A FEW BORING FACTS ABOUT THE TRAINS

TRAIN GAUGES USED

· 86 percent is HO gauge (Scale = 1:87) or 1” = 7.25'

· 14 percent is N gauge (Scale = 1:160) or 1” = 13.33'

SOME COUNTS

· Feet of Track = over 2,775

· Number of switch track = 76

· Tunnel Portals = 52

TYPE OF TRACK USED

· Atlas HO = code 100 (flex track)

· Atlas HO = code 100 (# 6 turnouts (switch track)

· Atlas N = code 80 (flex track)

INDEPENDENT SECTIONS

There are 9 major independent sections to the train layout.

DEFINITION: An independent section is an area of the layout dedicated to a particular theme. Specifically they are:

1. EA - Eastern Ave (Old USA City & Water Front)

2. FARM - Greeley (Farming Town & Farm Area)

3. VIL - European Village and Farming Area

4. MOD - Modern Anglo / European City

5. IND - Industry Light & Earth Works Related

6. SW - Switch Yard & Heavy Industry

7. MINE - Mining Area

8.   VERT - Vertical Mine

9.   WHARF - Coastal city wharf area

MORE COUNTS

· Independently Operating Mainlines (engine & train or trolley) = 40.

DEFINITION: A complete loop where a train can travel a circuit without stopping.

· Independently Operating Siding (spur lines) = 68.

DEFINITION: A siding that extends off of a mainline. I typically like to make these operate independently. For example, have an engine and one to three cars traveling in one direction, stopping for a while and then traveling in the other direction and so on.

· Sidings That Can Operate In Pairs or in concert with other sidings and the mainline = 22.

DEFINITION: A siding such as this is connected in 2 places to a mainline so a train can enter at one point and leave at another. These can operate as the independent sidings mentioned above or allow for two trains to operate in concert with each other. Specifically, one train can enter one siding and stop. Then the other train takes off, makes a circuit on a mainline and returns to its original siding. Then the original train repeats the travel and so on.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

Overall approach

The train layout is being built in phases. The implementation plan was as follows:

Build sections in the following order:

1. EA - Old USA City & Water Front (Eastern Ave)

2. FARM - Farming Town & Farm Area (Greeley)

3. MOD - Modern Anglo / European City

4. VIL - European Village and Farming Area

5. MINE - Mining Area

6. IND - Industry Light & Earthworks Related

7. SW - Switch Yard & Heavy Industry

8.   WHARF - Coastal city wharf area

9.   VERT - Vertical Mine

Initial phase included (completed)

1. Laying of Track

2. Building and placement of Structures

3. Installing switch track without switch motors

4. Basic electric - setting up power supplies and mainline controls

5. Scenery is essentially painted surface only

Advanced Electrical phase include

1. Create and install automated circuits for (completed):

a.  Automatically stopping & starting a train (e.g. stopping in front of train stations and trolley stops)

b.  Running a train back and forth on selected sidings

c.  Running 2 trains in concert with each other - Swapping between sidings.

2. Installing small motors to operate animated objects - e.g. dump truck lifting back (partially completed)

Advanced Scenery phase include

1. Installing ballast for tracks

2. Laying down ground cover (e.g. grass, dirt, etc.)

3. Building and installing tunnel portals (completed)

4. Enclose, texture and paint mountain

5. Place people and animals (mostly completed)

6. Installing lights in structures

NOTE: Some aspects may receive advanced work prior to the starting of others.

STATISTICAL DATA FOR ALL SECTIONS
Section Name:
ALL SECTIONS
Major Engine Road Names:
Amtrak, Atlantic Coast Line, Baltimore & Ohio, Bethlehem, Boise Cascade, Brooklyn & Queens,
Burlington Northern, Burlington Northern & Sante Fe, Canadian Pacific, Central Kansas, Chattanooga,
Chessie System, Chicago & Northern, China National, Chippewa, Colorado Mining, Conrail, CSX,
Delaware & Hudson, Denver and Rio Grande, Erie, Frisco, Great Northern, Greenbrier, Illinois Central,
Lehigh, Metro-Link, Midwest Quarry & Mining, Milwaukee Road, Missouri Pacific, New Haven,
New York Central, Norfolk & Western, Penn Central, Pennsylvania Rail Road, Philadelphia & Bethlehem,
Philadelphia Transit Co., Rock Island, Sante Fe, Seaboard, Smokey Mountain, South Shore, Southern,
Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, United Transit, Unmarked, Western Maryland, Western Pacific
Track Length:								Summary Statistics
HO Gauge	Equiv.			N Gauge	Equiv.				Total HO & N
Total Feet	Miles			Total Feet	Miles				Feet	Miles
2397	39.50			382	11.58				2779	51.07
Engines:
HO Gauge				N Gauge				Total HO & N
Locomotive	Count			Locomotive	Count			Locomotive	Count
Type	Single	Double	Triple	Type	Single	Double	Triple	Type	Single	Double	Triple
Diesel	65	16	1	Diesel	7	9	0	Diesel	72	25	1
Steam	20	7	0	Steam	1	1	0	Steam	21	8	0
Electric	6	3	0	Electric	0	0	0	Electric	6	3	0
Trolley	0	4	0	Trolley	2	0	0	Trolley	2	4	0
Other	0	1	0	Other	0	0	0	Other	0	1	0
Total	91	31	1	Total	10	10	0	Total	101	41	1
Rolling Stock:
HO Gauge				N Gauge				Total HO & N
Car Type	Count			Car Type	Count			Car Type	Count
Passenger	130			Passenger	10			Passenger	140
Freight	552			Freight	148			Freight	700
Other	5			Other	0			Other	5
Total	687			Total	158			Total	845
Running Trains Breakdown:
HO Gauge				N Gauge				Total HO & N
Type of railroad Line			Count	Type of railroad Line			Count	Type of railroad Line			Count
Mainline with single train			29	Mainlines with single train			11	Mainlines with single train			40
Mainline + paired trains			13	Mainline + paired trains			9	Mainline + paired trains			22
Independent Sidings			68	Independent Sidings			0	Independent Sidings			68
Total			110	Total			20	Total			130
Other:
HO Gauge				N Gauge				Total HO & N
Item			Count	Item			Count	Item			Count
Switch Track			76	Switch Track			0	Switch Track			76
Tunnel Portals			40	Tunnel Portals			12	Tunnel Portals			52
Other Summary Statistics:
There are:
186	Total operational locomotives, trollies, switchers, etc.
152	Total separate operational trains, trolley runs & switcher acticity