N Scale CSX Hanover Subdivision 3.0

[Adam H]

New to the site this evening, so figured I'd open up a build thread for my yet to be designed 3.0 layout. I am modeling the CSX Hanover subdivision running between Hagerstown MD, Hanover PA and Annapolis Junction MD, also including the YorkRail Genesee and Wyoming York Sub. I recently finished a home remodel that doubled my modeling space to include my entire basement ( half use to be 2 car garage. Thanks for having me and hope to meet the expectations of great modeling here

[Adam H]

Until I get something substantial, here is a link to my version 1.0 layout, which if you pay close attention to the benchwork plan, it's almost the same as Allenlayout

[Michael Whiteman]

Welcome to the gang here Adam. You have a very impressive layout as we see in your video. I like your operating theme. I was in Hagerstown back in 2006 and remember the engine facility area looking a lot like your layout. They had a very nice model RR located in the old freight house then. Is this going to flow into the new space you've created in your basement? Or will it be dismantled and somewhat reassembled ?

[LorenC]

Hi Adam, welcome to this forum. I used to live just across the border from Hagerstown, in Chambersburg, PA. Therefore, I will be very interested in following your progress on your layout expansion. What you have completed so far is very impressive and I look forward to seeing more.

[Adam H]

The layout was completely dismantled 2 years ago during my home remodel. Half my basement was a 2 car garage, which the remodel added a ground level 2 car garage. So once the basement was closed back in, I finished off that side of the basement, layout had to come down in order to finish the rest of the basement. Most of it is 2'x4' benchwork so it has been save and will be reused in some fashion during the rebuild. I have since inherited a yard that is on it's 3rd life now. It was originally built as Hagerstown with full round house, then it moved on to be Windsor St yard in York. The yard became available again after another real estate move so I gave it a new home originally intending to return it as Hagerstown. But I already had Hagerstown built, with the wye and cab tracks, which this lacked. I started looking at the arrangement and it struck me as a much better match for the old Western Maryland Lincoln Yard (now YorkRail/G&W), so now I'll adding some more of the York Sub to the plans, after having the PH Gladfelter paper mill in Spring Grove, PA on the old layout. here is a shot of now Lincoln Yard as I plan a few changes to better match the proto

[Russ C]

Hi Adam, welcome to RMR!!
I'm afraid I don't live anywhere near your modeled area so I find the modeling & scenic work of you guys interesting.
I'm looking forward to seeing more of your work as things progress.

[Paul S.]

Welcome, Adam!

[Alan B]

Welcome aboard! The old version is an impressive layout, and now with an even larger room, it will be fun to see what you do! I spent a year working for M-K up in the Mountaintop, PA shop back in 90-91. It surely looked a lot like the scenes you built. Am looking forward to what you come up with for a track plan and layout.

[Eric - Housatonic RR]

That is an impressive layout! I am looking forward to seeing morepictures of your progress!

[Adam H]

Scratchbuilt a loadout shed for Lincoln Yard, to make it a little more Lincoln-ish. Still more details to do but need a better picture of the headhouse and elevator etc. I had to flip the truck loadout 180* due to space constraints on the other side.



Here's the prototype I modeled it after

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9472.../data=!3m1!1e3

[Allen]

Looks good Adam.
What kind of material do they load out there? Grain or Plastics?

[Adam H]

Think that is mainly a grain facility. I'm hoping to get pictures from someone today, if I can get back on banbook, I mean Facebook. My acct has been suspended for 3rd time in 8 days. Getting old, esp since they won't explain why it's getting locked out.

[Allen]

Sounds good.
Hope you regain control of your crackbook account.

[Greg]

Welcome Adam. Looking forward to seeing progress. I followed your layout on “ the other forum”

[Adam H]

Been in a funk the last couple of weeks on how to proceed with the layout build. What to include, where to locate it. How much can I fit, what do I skip out on. Since I had the yard up and rewired, I'd go back to kicking cars around while thinking where to start. I began slinging benchwork without a plan, that only got so far before I stopped. I don't want to get to a point without a plan where I have to tear down and get started again. I'd go back to kicking cars again. Looking at the yard, I realized I wasn't going to be happy with the way it was for what I was using it for. The elephant in the room was the 3 track main around the outside, specifically on the right side where the single track YorkRail main will come out of the yard, 3 tracks were right there at a 90* angle. Finally came to the conclusion that just wasn't going to work. So down off the wall it came to the floor.


Out came the marker and straightedge, then the jigsaw. Having done the deed, I reworked the benchwork underneath and put it back up on the wall. Notice the area that was home to the roundhouse is now gone as well.


Not to worry, I have plans for the 3 track main and the roundhouse grounds at a later time.

I cut a new piece of board to fit in the corner. This area will be the YorkRail office, truck scales, and maintenance building along with YorkRail Logistics facilities. I started with the loadout shed that transfers materials (mostly grain) from hoppers to trucks. This is all Evergreen siding material. I still need to add some trim material around the corners and the roof edging. I flipped the truck shed 180*from the proto due to space constraints. I'm waiting on some caged ladders to continue with that building. There are a few transload tracks in the yard as well, so I cut in another turnout, ran a track on the outside of the loadout and tied it into an existing turnout that I cut the siding out for the loadout. There is also a pair of grain silos on the south side of the yard that I relocated to the back right side of the yard. A TRW member has graciously drawn up the plans in TinkerCad for me. With the weather warming up, I'm hoping to unpack my 3d printer I bought for Christmas and get it set up.



On the left side corner, I took the first track and cut it out about 10" after the turnout. This will be a switcher pocket for the NGL Supply Terminal, where I can spot 4 LPG tankers for offloading and have another 4-5 on the next track over.


With the added momentum, I had a few friends over to shoot some ideas around, get some new eyes on the basement and try to hammer out some town locations. Everyone was sent home with a couple copies of a sketch of the basement to do some doodles on. One thing we did figure out is the main design element I(we) need to figure out is where Porters Sideling will go. This is where the CSX Hanover Subdivision meets the York Sub. CSX comes in from the west and turns 90* to head south to Baltimore, while the York Sub turns to the northeast to York. This will ultimately determine how much of the York Sub I will model. On the previous version, I had the PH Glatfelter paper mill in Spring Grove modeled and will be again on 3.0. It may have to be rebuilt depending where it will fall in the new plan.

Google Maps link for Lincoln Yard and NGL Supply Terminal
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.9530.../data=!3m1!1e3

Google Maps link for Porters Sideling
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.8307...ta=!3m1!1e3

[Alan B]

Trying to fit pre-built stuff sounds easy, until it isn't! You are going about it the right way though, no rush and try things out a little at a time. I am enjoying watching this come together, keep after it and maybe this time next year we will be watching trains rolling along the entire layout! Seriously, no hurry at all.

[Michael Whiteman]

I'm happy to see you've come up with ideas that will work into the new design. It's an added bonus to have close friends willing to share their thoughts. Sometime we can become myopic.

[Allen]

Sucks being in a funk over something like that.
Your mind seems to go nowhere but where your stuck at and it becomes an endless cycle.
But once you break free and find something that works and you get out of the funk, you feel full of energy again.

I like the changes you made to it Adam.

Something tells me that I won't be seeing changes magically happening on my layout any longer?