# Decision time, NYC or C&O/Chessie



## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

The recent purchase of a high hood Alco RSD7, which will become a C&O engine, has put the idea in my head of modeling a single track C&O branch line serving a couple coal mine tipples. I was planing a double track NYC line with a couple of industies to switch out. My room is 100" by 110", so quite small. I have 24" deep bench work around the walls with an angled duck under that cuts across the doorway from one table to another, giving room for the door that opens into the room. I am thinking the single track line might work better in my small room. I will have to do up some sketches on paper later. I will post some pics of my benchwork tomorrow. I do have a temporary double track loop set up right now, but nothing is fastened down. All track is Atlas snap track, mix of brass and nickle silver. As I run on a constant basis, I find the brass track works just fine and is much cheaper, usualy free! No anti brass track lectures please!! I know its good and bad points. Cheers Mike


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## C&O Railfan (Apr 13, 2012)

You might guess where my vote is going... C&O!!!


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

Here is my bare benchwork with some temporary track on it. I do plan to surface it with 2" thick pink foam as a working base to allow some bridges and gullys. Then I can use the same pink foam to sculpt upwards for the mountains if I decide to go C&O. What I need (despirate!!) help with is a workable track plan using atlas snap track. I dont want to deal with flex track, nor do I want to go buy any, I do however have a nice supply of snap track to work with. If the line is to be C&O/Chessie, a single track with a long passing siding would be idea in my mind. A couple of coal mine tipples could be located in the two opposite corners in the first pic. The roundhouse/small 4 track single ended yard can stay or go if need be. The passing siding could be put where the track goes over the narrow duck under. I would put working signals on the siding to atleast show turnout alignment. I am open to other suggestions or if someone really wants to help by drawing up something. The wall you are looking at in the first pic is 100 inches from wall to wall left to right. Table depth is 24". The wall with the window and other with the doorway I am standing in are 110" But the table stops about a foot from the acutal wall on one end. Needed the room for a closet door to open, the duck under would totaly block it if I went all the way to the wall. I still may have to remove that door and replace it with something else. Mike


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## joed2323 (Oct 17, 2010)

In the first picture how come it looks as though there is no easement?, the corner connecting to the straight section looks pretty sharp. Unless the picture makes it look this way.

Im not sure if your using flextrack or not but flextrack is awesome and easy to work with, you can make really nice easements into corners.

Your layout is looking good

Keep the pictures coming


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

Its just the way the pic looks, those are both 22" radius curves. I changed the track plan some, made it single track with a passing siding over that duck under. I will take some new pics later today. The big Alco makes it around the main ok, all 22" radius, only 18" is way back on a coal mine siding and only freight cars should be going thru it. Starts out as 22" and changes to 18" about half way round that curve. I have 2 different mine tipples, one in each corner like I thought, both tail tracks overlap in the middle of that one wall. They would be hidden behind a bluff or in a tunnel that is hidden from view by trees and other scenery. I changed the layout of my yard a bit to suit the new track plan, need a curved left hand turnout for the lead to the yard, and a LH #4 snap switch for the ladder track to finish up the plan. Mike


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## mtoney (Oct 6, 2012)

Here is a revamped track plan for C&O coal operations, the two large curved tracks in the corners would be serving coal mine tipples or I may change one to a power plant and connect the tracks for a loads in, emptys out operation. The yard needs a couple more turnouts to be complete and get tied into the main. The passing siding is in, has a large radius turnout at one end but a #4 at the other end due to space constraints. Just before the turnout for the passing siding and before the turnout into the mine lead, there is a cobble stone grade crossing for the small mountian town area. I put an hour run time in each direction on the Alco's power chassis, the trucks are starting to loosen up finaly, required voltage to run has dropped quite a bit. Trucks were new in the package and quite stiff. Even a cleaning and relube didnt help, just had to run them in on the layout. None of the turnouts have switch motors, most will be ground throws with Tomar lighted switch lanterns once I get the foam base on the layout. For now they have a piece of electrical tape keeping them lined for the main. What does everybody think of the track plan so far? Mike


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