telephone call to your reviewer Michael J Conner Junior, President and CEO of Conner Industries, exclusively revealed an exciting new range of products designed to take the enjoyment of model railroading to hitherto unknown levels.
To enhance the realism of operating sessions Conner Industries intend to launch a range of uniforms duplicating those worn by prototypical railroaders. Initial attention has been focussed on developing outfits worn by engineers and firemen in the popular and often modelled steam diesel transition era. Outfits will be marketed as in a variety of sizes off the peg, as bargain basement kits consisting of a pattern, material and thread and (to special order and necessarily more expensive) as bespoke outfits tailored to a specific railroad and/or size. The real innovation is that the outfits will incorporate the distinctive and evocative smells of the prototype! During the phone call Conner described how he had charged his research chemists, Drs S Mart and Y Pants, to devise ways of achieving the distinctive smells of steam, diesel and electric locomotives. The two chemist quickly developed formulations that duplicated the required odours of steam and diesel locomotives. They then impregnated the uniforms with the appropriate chemicals. However despite much effort they could not develop
 formulations that could withstand washing. Moreover, early market research found that modellers were likely to act as engineers and/or firemen on both steam and diesel locomotives during an operating session and were reluctant to buy more than one outfit. In view of this Mart and Pants turned their attention to developing aerosol cans containing the necessary chemicals. At the outset of an operating session, engineers or firemen can spray their outfits to suit the motive power, steam or diesel, of their first train. The odour persists for about an hour as the chemicals evaporate over time. Once the original smell has gone the outfit can be re-sprayed to either restore the original odour or make a change from steam to diesel or vice versa.
Conner said that Mart and Pants had not been able to achieve the distinctive smell of electric locomotives particularly with respect to the smell of ozone produced by arcing. Company research physicists, Drs C Lever and C Logs are now rising to this challenge. They are developing a pocket size high voltage generator which randomly discharges to generate ozone. Further development is required particularly on safety aspects of the generator.
Conner said that the first outfits and aerosols would be on the available in late summer 2017 and marketed under the trademarked Odorama Product line alongside their smelly industry kits launched in 2016.
R E Viewer April 2017
 ROUNDHOUSE April 2017 19


































































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