Building the Andersley Western Railroad


New switching layout underway. All track is laid and ready for wiring of slide switches which both control turnouts and provide power to frogs. Some structures are being reused from previous layouts but more are needed, either kitbuilt or scratchbuilt/kitbashed.

The AW is freelance, but set in Montana in the 1970's, it is a sister railroad to my son's Montana Central. Both are part of the Curtis Railroad Corporation and equipment is painted black with yellow lettering and trim. AW has an all-Alco roster (except for a GE 70-tonner from a previous layout).

Layout will be operated by DCC as I really do have to have at least some locomotives with sound! Pity we cannot reproduce the black Alco exhaust smoke!

The layout is 3m x 0.5m (about 10 feet by 1ft 6ins)

Some initial pictures:
awplan1a.jpgfirstlook01.jpgfirstlook02.jpgfirstlook04.jpg
 
Thanks Scott. Assuming I don't slack off, there will be regular updates on layout progress.

Alan

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G'day Alan...Looks great....What's the track brand you chose...I ended up choosing Atlas flexi track for my rebuilt layout and Atlas points...A real good friend and fellow modeller doing a great coal layout chose Peco streamline but also uses Atlas points...Be interested to know what you use...Cheers Rod..
 
Rod, I use Peco Streamline code 75 as this is reused from previous layout. My son uses the new-ish Peco code 83 which is US style track. This was not around when I built a previous US layout many years ago!

Peco is a natural choice for us as it is made in England. :)
 
I think he's using Peco Rod, just been spending some time looking over your websites Alan, you sure ain't no newbie. Whenever I see a switching layout I'm always interested in the theory of operation behind it. You mention that it could be used as an addition or have an operating association with your son's shed layout but by what you write it seems it may be only a tenuous connection i.e. some of his trains could run on your layout and some of yours on his. Which raises questions, do you have a designated mainline through or from your yard and what freight is likely to transfer from one to the other? How do you go about assembling consists therefore?

A couple of Alcos you're missing, RSD-15's (just that I'm selling a couple, shame the UK is so far away)
 
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Yes, track is Peco Streamline code 75, reused from my Slovenian layout! My son uses the new Peco code 83 American style track as he was starting new.

As to operation, consists, etc. like everything I do on model railways, will be decided 'on the hoof'! Will do lots of trial switching and see what industries need more freightcars, what will be exchanged between my son's Montana Central and my Andersley Western, etc. The map on the website shows the relationship between our roads.
http://www.andersley.co.uk/andersleywestern.html

Descriptions of movements and consists will be reported here as we progress. :)
 
Wiring completed - and the layout lives! Now will have to fit decoders in some locomotives to test switching moves. The fun part is about to start :)
 
Sure make a lot of difference when you can get trains running. Makes all of the work worth while.
 
Took the bodies off some of my locomotives and find that only one has a decoder socket (Kato RSC2). Others will need to have more work done. I think there are drop in sound chip boards for some Atlas Classic models? Several of mine are these. May be asking advice on fitting them........ ;)

I will want sound in most locos at some point, but for now have just plugged in a non-sound decoder to the RSC2 to get it in use.
 
G'day Alan....and all.....Wow....it's going to be awesome...Paul (my fellow modeller friend)...He's building a real big CN Coal and UP/SP freight layout...suggested when I went to flexitrack to try Peco...I ended up buying code 100 Atlas...Got two boxes x 25 lengths for $225..less than $5 per length...It's really good but a few months ago Paul decided to extend and asked me if I wanted to try some Peco..He bought 20...and I took 5...Peco is really really nice...No complaints with Atlas but I think Peco might be just a tiny bit more flexible...but I use Atlas No. 6 and No 8 turnouts...and Paul liked them so much he ended up going with same on his extension....I like very much your concepts and will be a terrific operational layout..RE Slovenia ....what sort of motive power do they employ and who models their stuff in the 1:87 world..? sorry to bug you with questions..Cheers Rod..
 
Rod, as Slovenia is a tiny country, very few models have been made until recently. It was of course part of Yugoslavia until independence in the 90's. Roco now make the Siemens "Taurus" electric and a local Hobbyshop in Ljubljana, Moko, commisioned a diesel "Durica". Acme make SZ coaches, and several manufacturers make suitable freight cars.

Take a look at this page on my website and click the three seperate links to see pictures of these. http://www.andersley.co.uk/slovenianHO.html
 
G'day Alan....I had a look at your great videos...Crazy looking locos...those electrified beasties...Obviously do a GREAT job hauling some fairly substantial trains by the look of it.
However not a 'classic' look regarding the locos...a term that springs to mind..."a face only a mother could love"...and what many of us Aussie train followers think of our version of the GE Dash 8s that have run on the massive Ore Trains out in the Western Australian Pilbara/ Gascoyne/ Kimberly etc ..very different looking front but very reliable locos...but now modern US AC6000s , ES44s , EMD SD70 ACe's and even a few upgraded SD40-2...are more prevalent.. but the dash 8s...still are used...I will check out your Slovenian models real soon..Thanks..for the info...A quickie but a great line...we have a comedian here called Col Elliot...a little politically incorrect in this day and age but... ....... but two famous lines of his....."I was so ugly as a kid , my mum used to tie a pork chop around my neck , just to get the dog to play with me."...and " I wouldn't say my wife was overweight but....the other day we were sitting on the beach when the lifeguard came up to me and said ' Do you reckon you can get your wife to move , because the tide wants to come in."....He's a very funny man...Cheers Rod..
 
Hmmmm, I see a British invasion coming on.:) Maybe I should hit Matt up for some of his decals.
 



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