Update Again

Time for another update.  Cleaned up the layout a  little so I could take a few pictures.

The first two are of Whiskey Falls, which replaces the old Bartown section.  There are now six industries in Whiskey Falls, Inland Cement, Team Track, Blue Circle Flour, Tank Unloading, A&C and W&S.



This is a view of the Team Track and Inland Cement

This is the view in the other direction, Blue Circle Flour is on the right, tank unloading upper middle, team track lower middle and A&C top left

 

This is the Farm Scene, which was the last UMG module that I built.  My plan as stated in the last post, was to install this module between Leo's Feed and R&C in Roseton, but things changed.  My plan was to increase the distances between the towns of Dogwood and Roseton and convert the old Bartown area to a rural scene with a couple small industries.  Then I used the old center section of Bartown to bridge the gap in the layout, a major town appeared instead of the rural scene.  So the module was moved again and place between Whiskey Falls and Roseton.  Ok I prefer "Ops".

This is the old UMG module, it needs some work

A couple views of Roseton.  The major change for now is the lost of Inland Cement, other may come later.

This is the view of Roseton from the Farm

This is view from the centre of Roseton

 The new "Ops" paper work is almost finished.  Need to run a few tests.  Also all the Train Orders and Schedules will have to be adjusted.  Ok completely revised.

Looking for the first Operating Session in the early January.

thanks

Doug

 

Update Time Again

Tonight a test run was make over the "new" area between Whiskey Falls and Riverside.  I am not sure if this is the final arrangement, but I wanted to get the WRS rolling again, so I reworked some of the bench work that I had removed.  The other major change in the landscape happened at the other end of Roseton.  One of my old UMG modules was put back in service and added between Leo's Feed and R&C Transfer.  This required the removal of Inland Cement.  The module is just a place holder until I start the river scene.

Now it is time to start the clean up process and to finish a couple little item to complete this phase of the project.  Which may not happen until next week, since this week will be spend getting ready for the Dartmouth Train Show.

Pictures will follow once all the "junk" has been removed from the layout.

Doug

No the WRS has not disappeared

I was looking and it has been three months since the last posting.  Where has time gone.

Construction on the WRS did not happen this summer as planned.  Still looking at options on dealing with the issues that came up with the removal of the bar.  Time to make a choice and move on with it.

The Railroad did operate once this summer, received a call that two most senior members of the Board of Director (my Great Nephews) were coming the next day to operate.  So the next 24 hours was spend getting the Railroad ready for them.  Trains operated from the South Yard to Whiskey Falls.  Which is now the end of the line until the section from Whiskey Falls to Riverside is replaced.
Most of the session was flats moving construction equipment to different locations on the railroad.  The interesting thing that came out of this session, was they found some 20 ft containers that were in storage and place them around the railroad as buildings, some of these will be staying.

Most of the summer railroading time was spend on the On30, with weekly construction nights. A total of six new modules were added to the group.  Also did a little work/repairs on Wayne's and mine modules.

Last Sunday, I attended the MFMR Clinic day in Truro.  The four clinics were great and I did learn a few things.

Now with the Truro Show less then a week away, it is time to get the On30 stuff packed for the show.

I am hoping that after the Truro Show, I will be able to get back to work on the WRS.

until next time

Doug

Update

Time for a little update of what is happening on the WRS.

This morning, a train moved on the WRS, completing a run it started a month ago.

With a roughly twenty foot hole in then layout, The Electric Department of the WRS moved the Command Centre to the South Yard from Whiskey Falls.  They also upgrade the main bus line for the Paper Mill and Dogwood.  Dogwood needed it, Dogwood is series of old UMG modules with plugs ever four feet.  A couple of the modules had smaller then normal wire gauge on the main bus.  One of the modules had the two wires in reverse order because of the way the module was installed into the setup.  It took the Electrical Department  some time to find this and correct it.

The Bar is gone, there are four or five lumber piles, that will have to sorted.  Some of the lumber will be reused on the layout, some on other projects and some will find it way to the wood stove.

On the Other Project, research on industries is continuing.  The Paper Mill be not be a Paper Mill.  It will now produces two different products from recycled paper and cardboard.  More on this later in another post.  Also looking at what industry that will be replaced and what industries that will be taking their place.

later

Doug

The Other Summertime Project

There is a second project this summer.  A couple year's ago I moved the Paper Mill by adding a balloon between Dogwood and Paper Mill, this area is now know as Greenfield, home of Green Mountain Limestone.  As you can see in the picture below there was not much room between Greenfield on the right and Bartown on the right.  Maybe two and a half feet at the most.  If someone was working Bartown, which did not happen on a regular basis, and if someone needed to get by, he had to stop and move to where Dave is standing.

As of today, the Bar, which came with the house,  is gone.  And there is a major hole in the railroad as the Bartown  secton was also removed.

After I finish cleaning up the "mess" from removing the Bar.  I will look at how the railroad is going to run thru the "new" space.  I want to have at least three feet if not four feet between the bench work.

Will update once I know more.

Doug

Fall Out part 1

At the MFMR Convention Steve Mc presented a great clinic called Developing Realistic Model Railway Operations.  A few of the items that he presented will cause changes on the WRS. 

The first item is to develop a history of the railroad and why certain things are done the way they are.  Some of the history is in my head, which now going to be writen down this summer.  Some will take time to develop, like why WRS is still using cabooses.

Next major item is to list what each industry on the Railroad is, what they produce and what is received and what is shipped.  For some industries this is easy, others are just building with names on them.  More time will be spend doing research.

The second half of this is to list where (Company name and location) and how (which railroads) the item being shipped to or received from.  This will happen later, since at present this info is not on the paperwork the crew is handed.  Steve uses car cards and the WRS uses switch lists.  I am not sure there is room for this info, specially now that type of car has been added to the switch list.  I do not think the crews would like it if I when to an 8 font.

Steve also discussed developing a time table for the layout.  A form of this will now be required, since of another change that is happening on the WRS.  In the Fall, there will be a new operations plan.  The local switchers at Dogwood, Roseton and Riverside, are going to replace.  There now will be three North bound and three South bound Peddler Freights, which will service these area.  This was done to get regular service to Riverside & Bartown.  There will be two or three Main Line Freights, running between the Yards and serving the Mill.  They may also be doing drop offs and pick ups at sidings on route.  Since at present there is only one siding that will allow meets, which is the newly extended siding in Roseton.

It is going to be a busy summer.

Doug

Report - Ops on the Fly Session

On Sunday of the MFMR Convention an "Ops on the Fly" session / open house happened on the WRS.  I had nine people visit the WRS and six even operated.

First, I would like to thank Scott, Derwin and Ewen from PEI for helping with hosting the event.  This was Ewen first visit to the WRS.  I believe during the day he was able to do all the jobs on the mainline.  Derwin was in charge of the North Yard Operations and did get out on the layout when he was not busy.  Scott did the South Yard once he had the Wi-Fi working so he could use his I-phone as a throttle.



Scott connecting the Wi-Fi to the WRS.

Ewen and Derwin working White River Paper Mill

The next operators to arrive were Ronald from Campbellton, NB ( http://www.chaleurrail.com/)  and Jean-Luc from Quebec.  After the tour and a few questions about the WRS, they headed out with the train for the White River Paper Mill.

Ronald and Jean-Luc operating at White River Paper Co.

Later in the day we were joined by Steve Mc of the Carleton Railway (see side bar for link), after touring the layout, he headed out with the Roseton Switcher.

Scott on the left switching Dogwood and Steve on the right working the Roseton area



It was an interesting day, we had three new operators, (Ronald, Jean-Luc and Ewen)  and also learned a few things with the questions that were asked.  A few items have already been added.  A few will take time for them to happen.  We also had a few people who just came to look at the railroad.  

I made a small mistake on my paperwork that I handed out and some people believed it was going to be a complete operating session lasting 4 hours, which they did not have time to attend because of distance they had to travel to return home and not just a series of small Local Runs, which you could do one to more.  

Steve Mc also did a clinic on Saturday on Operations, more on the fallout from this clinic on the WRS in a upcoming post. 

thanks

Doug