Page 7 - NMRA Roundhouse January-February 2020

the suggestion of a junction for different ultimate destinations. Unless automatic DCC control is used for the reversing tracks is used, all trains will have to stop in the “tunnel” to throw a DPDT switch to allow a train to continue.To me this can conveniently be a good spot to “stage” a train. A terminal at the oppo- site side of the layout space will need either a turntable or I have suggested
a wye arrangement, taking advantage
of the office end of the garage to steal some space through the bookshelves that separate Michael’s workspace from the Train Room. (His HO layout does have a similar extension.) An old wooden road bridge would be appropriate to disguise the tracks into the office.A minimum of facilities is suggested, a run-around track, a Team Track with Freight House (within the wye), an industry track and a depot against the backdrop, larger than a proto- type perhaps, but a feature that allows for some passenger traffic!
I do like to look at possible prototypes to make some sense to a layout and provide a possible name for the layout. I have lat- terly become interested in the “Peavine” District of the Santa Fe (now of course part of the BNSF) originally built in 1890s as the Santa Fe, Prescot and Phoenix Railroad, which runs from Williams AZ on the main transcontinental line, to Phoenix AZ. Looking at a Google map, I found there is a wye at Drake AZ, which forms an “industrial” branch to Clarkedale AZ with a track layout not so very different to my free-lance suggestion! There is
also another junction at Abra AZ, a short distance down the line to Phoenix, which is the old main line to Prescot AZ the original State Capitol of Arizona, now relegated to the end of a branch when a less difficult route was built in 1960/61 directly to Phoenix. So now there can be some logical place names to use and an awareness of possible industries to justify traffic. Santa Fe operated a daily, at least, connecting train from the Trans-con to Phoenix. It occasionally had a mix of H/W Pullmans and streamlined coaches! Now there’s a thought!
Why can’t one just stop and finalise details? Oh no, just a short bit of track
across the “walk in” access would provide a continuous circuit wouldn’t it, let’s call
it “Phase 2”, and then of course that
loop really should be filled in. Don’t
forget access! Perhaps a drop down hinged “lake” would be enough with
an industry near Clarkdale with the Verde River alongside. All the turnouts would be within reach, so there would be only rare occasions when it would be needed!
The drawings are by Brian Nelson, using the SCARM programme.
Des Browne
ROUNDHOUSE - January/February 2020
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