An Extension on the On30 layout

Well ever since I visited Mark Chase's layout 2 weeks ago, I started doing some On30 stuff .  I don't know what it is about narrow gauge but it has me hooked.  I have been doing On30 for about 3 years. Your probably wondering why I am talking about a On30 layout when you thought I was a HO guy.  The On30 layout is directly under Battlefield Yard.  I have On30 trackage that was in front of my workbench\ that was staging for the On30 layout.   Instead, I took that trackage and put in a 13" by 5' extension.  It will consist of a small one track yard, a lumber mill and another industry or engine house.  Look back on some of my previous posts about a year ago for my On30 layout.

I worked most of the last 3 days on it and I am using 2" pink foam for a base.  The framing and the angles are what took so long.  I also had to rework wire connections on the Midland so that they would not show on this extension.  That was no fun.  In all it is going to be very rewarding.  I can actually sit in a chair and work this layout.  Who has a choice when wanting to run trains?  Most do not!  Here are some pics of the my work ( or mess):

Here's a shot in the middle of the mess.  Foam is set. 

Need to add the new fascia and the NCE jack for the Midland.

A messy workbench is always a good sign!

The space is not ideal but it works.  I plan on powering all the turnouts with Tortoises. 

Working a track plan.  This my preference in working out a plan. 

Industry Tour Part 2: Specialized Beverage

Continuing on my industry tour on my layout.  This week I will show you Specialized Beverage, a beer distribution company.  The beer comes in from boxcars and goes to the local stores via way of truck.  This industry is on the Virginia Midland main industry spur where the VM's customers are located.  The spur can hold up to 3 boxcars.  The original building is Walther's RJ Frost.  I cut the building in half and made it into a longer building.  The logos were designed by Kevin Klettke.  I even added a video of Specialized being switched at the very bottom.

This industry is in a corner but fills the area nicely

Workers have their hands full unloading 3 boxcars a day here at Specialized Beverage.

The spur on the left is Mid-Atlantic Feed.  MAF is served by the VM and VC.  Nice Porsche by the tracks!  Must be the owner.

Specialized Beverage with it's usual assortment of boxcars.

Op. Session on the Piedmont and East Blue Ridge railroad

I had the privilege to operate on Mark Chase's P&EBRR On30 layout yesterday.  He has a great website and I advise you to check it out:
http://www.eastblueridge.com/

If you don't know, I got hooked on On30 about 4 years ago at one of the Timonium shows.  It is a great scale and Bachmann makes some great locos and equipment.  I have done a few things in On30, like modules but settled on a smaller layout under my current HO layout.

Mark's P&EBRR is based in the 1930's in Central Virginia and it mainly hauls soapstone in various states.  There are also some other online industries.  I have never operated on someone else's layout so I was somewhat worried.  Plus, I have never used Digitrax DCC either.   Well after about 5 minutes of operating, I was perfectly comfortable.  Having a switching HO layout tends to help with all the movements.  I worked the mill job which mainly switched the western end of the layout.  I also got to do the transfer job which ran the entire layout all the way to the exchange to the C&O at Winwood and back.   Most of Mark's scenery is not done but it did not matter.  It is a well thought out layout and has long train runs and lots of switching.

What I really liked about the layout: (what I would like to incorporate in to my layout)
-Digitrax controller was pretty easy to operate
-Switches with DCC decoders controlled from the Digitrax controller 
-Tortoise switch machines
-The hand painted backdrops
-the entire Winwood shadow box scene in the workshop
Or to sum it up, Everything!

I cannot wait to get back there.  It was a real treat to operate. I did manage to take some pictures.  Thanks for being such a gracious host Mark!

The commuter train hauling workers west from the Meridan wye

The workers pass the Dust mill/ quarry job at Cove on the passing siding/run-around track.

My Mill job train clearing up for the Doodlebug at Shops Yard.

My locomotive for the Mill job is 0-6-2 #1, a custom loco with sound.  Definitely different.

This train is the Transfer Job, holding on the main for the quarry job to clear up.

The entrance to Winwood in the other room.  The hole leads to the wye and Meridan.  The spur is Winwood Oil and coal. 

The Transfer Job at Winwood with it's switching done and ready to head west.

A coal hopper and a lumber flat are today's freight.

Overview of Winwood left

Overview of Winwood right

The Transfer Job with outbound cars.  The 2 boxcars and the gon are cars that were inbound.

Some more completed projects

Been working on a few projects this week and I did get one finished and a few have been done.  I want to get these loco and freight car projects out of the way so that I can work on the layout some.  That seems to always be my dilemma: work on the many projects I have or the layout.  The freight car and loco projects are one of my favorite parts of the hobby and since the layout is operational, it gets the backseat.

Here are a few of my completed projects:

Got this Idea from a recent trip to the local BJ's.  These Rock trailers were owned by the RF&P at the end of their careers.  This one was based off of one used as a tire trailer.

 

The trailer is an Athearn 45 footer.

The prototype at my local BJ's warehouse.  The trailer looks to be renumbered but on closer inspection, the blue numbers are over the same smaller original RI numbers.  I have seen a few of these in my lifetime.

VM #200 was replaced by GP11 #280.  I wanted a high hood Geep on the layout.  She has been rebuilt from the looks of the 4 stacks on the roof.  Still need to weather her.

I recently acquired a Intermountain F3 for the Fredericksburg and Northern Neck (F&NN) railroad.  This railroad will be incorporated into the layout as a tiny aggregate hauler on branch line to the east. This F3 and a MP15AC in the Soo bandit scheme will be it's main power.  I loved the blue on this loco and it runs well with a DCC decoder installed! 

A video of the layout

The wife and I recently got I-Phones and joined the "smart phone" generation.  Man these are wonderful.  Having a IPad does help with being familiar with the I -phone.  One thing that is a bonus is the video and camera.  I took advantage of it and posted a layout video showing what the track plan is.