ADDING ROLLING STOCK

Now that the mainline is open for business, I need something to carry that business in!  I have been adding significantly to my boxcar fleet since the operating session earlier in the month.  http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2015/07/second-mainline-operating-session.html  Three dozen SP and SSW lumber and insulated boxcars were pulled out of their packaging.  Most needed their trucks painted.  Some needed underbodies painted.  Many needed Kadee couplers installed.  I finally got all of them reassembled and car cards prepared.  Weathering is needed, but that will have to wait until after the upcoming NMRA National Convention—less than a month away!

The large fleet of new “standard” boxcars presented a wonderful opportunity to measure the sidings in car lengths.  All of these cars are nominal fifty feet long.  In fact, they are much longer, as all have Hydra-Cushion ™ underframes, an SP standard for the 1980s.  I set up a test train with thirty cars, a caboose and three tunnel motors for power.  The tunnel motors (SD45T-2 or SD40T-2) are the longest frame diesel locomotives I will use routinely. It was really fun seeing this train snake through all the curves I built into this railroad.  It brought back fond memories of chasing the real thing in the 1970s and ‘80s.

Test train rolling past the “Marcola Branch” with the rear still in Westfir.  This train was so long I could not maintain focus with the camera!

As to siding measurements, I found most were locos+28 cars+caboose, though Cruzatte was a bit tight, more like “27.5” cars.  I probably will aim for 25 car trains, as that is a convenient, arbitrary number that fits in all sidings.  That also leaves some room for helper locomotives. 

On the motive power front, I found the three big units were just able to pull all thirty cars and caboose of the test train.  I stopped the train at each siding to record the length measurement.  A couple of times on the mountain grade, one of the locomotives would spin wheels until the others joined in.  This completely answered a question I have had about this railroad concerning number of powered locomotives to assign.  It looks like I need to use only two powered locomotives in each loco set, whether lead power or helper.  Anything more will overpower the train.  Best practice for mid- or rear-train helpers I have seen has been to make sure that neither the lead nor the helper locomotives are able to move the full train.  I will “dummy” locomotives to add a third unit to engine consists for visual effect.  That is in the future.  For now, it will be two unit loco sets.

Test train descending over Salt Creek Trestle.

This test train operation was the first time I have run a complete train end to end on my railroad.  Some of my operating crewmembers preceded me in that.  I had run at least test locos over new sections of track being placed in service, but that had been a piecemeal operation.

I find myself shifting gears rapidly right now.  I am shifting away from intense construction to applying my efforts to operating enhancements and fine-tuning (long overdue!).  In support of the shifting work focus, I now NEED to run my own railroad!

SECOND MAINLINE OPERATING SESSION

I held the second operating session over the full mainline on Saturday, July 11, 2015.  This time I had a crew of sixteen operators plus myself and “Mr. Murphy.”  Sixteen operators are about what I estimate a “full” operating crew to be on the layout, certainly once CTC signaling and switch control are installed and a full slate of trains is on the rails.

As to “Mr. Murphy,” inevitably with so large a project, various troubles show up when subjected to stress by more than the builder (me).  Fortunately, my operating crew had a high proportion of experienced and skilled model railroaders.  Many have “been there, done that,” and knew what to do to help me out of the hole I was digging.  One took on getting new loco decoders talking to the command station.  Others helped get the intended train consists together.  The real life Amtrak engineer got my Amtrak #14 positioned at the Crescent Lake upper staging, another couple of crewmembers took on the task of fine-tuning some of my track-work.  I am grateful to all.  I did have to chase down electrical/mechanical gremlins in a few key spots and have more trouble-shooting to do.  Still, a pair of hours’ effort by the invited gang really whipped the railroad into a state that after a lunch break we could conduct formal operations as intended.

Operations at Eugene.  Yardmaster Brian P. organizes the work, while switch crews Dave. C. and Bob Y. await their orders.  In the background David B. and John B. work the First Springfield Turn.

An important activity took place while madness reigned around them.  Ex-SP Dispatcher Rick K. instructed Dave H. and Mike Y. on dispatching using Direct Traffic Control (DTC).  While many prototype railroads and model railroads use Track Warrant Control as a radio-age replacement for Timetable and Train Order (TT&TO) operations, SP used DTC.  Under DTC, the Dispatcher issues operating instructions based on track blocks.  These are operational stretches of track, not the electrical blocks we dealt with in the days of analog-DC model railroad control. 

Rick K. advised me to use the system SP used in the 1980s for traffic control not covered by Centralized Traffic Control (CTC).  I readily accepted that advice.  Who am I to question such an expert?  I am blessed to have such advice and help.  Until I can install and get working the rest of the elements of my planned CTC system, we will need to use a radio traffic control system.  Going with DTC maintains the image that this model railroad is a piece of the Southern Pacific. 

Dispatcher trainee Mike Y. issues track authority to a train while Rick K. interacts with Charlie C. with paperwork for his next train and Bob S. looks on.

The tools of the Dispatcher using DTC: radio, train sheet, timetable, clock, and a DTC block form (mainline track schematic with block names and sidings) posted on the wall.

In the crush of effort to build my railroad, I could spend little precious time developing the operating system.  I am blessed with the resource of a real SP Dispatcher to guide me.  Indeed, Rick has done much, much more than guide me and has brought order to my insanity.   Traffic control on my HO scale SP Cascade Line maintains a Southern Pacific format and feels right.

This operating session witnessed the first real helper operation.  We had a long train at Oakridge that could serve as a test.  Chuck C. and Tom, D.  put the train together, got Dispatcher authority, and moved it up the hill.  Tom reported a few layout or equipment issues to me, but he and Chuck successfully got the train to Cascade Summit without dumping it onto the floor.  Tom then drifted back downhill with the light helpers and went “dead on the law” (hours of service) at Cruzatte.  This railroad is starting to live up to its potential!

Chuck C. and Tom D. assemble the first train with rear-end helpers at Oakridge.

I‘ve reported some of the work on the railroad since the previous operating session a month ago—switch controls for the mountain sidings (http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2015/06/switch-controls-for-mountain-grade_9.html) and construction of the operator’s platform for the mid part of the grade (http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2015/06/operator-elevation-for-mountain-grade.html). 

In the final push toward yesterday’s operating session, I added decoders to 22 locomotives and completed wiring switch control panels for the upper (Crescent Lake) and lower (Eugene Arrival/Departure) staging yards.  Indeed, I was making final connections the night before the operating session.  Such a push allows another opportunity for “Murphy’s Law” to reassert itself and that was the case.  The locomotive effort left me with a flock of diesel models sitting at Eugene that still had not been DCC-consisted together, but now could not even be addressed.  Part of that early session effort had David B. taking each loco back to the programming track, affirming he had control and then setting up sets of locos on the layout and consisting them.  There still are a number of gremlins lurking, but quite a few of those locos made it into service for the afternoon session. 

The new locomotive fleet.

For the switch control panels, I have gone “old school” with basic toggle switch control for now.  The application is one where a diode switch control matrix or the computer software equivalent is appropriate.  Both staging loops have twelve tracks.  Right now, I simply needed to get something in place.  The simplest for me was to wire up toggle switch controls and let operators visually set up their routes.  This effort, like many on this railroad took longer than I estimated, but the job got done just in time.

Crescent Lake switch control panel.  Sharp-eyed viewers will note what I did NOT catch in my layout and proofreading of the panel artwork.  I numbered both sets of switch ladders top to bottom 1 through 12.  Because the lower set connects to the upper set around a reverse loop, the lower set should be numbered bottom to top (reverse) with 1 to 12.  Sigh.

Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard panels.  Not all lines have track yet.  Labels are needed!

Objectively, I must rate the operating session a “success.”  It accomplished what I needed to see in action—operations on the full mainline conducted by an operating crew composed of much more than myself.  The stress I felt before and during the session was self-induced.  The crew rose to my challenge magnificently.  One key additional observation emerged—the aisle design is at least adequate.  There were reports of only a couple occasions of “tight clearance” between crewmembers.  In general, the aisle design affirmed my design effort. 

OPERATOR ELEVATION FOR THE MOUNTAIN GRADE

Rounding out the primary construction tasks for the mountain grade, I spent a week building the operator platform alongside Wicopee and Cruzatte.  This platform is set at 18 inches above the main floor.  With the climbing railroad and two levels of track, the platform height is a compromise.  The best platform to track heights occur around Wicopee siding and the RR-East end of Cruzatte.  The RR-West end of Cruzatte is high above the platform, such that even I (standing at 6 ft 4 in) resort to stools.  The grade climbing up from McCredie Springs in this same area is about belt height.  Compromises. 

I used the same design and construction that I used for the Cascade Summit platform.  A series of low bents were built using 2x4s and plywood sheathing.  Joists were made from 2x4, with three used for the three feet width of the platform.  Diagonal braces keep everything solid, avoiding the Sacramento Northern Arcade trestle collapse.  Floor underlayment ¾ inch plywood caps the 2x4 joists.  Finally, the top of the platform was sheathed with 1/8 inch tempered hardboard.  2x4 handrail posts support handrails formed from an L-girder made with a 1x2 capped by a 1x3.  All of this makes for a very solid platform and handrail system.

Operator platform for the mountain grade under construction.

Operator platform sheathed with plywood at the Wicopee end.

Completed operator platform for the mountain grade seen from the RR-West end of Cruzatte.  The two-step stool will be handy for viewing (or working on) the west switch of Cruzatte.

RR-East end of Wicopee on the lower level.

RR-West end of Wicopee with the Salt Creek Trestle span in the distance.

I am rapidly closing in on the last of the major “sawdust projects” before the NMRA National Convention.  More importantly, my operating crew now has proper access to the mountain grade.

SWITCH CONTROLS FOR THE MOUNTAIN GRADE

After placing the cart before the horse with the first full mainline operation (http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2015/06/first-full-mainline-operations.html ), I tackled providing proper switch controls for the turnouts on the mountain grade.  That first operation was scheduled within an operating weekend agreement among layout owners in the greater Portland area.  We share many of the same crew-members.  I needed to schedule an early June operation or wait until July or August. 

Until I can spend the time connecting switch machines to the interfaces to a computer and then developing the controlling computer code, my power switches will be controlled via the local (“hand throw”) control toggle switches mounted in the layout fascia.  This created two tasks: attaching the fascia and wiring the toggle switches.  I followed the same pattern developed on the core of the layout.  A hardboard fascia is mounted (glued) to a plywood support face.  Most of the fascia extends from near track level down to cover the bottom of the L-girder layout supports.  Most of my fascia is 9 to 12 inches high.  I install backing plates behind the plywood support face where I will install switch control toggles or the throw rod for manual controls (using Blue Point ™ switch machines).  I drill the 1/4 inch mounting hole through the entire assembly.  Then I remove the backing plates and drill a 2-1/2 inch hole in the fasica to provide a control recess.  After a quick coat of paint on the edges of the hole and the backing plate, the plate is re-installed and the switch control installed.

Switch control toggle switch installed in fascia recess.

I began with the pair of basic sidings on the mountain grade—Wicopee and Cruzatte.  This also involved a high fascia piece spanning between the lower track climbing toward Wicopee and the upper siding and future train order station location at Cruzatte.  The lower line will be in Tunnel 20 under this overhanging section of Cruzatte.   Though not needed for mounting switch controls, I also installed a curved section of fascia for the big curve (more than 90 degrees) in my Wicopee siding. 

Mountain siding fascia with tall panel spanning between the lower line with Tunnel 20 and Cruzatte on the upper line.

Fascia for Wicopee siding curving around the the RR-West end on the right.  The backing plate for the Wicopee RR-West switches has not yet been re-installed.

At Cascade Summit, I chose to use only a modest height fascia to maximize light flowing underneath for operations on the initial part of the grade coming up out of Oakridge.  Most of my fascia is painted a dark green—it fits with western Oregon.  For Cascade Summit and other parts of the upper deck, I use a gray paint that I find less distracting when viewed with the sky back drop of the lower level.  The gray also may suggest the rock formations that are more prevalent at higher elevations.

Cascade Summit fascia installed and painted.

The final area to receive fascia at this time is at McCredie Springs.  The fascia has been installed and I now am working on the switch control recesses.  The fascia is continuous from RR-West Wicopee to RR-East McCredie Springs.  All of Cascade Summit has fascia up to the drop for Cascade Creek at the RR-East end.  My next operating session will be much easier for all now that the switches have proper controls.

McCredie Springs fascia installed.

FIRST FULL MAINLINE OPERATIONS

D-Day (June 6) was the day battle was joined between gravity and trains on my HO scale SP Cascade Line.  The full mainline was placed in service, albeit with crude turnout control.  A dozen operators showed up to give the completed mainline grade and staging tracks their first test. 

All of the time spent over the past two months under the layout paid off as the basic track wiring performed well and the trains rolled.  The initial “Smoke Test” earlier in the week resulted in---NO smoke!  Even more, crossing between power districts for the four new boosters added to the layout went flawlessly the first time.  There were no out-of-phase boundaries as I successfully maintained the wiring pattern for all boosters. 

The railroad remains un-signaled (“dark” territory) so a Direct Traffic Control (DTC) system was employed per Southern Pacific practice in the 1980’s.  Former Dispatcher for the SP, Rick Kang helped adapt the system to my HO scale railroad and performed the first Dispatcher duties.  The system worked well.  It was a joy to see meets between opposing trains develop on the mountain grade.  All of us got a rush seeing this happen even with bare plywood or spline roadbed and no scenery.  Our minds filled in the blanks. 

Herewith some photos from the day.

The Eugene yard is busy with road and yard crews.

David B. brings a train to a halt in the upper staging yard at Crescent Lake.  Dispatcher Rick Kang is busy at his desk down below.

Dave H. brings a train upgrade through McCredie Springs.

Later on, Dave brings his train out of Wicopee and around the loop at Salt Creek trestle.  I am eager to build this signature scene.

A meet takes place high up at Cruzatte.  The planned operator platform is needed!

Conductor Bob S. watches as Engineer Dave C. bring their RR-East train past the RR-West train in the siding at Cruzatte.

Conductor Rick A. calls the Dispatcher with an OS report while David B. and John B. await further clearance.  Down below, Robert Y. guides a train over Salmon Creek and starts up-grade, RR-westbound. 

Although the railroad has a few rough edges, and much work yet to go, it passed this first test of something approaching full operations.  Whew!

POWER TO THE MOUNTAIN TRACK

Inevitably for me, following the visible progress of roadbed construction and track laying, the next necessary step—wiring—always seems to be a “downer.”  Nonetheless, wiring is essential to making the magic of trains run.  My prior post on wiring my railroad ( http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2015/05/wiring-mountain-grade.html) discussed why it seems to take longer for me to get track into operation.  I am happy to report basic track wiring has been accomplished on the mountain grade!

I distribute my DCC boosters around the layout to minimize power and DCC signal losses.  This results in a “station panel” associated with each of the boosters.  The panel for Wicopee and Cruzatte is about as basic as such panels get for my railroad.  The detection block wiring for a station is gathered into a pair of terminal strips.  These are fed by a circuit breaker, which receives power from the DCC booster.   Space is left on the station panel for subsequent installation of block detection circuit boards and power switch machine control boards.  For now, all the blocks get jumpered together.

Station panel for Wicopee and Cruzatte.

One issue addressed in locating the DCC boosters around the layout has been the installation of the NCE Control Bus between boosters.  This is a four-conductor cable that uses RJ-H connectors at each end.  NCE supplies a short cable with each booster, but longer cable runs are up to the end-user.  Unfortunately, four-conductor flat cable and RJ-H connectors have vanished from regular consumer supply houses.  My solution has been to run Cat5e cable between booster locations, splicing half of the NCE-supplied cable onto each end. 

Cable connections to the DCC booster for Wicopee and Cruzatte.  The green wire is a ground needed among the boosters.  The gray wire laying on top of the booster is the Cat5e cabled that has the NCE-supplied short cable spliced onto the end. 

NCE specifies a “daisy chain” set of connections from one booster to the next.  My chain begins with the command station under Springfield, passes through the boosters for Eugene Depot and Oakridge and now connects to the large booster for the Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard—the staging loop in the “back room.”  From this large booster, the command bus snakes back to a corner, up the wall and out on the upper level to the booster for Crescent Lake (upper level staging).  The command bus then has to back track to begin working it’s way out to the booster for Cascade summit and McCredie Springs.  Finally, the last leg extends around to the booster for Wicopee and Cruzatte.  A look at my track plan will give you an idea of where these locations are in my basement space.

With all of the cables run through the layout and end connections made, it was time to see if I got it together right.  My pair of Athearn GP35s that seem so handy for these check out tasks, got called upon once again.  They are seen in the photo below.  Look closely, you will see the headlight is on! 

Locomotive check out of wiring to the track at Wicopee.  The headlight is on and it runs!

I am getting very close to actually running over the full mainline!

ESPEE IN OREGON 2015

The Espee in Oregon Meet was held in Toledo, Oregon, May 15 & 16.  The major draw of this meet was the Georgia Pacific paper mill that serves as the motivation for the continuation of the railroad Toledo Branch.  This is the same branch that runs through the lower campus of Oregon State University in Corvallis—my home town.

The meet began on Friday with a tour through the Georgia Pacific paper mill.  Sadly, GP policy forbade cameras, so the only photos I have are from the public area outside the security gate.  The tour briefing was informative, filling in a couple of gaps in my knowledge base.  The paper mill was built in 1956-57 as an adjunct to the former C.D. Johnson sawmill purchased by GP.  The sawmill is no more, but paper production continues.

Georgia Pacific paper mill in Toledo, Oregon.

The GP paper mill in Toledo produces corrugated box paper—both the outer faces and the interior liner that is corrugated.  That is a business that continues with the changing marketplace for paper products.  GP uses 50 percent recycled material (mostly cardboard) in their current process.  The remainder of the fiber for the paper comes from the Kraft process (chemicals and heat) applied to wood chip fiber.  This contrasts to the thermal-mechanical process used by SP Fiber Technology (newsprint is the product) seen during last year’s tour at Newberg, OR.  http://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2014/05/espee-in-oregon-2014.html

The rest of the paper process looked familiar.  Indeed, last year’s tour was good background for this year’s tour.  The tour completed with a demonstration of rol-dumping RR chip gondolas.  GP’s chip dump is across the Yaquina River in the former loading shed of the CD Johnson sawmill.  A conveyor system transports the chips over to the paper mill site.  The old industrial switcher, used at the mill since 1951, was present but is no longer used. 

Friday afternoon provided time for layout tours and a tour of the Toledo Railroad Museum.  My first stop was with the museum.  I have visited here before, getting a copy of one of the few photos of the SP “Beanery” at Cascade Summit.  The museum’s highlight is their restored baggage-RPO car.  It is a great example of a working Railway Post Office. 

SP Baggage-RPO at the Toledo Railroad Museum.

My second stop also was in Toledo at the home and layout of a former charter member of my former model railroad club in California.  Both of us escaped to Oregon.  Jim uses mostly DC-analog for control using his PFM Sound unit.  I also toured a club layout in Newport.  The evening’s activities centered around an “open” slide projector.

Jim W.’s layout.

Saturday’s agenda had a number of presentations.  The important “local interest” presentation was by Lloyd Palmer and Mike Y. on the bridges on the Toledo Branch.  The SP upgraded the line in 1958 to handle the heavier traffic for the then-new paper mill.  The SP used a number of former turntable bridges, repurposed as railroad bridges, for the many crossings of the Mary’s and Yaquina Rivers. 

The evening’s presentations included a video shot on the Cascade Line featuring snow removal service.  The concluding presentation was by Bob Morris (aka “Photo Bob”) with a lot of his photography around Dunsmuir, CA, at the south end of the Cascade-Shasta Line (and the original main line).  Bob claimed this was the first time he had done a projected photo show (he works with photo prints).  He had us in stitches with laughter.

The Espee in Oregon Meets give me an opportunity to catch up with friends with a common interest and to add to my knowledge of railroading—particularly the SP—in Oregon.