Page 6 - NMRA Roundhouse January-February 2020

The Santa Fe, Prescot and
Phoenix Railroad
Des Browne
S Scale models and photo by Don MacDougall
TRACK PLANNING
I outlined in June 2019 There’s the rub. My personal
issue of Roundhouse, how I would plan for an N scale layout in the
space NMRA BR Member,
Michael Maguire, had allocat-
ed for his HO layout. Now I
am suggesting possibilities for
an S-scale layout for the same
space.The space available is
the rear half of his refurbished
Garage, behind his office, with
a ‘notch’ which enclosed some
steps outside the proposed layout
space. In case there are some who
are not aware of my interest in
S-scale, I should just mention that
this was the scale of the Ameri-
can Flyer set I received for my 8th Birthday. Only lack of availability caused me to change to HO but a few years ago I became aware of the resurgence of the scale which had caused my immersion
in American outline trains. I have since then been promoting S-scale and hope
to change to S-scale when I reach a point where I feel I can no longer progress
my HO “Victorville” layout satisfactorily. That time is not too far away, but not yet, so I continue to satisfy my fascination with S-scale by planning and discussing this scale.The main problem is of course finding the compromises needed for a larger scale while trying to model main line standard gauge prototype.
The first thing to establish when design- ing any track plan is the minimum radius to use.The starting point for NMRA
mem- bers should be
to examine the Recommended Practices (RP) established over the years to help us, as modellers, to take our ideas to practical levels. I am proposing to design the Plan making use of American Models (AM) 27” radius set track so that the curves can be accurate, with their flexible track elsewhere and #5 Turnouts. While the rail size is a bit heavy, provided scale couplers are substituted for the overscale HiRail style, a very realistic finish can be realised, after suitable bal- lasting and other scenic details. Obviously, track with Code 100 rail, and smaller, is available for those with the necessarily better skills.This radius can be consid- ered only suitable for RP-11 Class H or smaller prototype, ie Branch and Feeder Lines. Scratch built and brass models will definitely demand that the RP should
be adhered to and thus large Locomo- tives and 80’ cars would be unsuitable.
preferences are for main line trains including that huge AM
4-8-4 but of course that is not necessarily so for most
modelers.The AM rolling stock models being consid- ered, are designed to work
in the HiRail market and all “proprietary” makes
will work happily on this radius.The track plan is
a free-lance “branch” line which would never
in reality see other than small steamers, the SHS 2-8-0 for exam-
ple, or small Bo-Bo diesels.
So, my first thoughts are for an out and back “walk-in” plan with a loop in the notch to the right of the entrance.This is 5’00”(1.52m) wide so the 27”(690mm) radius set track will sit tightly into
the space with only about 3”(76mm) clearance from the centre line of track (that Lionel Big Boy might have just too much overhang!) There is no room for a return loop without double decks which I wanted to avoid, and I have shown a twisted arangement for the reverse loop as it cannot start before the end of the notch. If gradients are split so that the main level is say 40mm with the track from the turnout to the loop falling to 10mm and the other trick rising to a long bridge at 80mm, there will be a gradient less than 2% to the bridge and closer to 1.5% for the lower track.The split levels and hiding the back of the loop allows for
ROUNDHOUSE - January/February 2020
6
Track Planning for N Scale Layout
freights would hold centre stage and using a “loop-to-loop” style of routing, trains could travel in both directions, mimicking the prototype. Obviously,Ter- minals would swamp the space available,
so I looked for an intermediate town or city with more modest basic trackwork.
the SPV Atlases for out of use tracks
but none were available at this time for this area, I set about sketching possible schemes. It was quickly clear that Tacoma and other cities north towards Seattle were just too complex to be believably used, but there was a junction town, “Centralia WA”, basically with overtaking sidings each side of the main and with several branches.
Des Browne
Using “Google Earth” to see tracks currently in use and hoping to also use
I was asked by new NMRA BR Mem- ber, Michael Maguire, to help him with the technical side of a layout he wished to build – track type,
Bingo! Wikipedia then revealed a lot
of detail about types of industries and
an interesting Depot, similar to the SP Standard #22, which appears in Edmond- son and Francaviglia’s “Railroad Station Planbook”, published by Kalmbach in 1977, although Evaline WA is on the main line, south of Centralia near the summit of the stretch out of the valley,
electrical connections, etc. He gave me
sizes of a space behind his office, which was essentially half of his refurbished ga- rage, with a ‘notch’, which enclosed some steps behind the proposed layout space. His concept was for a continuous double
I have shown it as a branch simply to use an otherwise scenic only corner and perhaps allow a timber source for this important traffic.A more important branch is to a harbour at Aberdeen WA. Interestingly, Google World showed a tempting loop near the wharves, which
From Winter 2016 Classic Trains; used with permission Robert S. McGonigal
Michael’s prototype choice is the Spokane, Portland and Seattle Railway (SP&S), between Spokane and Portland in the North Pacific area, owned jointly by
Such a layout would be too ambitious for Michael’s concept in HO, but perhaps N scale would offer possibilities where streamlined passenger trains and long
12 ROUNDHOUSE - June 2019
June 2019 - ROUNDHOUSE 13
track main with a single-track branch line incorporating a reversing loop, but without any complications of double decks or hidden tracks. He has, at date of writing, completed most tracks and installed drop wires from the track to the bus cables ready for a DCC control system. He has first structures, ballast, backdrops and some details in place.
of the Union Pacific’s use of the Dome Cars from the “Train of Tomorrow”, both of which piqued my interest in the route between Portland and Seattle.This is a double tracked joint line owned by Union Pacific (UP) and Northern Pacific (NP) with trackage rights by Great Northern (GN), resulting in a ‘Pool’ service by the three companies between Portland and Seattle. Now as a Passen- ger Train ‘Nut’, the potential of colourful Trains from three Railroads was too difficult to resist studying!
I have looked at two possible versions, in each case with, possibly stacked, loops in the corner notch. I could not come up with a “walk in” style without intolerably sharp curves, so a duck-under is a nec- essary evil for these track schemes. In my opinion, N (and Z) is better viewed at near eye level.With a “duck under” needed here, the higher the better but as always to suit the builders needs and preferences! Electrically, the layout need not have any reversing loops but there
the Northern Pacific (NP) and the Great Northern (GN) both of course histor- ically controlled by James J Hill. Michael will use an eclectic collection of HO roll- ing stock obtained over a longish period, especially while he worked in California and Texas but including trips to the Northwest where the scenery made the impact causing him to catch ‘Railroaditis’, which of course we all enjoy!
I guessed might indicate a Container
or Unit Train facility but that would be too modern for a pre-Amtrak era so I haven’t followed that detail! Of course, the Portland-Tacoma-Seattle route still carried passenger service under Amtrak, so the proposed layout would still be relevant in other eras including using a Superliner “Starlight” and the current “Talgo” trains!
There was an informative article, in Clas- sic Trains (CT) Magazine,Winter 2016 issue, featuring the SP&S and a feature
in “Great Trains – West”, a CT Special,
The actual Centralia Depot is north
of the passing sidings, but I considered that it would be more space efficient
to model it as part of that generalYard area. Freelancing an Industrial Park in the “north” corner and a Creamery in the “south” corner could allow modelling of some other industries as possibly ser- viced by the prototype.There are several other branches out of Centralia, which would have served the extensive arable plain between the mountains and the sea.
Despite being a Santa Fe fanatic, I saw no reason not to explore the possibilities
of sketching a layout based on this area and, with his permission, to use Michael’s available space as a template!