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Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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One of the challenges I encountered with the Slate Fork, due to a commitment for maintaining reasonable aisle widths, was sector-plate staging consisting of just two tracks. This situation runs afoul of Tony Koester's rule of 2n+1* when planning for stub-end staging (minimum of three tracks). The two staging tracks had become storage tracks, and this was interfering with operations.
I solved the issue by purchasing two pre-built shelves, painting them black, and installing them underneath the layout within easy reach of the staging yard.
The walls need a good wipe down with a damp cloth, I see.
*Twice what you think you (2N) plus one more.Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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Originally posted by Russ C View PostGood Idea Paul, although the open ends concerns me (unintended roll aways coming to grief).Could you make those shelfs into movable cassettes? Possibly to butt up to the fiddle yard tracks, in effect removable sections of the fiddle yard?
So far no issues with rollaways or attempted rollaways, fingers crossed.Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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Something long-missing from the Slate Fork has been station signs. So I finally sid something about it: call it a "Dollar Project," if you recall the old MR feature.
Simple to make: design in Excel, some stripwood and tie stain for posts.
I followed Southern standards as best I could, referring to a standards plan from 1948. I also made a sign for Koester.
The sign for Slate Fork is a bit wonky, and I'm thinking I"ll redo it.Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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Originally posted by Paul S. View PostSo I finally sid something about it: call it a "Dollar ProjectThe Little Rock Line Blog
Rule #1 of model railroading.
It's probably responsible for the greatest number of shoddy layouts because no one feels compelled to improve themselves. Meh, good enough...
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One area that's been problematic on the Slate Fork Branch is the Hercules Powder spur, located just south (timetable east) of Slate Fork. This industry receives ammonium nitrate in covered hoppers. When mixed with an oxidizer, such a diesel oil, it's a powerful explosive. Think Oklahoma City in the 1990s.
The trouble is that execution never met the expectations of planning. Initially, I had kitbashed a typical AN train-to-truck loader. But this structure was located at the front edge of the layout. As the photo shows, the loader was too fragile. So I protected it with Plexiglas.
However, the Plexiglas was obtrusive and detracted from the scene.
But I plowed ahead for years with this arrangement. Last year, I decided enough was enough, and I started converting the site to a pulpwood yard. That idea soon fell by the wayside, as did revamping the site into the old Slate Fork Ry. engine facility.
I finally decided that Hercules Powder would remain, but not the loader. Instead, just a spur where covered hoppers would be spotted, the towed by HP to the off-layout loader. The spur, aided by short length of roadbed nearby, would appear to a repurposed leg of a wye.
So there you have. I'll add a small scale house and signage to the scene, and I'll also actually have room for an era-appropriate bulk trailer to round things off.
More to come. ...Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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That reminds me of a small Purina feed dealer in Ruth, NC (on the SB line between Blacksburg, SC, and Marion, NC). The biggest difference is that they had more bins in the tower and a scale below the discharge shuts to weigh the grain before loading it into the truck. It was adjacent to a very large pulpwood loading yard.
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Good question, Allen. Hercules Powder only gets a couple cars a month, so the inbound load will get spotted, and then pulled the next ops session, as if the AN had been offloaded into an overhead bin for truck loading, then the car moved "back on scene" by Hercules Powder. I figure they'll use a pair of winches.Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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Yep, the car doesn't have to actually move, kinda 'loads in, empties out' setup. I've also seen a front end loader used to shove cars in sidings, justsomething to get it rolling and a company brakeman to brake it when needed. Could even use a truck with a tow rope.
The thing is Paul, you don't have to model anything, just say it happens, the car got moved, unloaded and respotted outside the company grounds between ops sessions.
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Russ C said: "The thing is Paul, you don't have to model anything, just say it happens, the car got moved, unloaded and respotted outside the company grounds between ops sessions."
Yep, that's the idea, Russ. It's the ops part that matters more in this case.Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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The spur to the offscene AN loader needed something to anchor the scene, and a small scalehouse fit the bit.
Just something I cobbled together from odds and ends, with help from plans in the January 1981 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman.
I've some about trains registering as they enter and depart from the Slate Fork Branch. Well, here's where those register cards go!
Just bits of styrene and brass tubing, based on a feature in the December 1979 issue of RMC.Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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This! > "Maybe an old wood boxcar used as a storage shed"
Good call Russ!The Little Rock Line Blog
Rule #1 of model railroading.
It's probably responsible for the greatest number of shoddy layouts because no one feels compelled to improve themselves. Meh, good enough...
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Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
Old magazines can still be fresh sources of hobby information!
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Southern Railway Slate Fork Branch: https://realisticmodelrailroading.ne...-fork-branch-n
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