...and Erie Northshore mainline.
Occasionally, people ask to see a trackplan of my layout.  Since the layout was built without the constrictions of such a drawing, I instead asked Barney to fly and photograph the Grand Valley's line from staging to South Cayuga, then follow the Erie Northshore's track from there to its western terminus at Port Maitland.  This should help to clarify the track layout for those interested in such trivia.  Some of the pictures remind me of those Google Earth views, leading me to believe that Mister Secord may have been the inspiration for the old song "Barney Google, (with the goo-goo-googley eyes)".

Here's the south staging yard, looking north.

   

The five staging tracks funnel into a double tracked main as they approach the entrance to the layout:

   

Slipping the plane sideways, we get a glimpse of one of two tracks immediately below the staging yard.  These represent the sidings of un-modelled industries, a good way to generate traffic without using a lot of modelling space.  To the right of that, on an even lower level, is a coal train on the TH&B interchange track.  This track enters the layout, after crossing the entryway into the layout room, at Port Maitland, Barney's eventual destination today.

   

In this view, from left to right, we see the double tracked "High Line" as it nears the entrance to the layout, then, below that, the "Old Line", also about to enter the layout into the industrial district, and, at right, the tail end of the TH&B interchange track:

   


Here's the opening through the backdrop along the "High Line" - Barney's plane will fit (he measured it), but there are two overhead passageways connecting the warehouses of National Grocers, plus a pair of telltales and a water column between the tracks:

   

This is the opening through which switching crews on the "Old Line" gain access to those un-modelled industries (Barney's plane won't fit)  .  That's the Evell Casket Company at right, with Wilkinson-Kompass beyond:

   

Back on the "High Line", National Grocers is on either side of the main here, with the "Old Line" visible at right.  Also visible is a passage way, the water column, and the telltales:

   

This is overlooking the "Old Line" again, with National Grocers centre-left and Wilkinson-Kompass at right:

   

An overview of Dunnville, with the main station beyond National Grocers on the Highline, and the John Bertram Machine Works opposite the station.  The Old line is also visible here, running between Bertram's and the Walnut St. Freight Terminal (team track):

   

The same general view as the previous shot, although shifted somewhat to the east.  The multiple-track crossing is on Walnut St, which then ducks under the High Line.  The track on the High Line remains un-ballasted, to allow removal of the structures, as I need to install some backdrop detail where the streets dead-end at the wall:

   

We're over Bertram's now, approaching their offices, with Creechan's Fine Fuels just across Liberty St.  Visible at left is the Post Office wing of the Station, with P&M Languay Co. Ltd. beyond that.  The water tower near the top centre of the photo supplies two columns - the one seen earlier and another directly across the track from the tower:

   

This is Airline Junction, technically no longer a junction, since the west-bound track (leading off to the top-left, under the street bridge) was severed some years ago due to numerous washouts along the Lake Erie shoreline.  The Junction now serves as a wye, both for switchers working Dunnville and for turning locos after arrival at the staging yards - it's a short hop, and usually done after an operating session.  Creechan's yard is at lower left, while the siding at lower right leads to Hoffentoth Bros.' ice house.  I hope to supplement the handful of commercial buildings at the top of the photo with a residential neighbourhood, mostly backyards along the track:

   

While Barney's plane has turned, we're still heading north.  Beyond the yet-to-be-built neighbourhood is Mercury Knitting Mills, overlooking Hoffentoth's Ice House.  At bottom centre is the Old Line, with one leg of the wye joining it from the left, while at left, the two tracks of the High Line merge just past the switch for Mercury Mills.  The High Line here is heading down grade, while the Old Line is ascending:

   

   

   

While the tracks level out at the switch, soon after crossing the short concrete arch over Negro Creek, they begin to ascend again:

   

The dark waters of the creek are almost obscured by the trees and undergrowth:

   

Barely out of Dunnville, we're already approaching the southern outskirts of South Cayuga.  Hoffentoth Coal & Ice is "in a location near you", and this town is no exception.  The barren field at right will eventually become an orchard, and the other structures in this view will likely find a home on the second level of the layout:

   

   

   

In this view, the area to the right (along the aisle) is mostly "finished", with a Grand Valley section house, Division St., and the South Cayuga station.  The house/team track is right at the edge of the layout, with the tower (Cayuga Junction) beyond.  To the left of the main line, the town is "under construction".  The freight house will likely stay, as South Cayuga is the junction point between the Grand Valley and the Erie Northshore, with lots of LCL transfers, along with interchange of complete cars and trains.

   

The water tower here also serves two columns, located between the mains, as seen in the previous photos.  Located at left, between the water tower and the freight house, is Barney's own Secord Distributing, where Barney promises "I can get it for you wholesale!"     At right, the Cayuga Junction tower, and beyond that, a section house belonging to the Erie Northshore:

   

The track diverging to the left is the Grand Valley main line that will lead (eventually) to the second level of the layout.  It begins to climb immediately after passing that switch, with  most of the 45' (actual) grade at 2.5%, although there's a short section just before the first bridge at 2.8%.  The Erie Northshore's line swings off the right, meanwhile, and begins its descent, also at 2.5%, towards Lake Erie:

   

The steepness of the grades isn't too noticeable from the air, but at eye-level it's very pronounced.  I hope that, once the "desert" scenery gets a blanket of southern Ontario forest, this will be less noticeable, at least to viewers - operators will know that it's there.    The two lines cross the Speed River here, with the Northshore's line, now westbound, plunging into a tunnel while the Grand Valley track continues upgrade and north.

   

That's River Road snaking alongside the Speed:

   

   

This is the scene that came into view as Barney's plane cleared the mountain.  The mainline exits the tunnel through a short cut, then passes a stockpen on the right.  Across the tracks is the Elfrida tank, where almost all eastbound trains are required to take water.  That's the tank's pumphouse at the end of the gravel road.  A line of telegraph poles wends its way up the hillside through a cleared right-of-way, with the Elfrida Stove Works to the left on the end of the siding.  Beyond the gravel road crossing is the E.D. Smith cannery:

   

Elfrida is another town "under construction", with most of the town between the cannery and the grain elevator in the distance yet to be finalised.  The section sheds between the main line and the switching district denotes the extent of development here, with the structures to the north (right) mostly permanent.  Similar to South Cayuga, the house/team track skirts behind the station and extends beyond:

   

Here's a  closer view of the station, built to a Grand Valley design after the original burned down some years ago.  Beyond is B. Piersanti & Sons egg-grading station, with the team track yard behind.  To the south (left), the Dominion Lightning Rod Co. is seen, along with the Co-op's elevator, and another Hoffentoth Bros. yard at the end of the siding:

   

   

Shortly after leaving town, already heading down grade, the track crosses Chippawa Creek - first-time riders on the numerous summer excursion trains to Lowbanks are often surprised by the view as the train, already on the first span, bursts from between the trees, offering a panoramic view of the creek below:

   

As seen here, the bridge is on a gentle curve:

   

Not far beyond the west bank of the creek is Indian Line.  The aerial view shows how rapidly the road conditions deteriorate as they move away from the populated centres     :

   

   

The barren field at centre-right is my excuse for not yet having started the benchwork for the second level of the layout - I need to construct and install "Tite-Lock" fencing on all those fence posts  , while they're still reasonably accessible:

   
Next up is the Maitland River - the view from eye-level is of the river emptying into Lake Erie, although, from above, that illusion is pretty-well shattered   


   

   

As trains near the west end of the span, the town of Lowbanks slowly comes into view:

   

That's the Stockyards on the left side (south), with section sheds clustered around the water tank on the north side of the track.  The pumphouse can be partially seen at far lower-right, on the pathway leading to the river:

   

As in most of the towns along the line, much of the switching district is on a switchback.  On the south side of the main is another Hoffentoth Bros.' coal yard, followed by the green buildings of the V.A. Wagner lumber yard.  In the far distance, on the tail of the switchback, is Hoffentoth's main ice house, mostly a storage and distribution centre for their facilities throughout the region.  Shoe-horned in between that and the main line is the Lowbanks station, which also houses some of the road's general offices.  To the north of the main, the Lowbanks Carshops, with the engine servicing facilities beyond:

   

Here's a closer look at the service area.  With trains on both main tracks, this looks like an especially busy place. However, the eastbound train on the south main is just getting underway, while the one on the north main has just arrived off the TH&B interchange.  Some of its cars are for local delivery, while others will head east on a later train:

   

Here we're over the main shop building, with its outdoor crane partially visible at top right.  Also visible here, between the crane and the hopper on the siding, is the road's Oil House, where kerosene and lube oil and grease are kept.  The siding is often used for holding loaded and empty hoppers for the coaling tower.  To the left, just visible around the curve of the "sky", is the power plant.  In addition to supplying electrical power to the area, it also provides the railroad with steam and compressed air, for use throughout the shop complex - the overhead delivery pipes still need to be installed    :

   

More of the power plant, with Finlay's Fresh Fish beyond:

   

The power plant straddles the border between Lowbanks and Port Maitland, with Finlay's actually in Port Maitland.  Beyond is the Port Maitland tower, centre of operations for the Erie Northshore and with jurisdiction over the line west to the TH&B interchange.  That's an inlet of lake Erie to the left, lapping at both the rocky shoreline behind the tower and at the nearby backdrop    :

   

A view from over the tower.  The two tracks leading to the left are to GERN's Gibson Works, as is the switch at the top right of the photo.  The siding at right, along the edge of the layout, serves both as car storage and as a make-up/break-down track for trains to and from the TH&B:

   

Finally, almost at the end of the modelled line, is GERN, the road's largest customer.  The double track reverts to a single line in the canyon through the plant, then curves right, where it crosses a lift-out to the TH&B staging track, seen near the start of our journey:

   

   

   

I hope that you've enjoyed your flight over the railroad.

For additional pictures of the layout, from a different point of view, check HERE

Wayne

Can a smoke generator be wired up to work with DCC?

Here is an Auto-Carrier Truck that i have spent the past couple hours building and detailing. I added detail parts to the Promotex Mack CH603 from Plano Models. The Auto-Carrier is from Walthers and came from the Auto-Loading Facility Kit. I have 2 of these Auto-Carriers, both are built, but i have to detail the other cab for it, so ill post that one when i finish it...

But for now, here is this one:














I added Front Fender Mirrors, Front Fender Corner Posts, and a Diamond Tread Cross-Over Platform to the cab from Plano Model Detail Parts. I also added Mack Mirrors, grabs horns, and the famous Mack Bulldog to the front hood

Man o'man... my layout is a headache. It's really depressing and has caused me to avoid my train room for about two weeks now. I tried again last night and got so frustrated I had to pull the plug before I started throwing locos and rolling stock everywhere.

I've finsihed my main line, and I've tried running trains, but nothing can make it the full circuit without derailing... I know for sure that I gotta replace the Atlas turnouts with Pecos, the Peco turnouts I do have seem to be pretty much flawless....

but the rest of the layout is giving me strong issues. My locos (daylight and challenger) keeps skipping the rails and giving me shorts/SVDA errors on my MRC Express, my Consolidation can't make it anywhere without stalling out...yet works fine on my test oval of bachman eztrack.

It's quite upsetting....

I'm so close to tearing it all up again it's not even funny... I need some tips on how to lay track thats reliable. I solder feeders every foot or so, and in the yard every leg section has it's own set of feeders. I've cleaned all the tracks with a bright boy and then atlas track cleaner with a nice soft cloth. I've even went around it with my Aztec track cleaner a few times and I'm still getting tons of stalls on straight and level track with my smaller locos. (the challenger stalls quite often too, but the Daylight is awesome)

I've even done a good cleaning on the loco wheels, and they sparkle as if they are new... so I know theres electircal contact there.


I'm using Atlas code 80 and Woodland scenic road bed for my track work. I use white glue to keep it all down, and I usually weight the track into the glue using cans of food and let them sit for a minimum of 10 hours before I remove the cans.

My wire for my bus is slightly thicker than the stuff Atlas sells, and the feeders are all atlas feeder wires.

I don't solder my joints unless it's flex...because my last layout had lots of issues when I soldered every joint....


Even my diesels are giving me issues... My intermountains stall more than any of my other locos...and my Atlas GP9 can't make it through the yard smoothly either.

My top performers are my Kato Daylight, Bachmann Heavy Mountain, and Bachmann J-class. Those three do not stall out and hold the rails the best...but still skip every once in a while....

minimum radius is 11... so I'm thinking I'm going to redo @ 13 minimum if I tear it all up (which I most likley will....aside from the terminal where I'll just replace the atlas turnouts with peco)

Hi Gang,

For those of you that are not familiar, I'm talking about Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

There is a crumbling elevated expressway that runs across the south side of the city, between the downtown area and the shore of Lake Ontario.

History:

The south side of Toronto ended at Front Street and the piers and docks along Lake Ontario.

When the Railways were built ~150 years ago, they were constructed on landfill over "Water Lots" that pushed the shoreline south into the Toronto Harbour.

All of the new land south of Front Street was industrial and was mostly cut off from the rest of the city by the railway corridor.

Eventually, during the 1960's an elevated cross town Expressway was built just south of the railway corridor. The expressway named for city planner/politician Frederick G. Gardiner.

In the late 1960's and through the 1970's the railways moved their main yards out of the area and the industries moved too, leaving behind an industrial wasteland.

Although the rail yards and service areas are gone, along with the industries, there is still a major railway corridor that carries regional GO Transit Trains and National VIA Rail through Toronto Union Station.

The area south of the rail corridor and expressway is being rebuilt with a lot of condos and some parkland along the water. The area is known now as Harbourfront and the East Dock Lands.

I hope that the above information paints a picture for people who are not familiar with Toronto.

The Gardiner Expressway is crumbling and costs the city a lot of money to maintain. There is now discussion on the future of the "Mistake by the Lake". Some people want to tear it down, while others want to maintain or enlarge it.

One plan is to replace it with a cable stayed viaduct built on top of the Railway Corridor.

There was an article last week [Friday] in the National Post [I think] that I read online will surfing around.

I didn't bookmark the article, but it contained a couple of links that I did Bookmark:

The first one advocates a cable-stayed viaduct above the Railway Corridor:
http://www.toviaduct.com/Home.html

This one is the public consultation...
http://www.gardinerconsultation.ca/

HI all.
I have the Bachmann EZ Command and the Nce Power Cab. I will run 1 loco ( 2 max ) at a time. All turnouts will be manual and no signals or other electronics.
The NCE puts out 2 amps and the EZ command has 1.5 amps.
My layout will have about about 150 ft of track total total. Would either of these controllers have enough power to operate the layout with out a booster? All I can find is how many locos each system will operate. Not how big of a layout. But I have heard about dcc dropping the signal ?
If not, could I use one controller for the yard/interchange area, and the other for the rest of the layout? Maybe unplug it from one section, walk around and plug into another section ?

Loren

I'll be getting some Bachmann products in a month. I plan to get an Amtrak Bachmann F40PH. I think Bachmann produces them in phase III colors, but I'm not sure. I'm bound to get 2 phase III coaches. Can a F40PH pull more than that in real life? If so, what cars do you recommend me to add? Please correct me about the phase III colors if I'm wrong.

Over in Bob's thread about his bashed mikado, someone asked about the layout it was photographed on.

Here's some pics I've taken of the Paris Junction layout - in the Paris Junction Hobbies store.

Here's the layout as it sits in the store (the clutter and debris varies from day-to-day ):



And here's the house loco, Paris Junction #101, a Bachmann GE 70 Tonner, custom-lettered by Bob:



Here's 101 with my (original) Athearn pickle car. I was offered some good money for that car before Roundhouse re-issued it. At least they haven't done the Heinz one (yet!)



Here's (one of) Bob's pride-and-joys, a Proto 2000 0-8-0 at the station (a DPM kit):



Here's 101 in front of one of the nicest structures on the layout, a kitbashed foundry from Railway Design Associates:



Here's 8410 working the yard:



And one I shot just to demonstrate to someone the differences between "scale" and "gauge":

Several pepole have asked me to keep the pics updated on this build. Rather than do so in my engine roster thread, I will do so here.

Well I cleaned off my work station (TV Table :) and I am ready to start my next project. Time to start my favorites...Tunnel Motors ;D

One is an RTR (only one I have) SD45T-2. This one won't get many modes done to it, but will get the standard details added.

The second one is a BB SD40T-2 that I plan to through everything at. I am going to open the grills, replace the nose, subbase, cab, filter box, blower, filter screens, turbo, and fans with cannon parts amongst other parts.

As you can see by the stack of parts on the back of the tray I am already helping Paul with his sales this year, and I don't even have half of the parts yet.



This is the scheme for the SD40T-2



And here is for the SD45T-2