Track Plan!

At least 20 versions later, and countless sub-versions, I think I am homing in on a track plan.  Below is what it looks like as of now.  Some industrial areas are still pending detailed design.  But basic arrangement is there.  Some key features:

  • Think of it as an expanded version of previous.  Not a lot of “new” stuff going on – well except a new yard; just ballooning out the tight area… into an area twice as big!  All in, layout is right around 750 sq ft, including old and new space.
  • Staging yard went from dead end to run through.  This will be very nice when restaging the layout for ops.  About 30’ long on each track should easily allow 2 trains per track.  Total of 9 tracks.  Plan is for 8 to be used for ops, and one to be kept open for continuous run.  Elevation is at 35" at the lowest end and 37" at the other.
  • Main deck is at 47”, same as Valley Gate.  Valley Gate becomes an industrial yard, handling “shorts” for Warm Springs, etc.  The new yard will handle interchange with SP, ATSF, RI, and of course, GNW through trains.  Transfers will move local traffic between the new (as yet unnamed) yard and Valley Gate.
  • Large refinery will be along one wall.  Note that individual products will be identified on the loading tracks.  Might even add a pet-coke track.  It’ll be a very busy operation.  Ignore the circles adjacent to it - I had some ideas and forgot to delete them.
  • Mainline will go down to staging via a 3 turn helix.  A separate path UP from the helix will lead to a future industrial area.
  • Where the old dispatcher’s office area was will be another industrial area with street running.  Sneaking off to the back of that area into the new space will be a small staging yard for a RML/PR&C connection, if we can gain trackage rights.
  • Connection from the old layout to Warm Springs will be similar to previous, except now running along the entire perimeter of the new room.  Onava was moved in its entirety.  It will also have the connection to Black Water Falls and Cerro Vista along it.  With the added space, I can include a 2-track staging yard for the ATSF coming from, well, Santa Fe, NM.  The Santa Fe branch of the Santa Fe now has a connection – at least in my world!  Most of this trackage will be at 60"
  • On the other end, since Mesa City is no more, the upper level is accessed from what was the track leading up to Black Water Falls.  Will have some adjusting to do there, but it should work.  The old track to the wye at Mesa City will now go to a new industrial area where the dispatchers desk was.  This is likely to be a cement plant.    I will put in some kind of a wye there again, simply because we need a way to turn engines.

Will let you know when the GNW starts running trains again….lot's of work ahead.... looks like it’ll be a while…

Happy rails,

Detlef





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