I love the concept of an MNNR layout, what potential that has! Not to be a rivet counter, but you would be hard pressed to catch the 314 on the hugo job. The 42 (SF30B) usually runs it in the summer and the 48 (B30-7) gets the winter run. For an added bit of info, the biggest user of the Hugo Team track is Schwieters. They receive centerbeam lumber loads very regularly. Loadmaster Lubricants in Hugo sees a lot of Procor tank cars of oil on a weekly basis. The Hugo Local gets run 3-5 times a week. The Bayport local can run as little as once a month. The Hennepin Ave line is daily.
There really is an AW&D that is rail served? WOW, I just thought it would make a good lumber using customer in and heavy rail customer out. Can you pass on any more on the rail ops there? Do you know of any photos of the facility? I can't believe I didn't see this earlier!!! Steve
Not to be a rivet coutner.... yes you are probably right and I may adjust the roster some (especially if I enlarge my MNNR roster). Currenly I have the seven locomotives listed. The RS-27 locos need to be re-lettered and spruced up and then made filthy for MNNR. My concept is a prototypical freelance. Maybe someday I will get ambitious and pursue to build a layout based on the prototype. For now, I am content with realisitc fantasy. My think for the MNNR 314 on the Hugo / Bayport job was that at one time they used a EMD CF-7 for these runs so I looked at my existing roster and picked the 314 as fill in for now.
Yes Anderson Windows in Bayport Minnesota (next to Stillwater MN) is the large manufacturing facility (and headquarters I belive) for Anderson Windows and has been rail serverd for many many years. I currently do not have a ton of information on the operations of the plant as to how many rail cars and type they go through in a month....of course this varies with production output of the facility. What is cool is that that Anderson Windows has their own switcher painted up in the their own scheme. I have a video of the Minnesota Commercial that show some operations at the facility as well as a video with footage from the 1970's. Here is a link with some information about the Anderson Windows Switcher : http://www.mtmuseum.org/jsr/roster/aw3110.php
I found some pics of MNNR 314 where it has ran the Hugo job at least twice (Photos taken in White Bear Lake, MN - former Northern Pacific Mainline to Duluth, MN) http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1857227 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1857228 So for now, I will use the modeler's license for ole 314. I have tought about custom paining an Athearn RTR CF7 for MNNR even though I believe they have sold that locomotive. I have three Atlas B23-7 Locomotives but in the future - two of them will call my farther into the future Attic layout home where Minnsota Commercial transfers will come in for BNSF so I am actually a little shot on MNNR power for the layout. The Attic layout is a topic for a future thread Steve, I indeed will be doing some fiddling around however I did discover that on the bottom portion of the layout pan, 24" is the maximum I can go towards the office door area to allow entrance into the office. Speaking of entrance into the office, at 62" I was not going to make a lift out section across the office door and force myself to limbo under the layout. However at 52" or 55" height, I think that will be too low and too much of a pain to leave as permanent benchwork. I have never built a lift out section, how hard can it be?
Dunkerunders are a very personal thing. I have mine at 48" (there's 4" of build up for a 52" track height). It works for me and this is not a "for ever and ever" layout. At 55" you could tape a section of cardboard to the door and try it a few times. On the drawing it looks to be about 18" deep so it's not too bad. I would spend some serious consideration on making it a lift out. There is a lot of track to line up for trouble free operation there. A swing gate might work. You would need to make it very robust like Charlie Comstock did http://s145079212.onlinehome.us/rr/operations/bcsj3_ops/ops_080301/ops_080301_24.htm His is at 55" by the way THANKS for the AW&D info. I'll pass on any good info I get!! Steve
Matt, What time frame were you thinking of using for this layout? I'm sure it's mentioned in here somewhere, but I overlooked it. I know some of the industries have changed over the years, so I thought I would ask. Thanks, Karl
The MNNR layout is set in Summer 2010 with modeler license to be applied when desired. However, it would be nice to know what industries the Commercial serves in present day (okay last year) to mimic realistic operations. If I decide I want to increase the traffic for operation sessions in the future, I can either increase traffic for the industries on and off the layout or add off layout industries. The industry list is what I could gather from a C Vision Productions DVD and the web. An example of prototypical freelance with modeler license is my future Attic (16x30) layout that will also be freelanced with BNSF, CP, Twin Cities Western as the primary roads with transfers from CN, UP. The Attic layout is also set in summer 2010 but I am planning on some fantasy as well as I have serveral GE AC6000 Locos for the Canadian Pacific, BNSF has the still used "Heritage" fleet that I will run as 2010 that includes long gone Burlington Northern locos, some GN, NP, CB&Q, SP&S, Frisco locos just well because I want to. I even have one of the Athearn C44-9W in GN Big Sky Blue In my world the BNSF also has the GN Empire Builder with a quartet of GN F7 locos that runs on a limited schedule for patrons who hate not spening their money . Like the MNNR layout, the Attic layout is protypical freelance with some just for fun stuff thrown in.
2010, good choice for the MNNR. 84 lumber has been out of business for years. I'm not sure the cars behind Fulcrum have moved in a couple of years, they may be permanent now. Drywall Supply shares it's spur with Weyerhauser. Weyerhauser receives boxcars of lumber at the concrete loading dock and Drywall supply uses the concrete pad. The Fridley Line will also give you some business. Commercial Transloading of MN has a MNNR 80 (RS23) stationed at it most of the time. The line also serves Bardcor Corp. (corrugated cardboard maker), Murphy Warehouse as well as some other industries. Here is a helpful link... it shows alot of the BNSF customers MNNR switches. BNSF customers on the MNNR
Here is my third version of my recent layout design that elimates the staging level thus making the layout one level. I was not very please with my first to versions of this re-deign. Here are the details highlights that are differnt from the previously posted plans: 1. One level layout - no ramps or staging level 2. Behind the backdrop hidden staging has been added 3. Hidden staging is down one track from my first two attempts from this re-design. However, I still think that I have ample staging to work with for my operating plans. 4. Layout has been lowered from 62" to 55" (track level) with expected layout base to be about 51" 5. Will have to test 51" and 55" duckunder for office entrance. 6. Uner layout turnout controls (Tortoise) will be used on most turnouts. Some turnouts in staging will use Atlas Remote Snap switches, and some of the turnouts for insutrial switching near layout edge will be ground throws. 7. More Atlas Code 83 sectional track was included in this plan becuase of ease of desgin and use as reference pieces in some areas. Code 83 flex track is still the dominant track in place. 8. Moved several industries - down sized the grain elevator - added a small coal fired power plant, removed flour mill flat. 9. Layout width has been increaced to 30" (benchwork) except for duck under and the bottom of the layout plan which is still 24" I have more tweaking to do but this verson of my freelanced Minnesota Comercial layout I think is getting close to something I would enjoy...pending some mockup testing.
