Model Railroading > CP 173 Rebuilt - Finally

The "9-Diamonds Area of the 2018 PC, or CP 173, is finally re-done. 

After experimenting with every 30 degree crossing made in HO - literally . I settled on Peco CODE 100 diamonds asnd mated the Code 83 maims to them via soldering and shims....a few more need "lifting" but by and large it all works now. I have determined that every piece of rail in that complex - no matter how small, needs a feeded attached. By dumb luck - a crossing of about 30 degrees has an unintended issue - most 4 axle trucks have a wheel base almost exactly the same as the location of insulated crossings on the diamonds....these Peco are giving me the best continuity of any - but I am still going to wire every piece of rail. They are however, 24 degree crossings not 30 - so I had to tear up all the track entering all 4 sides of the junction, and relay it for 20 feet either side of the junction, including roadbed.....but the end result is woreth it. Fortunately I have a resistance soldering outfit and paste solder. 

OK here we go - Picture 1 is looking railroad east. From right to left on the picture:

D&H/PC Interchange Track (Train Reversing Section)
#1 D&H Siding
#2 D&H Main
PC Main
...then coming at you across the diamonds...right to left..

PC Main 2
PC Main 1
Norwood & South Massena (Steel mill carrier) and PC Port Ogdensburg Secondary - this is how the N&SM directly accesses the port (not yet built)

In the background, you see the train about to leave the PC Port Ogdensburg Intermodal Yard. The parallel track next to it is the PC Main to Syracuse/Selkirk. PC Mains 1 and 2 will also gget you there - they all lead into the staging helix.  

Picture 2 -  - This view is along the D&H toward the diamonds.

Picture 3 -  If you follow the D&H main, you eventually reach this location, which is the D&H Canton Yard and Engine Facility. The diamonds would be well behind you....the D&H  main and siding ore on the side of the facility to the left - you can see a D&H intermodal train on the main.  The track to the far right is the D&H yard lead. which comes off the D&H #1 main just outside of the viewing range of Picture 1. 

Lots more to post but have to run for now...no time to spellcheck so please ignore my bad typing.. :)

Bob
 

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Here is Picture # 3 - Forgot to attach it....

Bob

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Wow! Looks great. Once you get more ties in there, and the track painted and ballasted, it will be an awesome place on the layout to watch trains, whether it be rollingh through the plant (perhaps more than one train at a time) or waiting to get through. Who says scenery has to be mountains and rivers?

Victor A. Baird
http://www.erstwhilepublications.com



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/14/18 16:17 by wabash2800.

Looks awesome!

Is that a 3-axle or 2-axle GMD-1? I found that the 3-axle GMD-1s short out on Peco Insulfrog turnouts. Not sure if that is a problem with diamonds...

-Jason
 

Thank you Victor....we'll be starting scenery this winter after we build the last two peninusulas and get the staging in. I have plans for "topography" which is easy to do when you have 2" foam and a 1x4 box frame under it.  Given my modeled area is up in far northern NY, in the St Lawrence River valley, scenery will be fun to do.

The whole layout is designed to be "railfanned"...I paid a lot of attention to possible "vistas" and photo angles, when I designed the layout. I enjoy running the railroad more than most anything else and that is why I was willing to spend the rebuild time on CP173 - if it does not run well...what is the point? 

Thanks again....

Bob




wabash2800 Wrote:
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> Wow! Looks great. Once you get more ties in there,
> and the track painted and ballasted, it will be an
> awesome place on the layout to watch trains,
> whether it be rollingh through the plant (perhaps
> more than one train at a time) or waiting to get
> through. Who says scenery has to be mountains and
> rivers?
>
> Victor A. Baird
> http://www.erstwhilepublications.com

Tell you what Jason...all told I have 49 of your models - with a further 8 on order presently. Right now I have two  GMD 1's (4 axle - 1121 and 1440), One Canadian set....two SW1200RS,.... 2 FPA, 1 FB, two RDC-1's, four PC stainless steel coaches, four of the American Flyer coaches in PC, two F units,  two covered hoppers, four C40's, eight cabooses (Angus CP and D&H) ....nine Pointe St Charles cabooses (1 CN and 8 NBS - now PC) that started with Rapido ....and they are ALL excellent runners and beautiful models. On order are 3 x B36, 4 x RS11, 2 FA (all PC) and a half dozen of the PC Flexi-Flo cars.  The GMD-1's run through the Peco diamonds perfectly - no shorts, no stuttering.  I figure I own a significant piece of the bus by now,....of which in HO I also have two....

I have a ton of various 6 axle units of all makers and none short on Peco Insulfrog turnouts at all.....are you sure they are shorting and not dying for lack of power? . If you do not keep the point rails clean where they touch the stock rail - you can get a dead spot past the frog unless you feed the turnout from both ends. The sharp rail edge of the Peco points, will shave crud off the wheels then they pass over them and after a while they clog up and lose contact with the stock rail.  I now have a fully climate-controlled space and no longer have the issue as my track just stays clean (added filtration). 

Bob

rapidotrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looks awesome!
>
> Is that a 3-axle or 2-axle GMD-1? I found that the
> 3-axle GMD-1s short out on Peco Insulfrog
> turnouts. Not sure if that is a problem with
> diamonds...
>
> -Jason
>  

Some more recent progress images....

In general, the peninsula on which 173 is located is the newest one so I took some time with the massive realignment of the tracks leading into 173, to do some final alignment on the rest of the track on the peninsula. A note: where track does not center wll on the cork ballast, I will cut away the cork edges to get better fits .

Here are a few examples...

Picture 1 - We are standing over the end of the small (40 car) D&H yard at Canton. The tracks are from right to left -yard tracks 1, 2 and 3, the west siding for the refrigerated warehouse, the east yard lead/arrival/departure track of the d&h yard, and the two D&H mains The curved turnout to the far left leads to a 20 car drop track for the D&H that also handles overflow from the yard. Through PC and CP/CN trains on the D&H also drop on that track. 

Picture 2 -Looking the opposite way from Picture 1, we see from right to left, the two D&H mains, the D&H yard lead and A/D track, the industrial siding off the PC Newton Falls branch  that holds the  Cargill syrup facility, and far the st left, the PC Newton Falls Branch, Way down at the refrigerated warehouse, two switches are located....one to the far side of the warehouse, one to the small Canton Station, and one to Newton Falls following the main. 

The large black structure on the right will not be there in the long term - it will be replaced by a large scratch-built warehouse about 6 feet long. It will sit against the backdrop hiding the staging helix located in the middle of this peninsula. If you look real hard, on the far right track, you will see a track that will rise up on a LONG ramp  that is the CAP interchange  - a place to stage a CP Rail train during operating sessions...it will hold a 30 car train.All of the cur eves have been fair ed, and aligned. 

Picture 3  - Here we are standing at ground level, just to the right of where picture 2 was taken, but looking west...From left to right we have the PC Main to Newton Falls , the two D&H mains and the far left tracks both lead to the helix that leads to staging - it is a double track helix)..All of this track has been aligned as well.

Bob



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/18 09:17 by navarch2.

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Here are a few more...

Picture 1 is looking toward the spot werte the Picture 3 in the previous post was taken.... RIGHT TO LEFT (MESSED IT UP IN THE FIRST POST...)- we have the two mains leading to the helix and staging (PC)  and then the two D&H mains, and farthest right, the PC Lyons Falls branch. Coming off the PC main to the far left, just beyond the bridge, is the switch to the D&H interchange.  This track also functions as a whole-train reversing section. 

Picture 2 is looking up the N&SM/PC branch to Port Ogdensburg, Here you are lloing toward 173, and the right is a team track, straight ahead are the 3 tracks of the Intermodal Yard at Port Ogdensburg, and the Port Ogdensburg peninsula will come off the end of the switch in the foreground.

Picture 3 shows the entire  interlocking at 173. Clockwise with the black bridge as 12 o-clock....the black bridge carries a CN line over the PC it disappears into the backdrop and ends at the  edge of the benchwork.Just under the bridge the three tracks, from left  right, are 
PC main 2, PC Main 1, PC and N&SM branch to Port Ogdensburg. Coming off that track at 2 o'clock running to the right, is the N&SM line into the Adirondack Specialty Steel  St Lawrence works. Ore trains will shuttle between Port Ogdensburg and the mill, as well as carloads of export steel, specialty weldments and forgings, and slag for export. in the opposite direction.  The three mainlines crossing the tracks noted above, are from top to bottom, D&H main, D&H siding, and PC main   The track just above the intermodal train  is the PC main from the east to the staging yard. It is also a reversing section. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/18 16:01 by navarch2.

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My final 3 for today.....

Picture 1 is the "other" end of the D&H Canton Engine Terminal... In this picture, 1 of the two D&H mainlines is occupuied by an intermodal train - one is emprth - and the D&H overflow siding has a cut of cars on it to the right.. The D&H yard is in the foreground....with a CP Rail Sw1200 RS doi=g the honors today.

Picture 2 is the end - for just now - of the PC Lyons Falls Branch. It is currently just a "staging point", ....

Picture 3  - A set of EL units makes its' way into St Lawrence yard after a trip over from the D&H Cantonyard.

In total, for the 173 rebuild, I ripped up and re-oriented 100 fewet of track, aligned and leveled another 60 feet - and have been in the process of dropping another 28 power feeders into the diamonds themselves....A lot of work that I hope will pay off in the "long run"....

Bob

 

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Great update, as always, Bob.  (I can't help but wonder how extensive your wife's jewelry collection must be to compensate for all the HO inventory!)
Ask Jason which part of the bus you own.  LOL
How many years now have we been watching photo progress of your layout (including the initial construction of the train space)?

boejoe Wrote:
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> Great update, as always, Bob.  (I can't help but
> wonder how extensive your wife's jewelry
> collection must be to compensate for all the HO
> inventory!)
> Ask Jason which part of the bus you own.  LOL

The spare steering wheel has Bob's name on it..... :-D

-Jason

Hello BoeJoe;

I'm not married at the moment, but my signifiv=cant other is a prolific structure builder and painter....so she is just fine with the railroad expenditures/budget :) I am blessed...lol....

ON this layout....you have been watching since 2013 or 14 I believe....for a number of years prior, I was building the test layout in my office and often posted about it.

Bob :)


boejoe Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great update, as always, Bob.  (I can't help but
> wonder how extensive your wife's jewelry
> collection must be to compensate for all the HO
> inventory!)
> Ask Jason which part of the bus you own.  LOL
> How many years now have we been watching photo
> progress of your layout (including the initial
> construction of the train space)?

rapidotrains Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> boejoe Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Great update, as always, Bob.  (I can't help
> but
> > wonder how extensive your wife's jewelry
> > collection must be to compensate for all the HO
> > inventory!)
> > Ask Jason which part of the bus you own.  LOL
>
> The spare steering wheel has Bob's name on it.....
> :-D
>
> -Jason

LOL....geez...expensive steering wheel :)  If you ever have to use it, I'll send you my lease terms :)

Bob :)