CRESCENT LAKE FOUNDATION

I’ve begun at last the capstone project for my railroad—the upper level staging at Crescent Lake.  My Crescent Lake will feature a twelve-track reverse loop staging yard, much as the Eugene Arrival Departure Yard will have for the base level below it.  I need to build and install Crescent Lake and get it wired while I still have full access to the floor below.  Future access will be more limited once the Eugene complex is built below. 

The test operating sessions conducted so far point strongly to the need to expand the mainline track and get more of Eugene built.   This is so vital that I cancelled a previously scheduled test operating session to make way for construction.  Step One is to get Crescent Lake built and installed.

The basic structure for Crescent Lake consists of open grid panels topped with plywood and an upper layer of cork.  I used my standard nominal 4 inch deep plywood strips for construction, as this will extend below the Tortoise™ switch machines that will control the switches.

Crescent Lake benchwork panels under construction.  They overlay the track plan on the floor.

The panels are topped in my usual fashion for yard areas—3/4 inch plywood with ¼ inch cork laid on top.  I left gaps in the cork at the panel joints.  These gaps will be filled with cork sheet once the panels are installed. 

Crescent Lake roadbed panels ready for track line layout and switch installation.  Most of the two switch ladders will be on the two panels in the upper right, with two final switches located on the corner panel in the lower right.

The panels will be raised to their final location over seven feet above the floor.  Edges along the walls will be supported by ledger L-girder, similar to the lower L-girder on the back wall in the photo above.  Out in the room, the panels will be hung from the ceiling.  Our house uses open truss floor joists for the main floor formed from 2x4 on the flat—broad—face.  This made for a wider target to locate for the suspension lag screws.  The lag screws hold “superstrut” pieces, which provided a way to span between joints and provide a nut for a threaded rod to be inserted.  “Superstrut” is formed steel channel often used by electricians and plumbers to route and support conduit or pipe.  Jerry B. used his power hacksaw to help me cut the “superstrut” pieces to length.  Thanks Jerry!  All are now installed on the ceiling.

“Superstrut” installed on the ceiling, attached to floor joists above.  Each strut in this picture has a special nut installed within the channel to take the threaded rod.  The upper level wall ledger L-girders are visible along the side wall.

More to come…

FLANGER!

“Call out the flanger!” was a call on Southern Pacific’s mountain lines such as the historic Donner Pass or the Cascade Line that meant snowfall was beginning to slow down operations.  SP employed four levels of snow removal: pilot snowplows, flangers, Jordan spreaders, and a rotary snowplow.  Pilot snowplows have been fairly effective at removing modest snowfall from the tracks.  Operations could proceed at nearly their normal pace as long as the pilot plows could keep up.  As snow levels rise and ice forms along the rails, the flanger would be called.

A flanger is a dedicated piece of snow removal equipment.  It employs a pair of plows mounted under the carbody that can be lowered between the rails allowing it to clear out snow and ice accumulated there, particularly along the sides of the rail—the flangeways.  This is where the raised flange on a railroad wheel rides, keeping the wheel on the track.  The close-to-the-rail geometry must be maintained, so the flanger rides on trucks with no springs—a solid (and bumpy!) “ride.”  Flangers typically are operated at or above posted track speed, as they work best when running fast.  As a result, flanger operations do not slow down railroad operations by much.  They are seen as just another train, albeit a speedy one, occupying the track.

The heavy-duty snow removal equipment—Jordan spreaders and rotary snow plows--impact the pace of railroad operations, as they operate at much slower speeds and can not be passed or run-around when they are in use.  The railroad operating department tries to keep ahead of a snow storm enough to not have to call out either of the heavy-duty snow removers.

Flanger operations have long been part of my planning for my dream model railroad.  Their operation screams “mountain railroad” to me.  I have a Lambert Models flanger model, representing an SP flanger with a wooden car-body as operated into the 1960s.  A steel-body flanger has been on my wish list.  Albrae Models ( http://www.albraemodels.com/) just imported brass models of rebuilt SP flangers, including the one routinely assigned to Oakridge.  I just received mine!

My new flanger sits on the snow equipment track at the end of the Oakridge wye (right foreground).

Close-up of the flanger. 

Close-up of the other side of the flanger.  One of the highly curved flanger blades can be seen underneath the car-body.  Albrae Models version is pre-painted and lettered and comes equipped with Kadee couplers.  It’s ready to go!

TRACK INTO McCREDIE SPRINGS

With the subroadbed built, I moved on to installation of cork roadbed and track installation for the mountain extension into my nook space.  Track laying is very satisfying as it provides visible, tangible evidence of an advancing railhead.  Major tasks of switch machine installation and wiring remain to place the track in service, but the extension into the mountains is taking shape!

As I worked with the cork roadbed, I dealt with several height changes.  Secondary trackage ends up mostly on thinner N-scale cork roadbed.  An extra strip of the N-scale cork provides the needed width for HO-scale.  I created ramps out of balsa to transition the heights.  I used a Stanley Surform ® for the primary shaping of the ramp, followed by coarse sandpaper.  The Surform ® made quick work of the ramp.  I then had the idea of using it on the cork to finish the transition once the cork was glued to the ramp.  This also was fast and very controllable.  I’d forgotten just how handy that tool is!  I also checked side-to-side level throughout the construction process—when sanding the spline for a smooth surface and for smoothing the cork after gluing.  I even checked the side-to-side level as I laid track.  Yes, I had an issue on earlier track, so I now check continuously.  

Take a look at the new track expansion, beginning with the climb up out of Oakridge.

Climb out of Oakridge.  Salmon Creek Bridge is just visible in the distance to the left.  The foreground curve will provide space for Rooster Rock and Tunnel 21.

East McCredie Springs.  The beginnings of the rock bunker for the quarry I added are seen in the corner in the top center of the photo.  The mainline and siding curve around to the right.

McCredie Springs depot area.  The house track is nearest the aisle, followed by the mainline, siding and “Track 3” back towards the wall.  The train order station will be close to the aisle and company housing for train order operators will be towards the rear of this scene.

West McCredie Springs.  The track has climbed 13 inches above Oakridge.  The mainline descending from Cascade Summit overhead is 24 inches above.  Both tracks will curve around the corner toward the main east wall of the basement.

Continuing the tour from the upper end of the railroad at Cascade Summit, we first encounter Trapper Creek at the immediate RR-East end of Cascade Summit. 

Trapper Creek Bridge.  The bridge abutments and plywood base are much deeper than needed.  The creek will be much closer to the bridge when completed.  The bridge is a Micro Engineering 50 feet plate girder with a ballasted deck fabricated from Evergreen styrene strip and sheet on top.  The abutments are built up using Evergreen sheet and strip.

Continuing beyond Trapper Creek, the railroad enters the future site of the summit tunnel.  The tulle (veil material) sandwiched between the cork roadbed and plywood subroadbed is very evident in this photo.

Descent from the summit begun.

Descending mountain grade sweeps around the nook corner.  Part of this area will have a long open-gallery rock shed as can be seen on the prototype line even from Highway 58.

CLIMBING OUT OF OAKRIDGE

With the central core of the railroad settling into operations, I have begun construction of the rest of the railroad.  I previously posted on Cascade Summit. http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2014/07/laying-out-cascade-summit.html

http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2014/07/cascade-summit-track-laid.html

Now, I have begun the mountain climb up out of Oakridge. 

Continuing on from my first foray into spline construction (http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2014/01/expanding-world.html), I built supporting benchwork and laid spline up the wall and around the corner into McCredie Springs.  I use “traditional” spline cut from nominal ¼ inch thick hardboard.  Yes, it is messy with the glue, and it takes a bit of time (each successive spline layer needs to be clamped while the glue sets), but the results are good and utilize materials easily obtained.  The resulting subroadbed has very natural, flowing curves and is quite strong.

Mountain grade spline construction.

Around the corner and into the nook, I am building McCredie Springs on plywood.  McCredie Springs features a standard SP company “village”--train order station, operator houses, section chief and section crew housing and a signal maintainer’s house.  I will add a rock bunker in a corner of the nook.  Though quarries in the area were not rail served, there were quite a few.  I chose to bend history and add a rail-served quarry with its rock bunker.  With all of these structures and extra tracks, I chose to use plywood for the subroadbed to cover the needed space and provide support.  The center spline of the mainline subroadbed keys into a slot cut into the edge of the plywood. 

Overview of construction in the Nook.  McCredie Springs is on the lower deck plywood.  Two-plus feet above that is the roadbed for the grade descending from Cascade Summit.

I use Midwest Products cork roadbed.  On the spline subroadbed sections, I sandwich tulle fabric (bridal veil material) between the cork and the subroadbed spline.  This serves as an equipment catcher during construction and testing.  Later, it will serve as part of the scenery.  The cork is glued directly to the plywood where the ply serves as the subroadbed.

Mountain grade up out of Oakridge (off the left).  Cork roadbed has been glued to the hardboard spline.  Tulle (veil) fabric is sandwiched between the roadbed and subroadbed.

Roadbed entering McCredie Springs, up from Oakridge.  The rock bunker will be located in the corner to the right of the photo.

As I laid out McCredie Springs, I eventually went back to primary research material for the track layout.  This was after I had plowed ahead with what I “thought” the track pattern was.  Inspection of the few historic photos and the SP valuation maps quickly showed I had missed the correct location of the house track and an additional “track number 3” on the outside of the curve.  I ended up adding a bit more plywood to expand the supporting “ground.”  Lots of splice plates and biscuit joints were added!

Revised track schematic for McCredie Springs.

In addition to the revised schematic for McCredie Springs, I revisited maps for Wicopee and Cruzatte—my remaining mountain sidings.  Revised schematics for all three mountain sidings have been posted into the station schematics tab of this blog.

Continuing upgrade (RR-West) through McCredie Springs.  The house track branches off the mainline to the right.  Further back, track number 3 branches off to the left of the siding.

Benchwork construction techniques are illustrated in the photos.  McCredie Springs sits on two pair of L-girders plus additional wall brackets.  The upper level roadbed rests on simple wall brackets, reinforced with steel corner brackets.  The corners use a basic box grid with a diagonal brace—better aligned with the curve being supported.  The mountain grade now features both a descending upper line and a climbing lower line.  The two lines are about 24 inches apart in height at the RR-West end of McCredie Springs.  They will join on the turn-back loop that will be supported by Salt Creek Trestle.  Salt Creek Trestle is a signature scene.  Photos I shot there are what I use for inspiration and as the background for this blog.

THE RAILROAD AT YEAR TWO

Prompted by a recent post on friend Bruce M’s SP Santa Barbara Sub blog (http://spsbsub.blogspot.com/ ), I was struck by how much work has been accomplished on my layout in the past year.  Last year’s review can be seen at: http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-railroad-at-year-one.html  Herewith a photo tour of my HO scale SP Cascade Line as it stands at the beginning of August after two years of construction.

RR-West end of line.  The climb out of Oakridge is a bit more than a train length.

SP X8572 East crosses Salmon Creek on its way downgrade toward Oakridge.  A pair of industry spurs hold cars for the Pope and Talbot lumber mill geographic east of Oakridge.

SP X8572 East meets SP X7474 West at the RR-West end of Oakridge.

SP X8572 East proceeds on the siding through Oakridge.  A stand-in depot (an American Model Builders SP Type 22) serves Oakridge until a proper hipped-roof version arrives.  Tracks for the steam ear engine facilities and turning wye are in the foreground.  In my world, those facilities will remain to serve diesel helpers.  An ALW Lines boiler house stands at the end of the oil spur.

SP X8572 East rolls through Westfir.  The Western Lumber Company mill will be represented by Walthers sawmill kits plus round-roof warehouses from Reiten Models.

SP X8572 East rolls past the Marcola Branch.  The foreground boxcars are interchange traffic for Weyerhauser.  The tank cars seen end-on are spotted for a wood resins plant.  The background covered hoppers serve agricultural interests of the Mohawk Valley.

Rolling into RR-West Springfield, SP X8572 East passes a pair of tracks serving Rosboro Lumber on the geographic north of the mainline, while the hopper cars to the left (geo-south) are spotted at Springfield Rock.

Proceeding down the mainline in Springfield, Clear Fir is on the left and four tracks serving the large Booth Kelly mill (later Georgia Pacific) are on the right.

SP X8572 East is at the RR-East end of Springfield.  Borden Chemical is in the foreground.  A fictional oil dealer is in the background.

SP X8572 East crosses the Willamette River between Springfield and Eugene.

SP X8572 East enters Eugene on the mainline.  The car shop serves as a temporary engine facility, pending completion of the planned facilities inside the RR-East staging loop (and arrival/departure tracks).  A consisted pair of switchers waits on City Yard track 2 awaiting more work.

SP X8572 East completes its journey, holding on the main in front of the Eugene depot.  The RR-East end switcher waits in the foreground.

A foretaste of coming attractions is provided by the following views of Cascade Summit:

RR-West end of Cascade Summit, including the turning wye.

RR-East end of Cascade Summit.

Benchwork is in place for the summit tunnel.  The railroad will start descending from this point down the wall to the right of the picture, loop back on Salt Creek trestle, reemerge on the lower level behind the storage and moving boxes where McCredie Springs will be built, and connect to the line up out of Oakridge just visible at the left of the photo.  The operator platform for Cascade Summit is in place.  The Oakridge wye tail track is on the green-painted section in the foreground.

The railroad clearly is under construction as evidenced by the many tools and bits and pieces scattered around the layout.   Also evident are a number of “fix-it” tags at spots identified during operations.  “Operations” is a key word, as I have now held three test operations sessions on the current railroad.  This helps me find spots needing work.  It also helps me develop the operating plan in advance of completing the railroad.  The vision and dream are becoming reality!  

THIRD TEST OPERATIONS SESSION

I held my third test operations session on my HO scale SP Cascade Line this weekend.  The operating crew nearly doubled to seven compared to the four used for the prior pair of sessions. http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2014/03/first-flight-ops.html    http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2014/06/spurred-on-by-operations.html  The crew expansion was based on experience from the previous session, wherein it became clear that the Eugene classification needed more staff to handle their duties. 

The Eugene yard must make and break five local freight trains over the course of the session, plus either add cars or create complete new road freights.  To handle the load, we used two switch crews and a yardmaster.  The RR-West switcher was a “heavy” switcher composed of two switch engines, while the RR-East switcher could make due with a single locomotive.  This reflects the amount of switch lead currently available at each end of the classification yard.  As the railroad expands, the RR-East switch lead will grow in length.

Yardmaster Rick A. and RR-East end switcher Dave H. look on as Dave B. matches car documents to cars in his train prior to departing Eugene.

In addition to having a yardmaster to orchestrate the moves of the two switchers, I provided a couple of organizational aids based on observation and discussion following the previous session.  First, I used several “Highlighter” colors to color code the destinations on the waybills.  This provided a quick visual reference useful while sorting car cards with waybills.  The second innovation was provision of car card slot separators to help organize and designate the car card slots for the yard tracks.  These were 2x5 inch  cards with a destination name and the color code highlight.  These destination aids helped the yardmaster to quickly sort through the car documents for cars on a track to decide how best to have them switched and how to organize the yard for that purpose. 

Yardmaster Rick A. organizes work in the Eugene classification yard aided by card slot destination cards and color-coding.  RR-West end switcher engineer Bob Y. takes a break and points out a yard feature to other crewmembers.

With the yard better organized, all five local switching jobs were run.  Two of these jobs began the session staged at their respective station assignments: Oakridge and the first Springfield job.  These trains start the session immediately.  Their next day counterparts are built in the classification yard during the session and depart for their stations at the end of the session.  A consequence of this is that at least two local freights can begin work immediately without awaiting effort in the yard—a common failing of many model railroad operations.  This also captures the idea of railroad work as a continuous process. 

In addition to these first two locals, the Eugene “City Switcher” began the session by making “pulls” from the city industries.  Eventually, the City Switcher exchanged the block of cars pulled from the industries for a new block of cars made up by the yard crew that were to be spotted at the city industries.  This work organization permitted three of the five local freight-switching jobs to begin working at the start of the session.

As the First Springfield switch job and the Oakridge Turn returned to the Eugene yard, two new local freights were ready to depart:  the second Springfield job and the Marcola Turn.   The first Springfield job switched industries on the geographic north of the mainline using the house and drill tracks.  With its return to Eugene, the house and drill tracks could be used by the Marcola Turn.  The second Springfield job switches the industries on the geographic south of the mainline.  Sufficient runaround tracks are provided on either side of the mainline to allow these jobs to work without fouling or crossing the mainline.  This session marked the first time a crew worked the Marcola Turn.  One minor switch issue was found, but they were able to get their work done.

Dave B. and Brian P. work the first Marcola Turn.

In addition to the yard switchers and local freights, several mainline trains were run, though the current layout construction state means they must run between Eugene and Oakridge—not even half their eventual runs on the completed layout. 

Two other crewmembers “escaped” to other commitments before I remembered to pull out the camera.  Thanks Tom D. and Ken R!

Important outcomes of the third test operating session are that the Eugene Yard work is getting sorted out as to how to organize and perform it, all local freights were run, and a rough sense of timing for this work is emerging.  Those are important accomplishments, especially so with only three operating sessions performed so far.  We are all looking forward to completion of the railroad to see how the mainline traffic fits in with the local, on-layout, switching.

CASCADE SUMMIT TRACK LAID

Construction progress on the upper level of the railroad continued with the laying of track at Cascade Summit.  My Cascade Summit models  the steam era track layout which includes a turning wye for steam helpers.  The tail of the wye was contained within a single-ended tunnel.  Other features of Cascade Summit include the main flanked by two sidings: the “West” Siding for RR-Westbounds, and the “Lake” Siding used by RR-Eastbounds, so named as it was the track closest to Odell Lake.  A set of cross-overs provide for helpers to exit the turning wye and work over to the “Lake” Siding and the small “Beattie Spur” (actually a short siding).  A company spur for maintenance of way equipment or set-out of broken equipment completes the tracks at Cascade Summit. 

Cascade Summit Track Schematic.

RR-East end of Cascade Summit.  Foreground tracks are (left to right): Beattie Spur, Lake Siding, Main Line, West Siding.

Turning Wye. 

Cascade Summit RR-West end.

Cascade Summit Turning Wye.

Although my initial plan used a conventional #6 straight turnout for the wye switch, I eventually acquired a commercial #4 Wye switch.  This is a Shinohara Code 70 switch that needs modification yet.  Commercial Code 70 wye switches have yet to be redesigned as “DCC Friendly.”  This older design switch has the points rigidly tied together by a metal strap, making them electrically equal.  Better practice would have them electrically separate and of the same polarity as their respective stock rails.  I have yet to make that modification and others stemming from the same principle, so the wye switch and tail track are placed temporarily for now.  I am undecided as to the length of the wye tail track.  Historically, the tail was just long enough to handle an SP Cab Forward steam locomotive.  Engineers were known to try to “lengthen” the tunnel on occasion.  My sense is to keep the tail long and not introduce another operating headache, no matter how prototypical.