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Here's my idea for a layout. If anyone sees any obvious problems, I'd like to hear about them. [IMG]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i301/3373GP4NR/e484026d.jpg[/IMG] [url]http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i301/3373GP4NR/e484026d.jpg[/url] The plan is based on the L-plan from the Atlas Customline Layouts book. I flipped it, cropped off the short leg, and adjusted it a little to fit the real Atlas switch and crossing angles. I also put the freight house tracks at a slight angle to give a 32-foot wide roadway between the tracks and the adjacent industry. There grade is flat throughout except for slightly lower ballast under the sidings compared to the branch track. Topographically the top is supposed to be higher than the bottom edge. Coal Run will flow in the stream bed at center and disappear into the culvert under the interchange tracks. The large blank area at the bottom will slope down, representing the bank down to a curve of the Beaver River. The layout represents a PRR branch running through Beaver Falls/ New Brighton PA in 1961. The industries are based on real ones in the area that I found in PRR records, Sanborn fire maps, and City directories from the period. I picked them to give a good variety of cars. The P&LE RR interchange mimics the connection at the P&LE COLLEGE yard. The siding names are based on PRR practice. Valley Clay Products - Manufacturers of brick, roofing tile, and pipe. Incoming loadings are coal in hoppers. Outgoing loads are clay products in boxcars or on flats. (Clay is mined on-site.) Valley Clay No. 1 (2 - 3 car capacity) will probably be a coal trestle with a conveyor or something in the blank spot. It will also be available for loading products as needed. Valley Clay No. 2 (4 - 5 cars) will be the main product loading siding. The 13th Avenue Switching Track is the runaround. It has a 4 car capacity. The Freight Station and Public Track handles railway express, produce, and general freight on the long platform (8 cars) and ramp track (3 - 4 cars). Beaver Excavator Incorporated manufactures drilling, excavating, and crane equipment. Cars are handled in the laydown yard (2 - 3 cars) by two travelling cranes. Incoming loads are steel stock such as plate, bar, and coils; large electric motors and diesel engines; and ingots for their foundry on flats and in gondolas and boxcars. Outgoing products use the same types of cars. The Weatherproof Varnish Co. receives solvents by tank car at the liquid track (3 cars) and ships in boxcars on the product track (2 cars). The interchange track (11 cars) exchanges cars with the New York Central System via the P&LE, plus they're used for set-outs during switching. I figure to get enough cars to cover two times the max capacity of the industries, i.e. 40 cars. Normal operations will be about 50% capacity or 10 cars on the layout. I thought the following breakdown of types would be reasonable and interesting: 40 cars total 22 boxcars 12 flats 10 hoppers 6 reefers 6 tank cars 6 gondolas 4 heavy flats (Looking at it all listed like that, I might switch the hopper and gondola numbers. . .) Thanks for your suggestions, Kurt Laughlin
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