I am seriously thinking of jumping into my first real layout (I had a small one when I was a teenager about 10 years ago). I was looking through something small and easy, and the Red Oak Layout MRR did a few years ago seems perfect. My only reservation is the operational capabilities of the layout. Those of you with more experience, is this layout one that can be operated alone in a prototypical manner? Are there any changes you would make to the track plan?
For those not familiar with the track plan:
Red Oak
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
I'd have to dig the article up to see if they mentioned any sort of operational plan. They often do in these articles. Just looking at the plan, there's only one actual customer on the main, everything else is off the branch. There's probably enough to justify 2 trains a day out the branch, one up and in to staging and one back in from staging. Or instead of a brnach off a main, it could be the branch is another railroad, and the town of Red Oak is an interchange point. And perhaps one set of industries off the branch are serviced by the main railroad, with trackage rights. That could make operation more interesting.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
I think the plan would be a great plan for a lone wolf operator! I don’t think there was anything super specific about operating but I expect there may have been a short bit (I really can’t see how they could not!). I recall seeing one of the MR Video Plus Ask MRVP videos which said something about it, but that was an older one I think (I don’t even watch them anymore!).
I think OPs would consist of a few road freights and passenger trains making loops around, with the freight occasionally dropping off cars for the local to deal with. The local switcher could also make runs up the branch switching the various industries. You could also have a road freight/passenger train looping the layout while you switch the branch. I think it’s a great layout for solo OPs!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
With an Iowa track plan, your probably looking at one WB, one EB manifest train and maybe a passenger train in each direction. You could add a local coming off the branch. But for a one person operator, that’s a lot to run in a day. I’d say go for it!
I am mostly concerned with the odd looking two track yard near the backdrop. It doesn't seem to be very useful in terms of moving cars around. I have thought about making a slight change to the track plan by adding two curved turnouts into that yard and a cross over from the larger yard. What do you guys think? I am pretty sure it now adds a polarity issue with my DCC system.
cchristianmcguire I am mostly concerned with the odd looking two track yard near the backdrop. It doesn't seem to be very useful in terms of moving cars around. I have thought about making a slight change to the track plan by adding two curved turnouts into that yard and a cross over from the larger yard. What do you guys think? I am pretty sure it now adds a polarity issue with my DCC system.
My understanding about that yard is that it is a staging yard representing industries on the branch to Griswold Iowa (I think it’s a branch...). The branch job would head into the staging yard, run around it’s train in the runaround track, switch out it’s cars with those on the track in that yard farthest from the backdrop, and head back up the branch.
Connecting the branch staging would cause a polarity issue, but I think there are electronics that can automatically deal with that. Other will have to chime in and confirm. I think that won’t add much to operations, but it will allow you turn a train around with out using an 0-5-0 switcher (armstronging trains). I think you may have to have the turnout close to the bottom left of the plan and have what will appear to be a double track main in order to keep the radius of such a curve normal.
Yes, linking the branch staging back to the main will create a reverse loop situation. The branch staging is designed to be isolated, with room to shift the train around (hence the runaround track), so the train the comes back does not have to be the same train that went up the branch.
Outsailing86 With an Iowa track plan, your probably looking at one WB, one EB manifest train and maybe a passenger train in each direction. You could add a local coming off the branch. But for a one person operator, that’s a lot to run in a day. I’d say go for it!
Red Oak is on the CB&Q's (now BNSF) main line to Denver. In 1963, the CB&Q was double track from a point just west of Red Oak east to Illinois. Twelve passenger trains, six each way per day. Eight of them had scheduled stops, one made a conditional stop, and three didn't stop at all. One of the sets of passenger trains would be the California Zephyr. Today it still sees Amtrak's California Zephyr go through town.
There were six daily freight trains, listed for information only in the employee timetable, and one 4 day per week westbound through freights. Of the freight trains, two of the daily and the one 4 day trains were described as 'merchandise' trains, the remainder as 'time freights'. There were four daily eastbound through freights. One 'merchandise', one 'meat' and two 'fruit' trains.
It was, and still is, a busy piece of railroad.
Jeff