Track Plan
With the revamping of the website comes a whole new track plan. The old hollow core door layout, Northfield & Wichita has been dismantled. Hence the need for a new layout. The plan was drawn up using a software package called AnyRail. Although the package is not free, it is very easy to use and you are designing plans within a few minutes as there is not a real learning curve as with other packages. Having undergone many revisions and utilizing advice from some good people in the forums at TrainBoard.com, below is the image of the final plan.
Concept
The layout is loosely based on the Stillwater Central Railroad (SLWC).The SLWC operates over 275 miles of track and interchanges with the BNSF, Grainbelt Corporation, South Kansas and Oklahoma Railroad and Union Pacific. Commodities that are hauled are aggregates, brick and cement, food and feed products, chemicals, forest products (paper, lumber, pulp), coal, metallic ores and minerals, construction and demolition debris, steel and scrap.
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Benchwork
The benchwork will consist of a number of different open-grid modules (click to see diagram). This will allow me to simply bolt to each other, making the system adaptable and easy to disassemble if necessary. The top for the modules will be 3/8 inch plywood and that will be covered with extruded foam. Legs (click to see diagram) will be constructed with 2x2's and 1 1/16 inch adjustable feet will be inserted in the bottom as levelers. Once the legs are attached to the modules, I will cut appropriate length 1x4 braces for the legs to add stability. I have not decided on the backdrop material yet.
Track
I will be using Atlas Code 55 with #7 turnouts. The majority of the track will be Code 55 flex with the exception of a few fixed length pieces.
Control
I'll be using the NCE Power Cab DCC set. I think this will be enough to power everything but I may have to add a booster. Wiring will be 14 AWG solid for the track bus and 24 AWG for the feeders. Initially all turnouts will be manually controlled
Some existing structures will be used. These include the Walthers grain elevator and Sunrise feed mill. In addition, I plan to have a pipe manufacturer set up. Additional structures will be added as scenery progresses, most notably will be structures representing a town and associated businesses.
Operations
Let's start first with the Tulsa staging: On November 16, 2009, unit trains of rock began moving out of the Greenhill Materials quarry (northeast of Tulsa in Owasso) to its sister company, Oklahoma Construction Materials in OKC. The Stillwater Central supplies the power, the cars, the crews to move the train and training to allow the Greenhill team to operate the train so they could load the cars. The trains run twice a week with 50 to 60 cars. I will simulate this with a unit train on the ready in the Tulsa staging. I have incorporated a reversing section in OKC so the unit train can travel from the hidden staging in Tulsa and return without having to go all the way around the layout.
Sapulpa: I will represent Paragon Industries (manufacturer of line pipe, oil country tubular pipe, standard pipe and pipe piles). Besides loading on trucks and barges, they can load 89' flat cars, 60' bulk head flats and open top gondolas.
Oklahoma City: The unit train will unload Oklahoma Construction Materials mentioned above, I may have other transloading facilities located there. (not quite sure just yet, still planning) There also may be mechanical services located there.
Lawton/Ft. Sill: Transloading services for an oil company. Several tank cars are frequently seen here where crude oil is pumped from the tank cars into waiting trucks. Occasionally there is unloading of construction materials for various lumber yards here. Also, the grain elevator will be standing by for the wheat harvest season. I may even have an occasional troop train of tanks, artillery etc. coming out of Ft. Sill heading to interchange in Altus or even Tulsa for points beyond.
Snyder: This is where the line ends, but there is trackage rights on to Altus where there is interchange with BNSF. Snyder will have a grain facility since there is an interchange with Grainbelt Corporation (GNBC), an affiliate of Farmrail Company (FMRC) which travels north to Clinton and Enid.
So with this layout, there will be a diversity of motive power represented (SLWC, BNSF, UP, GNBC) at any given time. Also it will provide for all kinds of rolling stock.
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