Good to see an update. And guess what? This time next week we might be neighbors! I'm hoping to sign a lease on a house in Lawrenceville right up the road.
Thanks for all the compliments and encouragement everyone! Wow- Lawrenceville really is just up the road. Great railfan spot for the CSX Abeeville Sub also. Welcome to the Peach State! You talked me into it! I'll do a post with video in the next week or so showing this loco in action. This week I made decent progress by getting the mainline laid all the way across the dropdown gate across the door to the layout room: Next week I hope to install one more Tortoise turnout motor and a bit more wiring. This will complete all of the trackwork in the Emerson area and will allow scenery construction to begin in Emerson while track planning and construction progresses northward. Jamie
Jeff, you are correct about the insulated rail joints around the turnouts being used for OS/control points. I realize I am not protecting against fouling the OS, but I figured this is OK since I am installing the signal system for traffic control and not safety (unlike the big boys). Not to say I won' change these in the future. Right now it was just way too easy to use the insulated joiners instead of soldering and gapping all three routes out of every turnout. Will see if this technique stays in the "good enough" category once I start actual operations. Jamie
I just registered to tell you how cool this is, I work for CSX out of Wauhatchie Yard in Chattanooga. I look forward to updates and the finished model.
Eric, Welcome to TrainBoard and thanks for checking progress on my layout! I am still trying to figure out how I am going to model the Wauhatchie area and get the NS junction in as well. Actually working on a revised track plan this week and hope to get something posted soon. Jamie
What kind of track is this? Kato Unitrack? Atlas? Couldn't be Atlas. [edit] Ans: Atlas code 55 concrete ties. We have a whole thread on Caddy58's door opening and how he built a bridge to cross them in the How To Forum. This is one of the best bridges I have seen. Just having a thread on that would be very interesting.
If I'm correct, Atlas N scale doesn't make Code 55 concrete tie track. Micro Engineering does though. Looking good! Now, if I may suggest, how bout you change to the Thoroughbreed of Transportation? :tb-cute:
Correct on the concrete tie track--only available from ME and Peco in code 55 and the Peco is not accurate for North American railroads. As for your thoroughreed comment, I won't be changing to Norfolk Southern, but big changes are coming soon to my layout that will involve an interchange with an NS line. And I will also no longer need the concrete tie flextrack...but I've said too much already. Jamie
uh oh Jamie, are you moving away from strictly prototype to a little freelance? Or maybe you are changing the areas you want to model.... which that area uses wood ties?? Hmm.... Mike
I am about 75/25 to switching to a different section of CSX that does not use concrete track. I am on hold until I get a complete track plan finished, either for the current area or the new one. I am having serious brain lock trying to fit the Atlanta-Nashville area into my space, while I think I can fit the other area in nicely. Will have some updates on the new/revised plan soon. Jamie
Wow, what an awesome looking layout! Sounds like you're debating a pretty serious change -- would you take out the concrete tie track that you've already laid down?? I model western roads, but live in CSX territory, so I'll be watching your progress w/ interest. Keep the photos and info coming!
I am considering moving my modeled area to the Piedmont region of the Carolinas. If I decide to go with this Carolina Rails version of the track plan, I will not be using concrete tie track since the real CSX does not use it in that area either. If I switch, I will be taking out all of the current track, roadbed and wiring that I have installed so far. The only reason I am even considering this option is the fact that I'll be losing just a few dollars worth of spline roadbed and cork (the track & electrical will all be reused). I have stopped construction completely until I get an entire track plan on paper. An important lesson I have learned is that I need to spend a bit more time in design before jumping in to construction. I want to have a good idea where every town, industry and spur will go before I lay the next piece of track. The new map and plan with all of the LDEs are shown below. The next steps will be to define the elemnts of each LDE and layout all the track alignments. Jamie
I would say right now I am 75/25 "for" making the change, and the "for" percentage gets higher the more I work on this. Jamie
