Coal mine Railroad (in progress)


E

Exohead

Member
Hello to all. I have decided that for my first true layout, I would do a coal open-pit coal mine and port city. The coal mine would supply coal to the ships in the harbor. As this is a fictional section of th B&O during it's later years, it will be pulling around mail, tools and equipment for mining, the miners themselves, and the coal mined by the miners. I wanted some tips as to how to go about doing this. Any suggestions are welcomed with open arms. Following this text, but still in the same post, will be a copy of my typed and finallized plan. As I do not have money set aside for my track yet, though I have already ordered some, I have decided that I will be using an oval of track where one end is the coal mine (which will be in a valley alongside a river), one end is going to be the port and a few ships. The rest in between the two is going to be all forest. The river's mouth will dump into the chesapeake bay, which flows into the atlantic.

Here is the typed track plan:

Track Specifications:Code 100 Atlas Sectional Track
Era: 1980
Season: Late winter/Early Spring (when the snow is starting to melt)
Theme: Worker Commuting, coal mining.
Geography: Port-Small Valley filled with coal
Running Lines: B&O
Action Plan: A Baltimore & Ohio train of coal hoppers will arrive at the valley, passing through a narrow mountain pass blasted from the rock. When it arrives and places each of it’s 5 cars over the coal trestle, it will load them and drop off any tools or equipment ordered by the miners. It will also bring the mail for any miners staying on the mine grounds. It will then proceed to picking up any mail to return with and any broken tools or equipment requests. After arrival at the port, the coal will be unloaded and taken to the docks where it will be but onto the ships to use as a fuel source. After picking up any new mail, delivering mail from the mine, and after picking up all of the tools, repaired and new together, along with the equipment, then it will then loop around and repeat the process.
 
I am pretty sure it will be about 4x5. That's all the bigger I can make it without rearrangeing things in my train room to make room for it.
 
Okay anyways, back to topic. I have gotten everything that I will need except for a possible roadrailer car for mail.
 
thats pretty small space to do any thing more than a circle and 2 spur tracks. I think a min of 4x8 should be considered. regardeless a point to point or circle could be done with a backdrop to split the layout.

Trent
 
I agree, 4x5 is much too small to accomplish what you want unless you got N scale. Your scenario for your proposed era doesn't make much sense either. By the 1980, there was no B&O, it was already the Chessie System. Cost cutting was uppermost in the railroad's mind as the recession of 1980-1982 was beginning. There's no way that they would have transported miners or mail. That would have been done by road. Certainly there would have been no railcar dedicated for such a use. It was get in, get the product, and get out. Now, if you want to back date your era to 1950, what you want to do might make more sense, but not 1980.
 
Okay. Actually, I did some research and the B&O wasn't fully absorbed into the Chessie System until 1987. Look at the "Years of Operation" part on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baltimore_&_Ohio_Railroad. Anyways. I would make my railroad a 4x8 but then everything in my room would have to be moved around and I don't have the strength to move my bed at all. Anyways, I also can't build a benchwork because of the lumber cost. actually about 4x4 is big enough for a circe, but I'm adding on a couple of straight sections on either side which will make it about 4.5 feet long. but I'm adding on another half of a foot to allow for scenery.
 
If a 4 x 4 H0 layout is what you really want, by all means do it. I just dont think the function of what you want to achive will fit in the space you want. a train with more than 6 50' cars will take up half you layout track. it will just chase its tail. if you added 2 switches the most they cold hold would be about 3 cars. I highly suggest finding more space in your room to do a shelf or minimum a 4x8.

Just my .02
:)
Trent
 
I'd love too. I have too much money invested into my HO scale railway now to do that now, though. I would consider it to be a little bit too late. As I said before UP2CSX, The B&O wasn't part of anything but itself until the later 1980's. In the exact year 1980, the B&O was still alive and strong. Now they are, of course, a part of CSX. But they weren't in 1980. I'm sorry if I come accross to you as trying to put you down, I'm just trying to tell you what I found whenever I researched it.
 
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I'd love to show you guys pictures. I need a digital camera that has a little card thingy that goes into it and holds the pictures. I can't use my mom's because it's broken, and I can't get a camera like that in an instant. They cost a fair deal of money. Until I get a camera, I'll have to be very author-like and be extremely descriptive about the railroad.
 
You need to read the history of the B&O more carefully. While it's true that the corporate existence of the B&O ended in 1987, that was only a paper transfer. The B&O, as an independent railroad, ceased to exist in 1963, when the C&O gained control. The B&O still operated under it's own name but operations were controlled by the C&O. The Chessie System was created in the early 70's which included the B&O, C&O, and the Western Maryland. The B&O was now just a subsidiary of the Chessie and the only indication the B&O still existed was some intitials on engine cabs. The Chessie plus the Family Lines were merged into the CSX in 1980. There was no trace of the B&O left except on paper and even that ended seven years later.

My only point is that the B&O wasn't a thriving, independent railroad in 1980 and your scenario doesn't make sense. Of course, you can't really do what you want with the space you have anyway. Do what you feel is right and what you can squeeze in. You can worry about historical accuracy when you get older and have more space and money for a larger layout.
 
I can agree with Jim and his statements about the Chessie System are correct. However, this is your railroad as he stated. Do as you please, and take what advice is useful to you and discard the rest (i.e: creating a scenario such as "what if the B&O...?") As far as the layout restrictions go, take into consideration that Chessie owned and operated more GP40-2's than anyone other buyers. Athearn makes a pretty good model and so does Atlas...These small locos will operate even on the smallest radiuses. Coal cars...same thing, and Chessie certainly had their fair share of those too! Now if I may suggest, with the small space you have to work with, perhaps you could either build a modular layout, or a shelf layout. Doing this may not allow you to run trains in a full circle repeatedly, but there is still lots of fun to be had. Here are some advantages...

1. With a shelf layout, you can focus your small layout on the coal mine itself. Lots of switching by moving empties in and out could keep you busy for a good long while! Not to mention, this shelf industry would only take up half of the width of your original dimensions...i.e: 2x5 or 6...You can also add this section that is your layout to a bigger future layout!

2. With a modular layout, you could rip the board you have for your layout and have two pieces that you could connect only when its time to run trains. This allows for more scenery, longer mainline run-bys, bigger locos and perhaps more of them. Again, this module could EASILY be added to your future layout.

...Anyways, of course this is your layout so do as you please. As Trent stated above, you should avoid the whole 4x4 (circular layout) if at all possible. Anything HO this small is not going to bring as much realism or operation. I think I can vouch for everyone here that not all of us can build the layout we REALLY want. Time, space, money, wives (lol) are only added restrictions. Using your imagination to make something work that you can be proud of with what you have available is what truly defines us as model railroaders. Anyways, not to be long winded or anything, just something to think about buddy! ;)

-Rich
 
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Hey. I found out that I will be able to fit a 4x6 layout into my running space without to much space constriction. I measured everything out and found that it will fit into my layout area. Now it's just the money that's getting in the way. Talk to you all later.
 
Does anybody have a handful of tips about what to do first? I am going to need them once I have the board bought. I need scenery, trackwork, structures (which I know won't come first) and whatever else I may end up running into. Any advice?
 
Trackwork. That's the heart of your whole empire, without that there can't be any trains. There will be plenty of time to add structures and scenery after you've laid your track and gotten the trains to run reliably on it.

Make a diagram of how you want to lay your track, see if it looks like it will fit - then connect together whatever track sections you have so you'll find out if they really do fit in your allotted space.

If you can find a book about basic track wiring, you should probably read that first to avoid any common beginners' mistakes.
 
I suppose that makes sense, but what about the tunnel? Shouldn't I build a base for it first, then lay track for it? I know I asked for some advice, and I got some. I don't mean to question it either. I am just wondering what I should do about that part since I most likely don't have room for an open pit mine.
 
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