Thoughts on Modeling Prototype Trains

Author: jkdummler

Perspective: Planning to Plan

Posted on by jkdummler

I’ve done all these exercises before, but it’s worth doing again as circumstances are different.

Knowing the heights of decks for multi-deck layouts is important.  Figuring out the math for a helix, and how much space that helix needs, is the main reason why.  Multi-deck?  Yes, I said multi-deck.  I know I’ve talked several times about wanting to build single deck, but as the concept for what I want to build has evolved as I talk with my wife, read, research, and look at photos… really dig into the world of 1927 and the N&W, I’ve become convinced that multi-deck is the best solution as it gives me space to have all the things that really interest me without needing to own a warehouse or quad car garage or basement, to model them in.

The layout needs to share, for now, with the car. The area dotted in for the helix and stacked staging loops will be removable and roll away or lift away to the ceiling.

As I shared recently when starting to talk about research, I’ve become quite interested in the N&W’s reach into Cincinnati, OH, essentially the western-most reach of the railroad.  At the same time, my interest in the coal fields of West Virginia has not waned, and a new book on the N&W in West Virginia has just been published, and I’m anxious to dig into that.

In order to get both locations, I find myself planning a multi-deck layout where the upper deck is based on Cincinnati and the lower deck is based on a yet to be determined branch in West Virginia.  It really is almost planning two railroads, but the logic lies in the fact that the coal coming off the lower deck, and any goods like lumber or glass coming from there, also have customers on the upper deck in coal docks, barges on the Ohio river, and other industries in the city.

Still, I have a limited space here and can’t just declare the garage to be railroad space.  I need to plan for a multi-deck layout that can be expanded.  To that end, this rough drawing helps explain what I’m looking at for the first “phase” of construction.  The layout is 16′ long with two 5′ long arms attached.  A helix with 30′ radius loops and another set of return loops that slot hold staging can be attached opposite the helix.  Both the loops and the helix can be removed and stored separately from the rest of the layout, allowing space for the car to come into the garage.  In the future, the layout footprint can be expanded by adding other sections, moving the helix and the staging loops, and extending both decks.  The first phase should allow for 3 operators to be comfortable in the layout, with a dispatcher / station agent, located elsewhere.

Deciding on deck heights also is part of my preparation for getting this layout idea drawn out.  I already know that I will have 20″ between decks based on the benchwork I started to assemble at the end of the summer.  Doing the math, 20″ with a 30″ radius helix works out to be a 5 turn helix, which isn’t bad, and the grade falls below 2% in the helix as well.  The 30″ helix should also allow for the Z class 2-6-6-2’s to traverse the whole layout easily.

I know too that I like layouts to be in the 50″ high range.  Multi-deck planning is a little bit of a compromise there, though, and I decided it was time to test the heights again.  A really comfortable height for me, if I sit on a stool, is to have the lower deck be at 36″ from the floor.  That’s counter height, so I went to the kitchen and tested that out.  The counters in our kitchen happen to be 36″ high, and setting cars on the counter, sitting on the rolling stool I have, that’s about perfect.  The next task was to figure out then if 56″ from the floor is comfortable for the upper deck, or if I need to go down to 30″, which is table height, for the lower deck.

A car at about 56″ and another at 36″ from the floor demonstrate the deck height differences, and give me an idea of what I’ll be seeing for each layout deck.

 

This is what an operator of my height will see of the cars and trains on the upper deck. I can actually read the car number without having to bend over.

Fortunately, this time of year there are lots of boxes around for holiday shopping deliveries, and I found a box that was 19.75″….. close to my 20″, to test with.  Setting the box on the counter, and cars on the box, I get a really good idea of what the upper deck height will be, and I found it to be comfortable.  Seeing car numbers, especially if there is a yard and lots of individual industries or the team yard I am looking for, is actually easier at the 56″ height.    So now I know, 36″ and 56″ are the heights I’m planning for, and this means too that I can start planning materials for legs, the helix support, the loop supports, and get to drawing track.

More to come!

-JD

Trainfest & NAPM 2018

Posted on by jkdummler
One of the excellent models on display at Trainfest, this station has a detailed interior.

The weekend of the 10th and 11th saw Trainfest, 2018 take place in Milwaukee, WI.  We visited and had a great time as usual.  Some things we brought home I’ll be writing about more soon, especially some of the tools.  However, in the mean time, here is a gallery of photos from Trainfest.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/XZ3Zbn7WUDkTMYcL9

A scene on the NAPM layout.

On Saturday evening, the 10th, we visited the North American Prototype Modelers layout in Milwaukee.  This massive layout has some incredibly impressive scenes and fantastic modeling.  Here is a gallery of photos from that visit.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/usmxpPxCEKhG42AXA

As usual it was great to connect with friends and to make new ones.  We always look forward to these events not only for the things from vendors and stuff we haven’t seen or the layouts, but because of the people, the friends, who it’s important to connect with and share some good times.

-JD

Industrial Research: Part 1

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It’s that in-between time of year, that time between RPM Chicagoland and Trainfest in Milwaukee, when not much get’s done.  Yes, freight cars have started, but this year, there’s more going on.

Research has continued on freight cars, but knowing how many cars to build, and hunt for, is always one of the things I am interested in.  To do that, figuring out the industries on the layout is important.

I counted 33 named industries of multiple varieties on this one map. The original can be obtained from the Norfolk & Western Historical Society at: http://www.nwhs.org/archivesdb/detail.php?ID=122480

For industry inspiration, I’ve been spending some time researching the Norfolk & Western operations in Cincinnati, Ohio along the Cincinnati Belt.  There are many fascinating industries in the area beyond just the expected freight houses, interchange with the New York Central (CCC&STL) and things I expected to find like the Glob Soap Company (Tangent made a 1917 tank car lettered for the Globe Soap Co of Cincinnati.)

A sample industry I’m considering building and making space for, this company will make shoe lasts.

Let’s look at this sample industry that I’m toying with.  This will most likely wind up being a company that makes shoe lasts, the forms used by cobblers to form shoes over.  (When you model earlier times in history, you learn all about dead industries).  The company has two docks, one inbound and one outbound dock.  In all likelyhood, there will be a split set of loading docks, so operating instructions for a crew will be to deliver a car to the inbound dock or the outbound dock, and there won’t be a specific door spot.  To spite the fact that there are three inbound doors, and 4 outbound dock doors, it’s likely that each dock will support 2 cars spotted there.  That means this industry might be switching 1-4 cars per operating session.  So I know that the top end here is 4 cars.  It could, however, at scale speeds, with paperwork for the crew and the like, time to set and remove flags, etc… have a crew occupied by this industry alone for 20-30 minutes shuffling cars around.  That’s well worth the space to build the industry.

This is the kind of research that I find fascinating.  Learning about industries and what they ship in and out, then telling that story in my models.  With many industries to pick from, from a last company to soap companies to lumber companies and on to fertilizer companies, deciding what to model and what to compress out or leave out is the harder choice.

That brings me to how this all ties together.  The freight cars need a place to run, and the industries on a layout provide that.  Modeling coal is fantastic, but I love my boxcars and other types of equipment, and fitting other industries in has become important to me.  Thus, the decision has been made to spot the layout space (eventual layout space) and model coal and also model some more urban operations based on the Cincinnati Belt.  

See…. Deep down, I know that prototype modeling bug would wake up and sink it’s teeth in some way again.

*** ***

It’s Trainfest weekend in Milwaukee, WI.  I hope to see friends and enjoy the show.  Maybe I’ll come home with some fun things to add to the layout, or the book shelf.  

-JD

Roster Research: Part 1

Posted on by jkdummler

Building a realistic model railroad isn’t only about laying track, building cars, locomotives, or even necessarily about physically building anything.  It involves many hours of research and a good deal of time invested in finding and verifying information that helps build all those things I just listed so that they fit together in a cohesive, visually appropriate manner.

I’ve recently been spending quite a lot of time doing research.  I find the learning part of this whole hobby to be one of the things I enjoy most.  The main topic of my research has been the Norfolk & Western freight and coal fleet in 1927.  I have a copy of a 1926 ORER that I’m working from, and haven’t yet located any 1927 issues, but I can get close with the 1926 date to a picture of what N&W equipment I should be building.

Part of the work has been to translate the ORER data into a spreadsheet that will allow me to add additional pieces of data that I need to model the equipment listed.  It’s handy to have the dimensional data on the cars, the roster number blocks, the ARA car types, and a general description from the ORER, but the work then lies in translating that data into N&W car classes which are not listed in the ORER, and from there into either drawings or photos or both through online and published resources.  Once that is done, identifying a viable model to build if there is one, will be the next step.

I’ve made a dent in the translation of the data, but it is still an ongoing process.  I would imagine that I should have a fairly good idea of what I want or need to build for the N&W within the next couple of weeks.  There are a couple of interesting things that I’ve already noted, just in the initial phase of this research:

  1.  The vast majority of the equipment owned and operated by the N&W in 1926/1927 was still 36′ or shorter in length.  The number of 36′ steel frame wooden boxcars that the line owned was more than double the single class of all steel automobile boxcars that they had built.
  2. There is only one class of steel sided boxcar on the roster of the N&W in 1926, and those are ARA class XA automobile boxcars.  Everything else is either single sheathed or double sheathed wood still.

The ORER also provides a list of connections to other railroads.  That list is invaluable in routing traffic on a layout, and in picking equipment to build as well.  Finding equipment from connecting railroads will be important in the overall scope of the layout as traffic isn’t just generated on the layout but comes from outside.  I’ve been slowly making a list of cars in my “stash” to build, putting them in order of what I want to build first, starting to source parts and decals, and generally putting in place an overall roster plan that should allow me to build, at my current pace, a viable freight and coal fleet within the next couple of years, with many years of building cars ahead.

Why is this important?  I find that I am drawn to the freight cars and could easily have one of everything out there.  I know about myself that working from lists is important and that the lists need to be as complete as possible.  I also know that I can spend my resources, that includes time and financial, in places I consider to be worth while if I have some picture of what I’m focusing on and hunting for.  It makes finding that gem in a bin at a train show, or heading for a hobby shop or swap meet, or searching for something on eBay easier.

As I finish this part of the project, and continue to do research, I’m finding other threads to follow that are leading me to some really interesting ideas and focusing my efforts as well. More to come!

-JD

More Than Coal

Posted on by jkdummler
The N&W system in 1927 spans multiple states, and has massive terminals and connections to other railroads.

The Norfolk & Western was hauling more than just coal.  I know, that’s a given, but it’s hard to find photos of N&W yards that aren’t just one load of coal after another, and maybe a single boxcar somewhere, probably hauling mining equipment.

Outside of the branch lines and the coal conveyor, though, there were freight trains on the N&W.  They actually operated massive freight terminals, and I’ve been reading about some of those recently in an effort to define how that fits in my modeling plans.  A lot of the information comes from researching the Scioto Division of the N&W and the connections in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio.  

This link takes you to a description of operations in Columbus.  The timeframe is the 50’s, but it’s not hard to imagine this taking place in 1927, and the interesting moves and freight that would have been happening then too.  The facilities were certainly there in the 1920’s as the N&W had moved several decades earlier.http://columbusrailroads.com/N&W%20freight%20house.htm

What’s the imputes for this research?  It’s the realization that I really enjoy building boxcars.  Strange for someone modeling coal hauling, right?  Well, there are so many interesting prototypes to build from the 1920’s that it’s hard to not want to build them.  Additionally, a conversation with some friends about what cars were appropriate for railroads in certain geographical locations lead me to start looking at what cars I actually want to or should be building beyond just the N&W coal fleet (and I need a lot of coal cars).

My friend Eric Hansmann’s blog includes a fantastic look at a freight terminal in Orange, NJ on the DL&W that was written by our friend, Ray Breyer.  http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/2017/01/06/whats-in-the-yard-2/. The photos are fantastic, and I can envision a similar terminal on the N&W with both inbound and outbound freight houses like existed in Cincinnati, with a similarly fascinating mixture of freight equipment. 

What’s this all mean?  A couple of things.  My layout planning is turning more toward prototype as I was almost sure it would.  It just took some time to find “the” hook on the N&W other than the coal.  My thoughts are that eventually there will be 2 locations on my plan, a city or the outskirts of a city, and a coal company town with tipples.  The other thing it means is that I’ve discovered a way to use, and a reason to build, more boxcars and refrigerator cars that I love researching and building.  As plans move forward, identifying exactly what to build and what to pass on will be the challenge.

-jD

Improving Processes

Posted on by jkdummler

It’s time once again to look at the modeling year ahead.  I learned a lot in the last 12 months, and my plan for the year ahead includes putting into practice a few things that I want to change in order to make my modeling even better.

One thing I have been trying to do for a long time is to get even more organized when it comes to planning a project, from freight car to structure.  Stuff tends to fly around and be out of control until I’m focusing on what the “next step” is, and then I’m waiting on parts or waiting on decals, etc….

To address that issue this year, I plan to do two things.  First, I plan to work on smaller batches of projects. It makes sense to me to work on more than one thing at a time.  When I have equipment set up to do work on brakes, or for drilling, or for decals, it makes sense to do more than one car at a time.  However, fewer than 19 all at once is probably better.  It took me most of a weekend to polish the wheels I put on cars this year, and I really would like to not make as much green dust from the Vert polish all at once.  I think a “manageable” size for a batch of cars are the 6 cars I can fit in one of my storage trays at a time.  If I can get 6 cars started, built, detailed, primed, painted, lettered, and finished, then move on to the next batch of 6, I feel like I can make progress without stalling out because I’ll see the progress along the way.

The second thing I’m working on now, before I start building, is to get projects organized on paper.  Anything I need to order, change, add, etc… to a car get’s listed on the page, and the page can be either printed or referenced on my cloud.  The eventual goal is to collect information sheets on each model, listing the parts and changes, but also the history of the car, and a prototype photo or drawing that I’m working from.  In the end, the sheets will be printed with the prototype info and the model info and can be my display at an RPM where the cars are shown.

This is an example of the initial setup sheet I’m doing for each car. This one may wind up in my 2nd or 3rd batches of 6 cars at a time this year, but the general idea of tracking everything that I need or need to do on a project in one spot will make things easier to manage when it comes to starting a project and getting it finished.

With parts inbound for the first 6 cars, and arriving before the weekend, I’m hoping to sit down and get a good start on everything.

The first 6 cars for this year are:

A pair of ACL K-7 low side gondolas

A BAR 1927 A.R.A boxcar

A Central Vermont 36’ boxcar

A SSW USRA DS clone

A Norfolk & Western bobber-style caboose

In keeping with my pledge to myself that for every box car I build, I’ll build 1 of another car type this year, that’s 3 boxcars and 3 others.  It’ll be interesting to see what happens with this batch, and then what I pull out of the kit stash for the next group. 

-JD

RPM Chicagoland Report

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The 25th RPM meet, known formerly by several names, including the Chicago “Sunshine Meet”, RPM Naperville, and now RPM Chicagoland, took place over the October 18-20 weekend.  Mike and Katie Skibbie once again delivered a fantastic event with clinics given by presenters on a huge variety of railroad and modeling topics, an amazing selection of attendee built models on display, and some fantastic vendors as well.  It was wonderful to see so many friends, and to make new ones over the course of the event.

I presented the revised version of my Modeling with Low Vision clinic, discussing tools and techniques for addressing challenges with seeing the models, organizing the workshop, and operating trains.  I had a wonderful time with this clinic again, having revised it from the version I gave 2 years ago as the tools and workshop have evolved.  The handout for, and the clinic presentation both are available in the Clinic and Presentation Handouts section here.  

My wife, Kristin, gave her presentation on Poultry Cars, their history, and modeling challenges.  It was fantastic for her to have that clinic be as well received as it was by the attendees.  Her presentation and handout are also available on the Clinics and Presentation Handouts page.  She continues to work on compiling information on the Poultry Cars and plans to finish building the cars she has started, working through the challenges of completing the currently available kits.

I’m looking forward to developing some of the new friendships made over the weekend, and continuing those friendships that come together in person at these events.  

There are several galleries of phots already online.  My gallery is available here:

https://photos.app.goo.gl/m6w5uzssH2WUihhq9

I also have a video I made of some the Modutrak trains and other items here:

https://youtu.be/U8mhe5370MQ

Ted Culotta of Speedwitch Media also has a blog post and gallery located here:

http://prototopics.blogspot.com/2018/10/photos-from-2018-chicagoland-rpm.html

Eric Hansmann has a gallery located here:

http://www.pbase.com/ehansmann/2018_rpm_chicagoland

the event now passed, it’s time to organize and get to work on finishing projects that didn’t make it to RPM, and on new projects that I’m looking forward to sharing with you as they progress.

-JD

Yosemite Valley RR and ATSF Crossing: A Prototype Scene (1)

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Basic track plan for a 24″x 18″ prototype scene set on the Yosemite Valley

 

One of the possible certificates I would like to pursue on my way toward the ultimate goal of becoming a NMRA Master Model Railroader is to build a “Prototype Scene”.  The requirements are fairly open for this category, and as I have enough (I think) information available in my archives to build a scene from along the Yosemite Valley, the location just outside Merced, CA where the YV crossed the ATSF and the ATSF had a town for controlling the signals involved in the crossing, I think this would be an excellent choice.

The plan, as drawn, is for a 24″ x 18″ scene.  The base will be built from cut plywood benchwork, allowing for the introduction of lights in the tower and possibly some animation for signals, all mounted underneath.  The track is fairly straight forward, with the ATSF running top to bottom of the drawing (so 18″) and the YV running left to right (Merced toward El Portal) and having a distance of 24″.  The scenery will include a scratch-built ATSF tower, and lots of golden grass so it appears to be California in the summer.

I plan to hand-lay the track on this project in order to give that a try on a small scale as well.

There will be a YV train poised on the display, most likely with one of the 2-6-0’s, a caboose, and a few freight cars that will stretch close to the whole 24″.

My goal is to have this project completed, along with other projects, by the end of 2019.

-JD

Freight Crate Modifications

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It’s that time of year again when I build the newest batch of Freight Crates from Fast Tracks to carry cars to RPM Chicagoland as well as store them until they’re in use on the layout that, (fingers crossed) will be up and running in early 2019.

For a few years now, I’ve had a couple of bits of difficulty with my crates, but in my book there isn’t a better option on the market for storing and protecting equipment.  About 6 years ago I had things in large cardboard boxes that are made to store and transport cars.  During a move, 95% of my equipment, including locomotives, were smashed to the point of unrecoverable.  After moving over to using Freight Crates, I have taken cars to multiple RPM’s and not broken anything, so the protection is sound.

The issues I’ve had surround two items.  1. The locking tabs on the bottom of the crates have a tendency to brake off.  During repeated opening and closing of the crates, I’ve broken more than one.  2.  Getting the locking tabs to not become glued in place during construction is difficult (for me),  3.  Getting crates to open when the lid slides all the way down to the bottom can be difficult.  Humidity and air temperature can affect how things slide.

So when I set out this year to build my newest batch, I decided on two things.  First, if I could avoid using the locking tabs, because I don’t really need those, I would.  Second, if I could solve the opening issues by figuring out a way to add leverage for my fingers I would do that as well.

The bottom of the Fast Tracks Freight Crate shows the mounting points near the ends for the locking mechanisms that also work to allow the crates to stack.

 

These pieces I now leave out of the bottom construction.

 

The mounts for allowing the Freight Crates to stack are still used, just without the lock portion.

The first part that solves both of my first two issues was easy.  I simply build the bottom of the crates following the directions and leave out the locking tabs.  The way I handle the crates I always have a hand on the bottom anyway.  Replacing the locking tabs with a pair of stout rubber bands around the crate wound’t hurt either, or I may wind up adding some velcro straps to the sides to keep the lids on.  Either way, without the tabs, there is no frustration and the crates still stack.

A newly assembled lid is seen drying here with blue painters tape used to hold everything together.

Solving the lid-opening issue took a little more thought.  What I decided to do was to set my Bladerunner table saw to have a 1.5″ cut.  Then I ran the parts for the sides and ends of the lid through there before assembly.  Once cut, I used a sanding sponge to just knock down any “hair” from the bald that was raised on the hardboard material, and assembled the top following the rest of the instructions.  I use blue painters tape to hold everything in place while I’m gluing and assembling both the top and bottom.  I find it works nicely to hold joints together, but peels off with ease once things are dry.

A pair of modified crates awaits filling with cars. The side modification tom the lids can be easily seen.

The end result is a Freight Crate that I can lift the lid off of easily, that stacks, and that protects my equipment.  This modification isn’t for everyone, but for me, it works.  The same modification I made to the new crates I can make carefully to the existing set, at least to the lids, with the saw, so they function just as easily.

I have a bunch of cars to finish if I’m going to make my deadlines this year, so it’s probably time to get back to the workbench!

-JD

Moving Indoors

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The spray booth moved inside this weekend from the garage to the laundry room all thanks to a new vent hose attachment.

For the last few years, any painting, gluing with MEK, weathering…. anything that created fumes, had to be done in our garage.  That means everything had to be done during the Spring / Summer / Fall and was subject to the outside temperature, bugs, humidity, and general idiosyncrasies of painting outside.  With the really difficult time we’ve had this year getting any time in the booth because of the strange weather patterns, things piled up that are now causing a rush ahead of RPM Chicagoland later this month.  I’m still hoping to finish 18 or so cars, but wow, wouldn’t it be nice to build and finish a project one at a time?

We solved the issue there with the addition to our spray booth of the available hose attachment.  I was able over the weekend to move all the painting equipment into our laundry room, set up, and weather cars inside without having to worry about all the outside elements.  The fan cleared the fumes nicely.

I’m looking forward to finishing cars and structures going forward as they’re ready and not waiting for everything to pile up all at once.

-J